Oil pan and pickup tube question

[pyro4fun]

I pulled a 2.3L out of an 85 ford T-bird, it has a flat (?steel) pan on it now but the drain plug is out the back corner onto my cross member.... I have my old aluminum 86 ranger oil pan and was curious if I could swap it straight out and use the T-birds pickup tube or would I need to go buy a ranger oil pickup tube to match the pan?

 

[scotts90ranger]

When I swapped the aluminum ranger pan to my t bird engine, I had to put the ranger oil pump on because the body of the T bird pump was too wide to fit in the oil pan, the pickups were in the same location if I remember right though.

There's another complication or two in putting the aluminum pan on the T bird engine though, the oil pan gasket configuration is completely different, in '86 they changed from a two piece gasket to a one piece gasket placed in the oil pan, the issue is there is a "trough" in the rear main cap, my solution was to fill it with JB weld, which seems to work fine. The other issue is a few bolts are larger on the T bird block than the Ranger block for the oil pan, I just drilled the pan and got some 8mm bolts the right length to account for it, it's just the bolts by the rear main if I remember right.

 

[John Smith]

it's possible..

When I swapped the aluminum ranger pan to my t bird engine, I had to put the ranger oil pump on because the body of the T bird pump was too wide to fit in the oil pan, the pickups were in the same location if I remember right though.

There's another complication or two in putting the aluminum pan on the T bird engine though, the oil pan gasket configuration is completely different, in '86 they changed from a two piece gasket to a one piece gasket placed in the oil pan, the issue is there is a "trough" in the rear main cap, my solution was to fill it with JB weld, which seems to work fine. The other issue is a few bolts are larger on the T bird block than the Ranger block for the oil pan, I just drilled the pan and got some 8mm bolts the right length to account for it, it's just the bolts by the rear main if I remember right.

that you might have the "trough" issue in the front seal area as well?..if using the "o-ring" style rubber seal on a true aluminum pan?..maybe just finding a ranger rear sump steel pan may be easier?..although as he says..not hard to fix the trough deal..I understand some have "ground " a little off of the alum pan successfully to use the early oil pump..but not something I would do my self..YMMV.. Some have said that a new oil pump and PU tube is a good thing while pan is off on any 2.3...anyway? along with an inspection of that little pump drive shaft..

too bad ur not near me..I have 3 or 4 extra steel pans and pumps..FREE

 

[chilsam]

87 mustang motor & tranny

in our 87 ranger used all the mustang stuff xcept bell housing "88 turbo t-bird" with ranger alt & power steering brkt's with no probs it's 2 wheel drive tho.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I swapped front housings also because I swapped in the crank sensor so it had to be done... I don't remember what the front housing looked like honestly... I just remember it taking FOREVER for the JB weld to set at ~20F... I of course picked the worst winter in over 10 years to tear apart my only 4x4...