94 Ranger parts into????

[NavyRanger1994]

Need to get my project out on the road when I get home. I had a 94 Ranger that I spent a bunch of money on getting fixed up the way I wanted it and as I was putting the finishing touchs on it there was an encounter with a telephone pole on an icy morning. The body was trashed but I was able to save 99% of the parts. I was gonna put everything into a Bronco 2 body and frame I picked up but I just dont have the time to get the project finished due to my kids and back to back deployments take up most of my time. I'd like to pick up another Ranger and just dump all my good parts into it. I know that 95 and up had some emmisions updates but I was wondering if I just swap the computers out I could get around that or will the older computers not change out with 95-97 wiring harnesses? And if I find a 95-97 are there any other issues I might run into with my 94 parts? Merry Christmas

 

[hank857]

I believe that the 95 + computers were changed as were the engines. You cannot supposedly put a 95+ 4.0 in a truck with the older computer as it will not run right. Seems 94 was the last year to use certain stuff at least engine wise.

 

[NavyRanger1994]

I've got the 94 engine and computer. I'm just wondering if I can make a 95+ harness work at all with the enigne and computer.

 

[adsm08]

What kind of parts are we talking about here?

 

[NavyRanger1994]

I have everything from the 94. Engine, tranny, all electronics, you name it. But some of the wiring harness was damaged between the accident and the gutting of the truck. Originally I was just gonna part it out but I decided to hold onto everything since I had so much money into it. But I keep running into issues making everything work in the BII and I dont have time to keep messing with it. So if I can just swap everything I have minus the harness into any 3rd gen thats what I'd like to do.

 

[adsm08]

What kind of issues. A swap of this nature is fairly common and considered to be about as plug and play as it gets.

 

[NavyRanger1994]

I've got it to fire up but it wont idle at all. The wires to the MAF were damaged. I spliced them back together and cleaned the sensor but still no go. I swaped the dash out so all of that should be plug and play but none of the gauges read. The only lights I've been able to make work are the headlights. It seems like im forgeting something but its been a couple months since I've been able to play with it and I wont be back till june to mess with it again. Just exploring my options really because I need that rig up and running when I get home so I can tear into my diesel. I'm good with mechanics but I come up short when it comes to electronics.

 

[adsm08]

I had that same issue. Electrical is something you just have to keep throwing yourself at. I didn't pass my electrical diag classes of my own ability, that is for sure.

When I really started to get it was about 2 years ago. I grabbed the connectors and bases and switches from a few different vehicles and built myself a set of harnesses for putting power windows and locks in my truck. That took almost a year to finish, and another year to actually get it put in, but when I hooked the wires up to my battery to test everything and it actually worked, well I had a newfound confidence in my ability to deal with electrical.

I'd start with unplugging the MAF completely and seeing if it idles any better.

 

[NavyRanger1994]

Ive had a few strokes of luck considering i did about 95% of this conversion alone and ive got it to run enough to move it on and off a trailer a few times. but this was all supposed to take a few weeks to do and now here i am 2 years later and still no drivable rig. the reason i was thinking of trying to swap it all back into a 3rd gen is im not sure of some of the front axle parts so i though i might be able to get all of that taken care of with a new rolling body and frame.

 

[adsm08]

Don't let the front axle scare you away. Parts are out there, and they are the same as the one in your 94, just with smaller parts.

I'm thinking that your MAF may have been damaged in the accident as well. They aren't exactly robust parts.

 

[NavyRanger1994]

Wouldnt say Im scared of it. It was just a huge pain to install the 35 into the 28 crossmember by myself. And I cant get the tires to sit level. Im thinking I might have bent the beam and finding new beams where I live is not very easy. Im thinking your right about the MAF. The whole passenger side of the engine bay was wiped out so its a good possibility. The other big issue Im having is I cant get the heater to work at all. Theres just enough that I cant get right to make it so I cant use it not to mention needing a new driveline made, building a winch bumper, rebuilding the guts of the driver side door and a few other things. And 3 kids and 60 hrs a week at work when I am home dont make this build any easier.