f250 wirring harness

[Mrthechicken102]

I'm in the process of swapping a 1990 f250 5.0 V8 into my 1992 2.3l ford ranger but i'm struggling to find an "easy" way to get it properly wired up. I'm also wondering how would be the best way to run ecu and have my gauge cluster roughly accurate, thanks in advance

 

[Curious Hound]

Using the wiring harness and ecu from the donor vehicle would be best.

 

[JoshT]

You're wanting to keep it fuel injected?

As for your gauge cluster. I'm not positive about the 89-92, but the earlier 83-88 didn't get much from the ECU. I imagine that the 89-92 was probably the same. Give the cluster it's own sensors on the engine. Speedometer is driven driectly. Fuel gauge should be separate from engine wiring. It needs an oil pressure sender and a coolant temp sender. Not sure how the tach (if equiped) is driven. Voltmeter shouldn't need any special wiring.

Might end up requiring a couple of duplicate senders on the engine. Probably just for coolant, I don't think that the ECU will care about the oil pressure.



I'll sound like a broken record here. Depending on how far along you are you might want to rethink your choice of donor vehicles. The truck engines are not a good fit for the Rangers due to the large accessory package. Mustang or Explorer is a much better fit, and arguably a better version of the 5.0 all together.

 

[Mrthechicken102]

You're wanting to keep it fuel injected?

As for your gauge cluster. I'm not positive about the 89-92, but the earlier 83-88 didn't get much from the ECU. I imagine that the 89-92 was probably the same. Give the cluster it's own sensors on the engine. Speedometer is driven driectly. Fuel gauge should be separate from engine wiring. It needs an oil pressure sender and a coolant temp sender. Not sure how the tach (if equiped) is driven. Voltmeter shouldn't need any special wiring.

Might end up requiring a couple of duplicate senders on the engine. Probably just for coolant, I don't think that the ECU will care about the oil pressure.



I'll sound like a broken record here. Depending on how far along you are you might want to rethink your choice of donor vehicles. The truck engines are not a good fit for the Rangers due to the large accessory package. Mustang or Explorer is a much better fit, and arguably a better version of the 5.0 all together.

yes the plan was to keep it fule ingected, unles would it be better to switch to a carb?

the reason i chose this engein was it was veary few avalible around, i live in a verry small town and paying an extra 2k for an enegin from somewhere dousnt seem worth it.
are there any tip you might have for getting this engine to fit?

 

[Curious Hound]

One of the main issues is all the front end accessories - alternator, power steering pump,etc. Stick out too far to the front and hit the radiator. The brackets, pulleys, and maybe even the accessories on an Explorer or Mountaineer fit more compactly. But the engine itself is fine. The other place issues arise is exhaust vs steering shaft and perhaps exhaust vs front drive shaft on a 4x4.

 

[snoranger]

How tall of a body lift do you have. The truck intake is TALL and probably won’t fit under the hood at stock height.

 

[Mrthechicken102]

One of the main issues is all the front end accessories - alternator, power steering pump,etc. Stick out too far to the front and hit the radiator. The brackets, pulleys, and maybe even the accessories on an Explorer or Mountaineer fit more compactly. But the engine itself is fine. The other place issues arise is exhaust vs steering shaft and perhaps exhaust vs front drive shaft on a 4x4.

Ya I've seen a few videos of people having issues with that, most them them cutout a box from the front metal inorder to fit the radiator in

How tall of a body lift do you have. The truck intake is TALL and probably won’t fit under the hood at stock height.

Are they're any smaller intakes I could use?

 

[JoshT]

But the engine itself is fine.

Except as snoranger mentioned the trucks have a very tall intake, long runners to affect the torque curve, that likely won't fit under the stock hood. Also a '90 model truck 302 is going to be setup for standard firing order, not HO firing order, so it'll be down on power compared to other options. Down enough on power that if the OP had a V6 truck (I know it's a 2.3) he would gain nothing, and potentially loose power from the swap depending on how worn the engine is.

