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My 2.0-to-2.3 swap


kishy

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1985
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Ranger, RCLB
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95 2.3 EFI Swap
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
As Willie N would say: "On the road again..."

If I understand correctly, you should be treating the engine as if it was just assembled or re-built. The original use was for limited hours, so the thing may not even be broken in yet.

I figured you'd like the added power those tiny 300ccs provide, and the EFI makes it all run so much more efficiently than the carb. You should get in the high 20's in US mpg terms. Km/l or Km/IG I dunno. Do they still use 'Imperial Gallons' in Canada or is everything metric? I have not been in a long time, but do remember the volume was larger.
tom
It should have at least 100 hours on it, simulating 4000 miles (per the testing standard, and that assumes it was only used for one test). So it is "broken in" but still "very new".

Do you have any thoughts on the 140PSI compression?
I know the standard is "as long as they're all above 100, and within 10% of each other, it's fine" and 140 is healthy but seems low. I'm wondering if I should have tried putting the cam another tooth or two forward and seeing if it got better. It runs very well and has great power though.

We use litres per 100km, and it's done that way because a litre is so small compared to a US gallon that it gives better accuracy and friendlier numbers (not crazy decimal places). However I generally convert units and check my numbers in US MPG.

The old engine with poorly tuned carb was doing 14-16 US MPG city driving, I'm hoping to see a consistent 20+ if driven reasonably. If you think I'll see upper 20s that's even better.


edit:
responding to the earlier remark about the O2, it's a junkyard manifold and I put a brand new NTK O2 in it.

As for sensors/electronics in general:
The TPS came on the engine; I've tested it with an analog ohmmeter to make sure it's flawless.
ECT and ACT(IAT) are junkyard parts from my stash which are known to work.
EVP (EGR Valve Position) is a junkyard part on a junkyard valve.
IAC valve is a junkyard part.
MAF is a junkyard part. I have two junkyard MAFs. This is my first Mass Air vehicle so it's somewhat new to me.
ICM came on the engine.
CPS came on the engine; I've actually swapped it for a junkyard Wells aftermarket replacement which is working, so I have a spare in the form of the working original Ford one.
 
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kishy

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1985
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Ranger, RCLB
Engine Size
95 2.3 EFI Swap
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
The computer is not weatherproof at all except the connector, which is fully sealed with a gasket around the wires. I opened the lid to verify. I have now wrapped it in plastic food wrap and then taped over the food wrap to provide it with some protection. It is now zip-tied down to the fender apron to keep it from flexing the wiring too much.

The air cleaner from the 93 amazingly lined up with 3 existing bolt holes (it needs 3) on the passenger fender apron, leftover from the idle speed control module for the old carb. It is zip-tied down to them but will probably get a more permanent installation. On the other hand, the zip ties will probably last just fine, so there's no rush. I just wanted stuff to stop bouncing around.

Coolant leak (currently rad flush and water) seems to have just been a hose clamp which I have now tightened. If it wasn't that, it's the O-ring on the water inlet extension pipe, so I'm hoping to verify that is not leaking before I swap to actual antifreeze. I'm also hoping to receive and install the new correct block heater before making that switch.

Drove it out to my buddy's shop (a little over 50km/30mi each way) last night and didn't skip a beat. Mounted up my recent junkyard-score tires. 2 sets of 2 matching, nearly new 185/70R14 which fit nicely on the factory 14" steelies. I have 15" winter tires I'll use when we get into winter, but having cheap decent tires in the meantime is good. Front toe is very wrong on this so cheap tires are the best choice right now. The smaller size is throwing the speedo off a fair bit at highway speed but that's fine.

Not even the faintest hint of smoke out of the exhaust under any conditions.
 

kishy

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1985
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Ranger, RCLB
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95 2.3 EFI Swap
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Minor updates:
Drained the rad flush/water mix. What came out was super gross, and since the rad was clean due to the 2.0 having been a clean engine inside and rad being new, that means the block was gross. Glad I flushed it.

After draining, I ran hose water (yeah, yeah, I know) through the block, as well as thoroughly in both directions through the rad and heater core until nothing but clear water ran out. Hooked it all back up, filled with a full jug of concentrate plus the balance in distilled water and that should be that (capacity looked like 6.8L, jug of concentrate 3.78). Installed correct lower rad hose at the time (application: 95 Ranger 2.3 due to extension pipe at bottom of water pump)

Meant to install the (correct, newly received) block heater but forgot. Draining and refilling again won't be the end of the world. Just sucks because I was right there already.

Installed a 94 accelerator cable. This fixed the geometry at the throttle, no more binding, no weird spacing issues. However I had to use spacers (for now, zipties) to take up slack at the pedal. I might use the newer year pedal if I determine that will take up the slack sans zipties. The pedals appear to mount in the exact same way, just with different arm curvature.

Truck put in some work hauling junkyard stuff as well as maybe 600lbs of computer stuff over the weekend. Pulls hard, even loaded down pretty well. Passing people in 5th without dropping a gear is something the 2.0 could never do in the time I had it.

Fuel economy was really good for the speed traveled. Not reporting numbers until I see how it behaves in more normal driving.

I take back the concerns about compression: 180-185 on all 4. Healthy engine.



