Project Ranger Revival.

[heptofite]

i found a short bed single cab 85 ranger sans engine and transmission today, guy want's 150 for it, i said sure, give me a couple weeks till i get paid and i'll come pick it up.

It was a 4 cylinder 5 speed, but there's no brake booster, just the master cylinder, so i'm thinking it may have been a diesel.

I've got a 88 2.3 ranger supercab that i crashed, engine and tranny are good to go, i'm gonna drop them into this truck.

here's where the problems start: i need a driveshaft and i don't think my supercab split driveshaft is gonna work.

second problem is, if it was in fact a gas engine truck from the factory, will the stock computer from an 85 run an 88 engine? i don't know if the 85 was carbed or not, so will i need to transplant my 88 computer and wiring harness too?

 

[wrecking-crew]

mostlikely the truck never had power brakes. they were an option on the early rangers

the harness might work. but dont quote me on that

 

[heptofite]

can i transplant the booster from my 88 and keep the same master cylinder?

 

[wrecking-crew]

can i transplant the booster from my 88 and keep the same master cylinder?

i dont think you can

 

[heptofite]

okay, so what do i have to do to get an engine that's been sitting for 2 and a half years ready to run?

 

[wrecking-crew]

check the plugs, replace the fuel filter, put in some fresh gas, a good battery or jump box, pump the pedal a few times and pray it starts. might take a few tries.

and check the coolant and oil levels

 

[Shran]

Harness will not work. Just use all the wiring from the '88.

Brake booster and master cylinder should be interchangeable.

If the one you're getting was indeed a diesel, you're obviously going to need a different fuel tank with pump and everything else too.

 

[heptofite]

Harness will not work. Just use all the wiring from the '88.

Brake booster and master cylinder should be interchangeable.

If the one you're getting was indeed a diesel, you're obviously going to need a different fuel tank with pump and everything else too.

er, why would i need a different tank?

 

[wrecking-crew]

deisel is pumped different. you would need to build a whole fuel system for the truck. deisel is not the same as gas

 

['95 ranger]

sweet, what are your plans?

 

[heptofite]

sweet, what are your plans?

get it running, get the mold of the paint, get it one color, get it lifted.

 

[Shran]

er, why would i need a different tank?

Several reasons, first and foremost the fuel pumps, lines, filters, etc are all different. Secondly because you would at a minimum want to get all the diesel cleaned out of the tank.

The stock fuel system in the earlier truck will not work with the motor in the '88 because the '88 is fuel injected and the earlier one is not, regardless if it was diesel or not. EFI is high pressure and requires completely different pumps, sending units, lines, etc.

If the one you wrecked is fixable I would just take body parts off the earlier one and fix the '88.

 

[heptofite]

frame on the 88 is twisted and the passenger side radius arm is snapped.

 

[Shran]

Ah. Well in that case...start swapping.

I guess if the older truck turns out to have had a gas motor, you could swap fuel tanks, lines, pumps, and everything else. You could also leave the stock stuff in the older truck and get an aftermarket high pressure fuel pump, but you will have to replace the lines as well as they are not designed for high pressure.

 

[heptofite]

Ah. Well in that case...start swapping.

I guess if the older truck turns out to have had a gas motor, you could swap fuel tanks, lines, pumps, and everything else. You could also leave the stock stuff in the older truck and get an aftermarket high pressure fuel pump, but you will have to replace the lines as well as they are not designed for high pressure.

i thought the 2.3 was TBI in 85, and the 2.0 was carbed? there *IS* a computer in this truck though, would a carbed 2.0 have one?