Which engine for towing?

[rusty ol ranger]

Would that even have the balls to pull itself up a ramp?

I drove a 2.3L 4x4 one time (it was a 86 or 87 with a 5sp) and it was the single most nutless thing ive ever drivin. It makes my 300 I6 in my F150 look like a top fuel.

later,
Dustin

 

[choppychop]

Nutless

I don't know if anyone is reading this thread still but I drove my buddies 1995 ford ranger with a 2.3l and 5 speed last week. I could not believe how gutless this thing was. If I'm going to get bad fuel mileage I might as well go full size. Thanks for chatting.

 

[Nipplechops]

I am looking at purchasing a used ranger soon and hope someones could point me in the right direction or maybe the wrong one if you like.
I just bought a boat & trailer that weigh about 2000lbs and will haul 400lbs of gear and 320lbs of humans (heaviest scenario). Is this possible with a 2.5l 5 speed 2wd Ranger? The reason I would like to get the little motor is most of the time there will be nothing but a 160lb human in the truck that likes to save gas so he can buy more gear to put in the truck. I figure the boat will be towed 1000 miles a year but the truck will get driven about 15,000 a year. If this sounds implausible I could go with a larger motor but the manual tranny is a must.
I would like to avoid 4WD due to maintenance and higher cost but will I even be able to pull the boat out of the launch with a small two wheel drive at all. For your info, my towing experience amounts to towing a 700lb trailer with a Honda Civic (1.5l engine) years ago so my questions may be slow.
Here is the last of it. Is the suspension the same regardless of motor size?
Thanks in advance.

I've towed roughly 3500lb with an '87 Ranger 2.0L four cylinder and while it wasn't the fastest thing on the road, it got the job done. Getting the rig rolling on an uphill start was a bit of an art though. If my old carbureted 2.0L could move that much, surely a fuel injected 2.3L or 2.5L would have no issues with it, provided adequate gearing.

My '88 X-cab will also be a tow/haul slut, but with my interest in the Cologne V6 engines shot to Hell, it will be interesting how my 2.3T handles my camper in the bed with my ski boat, sled trailer, or car hauler behind it. Hopefully a good clutch, 3.73's and 17 pounds of boost help out!

 

[fastpakr]

I don't know if anyone is reading this thread still but I drove my buddies 1995 ford ranger with a 2.3l and 5 speed last week. I could not believe how gutless this thing was. If I'm going to get bad fuel mileage I might as well go full size. Thanks for chatting.

Then it was broken. I alternate between a 4.0 Explorer Sport and a 2.3 Ranger on a regular basis, and the Ranger has more than enough power to get around just fine. In return, I get as much as 27mpg on the highway and 22-24 in daily driving.

 

[Korrie]

I recall my dad towing boats for years with station wagons that were rwd and never ever had an issue pulling large heavy wooden boats out of the water.

Don't put the rear wheels in the water and you won't have a traction issue. If you do, wave your hands, look helpless, and one of the guys on here with a 4x4 will feel macho enough to tow you off the launch. Then stop on the way home and feed your family steaks with the money you saved driving the 4cyl to the lake instead of the 4.0 liter.

 

[pops13]

re

tried to pull a 2000 lb. boat up a ramp with a 2.3 5spd. no dice, had to have a big truck pull me up, kept stalling, ended up in the water.

 

[gw33gp]

Don't put the rear wheels in the water and you won't have a traction issue. If you do, wave your hands, look helpless, and one of the guys on here with a 4x4 will feel macho enough to tow you off the launch. Then stop on the way home and feed your family steaks with the money you saved driving the 4cyl to the lake instead of the 4.0 liter.

Having a 4 cyl does not necessarily give you better mileage while towing. I use to tow with a 2.9L Ranger and got on average about 13.5 mpg. With my 4.0L Ranger I get on average over 14 mpg while towing and I don't have to stress the engine and drive-train so much while doing it. Sure you can drive a 4 cyl at 40 mph when towing to get good mileage but you can also do that with a 4.0L engine, but I prefer not to be a moving hazard on the road.

 

[strvger]

no matter which engine you have, to get the most out of it, it's always a good idea to get the right gears for the tasks you do most often. and a good locker usually helps out as well. just my $.02.

 

[mattpresley]

I don't know if anyone is reading this thread still but I drove my buddies 1995 ford ranger with a 2.3l and 5 speed last week. I could not believe how gutless this thing was. If I'm going to get bad fuel mileage I might as well go full size. Thanks for chatting.

I agree with you actually. I recommend a six cylinder f150. Or better yet if you can find one in good condition, an old straight six. If I had to tow a boat my 2.5 is out of the question

 

[tanbuddy]

I would get the 4.0 for towing myself, but if u use the 4cl, i have a trick for the boat launch.
Nail four 2x6s on top of each other about a foot long to make a wheel chock, then nail a long bungge cord to it.
When u launch your boat, put that chock under the back tire, and hook the bungge to the bumper. When u leave, let off the brake and let all the weight rest against the chock and then take off. No drifting back, which is the hardest part of the lauch, plus if u stall u wull just roll back into the block insted of the water. the bungee cord will pull the chock behind your truck until u stop in a level area to strap down the boat ect.

 

[Will]

I agree with you actually. I recommend a six cylinder f150. Or better yet if you can find one in good condition, an old straight six. If I had to tow a boat my 2.5 is out of the question

You recommend a six cylinder for towing in a full-size?

