Its Official, My 84 is gonna get restored I think..

[Original_Ranger84]

So with my mom moving down to Ohio and my bother gone with her, my dad is bored and alone at our house in Homer and since I'm in anchorage I go and visit when I can. Anyways he has a VW golf for dd and we have sold the camper and have no need for the diesel but still have a need for a truck.

So we though... Lets restore and improve the 84! Its the only New vehicle we have ever owned to last past 5 years so far and still goes strong with only 1 major problem that has occured.

Anyways, The plan is to do a frame up restoration type thing... We are going Pull the body off and clean up and replace anything needed on the chassis, fix up the body and give it new paint. the part I am stumped on is what to do about the rest of the truck...

Its a 2.8L durasparked with like 250,000 miles on it and it leaks a little oil no burning to my knowledge, a recently rebuilt TK5 (a roll pin was reused by a shop and it fell out) that I rebuilt myself so its good to go, a 1350 Manual Tcase, D28/7.5" w/3.73 and L/S.

The purpose of this truck isn't going to be heavy off roading or anything, its more of an everything truck as we see it. We want it to be able to haul a 24' Hewescraft alaskan boat (or larger) a few times a year in and out of the harbor, drive around in town, go to the beach hauling 4 wheeler, and still have off roadability. We are probably going to keep a summer home in Homer for fishing and stuff and this truck is gonna stay with it unless I love it too much.

So what would you guys reccomend? can a ranger haul a 22' boat or so?

I am thinking of going with a 4.0L and a 5 speed (M5OD/1354M) cause its gotta be. and swapping out the axles for explorer 8.8" and D35, with a 3 or 4" suspension lift to get rid of the BL, keeping 31's upgrading to 4.10's and putting selectable lockers in the front and rear or just power trax in them. Would this handle the work?

I was also thinking since I would be getting a parts explorer or 2 I would swap the dash in and stuff. But I also got to thinking that it might be easier for me to find a 95+ explorer for cheap then a 90 - 94. How much harder would it be to fit a newer dash? anyone done it? Also the fact that it would be OBDII how much harder would it be to wire up? Would a SOHC 4.0L be better or maybe an explorer 5.0L? Should I get 1/2 ton axles?

Heres what I think we want it to do:

Able to tow a 5,000lb boat a few times a year
Be able to drive onto and off of the beach without issue for river fishing
get decent mileage (20mpg hwy is decent)
can take it off road for camping and what not so flexible suspension?

What do you guys think we should do with it? Will what I have planned be enough for what we want it to do? Can the newer modifications work?

 

[LIMA BEAN]

You could probably drag the boat around town and out to the spit but I would have electric trailer brakes. Pulling it up the steep, wet ramp at the harbor may not happen though and if you live WAY up on the hill?

 

[gribly]

It's doable. My father puts his 25 foot Cape dory in and out of the water every season with his truck, no problem. It's a 2005 FX4 Level II, stock minus a shift kit, chip and k&n. We don't even use the boat ramp really, due to the trailer type we have. We drive down and park the trailer way off to the side of the ramp in the gravel and sand, and wait for the tide to come in. One of us drives the boat over the the trailer and waits for the tide to go back out, and the boat settles on the trailer. Then, when the tide is away from the trailer, the other one of us backs the Ranger down, hooks up, and drives off in low-range. Minimal tire spin, if at all, until we hit the boat ramp, then it's off down the road we go.

The Ranger can actually pull the boat up the beach easier than it can tow it down the road. I would not hit a main road with this thing without a diesel, the trailer is made from gigantic I-beams and weighs more than the boat and truck combined. I towed it around with an '84 F-350 diesel with a built motor and Banks Sidewinder kit - it bogged me down worse than towing the old school 9800lb Long tractor on the tri-axle 5th wheel flatbed.

 

[jhammel85]

I think it sounds like a plan. Good Luck with it. That should work pretty well.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

You could probably drag the boat around town and out to the spit but I would have electric trailer brakes. Pulling it up the steep, wet ramp at the harbor may not happen though and if you live WAY up on the hill?

Well the plan is to build a gigantic garage out east end with a small 2bedroom, so the hills home won't be a problem, and 4lo would probably work for the ramp which isn't too steep.

I think it sounds like a plan. Good Luck with it. That should work pretty well.

Thanks, I'm hoping it will work out well.

