85 bronco 2 3.8 motor swap!!!

Grant.tyler · Oct 6, 2016

i have an 85 bronco 2 with its original 2.8 5 speed. i also have a 2000 ford mustang with a 3.8 automatic . i would like to take the 3.8 out of the mustang and swap it with my 2.8 . I know there is a tech article on this but it jumps around so much it do not really tell me what i want to know.. for ex. will that my 5 spd bolt up to it? i do not think it will but just asking. furthermore how hard would the swap be . besides a gas tank and fuel lines out of an 86+ ranger/bronco to make it fuel injected can i get everything basically done with every thing on the 3.8 i am new to this and thanks to all the replies.

RonD · Oct 6, 2016

You are correct, the 2.8l transmission will not bolt to the 3.8l engine.
2.8l used Taunus pattern
3.8l used Windsor pattern

Best bet would be to use an inline electric fuel pump, and leave tank alone so gas gauge still works
You will need engine and trans, custom drive shaft
Mustang exhaust with all 3 O2 sensors, or 4 if it has dual exhaust
MAF sensor and engine fuse box from mustang
Mustang Computer and engine wiring harness.
2000 Mustang computer will probably have PATS(passive anti-theft system), which means you need the correct Mustang key to start the engine, so you will need to pull out the "wand" antenna and wiring from around the Mustang key slot, and plug that wiring back in to computer, then tape mustang key onto the wand and stash it under the dash.
Each time you turn on the ignition/the computer, it "looks" for the correct PATS key number using that "wand" antenna

Speedometer will be a problem, '85 uses a speedo cable
2000 would use electronic

Big project

A 302 V8 with carb and distributor, and transmission, would have more power and be way way easier

85_Ranger4x4 · Oct 6, 2016

RonD said:
A 302 V8 with carb and distributor, and transmission, would have more power and be way way easier

Probably about the same difficulty as a 302 with 3/4 of the engine being swapped in.

They will take the same transmission 3.8/302 so you won't save anything there.

If you are keeping the BII 4wd the Mustang trans won't work. Make sure whatever t-case you get has a speedometer drive (and depending on what color gear is inside you may need to change the gear on your speedo cable)

The only saving grace is the cooling system won't see as heavy of a load and the engine is shorter so you will have more room up front vs a 302.

Honestly if you don't want to do a 5.0 swap a OHV 4.0 swap would be much, much easier. The 4.0 will shorten the life of your trans but will bolt to it. Or get a M5OD, use your stock t-case, get A4LD driveshafts (if yours are not the same, I can't keep the older manual trans straight) and it will bolt in like it was meant to be there.

adsm08 · Oct 6, 2016

Grant.tyler said:
i would like to take the 3.8 out of the mustang and swap it with my 2.8 .

No, I rather firmly assure you, you do not want to do that.

This idea is actually a little worse than your idea to put the 4.9 in there. At least the 4.9 is a worthwhile engine. The 3.8 is one of many examples where Ford took a bad idea from Chevy, made it worse, and then put it into mass production.

To be perfectly honest, if you are done with the Mustang, sell it and use the money to get a 4.0 or 5.0 in there.

I understand that some people like to do things their own way and thus eschew the more popular options when considering a project like this. But there is a reason certain ways of doing it are more popular that others, and it has to do with results.

When you go to the beach you can park in the parking lot, or you can park in the water. Both get the car stopped in a place you can get out of it. Only one of those spots is going to produce an end result you are happy with.

Grant.tyler · Oct 6, 2016

OK see my original plan was to buy a 4.0 motor and put in my bronco 2 .. But I came across a deal to swap my 2000 mustang for an 88 ranger that has nothing wrong with it and I also get to keep the messed up tranny and the good 3.8 motor put of my mustang so I thought sense I had it anyway how hard it would be to put in... I'm sure I can trade the 3.8 for a 4.0 though but I just been trying to get better insight on these different ford motors.. Yall have helped alot and thank yall. But how does that sound for me doing that.. Is the trade worth it and trading 3.8 for 4.0

85 bronco 2 3.8 motor swap!!!

Grant.tyler

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RonD

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85_Ranger4x4

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adsm08

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Grant.tyler

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