Engine swap for my 92' Ranger

[MeepCrow]

What's the best engine to swap into my 1992 Ranger that will fit the easiest and add a good amount of horsepower? I was thinking a turbo 2.3 l4 from the same year of Mustang.

 

[Josh B]

Hey MC, welcome to TRS
I can't answer a lot of your questions, but you're in the right place to find them
You might find some of them answered in the tech section while you're waiting
Good luck with it

 

[scotts90ranger]

Turbo 2.3L's were only a thing from like '84-89 (I think the XR4TI was the last if memory serves, the rest petered out in '88), they started earlier but the better ones were '85-88...

Any swap is going to require changes, the only big power jump that doesn't require a trans swap is a turbo 2.3 but it's not for the faint of heart either as they are hard to come by anymore...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yup, turbo 2.3 is your only option to keep the transmission, everything else is going to require changing the engine and transmission. 5.0 is about the biggest motor you can go before you really start getting into having to modify stuff from my understanding. No engine swap is for the faint of heart, there’s a lot of things that can go sideways in a hurry even if you’ve done it before and thought you planned it out right. I just spent 3 years doing a 5.0 drivetrain swap from an Explorer into my Ranger. It became one of those “if it can go wrong, it will” kind of adventures, and I’ve done this swap before. Well, some of it anyway. The last time I did it, I didn’t change axles and mod everything. I had a plan until Murphy’s Law took a couple big bites out of my plans. I came close to lighting it on fire, literally. I’m glad I didn’t. Not at all trying to talk you out of it, just telling you to be prepared for a major project.

 

[bobbywalter]

i would do the mazda l pullout with a 5 speed.....from a 2001 or newer.

hp tuners and a turbo....it would be a ripper.