my ford bolt project questions

[Alex FX4]

Im going to be turning my 2wd ranger into a lightning version of the ranger that i will call the bolt, or spark not sure.

Anyways im going to be doing forced induction but im not sure which engine to use. The 3.0 i have now is an option but how much better will the 4.0 handle it? i would like to keep it v6 because in my eyes the bolt/spark should be v6 and my lightning should be v8.

 

[capri1979]

You could just use a Supercoupe engine!

 

[Alex FX4]

as in the supercharged thunderbird? does it mount right in?

 

[Davis]

not by any stretch of the imagination. it's as much work as a 302 swap.

best option for a forced induction ranger is the 2.3 turbo. be careful though, it'll be faster than your lightning if you do it right.

 

[Alex FX4]

hmm ill have to be checking that out for sure

EDIT. my ranger is a 1999. So really looking for this to work what makes more sense? i could go buy a ranger with a 2.3 pref as new as possible and drop that in. after that put a turbo on. or should i get a turbo coupe (if i can find one) and swap from that?

 

[mini274]

just put turbocoupe internals in your truck

 

[Alex FX4]

Ok i just want to get some things cleared up so i know what all is involved. I would want a car such as THIS.

Does the motor mounts fit or does someone sell them or do i fab them? Obviously i cant use my computer but what about speedometer and all that jaz? i guess the car is rwd so should i use its axle and trans or what?

 

[mini274]

you can use evrything in your truck but use the TCs engine internals or here tach libray is gonna be ur best friend
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/TurboInstall.html
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/Turbos.html
http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/turbo_swap_wiring.htm
and to further ur fuel i would check out turbo rangrer forums youll get alot of answers from them too reserch everything 4 or 5 times before you start and dont be scared to ask questions and please dont do it cheap, fast or half assed do rite the first time

 

[Alex FX4]

Yea ive been reading tose but they dont say much about engine mounts. I understand i can use my stock trans but its running on 207k miles and if the engine is modded isnt it a durability concern as well as my 7.5 rear axle? Whats is the coupe using for axle/trans?

My ranger is a 3.0v6 from 1999 and those mounts will all line up with the 2.3? not doubting you just making sure. These 88 coupes have distributors so is there any type of ecu i will be dealing with?

ill check out that site.

EDIT: oh i see what you mean by internals now. as in the rods pistons and such. well i have a 3.0 v6 now so i would need a 2.5 for this? in that postition would just swapping the 2.3 be easier. the 2.3 is also cheaper because i dont have to use 2 engines for parts.

 

[mini274]

i dont know about the 99 but im using 88 block in my 91 without a distributor... youll have to research... theirs more people on here that have messed with 99s i think youll have problems with yours being a 3.0 but hey anything is possible... im not sure wat intolls with 6 to 4 cyl swapps

 

[Alex FX4]

91 is a 3rd gen. 99 is fourth so im not sure. From what i can tell most people are swapping the insides of the 2.3 into the 2.5 and adding the turbo on. With the 3.0 ill have to buy 2.5 mounts from the jy which is no problem but ill have to actually put the 2.3 in. So ill need a lot from the thunderbird.

thanks for the help so far guys.

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

Let me clear a few things up...

1. The 4 cylinders in the 99's were 2.5L, which is just a stroked 2.3. The 2.5 would be a really easy swap for a 99, but forged pistons for a 2.5 are harder to find (therefore more $$$$). You could just de-stroke a 2.5 back to 2.3 and use the turbocoupe pistons. Any 96+ plus computer can be tuned to work with any amount of forced induction. Just make sure to use a 4 cylinder computer for a 4 cylinder engine. www.rangersrevenge.com has a guy that has a turbo 2.5 in his 98 I think. You could look there for more info.

2. My ranger transmission had 250K miles on it when I swapped. 15K of boost later it's still fine. You may not have as good of luck. The 4-banger T5 is an easy swap but it puts the shifter like a foot further back. Another option is the small block tranny adapter plate from www.stinger-performance.com that will allow you to mount any full size ford 5.0L bolt pattern transmission.

3. Your 7.5 would probably be fine with a turbo engine so long as you don't get too "jerky" with it. Otherwise a 28-spline 8.8 from a 4.0L ranger is a bolt in and the 31-spline 8.8 from an explorer is a near bolt in.

4. The 3.0 and 4.0 put up with modest boost relatively well if you have a good tune, but a 2.3/2.5 will be far cheaper, more reliable, and make a lot more power if you're really going to crank the boost up. They just have so much more support than the V6s. The problem with the 3.0L is that there is virtually nothing in terms of aftermarket heads, intakes, cams, etc for it. The problem with the 4.0 is that it's really hard to get them to breathe half way decent. They can make a lot of torque, but they always seem to come up short for HP given their displacement.

 

[Alex FX4]

if the 2.5 is just a stroked 2.3 then will the 2.3T mount to the 1999 with the 2.5 mounts?

if i get a 2.5 i still pretty much need a donor ranger for everything else so why not buy a turbo coupe and some engine mounts you know?

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

Yeah it should. I know there a few differences between the 2.3 and 2.5 blocks (sensors, dummy distributor drive/cam position sensor, etc) but it should just drop in place. The biggest difference is the provisions for the EEC-IV (Pre-1996) vs EEC-V (1996+) sensors.

 

[lifted4.0]

i throw my bias around, but i like the supercharger. if you want your ranger to be like the "lightning" (the come stock with the S/C) thats just my thought..if i had the money, i would swap the 5.4 with S/C into my ranger...like those dudes already did...thats a lightning bolt for you..

i have the whole lightning setup ontop of my 4.0 v6..yaa its expensive as someone said, soo the 2.3 might be the best bet on this one.

if you really want a "lightning'ed" ranger, i would stay with the lightning supercharger, otherwise, what about it will connect it to the lightning?