Ranger - Aerostar Engine Swap???

[dmch82bl8]

I have a 1994 Ranger XLT 4x4 w/ 3.0L & Standard Trans. I have what I think is a head gasket or cracked head problem. I found bubbles coming up into my radiator when engine is running. I also found a light brown gunk, (kinda like butter) on the inside of my radiator cap. The gunk has a slight gasoline smell to it. The radiator seems to slowly lose a little water. There's no water in the oil, (that's a good thing). I would like to totally rebuild this engine, so instead of just installing rebuilt heads, I'd like to know if I could just swap this engine with the 3.0L engine from my 1988 Aerostar, and then swap back after the rebuild. I know that the Aerostar engine will fit, but what I need to know is do I have to do anything special such as changing out any of the sensors and such? The 1988 Aerostar engine has just over 100,000 original miles on it and it runs a lot stronger than my 220,000+ Ranger engine.
If anyone can give me any advice, please do so.
Thanks,
David C.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

you will have to reuse all of the sensors and wiring from the ranger. your aerostar engine is speed density, wheras the ranger is MAF...thus there are sensor and wiring harness differences.

being that you have both complete vehicles, its possible to do what your contemplating...but have you ever taken the engine out of an aerostar? i would advise that you just DRIVE the aerostar while your ranger engine is being rebuilt....

 

[dmch82bl8]

Wicked_Sludge, thanks for the info on the engine swap. I'd like your opinion on the other things I'd mentioned in my original post. Considering the symptoms I described, do you think that my problem most likely is cylinder head related?
How would I go about finding out for sure if it's a head gasket, or cracked head, and not something worse like a cracked block or something?
Any input would surely be appreciated.

Thanks,
David C.

P.S.
I don't know the difference between Speed Density and MAF, but I have Haynes Manuals for both vehicles and I'll be looking into it.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

given the symptoms, it could be a cracked head, cracked cylinder wall (although i have NEVER seen this on the 3.0), or a blown head gasket. the only way to know which is the case is to pull the heads.

a simple cooling system pressure test will varify coolant getting into the chambers...but you still wont know whats wrong with the engine until you disassemble it.

speed density and MAF (mass airflow) are different fuel injection systems for determining how much fuel the engine needs. a speed density system reads primarily off of a MAP (manifold absolute pressure...or engine vacuum) sensor, while MAF uses a mass airflow sensor located in the intake tract that measures the actual airflow into the engine.