[





 
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kishy

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95 2.3 EFI Swap
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Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
As a followup, the truck has been great with the new engine. It handles highway speed well, and is now more than capable of burying the 140kmh speedometer at its mechanical limit and then some (not that I tested this). Power is good all over the tach and it loves going north of 4k, noisy as it may be.

Block heater is in. Block heater appears not to leak. I have not tested that it actually works yet, and am hoping that it will. Amazon will be delivering a remote control on/off thing which I'm going to use for it. I had to slightly bend the element on the block heater for it to go in flush in that location. The instructions did not specify a location or clocking because this isn't "for" a Ranger according to the instruction sheet...but the same heater is for a Ranger according to Amazon and eBay listings...shrug. It fit with some minor tweaking, I'll call that good enough.

I added some Pennzoil Synchromesh (too thin) to top up the TK5, currently filled with mostly Redline MT-90 but leaks around the yoke. Once I can sort out the leak I'll get more Redline or another similar calibre fluid. It really liked the Redline, or at least I liked how it shifted with it.

Attended the TRS meet in Dearborn yesterday; hoping there may be a pic or two with my truck but not holding my breath lol.

Discovered I was down quite a bit of coolant prior to leaving the meet, investigated further at my friend's house. Found the alternator and passenger frame rail saturated with coolant but block heater was bone dry. Traced it back to a poorly sealed hose on the 'Tee' for the coolant temp sensor. Easily fixed. It may have sprung a leak due to manhandling while putting in the block heater.

In fixing that, discovered a heater hose is rubbing on the O2 connector and would pinhole through soon. Covered that with split loom and will prioritize new heater hose soon. I just got a bunch of new hose out of a car's trunk at the junkyard.







Idle is a little rough at times. Going to get some MAF cleaner and check for codes. Aside from minor adjustments going forward though, the engine swap seems to be done.

MPG figures:
17.75MPG at a "high rate of speed which I will not disclose"
22.47MPG for 90% highway where the 10% included 15 mins of stop-n-go gridlock. Highway was driven at 75-80MPH.
Those numbers are really decent in my eyes, given the aero issues of a first gen.
 
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fangotango306

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I was really impressed with how much detail you put into that swap man and it was to good conversing with you about it. I some how took only 3 pictures though.
 

tomw

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If you bring your highway speed down about 10mph, to 65-70, you'll gain maybe 5-7mpg. With a relatively new and tight engine, you should be able to get close to 30mpg highway if you tone down the go pedal a whit. I readily get 27 but I drive slower.
If the yoke(tailhousing) seal is leaking, grab onto the drive shaft nearby and try to move it in any direction(all) radially. You should not be able to move it significantly. Maybe a little motion. If you can move it, the bushing is likely worn. You can remove the yoke(driveshaft), the old seal, and drive a new bushing in displacing the old if you don't want to drop the tailhousing. It won't hurt anything if you do.
If you want, you likely have about 298,000 miles before you will have to do anything beyond reasonable maintenance. I don't know if the rest of the truck will still be un-oxidized by that point in time
tom.
 

kishy

Active Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
148
Reaction score
58
Points
28
Location
ON, Canada
Vehicle Year
1985
Make / Model
Ranger, RCLB
Engine Size
95 2.3 EFI Swap
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
I was really impressed with how much detail you put into that swap man and it was to good conversing with you about it. I some how took only 3 pictures though.
Thanks, it was an adventure (the engine swap - Dearborn not so much). Definitely worth it. I'm glad to have met you and others as well.

I bought the Ranger to be a somewhat disposable winter beater: rust has made this thing really rough. But in the time I've had it, I've brought it a long way from death and I'm pretty confident it's got a long life left. Getting better connected to the community couldn't hurt.

If you bring your highway speed down about 10mph, to 65-70, you'll gain maybe 5-7mpg. With a relatively new and tight engine, you should be able to get close to 30mpg highway if you tone down the go pedal a whit. I readily get 27 but I drive slower.
If the yoke(tailhousing) seal is leaking, grab onto the drive shaft nearby and try to move it in any direction(all) radially. You should not be able to move it significantly. Maybe a little motion. If you can move it, the bushing is likely worn. You can remove the yoke(driveshaft), the old seal, and drive a new bushing in displacing the old if you don't want to drop the tailhousing. It won't hurt anything if you do.
If you want, you likely have about 298,000 miles before you will have to do anything beyond reasonable maintenance. I don't know if the rest of the truck will still be un-oxidized by that point in time
tom.
I'm sure MPG dramatically improves with each MPH reduction, at speeds like those. However all the highway trips I've needed to make with it so far have been behind schedule and relatively short, so I haven't been able to stretch its legs at a more reasonable speed over a longer distance.

No city mileage figures yet, but I'm getting so much more gas out of a tank than I did before that I'm already pretty pleased with it, even if it's only a minor improvement over before (doubtful).

The trans bushing thing, I've brought up: https://therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=175567

There is apparently no answer to this problem. The available specification dimensions are not consistent with what's in my truck. There is no path to resolution that doesn't involve truck downtime to pull the trans so it's going to go another year, probably. Any continued extension housing bushing discussion, please put it in that thread so I can find stuff as needed.
 
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