'01 Ranger 3.0 to 3.8 S/C questions

[toyoracing]

Hey all, I'm new to this site and I'm probably going to get scolded since this has probably been posted before, but since I wasn't able to find any links or anything to the subject I decided to make my own.

Okay, so here's the deal. I own an 2001 Ford Ranger with the rather...asmatic 3.0L V6 with an auto and it is also a 2 door rear wheel drive short bed.

My question is if anyone has ever swapped a 3.8 from a Supercoupe or even just the N/A version from a Mustang into a newer Ford Ranger. I've searched the net up and down with noone really having any idea of what they're talking about (plenty of FRF ''guru's'' said it's not possible, just go with a V8) and taking in their suggestions of stuffing a 5L into the truck and just doing that, I am sticking with my hopes of stuffing a 3.8L SC since in stock form it's not any less powerful than the early 5.0's and it's much lighter.

I was just curious if anyone has done this and what I need to do in order to make this work. I've talked to a shop that does plenty of Ranger V6 to V8 conversions and when asking about the 3.8 or even 4.0 swap, they gave me the most dumbfounded look. The guy said that chances are I'll run into the problem of getting the PACS engine security system to work with the ''new'' engine as well as all the electronics and said that in order to simplify it I'll need to buy the engine, tranny, ECU and wiring harness and basically just do a lot of research before touching anything. He said there might be a shop in TN that does a lot of Ford vehicle ECU programming and wire harness wiring and he said, with support from fellow employees that if they can't do it, then it's too expensive and too worthless of an investion to endeavor.

 

[adsm08]

Well, he was certainly right about one thing. In any event, you will need the engine, trans, wiring harnesses, PCM, and a lot of research before you do anything.

Now, here is the big thing about 3.8 swaps. The 3.8, in pretty much any form, is extremely prone to head warpage. It was just a bad head design, they curl up at the corners, cause the head gasket to blow, and then you gotta get the heads decked and put new gaskets in. It's not fun.

The other end to that is the other Essex engine. The 4.2 was not prone to head warpage, had KA power for a naturally aspirated V6, and shares the 3.8's bell pattern. If you want to go to the trouble of a non-Ranger V6 engine into a Ranger, grab a 4.2L.