 

[04sd]

I've heard the 2nd gen Ex dash will fit but I've never seen one done. The advantage of the 1st gen is if you get a complete Ex you can use the front d35. As for wiring, if you use the complete dash, harness, and engine from one truck it shouldn't be an issue. BTW, there are firewall differences between 1st and 2nd gen Rangers, some mods required to install the newer steering column in the older cab.

I put my '84 Ranger cab and a shortened bed on a 1st gen, 2 door Ex chassis. Also put in the 1st gen Ex dash. '84 Ranger on the outside but all Explorer underneath. If I had it to do again I'd think about using a 2nd gen Ex with a V8.

 

[doorgunner]

I installed a V-8 in my '89 Ranger xlt.....it's literally got nearly twice the power of the 2.9l, which was a adequate little engine for light towing.

But with nearly 200,000 miles on it, I didn't want to ruin it or the A/T in the mountains pulling a travel trailer. So it's in the shed now where it will be safe....waiting for a ring job and conversion to carb induction since the sensors are failing left and right.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

I've heard the 2nd gen Ex dash will fit but I've never seen one done. The advantage of the 1st gen is if you get a complete Ex you can use the front d35. As for wiring, if you use the complete dash, harness, and engine from one truck it shouldn't be an issue. BTW, there are firewall differences between 1st and 2nd gen Rangers, some mods required to install the newer steering column in the older cab.

I put my '84 Ranger cab and a shortened bed on a 1st gen, 2 door Ex chassis. Also put in the 1st gen Ex dash. '84 Ranger on the outside but all Explorer underneath. If I had it to do again I'd think about using a 2nd gen Ex with a V8.

Thats a really nice looking truck! Thats kind of what I am going for actually. Although I will be keeping the 84 chassis i think and just moving everything over.

How much harder would a newer v8 be to install do you think?

I installed a V-8 in my '89 Ranger xlt.....it's literally got nearly twice the power of the 2.9l, which was a adequate little engine for light towing.

But with nearly 200,000 miles on it, I didn't want to ruin it or the A/T in the mountains pulling a travel trailer. So it's in the shed now where it will be safe....waiting for a ring job and conversion to carb induction since the sensors are failing left and right.

Yeah I want to keep FI though, at -40 carburators do not like to spray fuel very well and stay running.

Any engine I put in will probably get a fresh rebuild before I drop it in.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Yeah I want to keep FI though, at -40 carburators do not like to spray fuel very well and stay running.

Any engine I put in will probably get a fresh rebuild before I drop it in.

Start checking the v8 swap forum and the tech article in the library, it has been covered there many times.

I am putting a carb converted '87 302 in my '85, so far I don't think it was all that hard to pull the old powertrain out and I can't see it being all that hard to actually put the new in... but the devil is always in the details. Driveshafts, fuel delivery, cooling, shifters, exhaust, the things that are easily forgotton. My 2.8 was converted to Duraspark, and I am keeping my old alternator so aside from the electric fuel pump wiring will be non issue for me, plug and play (in theory)

The 80/20 rule comes into play. It states that 80% of the project will take 20% of your effort. The last 20% will take the last 80% of your effort... and IMO there is a lot of truth to that in a V8 swap. You spend more time with the trivial corn and peas than the meat and potatos of the swap, and that isn't counting building an engine.

Tonight is fuel pump night.

 

[04sd]

I was going to use the '84 frame but it turned out it was bent so that's the reason I decided on the Ex frame.

I don't think a V8 swap is hard but for sure is more work and money than buying a 1st gen Ex and moving everything over to the Ranger.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Start checking the v8 swap forum and the tech article in the library, it has been covered there many times.

I am putting a carb converted '87 302 in my '85, so far I don't think it was all that hard to pull the old powertrain out and I can't see it being all that hard to actually put the new in... but the devil is always in the details. Driveshafts, fuel delivery, cooling, shifters, exhaust, the things that are easily forgotton. My 2.8 was converted to Duraspark, and I am keeping my old alternator so aside from the electric fuel pump wiring will be non issue for me, plug and play (in theory)

The 80/20 rule comes into play. It states that 80% of the project will take 20% of your effort. The last 20% will take the last 80% of your effort... and IMO there is a lot of truth to that in a V8 swap. You spend more time with the trivial corn and peas than the meat and potatos of the swap, and that isn't counting building an engine.

Tonight is fuel pump night.

Yeah I know what you mean, getting the engine in and all bolted up and everything is easy, the hard part is definately going to be the getting it running just right.

I'll check the v8, thread but I think I'll probably still be going with the 4.0L for simplicity and Fuel Economy.

 

[doorgunner]

Pics......of course......hope it goes smoothly....