When Mark first got his truck, it just wasn’t the same as it was when it left the dealer some years before. The 2.8L engine was blown and the body needed some serious TLC. It took Mark a year to restore the body to its former glory. The engine however, sad to say, was another story.
Fortunately for Mark the seller had a couple of 5.0L equipped Rangers and showed him exactly what need to be done to install one in his. A generous 1984 Mustang GT donated its HO engine to the project and after it underwent a rebuild, it found a new life at home under the Ranger’s hood.
This engine provided Mark with reliable service for the next three years until it suffered an oil pressure problem. Replacing the oil pump proved fruitless. So, a suitable replacement needed to be found.
The thought of a 351 Windsor engine had always been an attractive idea (MORE POWER). So, poking around the local wrecking yard produced a 351W that didn’t look great but only cost $50. How far wrong can you go for that price? After a couple of hours of work, it was installed, and the Ranger was on the road again.
Mark has also done some custom fabrication work on his truck. This includes home extended radius arms and a custom cross member. The radius arms came about after seeing all the others on the web he figured, why not make my own. A suitable fixture to hold everything straight was fabricated. Then using it, he successfully cut and extended the stock arms fifteen inches. The cross member is his own original design and has proved to work just fine.
Unfortunately, a large part of his hard work now has to come out. As the combination of a 351W, mixed with a bit of offroading has proven too much for the stock Dana 28 front end. It has unfortunately gone to whatever heaven diffs go to after giving their all in faithful service. With a 351W for power, putting in another D28 just didn’t seem to be worth the effort. The poor D28 was never intended for this type of application and power, and another one likely wouldn’t last too long.
With that in mind an early Bronco has been persuaded to donate it’s D44 and it will soon be taking up where the D28 left off in providing for front end traction.
Not a bad bit of work, but I want to see it going with a 44 up front.
So, hurry up Mark, we’re all waiting to see you finish it. At least till you find something else to “improve” on it that is.
Specifications
1984 Ford Ranger 4X4
351 Windsor V8 (Roller Rockers, Comp Cam, Bored .040 Over, Weiand Stealth Intake, Ported Heads)
ROLLER ROCKERS
COMP CAM
BORED .040 OVER
WIEND STEALTH INTAKE
PORTED HEADS
4-Inch Skyjacker Suspension Lift
3-Inch Body Lift
C4 Transmission
B&M Shift Kit
B&M Stargate Shifter
Homemade Custom Extended Radius Arms
Homemade Traction Bars
Homemade Nerf Bars
1994 Ranger 8.8 With 3.73 Gears & Limited Slip
Dana 44 Front Axle
33-Inch Boggers
About The Author
Jim Oaks is the founder of TheRangerStation.com, the longest-running Ford Ranger resource online since 1999. With over 25 years of hands-on experience building and modifying Ford Rangers — including magazine-featured builds like Project Transformer — Jim has become one of the most trusted authorities in the Ford Ranger off-road and enthusiast space. In 2019, he was loaned a Ranger FX4 by Ford Motor Company to test and document across the TransAmerica Trail. Jim continues to inspire and guide Ranger owners around the world.
