1990 ranger diesel conversion

[1991fordranger1]

I drove it today.

One oil leak where it goes into the filter head oring may just need replacing.

Polyurethane was a terrible idea lol at idle she vibrates pretty intense but under load it's good.

I have alot of stuff to finish and will keep at it but mechanically I think I'm doing pretty good

 

[Ace Holliday]

What an awesome thread! You have done an amazing job on this. I am a retired Aerospace precision machinist/CNC programmer. 45 years probably qualifies me to almost be called a mechanical engineer. So I can appreciate your craftsmanship and ingenuity.
I am going to continue watching!

 

[1991fordranger1]

Not a great picture but I got an exhaust on it. It goes 2.5 from the down pipe to 3 inch after the flex it comes back over the axle and exits with about a 30inch 4inch with a slash cut. Should make the turbo really whistle nicely.

I hope to get out there for a hour or two to tie up the battery cables into the frame. I am so close I can get a few more little things done then put a few miles on it and see if I need to adjust anything and finish up the small stuff.

I'm thinking maybe finding a pushing fan to mount infront of the rad just to be simpler to replace belts or anything up front of the engine just easier access.

I have the fm145 transmission and I think I need to find the fm146 as its 2 inches longer and then I would be with in 1/4 inch of factory length drive shafts which the slip will allow and I plan on adding a bit of lift and a explorer 8.8 later so the 1/4 would benefit me.

 

[1991fordranger1]

Well I went thru the issues that I had with the first drive.

The orb fitting I had that went into the filter head was leaking the oring looked bad so I just replaced it with a copper washer and pulled it up tight no more oil leak there.

The other oil leak I had was from the oil drain from the turbo it was a idiot moment where I had unbolted the turbo to changed the compressor oring and just didnt tighten it up. Easy fix.

Lastly on the oil situation. I never had the valve cover gasket 100% on right and was leaking out the back of the cover. Done and done.

My alternator wasnt charging and from what I went thru I cant seem to find a exciter wire from the old ford system. All I did was go back into the harness and found a 12v wire that had power when the key was on and re wired it into the alternator circuit boom I have a charging system.


Now that it was all working or appears to be working I took it for a ride to charge it up. And I gotta say that extra 1.75 back with the motor. Factory sway bar in location. And motor lower this thing handles pretty sweet. I need some new shocks and brakes need some attention but over all I think I'm gonna have alot of fun with it.

 

[1991fordranger1]

 

[Blmpkn]

Let me sound dumb for a minute, but why does it look like you have 2 intakes? Factory looking box and then obviously filter off Turbo?

I need coffee.

 

[sgtsandman]

The actual intake goes into the turbo directly. The filter box is sealed and patched into the loop from what I've seen in other posts. So, only one intake.

 

[1991fordranger1]

Your seeing the intercooler it looks like a air box well I guess it's a box that air goes thru so it's not wrong. But it goes from the foam filter to the turbo thru the turbo to the intercooler then into the motor intake

 

[Curious Hound]

So your intercooler is in a box? I've never seen that done. I guess the pictures aren't giving us a clear idea of what's going on. Will you have adequate cold air flow for the intercooler to work?

 

[1991fordranger1]

It is a vw intercooler so it is plastic it just looks like box from that angle.


It gets air from the front thru it just the explorer grill I have blocks it a bit. When I get a ranger grill it will be right too it.

 

[Snoranger]

Let me sound dumb for a minute,

We let you sound dumb all the time.

 

[Blmpkn]

Thanks guys!

We let you sound dumb all the time.

 

[Curious Hound]

View attachment 44699

Thanks guys!

Don’t mention it. We’re just naturally generous that way.

 

[1991fordranger1]

I've drove it to work for a week now and its telling me something very loud and clear and that's that it needs a suspension lift I'm hitting the bump stops on the front. The back is sagged out pretty bad. I guess I could just get new factory stuff but it only makes sense to try and upgrade it.

I think I'll do a chevy leaf swap and f150 coils

 

[1991fordranger1]

I let the insurance run out after a month.

Put almost 800kms on just bombing around.
I took it out to climb just 2wd in low range since I havent got the front drive shaft figured out yet. And it climbs really well in 4x4 it's going to be a blast to drive.

I need to build a catch can and plumb it in to the vents so it stops slobbering all over where ever it parks. Not alot of oil but enough to be a bother.

It can do a brake stand and one tire fire. Which I dont think I could do in the other truck so I need to gear it better before going to bigger tires from the last truck as it couldn't with 30inch tires and same gearing.

As long as covid doesnt shut us down and I have cash flow I'd like to swap suspension to just better stuff not crazy lifts.

And maybe look into a different turbo option just for a bit more boost and a little earlier.

In the last month my Dd TDI Jettas rad burst. My hot water tank burst. And my grand caravans ignition burnt up. Got my three out of the way but it affects the wallet and extra for toys. But hey the ranger prevailed and hauled enough stuff around to justify it