88 ranger help

[mypaperpast]

just bought an 88 and it has a major oil and fuel leak...it's a 4 cyl...2.3 or less...(not sure)...5 speed trans...

what i'm asking is what engine, tranny, and rear end can i put in this thing to make it run nice

 

[kunar]

just bought an 88 and it has a major oil and fuel leak...it's a 4 cyl...2.3 or less...(not sure)...5 speed trans...

what i'm asking is what engine, tranny, and rear end can i put in this thing to make it run nice

First off, welcome to TRS! Please (i'm begging you) take a look around. There's an enormous amount of info already in the forums that covers exactly what you're asking. what you swap in is gonna depend on what you want to do with it, what your budget allows and what you are capable of. IMO your best options are either a 4.0 or 5.0, whatever manual trans comes from your engine donor, and either a ranger or explorer 8.8 depending on your skill level.

 

[MastuhWaffles]

Welcome, before you jump into engine swapping and all that see what you have first, you could have many problems you need to fix before you go into all that.

 

[mypaperpast]

thanks for the quick replies...

when i bought it i already knew it had the oil leak but didn't know it was that bad...then engine is just caked with oil buildup...

what i'm basically trying to do with it is lift it a bit...upgrade the engine and such...paint and interior...just make it a real nice looking truck but with a little kick...

i havn't the slightest clue where to start so i came here first...

 

[adsm08]

You could make it "run nice" as is.

If you want super duper upgrades, well I've seen every engine between a 2.0L and a 7.5L in that body. I guess it just depends on what you want to do.

 

[mypaperpast]

what i'm trying to find out is what engine will bolt right in...give me more than 80HP...lol....and get my truck at least running good for now....i have to use this as a daily driver because it's all i got...i'm not trying to supe this baby up and make it scream down the road...or climb freakin rocks....just want some more HP and some lift with a small budget....

 

[adsm08]

Well, all the stock engines will probably get about the same for MPG, high teens to low 20s.

A 2.9 might be what you want, but you would need a trans for anything other than a 4-cyl.

 

[mypaperpast]

so can i get a 2.9 stock engine (new or very low miles) and a trans for cheap....and would i have to upgrade the rear end if i drop that in there????

 

[adsm08]

No rear end upgrades needed.

Not sure about availability of 2.9L engines. Where are you located? I have some stuff that I am hoping to have available soon, but I'm not really willing to ship such large parts.

 

[mypaperpast]

right outside houston, tx

the parts might be right under my nose but not sure where to look

 

[adsm08]

Look at our classifieds first.

 

[mypaperpast]

also have a weird sound in the trans...like ball bearings dinging around....only in 1st and 2nd...i know that's a problem because my 04 ranger i had did the same thing...so is that an easy fix i can do or costly transmission...