I recommend a 460, V10 or Powerstroke in the fullsizes and a 4.0 in a Ranger.

You need some power. Being caught in the beltway of a major city with too much mass and not enough horsepower is a non habit-forming activity. If you aren't killed trying to merge in, than you will be killed trying to merge out, or spend the evening going in 50 miles circles until the traffic dies down.

I had a 155hp diesel and a 6,000# truck with an 8,000# trailer going to Attica one time. I could get up to 60mph on the interstate, but it had no acceleration. Coming home I nailed rush hour right in the ten ring. Coming from 74w onto 465s there is no shoulder--it's a quarter-mile and then a retaining wall guides your lane into traffic. I head up the onramp in first and it wouldn't gain enough revs to get to second. And my truck and trailer were over 50' long--it was my 2-car hauler-- and people behind me were trying to get over early causing more trouble behind me. And my lane was ending and I sure as hell wasn't going to try stopping at the end of the ramp--so I just kept going and forced a row of cars over a lane and sent a bunch of unhappy people into the median shoulder. ANd eventually things settled back out. But it was completely apparant that my truck didn't have the power to pull that load.

Now it does--I added the turbocharger and the splitter. I no longer have that hollow helpless feeling when I lug something onto the beltway. Now I can safely get up to speed and though people still have to show a little kindness, all they have to do is let up a little or scoot forward a little and I'm in--not like rolling a stationary boulder into 4 lanes of 65mph traffic.

I could list reasons all day to have power. If you have a specific place that you know well that your truck is okay, then no problem. But most of the time I don't know where I am going to be with what and I would never order up anything but the most engine for the given truck. And a diesel for the economy if I could get it.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

A 300 would do just fine with a 2000lb boat.

My dad pulled a 4horse gooseneck horsetrailer, loaded, with 4 horses, with 3.55 gears and an automatic, with the A/C on in a 94 3/4ton 2wd with a 300, on the freeway many times, never once did him/me experince the havoc you are describing.

Just be careful, get the right gears, and you'll be fine. Think about it...how fast can a loaded semi get up to speed? Its not as bad as will makes it out to be.

Yes it gives you a macho feeling to be able to go from 55-70 quickly loaded down with a 9000lb trailer, but in reality all it does is give you a feeling of overconfidence in your towing vehicle, and causes you to do unsafe manuevers.

later,
Dustin

 

[mattpresley]

You recommend a six cylinder for towing in a full-size?

I recommend a 460, V10 or Powerstroke in the fullsizes and a 4.0 in a Ranger.

You need some power. Being caught in the beltway of a major city with too much mass and not enough horsepower is a non habit-forming activity. If you aren't killed trying to merge in, than you will be killed trying to merge out, or spend the evening going in 50 miles circles until the traffic dies down.

I had a 155hp diesel and a 6,000# truck with an 8,000# trailer going to Attica one time. I could get up to 60mph on the interstate, but it had no acceleration. Coming home I nailed rush hour right in the ten ring. Coming from 74w onto 465s there is no shoulder--it's a quarter-mile and then a retaining wall guides your lane into traffic. I head up the onramp in first and it wouldn't gain enough revs to get to second. And my truck and trailer were over 50' long--it was my 2-car hauler-- and people behind me were trying to get over early causing more trouble behind me. And my lane was ending and I sure as hell wasn't going to try stopping at the end of the ramp--so I just kept going and forced a row of cars over a lane and sent a bunch of unhappy people into the median shoulder. ANd eventually things settled back out. But it was completely apparant that my truck didn't have the power to pull that load.

Now it does--I added the turbocharger and the splitter. I no longer have that hollow helpless feeling when I lug something onto the beltway. Now I can safely get up to speed and though people still have to show a little kindness, all they have to do is let up a little or scoot forward a little and I'm in--not like rolling a stationary boulder into 4 lanes of 65mph traffic.

I could list reasons all day to have power. If you have a specific place that you know well that your truck is okay, then no problem. But most of the time I don't know where I am going to be with what and I would never order up anything but the most engine for the given truck. And a diesel for the economy if I could get it.

for a 2,000 lb boat? Absolutely!! Especially the old straight six

 

[Will]

My point is--biggest engine for vehicle in question for towing. I said 4.0 for Ranger.

Sorry for wandering off on the subj.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Not to start a war....but why?

Like i said eariler, you dont NEED a big gasser or a Diesel to tow with. Yes, its nice, but is it nessacary?....no.

Brakes are waaaay more of a concern then the engine.

The only engine put in the F series that wasnt worth a dime for towing was the 302. The 300, 351, 390, 400, 429 and 460 all were excllent for towing. The 3.8L wasnt the greastest either.

A 2.3L could tow as much as a 460 in a F350 Crew Cab Dually. Would it be good for it? No, would it be fast? No. You would need 5.13 rear end gears and like a 35 speed transmission....but it woudl do it.

Towing is more about gears then actual engine power. Even with a measly 180ftlbs of torque (horsepower is more or less irrelevent when towing) you could still move a considerable amount of weight.

Gear it down and you mutiply the amount of torque getting to the wheels. So yeah, a 460 might only need 3.55's to move 10,000lbs, while a 300 might need 4.10s, but the amount of torque getting to the rear wheels would be roughly the same with the right gears matched to the engine.

Evn though the 300 only makes 265ftlbs and the 460 makes Ungodly amounts (cant think of the spec off hand )

later,
Dustin