3.0 engine swap

[woody1963]

This might sound dumb but here goes...I have a 2000 ranger 4x4 xlt.3.0 auto tranny. It's a flex fuel version. I lost my cps driving down the freeway. Oil pressure dropped to nothing,dummy light came on. I hit neutral, shut it off but after i got it home i noticed a rod knocking. Figured its shot. 160,000 miles. I found a donor truck. 1998 ranger xlt 4x4. 3.0 5spd. non-flex fuel. Do I need to change my wiring harness,intake manifoid,PCM,Heads,etc? Or should i just throw some new bearings in and sell it? All those wires got me frustrated. Any advice will help out. just need some direction. thanks.

 

[adsm08]

Swap the engines. Put your flex plate and spacer on the 98, along with all your sensors, intakes, and injectors and fuel rail. It should plug right in like that.

 

[Bennybooster]

I would rebuild the one you have

 

[woody1963]

Thanks for the quick response. Does it matter if the head chamber size is different between the flex fuel 2000 and the non-flex fuel 98? If I don't need to swap heads that would speed things up. I'm right in the middle of changing a burnt a4ld to a 5spd in my 88 4x4 ranger. A little work involved with that one. Also got a 5.0 outta an 82 mustang. Thinking about squeezing it in a 1990 ranger 2wd I got out back. Or maybe in the 88 4x4. But first I need to fix the 2000....

 

[adsm08]

Well, the base engines between the 3.0 gas and the 3.0 flex are the same, so you should have no need to swap the heads. All the difference is in the fuel system and control system calibrations.

 

[woody1963]

Been in the shop changing parts around. Thanks again adsm08. Common sense is a virtue. I'll let you know whats up.

 

[Earl43P]

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/3_0-build.html

 

[woody1963]

Thanks Earl43p. That link is very helpful.