93 ranger w/5 spd wants automatic transmission

[truken]

Looking for a lead on a core to rebuild and to swap out with my manual trans.

1. Pedals?
2. Gear selector lever?
3. Speedo?
4. Different length? Change driveshaft length?
5. Gear Ratio? Diff Gear change?
6. Trans cooler?

A few questions I have about this swap out...

My brother in law (59 yrs) CANT Drive a stick. He can barely function. No I cant teach him...He cant process too many things at once.

Help if you can info? parts? Ideas? Welcome it all.

3.0 L engine

 

[stmitch]

Your best bet for most of the parts is finding a 93 3.0/auto truck in your local junkyard and swiping as many parts as possible from a single truck. 93 is an odd kind of transition year where they updated several things, but still retained the dash (and possibly firewall) of the previous body style trucks. It the only year where they had the newer more rounded exterior with some leftover squarebody parts underneath.

I'm not an expert on the OBD1 trucks, but here's what I do know based on my trans swap:
The 3.0 has a unique bellhousing bolt pattern, so the Auto trans must come from a truck with a 3.0. Aerostar vans may be donors too.
The auto trans is a couple of inches longer than the manual, so you'll need a shorter driveshaft.
Trans coolers used a mix of soft and hard lines. Finding any of these lines in decent shape may be difficult.
You'll need some way to control the transmission. On OBD II trucks this is done through the PCM. I assume it's something similar on the older trucks as well. That ^^^ means you'll need the correct wiring harness too if it's not already there.

If it were me, I'd save a lot of time, sweat and trouble and just sell/ trade the manual truck for something with an auto. A 93 Ranger can't be worth very much, and what you want to do is quite a bit of work and a decent amount of money just to end up with something that you can buy cheaply and easily in the configuration you want.

 

[RonD]

+1 ^^^

Yes 1991 to 1994 Ranger with 3.0l and automatic would be needed and its computer and trans harness(shift solenoid wires and Reverse light(NSS) wires).
1995 and up used different computer, not compatible with earlier engine wiring harness.

The automatic needs computer control to lock the torque converter(TCC) and to shift into 4th(OD).
Also the column shifter would be needed and cable, although you could install 3rd party floor shifter.
And pedal conversion

All in all I would agree with stmitch, it seems like alot of time and money to convert the '93 to an automatic when you can buy the older Rangers, with the options you want, fairly cheap.

If you are happy with the current 3.0l engine's condition then if you could find a Ranger 3.0l with automatic that has blown head gasket or other major engine issues, you could swap your 3.0l into that one, year wouldn't matter, just change the intake manifold so wiring matches up.
Much easier swap than manual to auto, just trans bolts and motor mounts to deal with.