88 2wd ranger 2.3 5spd------->>88? Thunderbird TC 2.3 turbo.

[Moosinatrix]

Hi guys im a returning member but it has been so long that i cant remember my account info.

Anyways, i have an 88 ranger 2wd with a 2.3l efi and a 5spd. I bought this truck after falling into hard times and having to sell the exploder. this truck was (and still kinda is) a total basketcase!!! The wiring was trashed the exterior showwed its age a bit too well, the tailgate stil doesnt open unless you jimmy it with a flathead and watchout for your toes cuz it will fall straight off. the sest were welded in poorly and the only thing left inside the cab was dash, steering wheel, and shifter.

The guy selling had a towing company and he had the truck posted on craigslist for $400 with title and claimed all it needed to be on the road was a fuel pump......


Well long story short i examined the vehicle pointed out everything i could see wrong and offerer him $250 cash and we haggled to $280.

Brought it home and had to replace the whole fuel system... it was missing everything frim the inline filter to the up to the fuel rail, the tank had so much rust and sediment in it, i cleaned it 3 times with the old bb's and gas trick, put it all back together with a new inline fuel pump and filter, intank pump, and a few quick disconnect lines to boot. I rewired the lights and fixxed a ground issue that kept to truck from doing anything at all. But the truck fired up, ran like crap though, ended up having to change the injectors. After that it purred likea kitten, i had nearly forgotten that the exhuast was cut just below the manifold and replace with a short flex pipe, a 24" glasspack and another 24" of 3 in pipe... didnt sound bad, but too ricey for a ford.

Anyways i have had this truckfor about 5 months now, slowly doing a little of this and a little of that, trying to make it decent. I drove the piss out of it though along the way!!! I put 10k on it in just 2 - 2-1/2 months working out of town a the time. Aside from having ti clean the fuek filter every time i filled up, some brake pads, and a heater hose that was over tightened, it took it like a champ, i have a lead foot, and it was a stick, we had lots of open highway.

Then i started having problems with the ignition system...
Did plugs and wires, helped but didnt do the trick, cao and rotor had scorch marks and melted plastic, replace still pretty bad. So it came down to ignition control module, or my fuel pump failing again... probably a combination of the 2. So i ran through it all with a multimeter all sensors, injectors, and the coil tested good. I dont have a fuel pressure guage, so i was unable to test the fuel pump, but i was fairly certai n that was the problem, i figured might aswell replace the Ign. Ctrl. Mod. since we replaced the rest of the igniton system. And while looking for a fuel pump in my area, i came across a super killer deal on a pair of engines....

This guy had a 2.3l turbo motor out of a thinderbird turbo coupe and a 3.3l turbo motor out of a 300zx. Only wanted a $100 each, i picked em both up for $175, sold the z32 motor for $280 to a friend of mine for his pathfinder.

I thought i made out like a bandit.... i did get a good deal,, but i didnt get all i had hoped for.

Here i am expecting a 100% bolt in swap..... boy was i wrong.... had tk change every thing from my n/a 2.3 over to the TC motor because thee were clesrince issues with the powersteering, and theotir mounts were a bit different
Did that and dropped it in.... gave it a crank it hiccupped once and busted off, and gave off a real bad knock, not to mention it had a severely blown headgasket, it was pushing so much air out that i couldnt put the lid back on the radiator for fear of blowing hoses or endcaps....

now i am waiting for my rebuild kit, im expecting to find a spun bearing after looking at the cams flat backside on most if not all lobes. Oh, i almost forgot i had to put a freeze plug in the back of the TC motor. Shouldve seeb this coming from the start....

But after alot of research im realizing that i cant just run this motor off the n/a ecu unless i really wanna tear it up, which means i am now in need of an 87 or 88 TC/svo ecu, wire harness and Vane Air Flow Meter...

If anyone has these parts available for edtremely xheap please let me know.

Anyways that being said, i might need to pick a few brains as i go through this build. Parts shojld be here by thursday. I will be doing tear down tomorrow or the next day, and hopefully have it done by the weekend.

Any tips, advice, and or ideas on the subject would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Moosinatrix]

Damn i wrote a book, lol.