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Doing this backwards


hybrid

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Joined
Dec 23, 2012
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4
Transmission
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Hey guys and gals, doing this a bit backwards but hoping youll help push me to correct direction.

I have a 1993 F150 4X4 with a MT (4 with OD) that was a project truck. I have since lost any desire to mess with that truck and am moving on to another older truck.

Anyways, I hate to junk this thing and thought a fun project might be to swap the engine and tranny out into a ranger. I like fast stuff and a tiny truck with a decent rebuild on this engine tranny should make a fun pick up to drive without the problems associated with race car builds.

Can anyone tell me the year range that this thing lends itself to for swapping into it? Im not afraid of fabrication, Im an avid mechanic and welder. I am just looking to find a decent recipe that is proven. I dont care if its 4WD or 2WD, just want to find an easier conversion than reinventing the wheel every step of the way.

Any suggestions for this 150s powerplant to go into?
 
For ease of wiring? I'd pick an 86 to 94. Any older and you get into carb years and have a lot more wire work. Any newer you get into OBDII and that brings it's own wiring issues.
 
also another thing you want look into before going gungho about swaping your engine/transmission into a ranger . what engine do you have ? . for 1993 the f150 had the option of 4 engine's . (1) the 300 ci (4.9l) straight six cyl . (2) the 302 small block v8 . (3) the 351w v8 . (4) and i think they also had the 460 big block as an option . engine number 1 the 300 inline six cyl is too long and high to fit in a ranger without major reworking of everything . and to my knowledge no company makes any swap parts for this engine . number 2 (302) is what most guys use as of it puts out more then enough power and fits nicely . number 3 (351w) is a tight fit in a ranger and you don't gain much more power then a 302 . the 460 is a very tight fit and it produce's too much torque for a stock ranger frame and will do major damage if your not carefull . also as said above by adsm08 . the 1986-1995 is the easiest years to do the swap on . as of OBDll came in for 1996 . plus keep in mind you will have to reshape your heater box and a body lift alway's help's with a v8 swap . there is a pretty good write up in the tech library on this subject also
 
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there is no stock ford gas engine that came in an f series that has too much torque for a non rotted out with rust ranger frame.

took till 99 to get over 400 ft pounds per ford.
 
Its a 302.

Im just looking for the simplest swap. Something I can patch the harness into the ranger harness and what not. I dont want to reinvent the wheel and come up with some ridiculous harness for a non FI ranger to have the FI 302.

Do I need to change out transmissions? I was going to rebuild mine cause it whines but if I need one from something else I wont. The engine runs well but Ill freshen it up to. Since Im 4X4 is the equivalent in a ranger a must?

I can box the frame, not a big deal and doesnt take much metal to do it. Wont hurt my feelings.

How far back are you all cutting the harness to make the patches work?

I like the 93 94 step side beds, its a decent looking truck as I once had a 98 back then (lease that I shouldnt have leased)

Ill have a ton of questions about upgrades but I need to figure out what truck to get and if I can use the whole drive train I already have
 
Do I need to change out transmissions?

Well get a truck, and let us know what engine came in it, and we will tell you that you need to change the transmission.
 
the 93 truck wiring can be a pia to work with. i have not had one apart for a long time.


just work it to a stand alone depending on what you want...cruise control can be a pia to work into an older truck.



keep your tank and sending units and transplant the fuel system intact...your transfer case is a fat bastard...a later 44 manual type is easier to fit or the older 208...real easy is the jeep 208 if you can find one...it needs a spacer and ford input swapped to it though. the bigger cases will require compromises...you will want to cock and tilt the assembly to ease fitment and minimmize frame hacking to fit the bigger t cases...body lift helps clear those as well...

explorer manifolds make the exaust easy but they are not good for power...i usually mod the frame to fit 351 fox swap type headers and use aerostar steering linkage in the gen 1 trucks.

likely you have a 4r70 trans.

easy button to test operables is to unplug the body harness at the square connector and run a jumper from the positive bat to the pos ig coil and jump the starter and see if it runs. if it runs ok then its the easy setup to stand alone. if not....i would rather build a harness then explain it.:D
 
Okay now that we are down the rabbit hole a bit.... Im much more a motorcycle guy, having worked for the factory race teams back in the day. I do all my own work on my own cars but I tend to gravitate to BMW more so than my trucks. So forgive my ignorance.

I thought while lurking here I read several cases where people got their dash to run correctly with the swap as well as keeping creature comforts. I worry by the term "stand alone" that Ill end up with a truck that has no working factory stuff and it is like me using a megasquirt to run an engine in something even though I know Ill be using my own computer from the 150. I was thinking that this could be as simple as "repinning" the harness to meet up with the ranger harness and maybe a couple custom connectors or loom extensions. I may be crazy.

I have 2 leads on 2wd rangers in the 92 to 94 range from 1000 to 2000 dollars in price. I assume this means Ill need to ditch my transmission to go to the 2wd if I pick one of these up. I could keep my transmission and either hack to fit my transfercase or piece in another transfercase to go with a 4wd truck.

Not a problem in either case. There are plenty of explorers to rip parts from here. Be it gathering 4wheel drive stuff or converting to the 2wd but keeping manual transmission.

I will keep the engine, transmission, fuel tanks and pumps (150 has twin tanks) for this project. Is there any advantage to keeping my rear end as well? I almost feel I could spend less buying a nice rear end for what I would spend modifying a stock one to fit and not blow up. Ive tossed the guts out of a rear end before when traction actually happens.

Ill be honest though, Im more inclined to go to the older, boxier style late 80s truck if I stay 4wd. I just like the look a bit better for off road stuff. If I swap to 2wd, Im leaning to the step side bed 94 I have on line as it would look better lowered and set up with a drag stance.

Thanks everyone. You guys are saving me tons of money with your knowledge and enthusiasm. One thing I would hate is a repeat of this project that I have in the 150....loss of desire and another driveway barnacle.
 
stand alone is preferred by me. simply for future problems.


i do several types of setups depending on goals. i like to put the power on, starter and the cel and ability to extract codes in one unit remotely located.

you can have all your factory gauges work, the earlier tachs from the gen 1 trucks need to be recalibrated. speedo usually as well as the gearing is different on the t case drive.. your current 1356 type t case may not have a mechanical provision. earlier trucks have speedo cables later are electric speedos.

depending on what truck you actually use the cruise control can be a pia. pia meaning not plug and play...to will have to connect the wires and or vacuum items. ac usually stays routed through the original setup.
 
thanks for the info. Ill surely need guidance for this as the project goes on. I understand what you mean now.

Guess its time to start seriously looking at rangers.
 

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