2.3L turbo diesel tow

[keifer1122]

i have a 2.3l diesel ranger was wondering how much i can tow with it would it be more or less than the 2.3l gasser. what i plan on getting is a small slide in truck camper probably 1,000lbs and i have a 16ft aluminum boat with a 40hp on it. think i can haul this. maybe add a leaf, or monroe max air shock absorbers, or sumthin else suggestions

 

[strvger]

i think it's going to depend more on what gears you have in your axles and if you don't mind driving at 55 mph with all that weight you're hauling and towing. when you only have 85-90 hp and 130-135 lbs/ft torque, the only way to get the most out of that motor is with good gearing. i'm guessing it's either a 4 speed or 5 speed manual. if it's a 5 speed, i doubt you'll be using 5th gear much, if at all. and needless-to-say, you won't get the mileage from it compared to empty. i'd look over the gear and tire charts very carefully in the tech library here and decide what will give you the best power combination. i really don't think you'll be able to do all that hauling/towing safely from both a driving and drive train stand point... imho. good luck to you.

oh, and i'm sure you'll either be needing add-a-leaf's or heavier springs. maybe both.

 

[02RangerXLT]

You could do it, but I tell you what, with that camper its going to be one slow trip...

 

[keifer1122]

4x4 5-speed geared 3:45. tires standard 235's

just this spring i had a half yard of dirt in it and had to pull my oldschool pop up camper that weighs 2600# out of the way to dump the dirt,(3,000+lbs) did it with ease i thought i would have to give gas like crazy on take off but nope took off like normal. just drove it around my subdivision and even backed it up my driveway with no problem pretty nice grade for a load, then come to find out i had a cylinder with bad compression when i did all this. i should of took a picture that trailer has 300lb tongue weight with the dirt with all that weight it was squatty but i had plenty of wheel well for bumps.

this thing is going to be on a 2 track road bumps,mild grade, wasnt to sure about air suspension blow outs, will it hold up, how many # does a addaleaf help with

 

[feellnfroggy]

It will def pull better than a "2.3l gasser" I dont think it will pul any better than bigger gas motors, Now if you tuned your diesel and turned your fuel up, larger intake all the way through, (allowing maximum airflow), youd pull alot better. And I recommend swapping in a 99 newer ranger axle with 4.10 gears, you'll thank us. If your just gonna buy gears dont go lower than 3.73:1.

 

[strvger]

according to the tech library, the output of the motors in hp and torque are very nearly the same between the 2.3 gas and diesel engines. rpms will be different, but the end result is nearly identical.

 

[jbanderson]

but that diesel will have almost all of its tourque right off idle, and keep most of it all through the rpms.
I have never driven a 2.3 diesel but your looking at around 2000 to 2500 lbs, and I know I would deffinantly go for it.