88 ranger 2.3T swap

[riddik695]

First off, hello I am new here. I have been lurking for awile but just haven't posted.

Anyway, my buddy in computer illiterate so I am doing the research for him. He has an 88 ranger and he already has a 85 TC engine that he wants to throw in it. He doesn't have the TC wiring harness or computer. We plan to do a complete rebuild then start putting it in.

I have read the Dave R info but I still have some questions. I am pretty sure his ranger is throttle body injected so the wiring harness if much different right? I have heard that it is easier to use a ranger engine harness and just re-pin the computer connectors and add a few wires but why? Wouldn't it be easier to get a TC harness?
I need a computer that is 86 and down because of a smaller VAM and some other things right? Could I use a SVO, TC, or xr4ti computer interchangeably? Manual or auto matter?

Anything else I need to know to throw this in that isn't said in any detail in the Dave R swap?

I know it is a lot of questions to be asked from a newbie and I know search is my friend but he wants to get this done in time the dream cruise around here. We got a little more than a month. We need to go from research the build to drive away in that time. I am still gonna search around and hopefully clue myself in on some things instead of just asking questions.

Any help is GREATLY appreciated. Thanks

 

[Bill G]

Welcome to the Rangerstation.

How much of the turbo engine does he have? And what other parts does he have? It makes it a lot easier if you have all the parts ready, even better if you have all the parts from the same type of car.

When it comes to a wiring harness it just depends on how confident you feel in swapping the wires around. It might be easier to swap in a entire harness from a turbo coupe. Some people would rather repin the Ranger harness and I have seen people make a mess of a repinning.

You are going to cut it pretty close with a swap in just a month. You will always have a few little problems to work out. I assume this isn't his daily driver.

 

[scotts90ranger]

some of the little things you don't read about too often is what I ran into.

the air box, the O2 sensor gets in the way, you will have to cut a section out of the box and put it back together, what I did is cut a wedge horizontally and heated it up to bend the bottom back up, then covered it up with that stick on reflective fiberglass stuff, stitched it together with small zip ties before that, and put a healthy coating of JB weld on the inside to hold it all together, is working great right now. now, i was able to get away with just cutting out a 1.5" wedge because I plugged the stock O2 sensor hole and relocated it down the stock TC downpipe about 6-8". Frankly that dang heater box was half the reason it took me a long time to drop the dang engine in, that and me trying to use the ranger aluminum oil pan on an engine that wasn't meant to use it...

I'm still running through the stock ranger cat, and it still hauls butt!

you'll need a few sensors and their connectors to even do the repin, and when they say repin, it's not a whole bunch of wires or anything, I converted a '89 ranger harness to work and only had to deal with like 7 wires at the ECM, there was some splicing to do under the hood, but it wasn't too bad, the chiltons manual I have has diagrams that were fairly helpful, and I found the pinout of the turbo engine somewhere (I have it bookmarked somewhere, I'll look tomorrow if I remember). At least being an '87 you should have a jump on me, the TPS sensor wiring is completely different from the '86 engine and the '89 (in hindsite I should have just used the '89 throttle body). The important sensor you need is the vane air flow meter. actually if you have no wiring, it would be a good time to go to the '87/88 setup with the large VAM and good computer, the only other main difference is there's an intake air temp sensor in the lower intake manifold if I remember right. if you pull the manifold you should be able to drill and tap it wherever you want...

one of these days I'l get off my butt and get pics of my install...

 

[riddik695]

No this is not the daily driver. It is a lowrider that only gets driven on nice days.

I am pretty sure he has everything from the throttle body to oil pan. All the sensors attached to the engine, just no harness. Are there sensors needed that aren't on the engine?

The swap is more or less plug and play right? If we had the harness and computer for a 85 TC everything should plug in and bolt up right? Could I get a later(87-88) harness and just and a new VAM or will it not be as easy as that?

We want to get this in and running. Fine tuning is an after thought. Thanks for the replys!

 

[skyy_4life]

yea well getting it in and running it the hard part.... but i beleive there are no sensors off the engine other than VAM that you will be needing, but im not Positive. but good luck with you build... cant wait to see build thread with many pics.

 

[scotts90ranger]

the only ones not mounted to the engine are the VAM, boost controller (well, it's connected via vacuum hoses) and barometric pressure sensor, I tried running with the MAP sensor from my '90 instead of the baro and it didn't like it... so you'll need that.

 

[Davis]

I ran mine with the MAP sensor instead of the Baro sensor for a long time, worked just fine. just make sure that when you put in the turbo computer that you take the vacuum line off the MAP sensor.

On an 88, things line up pretty good with the 87-88 tc computers. Just compare wiring diagrams from the ranger and tc, re-pinning isnt too hard, you just have to plan it out well so you dont start switching a wire and then forget where it came from and where it's going.

I used the TC manifolds and throttle body because the manifolds were a better casting and the throttle body worked or fit better for some reason.

 

[scotts90ranger]

must have been my boost regulator tubing... it was obviously leaking since it broke... that caused an issue or two...

 

[AllanD]

For the benefit of clearance the Oxygen sensor can be relocated to the
underside of the engine down pipe by welding an Oxygen sensor bung
into the down pipe (summit and Jegs both sell these)

the reason the Ranger engine harness is better is because the engine
bay layout is different and all the ranger wires already run to all the
correct places, not too short not too long... etc.

The only wires you have to add are the wires for the VAM (MUST HAVE)
and for the BCS (optional)

Use all the ranger accessories (P/S pump Alt etc) and brackets

as for the "BAP" or Baro sensor the comuter only actually looks at it
on each engine start as ou pass through key on and before you start
cranking the engine.

So this can create a situation where if you change altitude dramatically
while driving you can cause the engine to get "flakey" in operation and
when you shut it off and restart the "problem" vanishes on you.

Definatly swap the ranger oil pan and pickup tube(it's different)
onto the turbo motor

The aluminum pan used on most rangers is immune to rusting through like the steel one and it's o-ring seal is far less likely to herniate out and cause oil leaks.



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