What will a 2.3L 4CYL motor, 5 speed manual transmission, 2WD rear end go into?

[1992redranger]

Hey y'all,

As a result of the flooding earlier this week in Haywood County, NC, the electrical system of my '92 Ranger is done (and so is the truck).

My mechanic (who rebuilt the engine) told me that if I wanted to do anything at this point, I could take the motor (2.3L 4CYL), transmission (5 speed manual), and rear end (2WD) and put it into the shell of another Ranger, which has me wondering, which years/types of trucks will work for the parts that I have? Do the shells also have to have the same motor/tranny that I have?

Here's to new life—if it ain't too expensive!!

 

[Dirtman]

Since you're electronics are dead you need a truck with the same electronics so the only thing the engine and trans would drop into is another 2.3 manual 2wd truck... Otherwise you have to buy all new electronics anyway.

 

[RonD]

1989 to 1994 2.3l Ranger would be what would work, plug and play

1994 and earlier with any engine could be used but you would need computer and wiring from 1989-1994 2.3l
Also engine and transmission mount changes

2.3l was changed a bit in 1995, crank sensor, and it was a BIG CHANGE for such a small sensor, lol, but it takes 1995 and up models off the swap table

 

[Blmpkn]

How difficult would it be to carb swap it?

In maine, once a vehicle is 25 years old you can register it as an antique. On antique plates you don't need to get the vehicle inspected.

Up here.. someone could just slap some carby parts on it to get around the whole wrecked electronics thing.. register it as an antique to skirt not being able to pass emissions.. and run it like nothing ever happened.

 

[Roert42]

How difficult would it be to carb swap it?

In maine, once a vehicle is 25 years old you can register it as an antique. On antique plates you don't need to get the vehicle inspected.

Up here.. someone could just slap some carby parts on it to get around the whole wrecked electronics thing.. register it as an antique to skirt not being able to pass emissions.. and run it like nothing ever happened.

In Pa it is similar if you are registered as antique, but you can only drive it during the day when it’s nice outside and you can’t drive it more then a certain amount of miles a year.

essentially, you can take it to car shows or to get ice cream.

so op would need to look into that.

 

[Blmpkn]

In Pa it is similar if you are registered as antique, but you can only drive it during the day when it’s nice outside and you can’t drive it more then a certain amount of miles a year.

essentially, you can take it to car shows or to get ice cream.

so op would need to look into that.

Up here you sign an affidavit saying the vehicle is factory original, and not your main/only source of transportation. Being found in violation means a 450$ fine and no antique privileges for 10 years. No time of day or mileage stipulations.

Cops generally don't care though lol. Everything you see with antique plates up here is either lifted 8" with 35"s or has a big blower coming through the hood lol. Just don't drive like a dick and you'll be alright for the most part.

 

[Dirtman]

How difficult would it be to carb swap it?

In maine, once a vehicle is 25 years old you can register it as an antique. On antique plates you don't need to get the vehicle inspected.

Up here.. someone could just slap some carby parts on it to get around the whole wrecked electronics thing.. register it as an antique to skirt not being able to pass emissions.. and run it like nothing ever happened.

How do you plan on running the ignition with no ECM. There is no distributor or anywhere to mount it, and even if there was, how do you plan on making it work for 8 plugs?

Also why would you spend all that effort on an engine already making very low HP just to loose about another 20hp by using a carb?

Way more work and you only loose in the end...

 

[Blmpkn]

How do you plan on running the ignition with no ECM. There is no distributor or anywhere to mount it, and even if there was, how do you plan on making it work for 8 plugs?

Also why would you spend all that effort on an engine already making very low HP just to loose about another 20hp by using a carb?

Way more work and you only loose in the end...

I have 0 understanding of that motor and its various systems, was merely an idea if such things were possible.

 

[Dirtman]

I have 0 understanding of that motor and its various systems, was merely an idea if such things were possible.

After they switched from distributor ignition with a carb to DIS ignition with fuel injection they went to 8 spark plugs and slowly got rid of the hole in the block where the distributor went. First they left the hole but didn't actually machine it out smooth, then they just stopped casting the hole all together. So there's no way to put an old fashion ignition system on the fuel injected engines. You'd at the very least need to buy a complex MSD stand alone ignition system and I don't even know how you could set that up in a dual plug engine.

SCIENCE!!!!

 

[Blmpkn]

After they switched from distributor ignition with a carb to DIS ignition with fuel injection they went to 8 spark plugs and slowly got rid of the hole in the block where the distributor went. First they left the hole but didn't actually machine it out smooth, then they just stopped casting the hole all together. So there's no way to put an old fashion ignition system on the fuel injected engines. You'd at the very least need to buy a complex MSD stand alone ignition system and I don't even know how you could set that up in a dual plug engine.

SCIENCE!!!!

Right on, good info. Ford was definitely ahead of the curve lol GM was using distributors in crap until the 2000's i believe.

 

[Dirtman]

Right on, good info. Ford was definitely ahead of the curve lol GM was using distributors in crap until the 2000's i believe.

So was Ford in the bigger trucks until around 1998, I know I had a 1997 F150 with a distributor. But Ford seriously had to do something, their distributor systems SUCKED. DIS was a massive improvement over anything a distributor could do. GM had HEI which was kinda king of distributors so they kept with it till the end....

 

[Blmpkn]

So was Ford in the bigger trucks until around 1998, I know I had a 1997 F150 with a distributor. But Ford seriously had to do something, their distributor systems SUCKED. DIS was a massive improvement over anything a distributor could do. GM had HEI which was kinda king of distributors so they kept with it till the end....

Admittedly, I don't know much other than the basics when it comes to ignition systems..

What makes the GM distributor setup that much better than what ford used?

 

[Dirtman]

Admittedly, I don't know much other than the basics when it comes to ignition systems..

What makes the GM distributor setup that much better than what ford used?

Ford TFI was just prone to failure especially when it got hot. GM HEI just freaking worked no matter what. Also HEI was really really simple and you could convert basically any old GM to HEI. TFI was way more complex and needed a computer. GM HEI and Ford Duraspark were stand alone systems, but HEI was still even more reliable than Duraspark.

You can even out GM HEI on Fords... And many many people do...

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[scotts90ranger]

The last GM "distributor" setup used at the end wasn't an HEI anymore, it was just a high voltage switch with a cam sensor under it... they used to be reliable, on the industrial world they would get 1000 hours before they got a misfire, but now even the best cap is iffy... the stupid flat top design puts the runs close together and sometimes all the sparks go to one cylinder...

On that engine, it will accept a distributor but it won't fit in front of the intake manifold... from '89-94 they had an oil pump drive dummy (in CA in '94 they had a cam sensor that dropped in there) so it's set up for a distributor, sorta... and all you would have to do is use one of the sets of plugs, like the passenger side so it's normalish...