3.0L (2000)

[Djnj4lj]

Hey I was wondering if anyone has some info on the 2000 3.0L V6. I have a 1988 XLT with the 2.9L & I was wondering if that 3.0L will bolt right up to the engine mounts. I am also curious, what other modifications I would need to think about?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Hey I was wondering if anyone has some info on the 2000 3.0L V6. I have a 1988 XLT with the 2.9L & I was wondering if that 3.0L will bolt right up to the engine mounts. I am also curious, what other modifications I would need to think about?

So… this should be in the engine swap section and I’ll move it…

3.0 may or may not bolt up to the engine mounts in the 88. It will not bolt up to the transmission in the 88. Wiring will also be a nightmare. The computers are located in entirely different locations and nothing will plug together so everything will have to be traced and spliced. Also, the fuel system in the 88 is not compatible with a 2000 motor. It could be done, with an incredible amount of work and expense. There may be other issues with the swap.

Honestly, there are much better swap options. Anything except a 2.8 or 2.9 will require wire splicing. And the 2.8 is actually just a “maybe” option. A 4.0 out of a 90-92 will bolt in to the 88 transmission (how long that transmission lasts is a different question), but the wiring will need a lot of splicing. A 5.0 would require some more serious work for fitting, plus a transmission and transfer case, but if you use a 97 or older Explorer donor your fuel system is still mostly compatible. You will have a lot of splicing for wiring and 95-97 Explorers will be OBD2 and have the computer in the wrong place. Or you can go to a carburetor equipped 5.0 and minimize wiring.

 

[Ranger850]

I was wondering if that 3.0L will bolt right up

Like Blue said, it "might" bolt up to the mounts, but the motors are completely different, dispite bieng similar in displacement. Best bet is just replacing the 2.9 with another 2.9, or rebuilding the one you have. Otherwise, it's a full motor/harness swap, and at that point, you can pick any almost any motor you want as long as it's not a staight 6 or DOHC v8/v6. Some ppl on here have started SHO v6 swaps, but i don't think any are up and running yet. IIRC one person , here, has put a 4.6 v8 in thier Ranger.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Arguably, the 83-88 trucks are best suited for either carburated motor swaps or full-on replace everything with aftermarket stand-alone controlled stuff. The 2nd Gen (89-92) stuff is kinda a transition period because there were a ton of stock options (2.3, 2.9, early 3.0, 4.0 OHV). The 3rd Gen (93-97) and 4th Gen (98-00) are arguably among the easiest to do EFI motor swaps. 95 was the start of the OBD 2 stuff and 98 saw the introduction of the PATS anti-theft. Each step up presents its own challenges. A 2000 will have a returnless fuel system, OBD2 and PATS. An 88 has none of that.

 

[Djnj4lj]

Thanks a lot guys! That gives me my answer. Marry Christmas.