86 Ranger with a 302

[Spacesuitrudi]

I recently purchased a 1986 Ford Ranger 4x4 with a 302 already mostly installed. It has a 4-5 inch (I haven't actually measured it yet) body lift and a suspension lift already installed. It looks like someone has put a lot of time and effort into doing this swap and then gave up shortly before the finish line. The front drive shaft that came with it looks like it will work, but the rear drive shaft is too short. There are wires in the engine bay that are not hooked up to anything yet and I havent figured out what vehicle the 302 came from to find stuff like the serpentine belt. I have an electric fan on the way because there is no room for a traditional fan with the radiator that is currently installed. The original ignition is intact, but someone wired a second ignition that I do not have the key for. So I am more or less wondering what my next steps are for finishing this build? I am hoping to be able to use this truck primarily for hunting.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Shouldnt matter what the 302 came from as far as belts and pulleys.

Im assuming its EFI? Only thing you can do is trace the wires to the other end and see where you end up.

He wired a 2nd ignition? Why? Lol

 

[superj]

4-5" body lift????? what the heck? you need to remove as much of that as you can

 

[bobbywalter]

4-5" body lift????? what the heck? you need to remove as much of that as you can

...looks like total combined depending on how i read it.


i ran a 4inch body lift for many years to ease maintenance....after changing my exhaust scenario...

originally the flat gasket mid and long tubes AA had back then sucked so bad with leaks i just hated the damn things. you have to cut quite a bit from the frame to fit them and i eventually broke the frame.... so they got yeeted...i went to 351 Cobra R headers...the 4 inch body lift allowed me to just install them untill i could afford a full re-work later. back then i could not have the truck down...i was driving 50-90 k a year.




as to the original poster....carb or efi?

if carb what ignition system?

if efi....get the pcm numbers and picture of the main plug.




you obviously want a matching serpentine system....and that is what it sounds like.

best full system is from an explorer....you need it all from timing cover out.




the mn12 t birds and 5.0 sn95 mustang systems are next....same thing...timing cover out...



from there the fox mustang or mark 7 configurations works best...

then the crown vics and aero birds/cats from there.


this is a situation that can be frustrating to do with keyboards.....i would prefer to have it in my presence as it is much easier to make it go.

 

[RonD]

Yes, just a guessing game until we have more info

"second ignition switch"??????
Someone put an old actual ignition switch on the dash like this: https://pics.millsupply.com/webp/lg/dash-mounted-ignition-switch-cylinder-keys-36934.webp

 

[Spacesuitrudi]

Yes, just a guessing game until we have more info

"second ignition switch"??????
Someone put an old actual ignition switch on the dash like this: https://pics.millsupply.com/webp/lg/dash-mounted-ignition-switch-cylinder-keys-36934.webp

Yes, someone wired a second ignition switch, i would still have to use the first to unlock the steering wheel. My guess is the original is for the ranger system and the added one is for the engine

 

[Spacesuitrudi]

...looks like total combined depending on how i read it.


i ran a 4inch body lift for many years to ease maintenance....after changing my exhaust scenario...

originally the flat gasket mid and long tubes AA had back then sucked so bad with leaks i just hated the damn things. you have to cut quite a bit from the frame to fit them and i eventually broke the frame.... so they got yeeted...i went to 351 Cobra R headers...the 4 inch body lift allowed me to just install them untill i could afford a full re-work later. back then i could not have the truck down...i was driving 50-90 k a year.




as to the original poster....carb or efi?

if carb what ignition system?

if efi....get the pcm numbers and picture of the main plug.




you obviously want a matching serpentine system....and that is what it sounds like.

best full system is from an explorer....you need it all from timing cover out.




the mn12 t birds and 5.0 sn95 mustang systems are next....same thing...timing cover out...



from there the fox mustang or mark 7 configurations works best...

then the crown vics and aero birds/cats from there.


this is a situation that can be frustrating to do with keyboards.....i would prefer to have it in my presence as it is much easier to make it go.

It is carb, it looks like someone found and installed most of the parts, it is just figuring out what the donor vehicle was and finishing the install. The problem is i am unable to ask the person i bought it from because this is how truck was when he got it

 

[Spacesuitrudi]

4-5" body lift????? what the heck? you need to remove as much of that as you can

the original builder welded everything in, i do not have the tools to remove it all at this time but i plan to fix everything correctly when i have the available resources

 

[Spacesuitrudi]

I will take more detailed pictures after work and post tomorrow

 

[RonD]

Carb and distributor setup
Not sure why OB(original builder) didn't use Ranger ignition switch, its literally TWO wires to hook up, and they are already in the engine bay, to start and run the engine

 

[bobbywalter]

looks like a rc 6/8 inch lift....cant really tell what the body is. might be some washers or pucks....looks like 1 or 2 in tops.





it has an hei distributor.....if it is one of the chinesium units....might be why it was abandoned.....

it dont look like a genuine DUI setup in the pic. so be weary.



...feed it some power and go juice and roll it over....she might pop right off...


have you figured out the transmission and t case? looks like an old school c4 setup into the rbv system judging by engine placement.

 

[superj]

that truck don't look bad, at all.

 

[Spacesuitrudi]

I got most of the wiring figured out, i can now start the engine with a key. Now i just have to figure out the serpentine belt, radiator hoses, oil filter relocation hoses, driveshaft situation, and the shifter/4x4 linkage

 

[Spacesuitrudi]

looks like a rc 6/8 inch lift....cant really tell what the body is. might be some washers or pucks....looks like 1 or 2 in tops.





it has an hei distributor.....if it is one of the chinesium units....might be why it was abandoned.....

it dont look like a genuine DUI setup in the pic. so be weary.



...feed it some power and go juice and roll it over....she might pop right off...


have you figured out the transmission and t case? looks like an old school c4 setup into the rbv system judging by engine placement.

From what i can tell, the serial number from the tcase identifies it as coming from a 4x4 ford ranger. But i have zero ideas as to what the transmission is. I have been trying to take it one system at a time and the shift linkage is coming up on that list. I know the transmission is bright green, but so far thats about all i know about it

 

[Ranger850]

From what i can tell, the serial number from the tcase identifies it as coming from a 4x4 ford ranger. But i have zero ideas as to what the transmission is. I have been trying to take it one system at a time and the shift linkage is coming up on that list. I know the transmission is bright green, but so far thats about all i know about it

My dad recently had his Transmission rebuilt by a shop and they painted his bright green. He said he only paints the ones that get a complete rebuild, one reason is he can tell if it's his work , the other one is he can tell if someone has gone in it after him, for warranty purposes.