2.3 engine swap

[93kyrangerman]

Hello everyone,





I’ve learned my ’93 Ford Ranger likely spun a rod, so I’m planning a swap. I’m decent with a wrench—not a pro—but I can hold my own.





What I’ve figured out so far:

• There seem to be different engine variants around the build dates (before 2/23/93 and through 3/23/93).
• There are Federal and California (EGR) versions.
• I’ve heard the exhaust manifold may differ between variants.

Questions:

1. What are the key differences between the pre-2/23/93 vs. 2/23–3/23/93 engines, and between Federal vs. California EGR setups (manifolds, sensors, harness/ECU, etc.)?
2. For a manual truck, is it better to pull the engine and transmission together or just the engine?
3. Does anyone have a solid step-by-step guide or thread for this swap (especially for a manual)?
4. Any gotchas I should watch for (mounts, wiring, clutch/flywheel compatibility, ECU/EGR issues)?

 

[sgtsandman]

As far as I'm aware, the basic engine stayed the same. What got attached to it is what makes the difference.

So, you should be able to get an engine of the same era and just swap whaever is different.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yes, that, the long block should be the same from '89-94 other than the rare california models with the cam sensor but that's just plugged into the distributor hole...

Assuming you just swap the long block and use your stock accessories and intake and exhaust manifold you should be good to go. There's random external differences like some automatic versions not having EGR and such and the switch to the fabricated exhaust manifold in '93 as well as the EGR flow sensor in '93 and the coils moving all over and the alternator and stuff moving around the internals stayed the same until '95 when they changed a fair amount where they aren't interchangeable.