1994 4x4 3.0 V6 swap to 2.3 I4

[henryj10]

I've got a 1996 Ford Ranger 2.3 5spd 2wd regular cab 189,000 no pings, no leaks, no oil burnin and have acheived 30 mpg with a K&N air filter on highway miles and I think its ready for well over 200,000. Needless to say I love my 2.3...... I just bought a 1994 Ranger Ext.Cab 5spd 4x4 with a pile 3.0 V6 in it, I hate V6's I'm an inline guy I4 or straight 6, to me they spell reliability. 93 to 96 I know some 4x4's came with 2.3's but it seemed to me they were needles in hay stacks so I bought what I could find in this case came with a V6. In this day an age its about mpg's and I don't need the power. I want to know if a swap from 3.0 4x4 to 2.3 is possible and what it would take asside from another 2.3 engine assembly, motor mounts. Are the Mazda 5spds tranny's they put in rangers the same between 2.3 and 3.0 or even 4.0? Need Help to get the V gone. Thanks

 

[Ranger44]

For a "BOLT IN" swap you'll need eerything.

Wiring harnesses, PCM wiring and Engine Harness, ECM, 2.3, motor mounts, exhaust, tranny, and radiator.

The 2.3, 3.0, and 4.0 all have different bellhousing bolt patterns.

 

[redlinezl]

on this topic i want to do a 96 ranger with a 2.3 and swap to a 3.8 v6 or 4.0 v6.
my mud truck is 4x4 and i have no idea how to start with a swap like this

 

[henryj10]

to the last guy about the 2.3 swap. well we could both start by swaping our drivetrain. lol I need the 2.3 engine to tranny, and you need my v6 engine to tranny.

 

[redlinezl]

to the last guy about the 2.3 swap. well we could both start by swaping our drivetrain. lol I need the 2.3 engine to tranny, and you need my v6 engine to tranny.

yea that would be cherry if you were closer

 

[Bryan22]

meet in the middle and trade trucks =]

 

[redlinezl]

that would be sweet huh? but im losing my badass rig

 

[mercman]

Not sure what trans you have, but I am working on swaping the 2.8 in my 85 b2 for a 2.3. I was able to swap the bellhousings from a T.K. 5spd onto my mitsubishi fm145. If you don't have one they are plentiful behind 2.8, and 2.9 rangers/bronco 2s. Right now my engines sits 1" too far forward, on 2.8 motor mounts with the allignment pins ground off. I will be slotting the engine side motor mounts tomorrow hopefully. Your swap may be different, but hope this helps let me know if you want more on this. Good luck

 

[redlinezl]

i just have no idea where to begin.
im looking at 97 explorer with 4.0 sohc and i want to put in my 96 2.3 ranger, no idea about wiring tho. i just need the truck to run, its a mud bog truck so i dont need a/c or emissions b/s dash lights are no worry etc. so thats were i need help, is the swap cake? just use computer harness and hook up all i need or what?