Ranger engine swap options

[grsjax]

I am looking at buying an '87 Ranger with a tired 2.9L v6 engine and a 5 speed manual. I have looked through the tech section and other places on line for info but am having a bit of problem deciding between rebuilding the 2.9L engine or swaping something else into the truck. I am not looking for a lot of horse power so don't need a v8 or even a 4.0L v6. What I would like is something with more torque that would be an easy to do swap. Not something that is going to require a lot of fabbing or extensive rewiring. Any suggestions?

 

[n_grimm]

Welcome to the Ranger Station! I have two 4x4 Bronco IIs. One is a 2.8 carb and the other is a 2.9 efi. The 2.8 is really sluggish but my 2.9 efi has plenty of power. Unless I was planning to do some heavy towing or huge tires, I would stick with the 2.9. If you look at the engine specs in the Tech section, a the same era 4.0 only has 15 more hp albeit quite a bit more torque. Just my opinion.

 

[adsm08]

The 2.9 is a very respectable engine for what it is. They are torquey little buggers that get decent mileage, and have been known to go over 400K miles when taken care of. Mine has been beaten like a redheaded stepchild and still does V-8 sized work without complaining when I ask it to.

The 2.9 does have a history of cracking the heads if overheated though. An issue that the 4.0 doesn't have.

If you just want a good little commuter truck that can tow the boat (or a 12x5 trailer if you want) go ahead and just put a new 2.9 in it.

 

[strvger]

rebuilding your engine, you might be able to do things like an RV cam for more torque, port/polish heads, heavy duty oil and water pumps, etc. i'm sure you could build in all the hp/torque/performance you're wanting.
you should also ckeck the gear ratio in your axle(s). upgrading to 4.10 gears will also help in getting the most from your 2.9 even if you are sticking with the stock tire size.
good luck with your new truck!

oh, and WELCOME to TRS!!!!!

.

 

[grsjax]

Thanks for the input. Looks like I will go with a rebuild. I may have a line on a set of heads off of a '92 so that solves one problem. Anyone have a reccomendation for a vendor to get parts and/or an engine overhaul kit from?

 

[strvger]

Summit Racing is where i'd start. also, check out the tech library here for more suggestions. and also use our vendor forum and the TRS parts forum (top of the page). good luck and keep us posted with your progress!

 

[Psychopete]

Lots of shops will price match. I would recommend finding a kit online and printing it off, tearing the motor down, taking it to a shop, having them do their thing so they can order you the correct size bearings, pistons, etc. I wouldn't order a kit right away that is std for a tired motor, might find that a few cylinders need bored out, and would require over sized pistons. Or that the crank needs turned. But all of this is just my opinion. Should definitely look at what you have first before ordering or deciding anything. Tear that mug down. For shop and part cost, might be able to find a similar truck w/o a bad motor, but that just all depends I guess.

 

[JoshT]

May be to late but I suggest swap. I know you said you don't have a need for a 4.0 but it may be the better route. By the time you get the money for a rebuild into the 2.9 you could have probably done a 4.0 swap twice over and been much more happy with it.

On my 84 I tried going the route of rebuild on the 2.8. Unlike n_grimm my 2.8 is anything but sluggish and before the rebuild could probably have put many 2.9L trucks here to shame. I decided (and it was a stupid move) that since my truck had X50,000 miles, and I was pretty sure that X = 2, it was due for a rebuild. While the new engine does have better performance I could have put in a 5.0L for the same price, and possibly a 4.0L cheaper and been just as happy. The other thing to consider is that with the bigger engine you will not only gain horsepower and torque, but also probably better gas mileage due to the engine having an easier time doing the same work. It would also be more reliable for the very same reason.

 

[country0001]

The 4.0 swap is an excellent choice if you go that route. Its a direct bolt in with a little bit of wiring . Same down time, better results.