Unfortunately, changing firing order isn't a simple matter of swapping plugs around. It would require a cam change at minimum which these days is a risky proposition on a flat tappet engine like this one and I have no idea if the block is machined to support rollers (trucks didn't get rollers until several years later). At that point you're probably in for a full rebuild and better pistons on a 30 year old engine, actually I'd probably recommend that on a 20 year old engine too. You'd also need to change all of the ecu and wiring to something that supported the HO firing order, like something from a mass air foxbody Mustang. The Mustang's A9L computer and EFI system was a common one used for 5.0L swaps before aftermarket systems became so prevalent.


@Mrthechicken102 I've looked at your post history and a month ago you were asking about turbo charging your 2.3L. If I'm being honest, and I have a 5.0 swapped truck, I feel that you'd be better served by doing that than by swapping the F250 engine in. You'd have the potential to make more power with better fuel efficiency and a better fitting package in the engine bay.

 

[Mrthechicken102]

Inordee to turbo it would take over 7k, I got this running engine relatively cheap from a family friend who totaled the truck and pulled the engine

 

[JoshT]

Hate to break it to you, but you'll end up spending as much or more on the V8 swap you're planning. Might hurt your feeling to hear that, but I'd rather your feelings be hurt than your truck be junked because you followed a bad plan. Nothing about your donor is a good choice, even for free. It will cost you more in the long run than finding that $2000 Explorer donor, and possibly more than your $7K 2.3T build.

Let me be honest with you, even with a free drivetrain a V8 swap isn't cheap. Initial investment may appear that way, but it isn't. Especially so with what you are talking about using as a donor, unless that F-250 had A LOT of engine modifications and work done that you haven't mentioned. Just the swap itself is going to require special engine mounts, special radiator, headers to clear the frame rails, exhaust, etc. You can figure $1500+ just for the parts to drop the engine into the hole. Couple hundred more for a drive shaft to connect it to the rear axle. Being a 4 cylinder it probably has the 7.5" axle, so a couple hundred more to swap in an 8.8 from a V6 Ranger. You're already $2K invested into the initial swap.

At 30 years old and unknown mileage, you will be rebuilding that engine sooner than later. Basic rebuild you're looking at 1K plus for the machine work it's going to need, plus materials and labor if not assembling yourself. Figure atleast 2K on a stock rebuild if you aren't doing the assembly work yourself. (Honestly, I think $1500 and $3000 would be more accurate numbers for those.) Then factor in doing it again when the flat tappet camshaft wipes a lobe, something that seems to happen more often than not with current production parts. Then figure on a third build when you figure out that you are underwhelmed by the stock F-250 engine and want better. To get a decent engine out of the rebuild you'll be looking at cam, pistons, heads, etc which will add a couple K more to a basic rebuild. Then add more on the electronics to run that new engine because it won't run on the F-250's speed density EFI system.

If you're thinking about running the transmission that is in your truck, forget about it. Even with the low power ratings of that F-250 engine the stock 4 cylinder transmission won't last. If the F-250 has an auto the transmission is most likely a C6 which is not a good fit for a Ranger's transmission tunnel, and is most likely going to require a rebuild in due time from the age and mileage. Not a great transmission choice anyway due to being Non-OD. Figure on 1.5k+ to rebuild or upgrade the transmission to a better unit for the application.

Doing the engine swap with the planned engine is going to run you several thousand in the long run (but probably not very long time wise), plus add a bunch of weight to the front of the truck with very little gain in performance.

The 2.3T can be done for less than you claim and doesn't have to be done all at once. A small bump in power could be handled by the stock computer as demonstrated by another member, then the EFI system can be upgraded and adjustment made for more power at a later point. If you insist on continuing with the V8 swap, purchasing a complete (relatively) low miles V8 Explorer would be the best and cheapest starting point for it. Or, forget about begin cheap and go all in from the start.

If you'd be happy with the 140-150 hp of a F-250's 302, you would be better off buying a truck that already has the 4.0L installed in it. As much power, lighter weight, better price, and better maintainability. Hell, I'd venture to say that even a 3.0L truck with the right gearing and tires would be a better choice that what you are considering.

With that I'll try to refrain from future involvement in this thread. I've already said more than I should have, and if it keeps going as it I'll just end up doing more.