2.3 to 2.9 conversion

[BigPhil]

hey guys i just wanned to know about how long the 2.3 to 2.9 conversion is gonna take me i blowed my 4 cyl up and am goin to a fuel injected 2.9 i know i have th change the wireing harness and change fuel tanks but i just need and estmate. i also want to know how fun it would be to change the dash and steering coulom out of an 89 to an 84.

 

[off_road_junkie21]

if you are going to swap in a 2.9 you should just use a 4.0. i am getting ready to start one now on my truck. they are more reliblye thay have 160 hp and around 230 pounds of moving power. good luck man

 

[bobbywalter]

hard to say.

i would give myself 3... 8 hr days, unless the truck is from outside of the salt belt and is clean.

its all in preperation.

 

[DieselSmoke]

if you are going to swap in a 2.9 you should just use a 4.0. i am getting ready to start one now on my truck. they are more reliblye thay have 160 hp and around 230 pounds of moving power. good luck man

x2 on that. 2.9L sucks and 4L is much better

 

[BigPhil]

x2 on that. 2.9L sucks and 4L is much better

well thanks for the advice but i have a budget and i have a parts truck with the 2.9 all i had to do was get a 5 speed trans and to make the swap simpler i have changed cabs because my floor pans were rusted out and i like the looks of the second gen rangers

 

[CTswampyankee]

2.9 SUCK!!!!!!!!!!! i only run 1 cuz it came in my truck. Get another 2.3 much better

 

[ejholmgren]

2.9 SUCK!!!!!!!!!!! i only run 1 cuz it came in my truck. Get another 2.3 much better

werd ... they should have come from ford with the 2.3 or 4.0 only.

 

[Mark_88]

Mine had a 2.9...swapped in a 2.3...now thinking I might go to 3.0 or better...but the 2.9 CAN be a great engine...rebuilt with the right parts and higher gears in the back...

I met a guy in the wreckers who LOVED his 2.9...said it had more than enough power...guess if he had a turbo or a 4.0 he might have loved those too...

But if you're on a budget you gotta go where the money isn't...

 

[Simple_serf]

Again, I'd say put a 2.3 back in...they are cheap and are actually good engines, whereas the 2.9 is an engine I would just plain avoid. 4.0 is a little better (I wouldn't say no to one, so long as it wasn't my DD), But the Limas are a better bet.

 

[Mark_88]

It is easier to simply stick with the 2.3 that's for sure...if you can find one with low miles...I went with the 2.3 because they are almost the same HP and can be better on gas...and they are EASY to work on...well, I could say otherwise when they don't work, but the 2.3 is probably your best bet...I've probably heard more negative things about the 2.9 than the 2.3...

 

[off_road_junkie21]

dont diss 2.9!!

ok i do have to defined my 2.9. it has been a good engine to me. and i run the hell out of it!!!! i rebulit mine about 5 years ago and it has about 120 k on it now. still runs fine. starts eveytime. if you know how to use a 2.9 they are acturally quite powerfull. i beat my friends 4.0 with mine in truck to truck pull!!!! they are boulth stock trucks!! the reason i am switching is well they still have more low end grount. and there are more performance parts out there for the 4.0. i am allso getting the same gas millage as the 4.0 so why not??

 

[dangerRANGER89]

2.9's suck. when they start ticking its a matter of time before they let go

 

[Mark_88]

I remember a "fix" for the 2.9 ticking...something about reversing a deflector or something in the valve cover...seems to correct the oil problem with the top end...not sure if it's still available but some of the older members would have heard about this...I was reading up on the 2.9 before I did the swap to the 2.3 and that was a consideration...