New Toy.........

[Dan B.]

So...maybe I have some issues....dark blue and chrome bumpers are my weakness.

Bought this little gem yesterday based on a conversation and some pictures. It's from southern MD, said to be REALLY solid and has a ton of new parts. The seller actually delivered it to my friend that lives in that area. After a good look over from my buddy, he said it's WAY more truck than the $700 I paid for it.

Specs are 1986, EFI 2.3L, 5 speed, 2wd. New parts are injectors, plugs, wires, coil, brakes, tires, battery (Optima Red Top), and other misc items. It's a no A/C truck which opens the engine bay a lot without having to remove a bunch of stuff. My boy is super excited (he's 14) and wants to know the plan for mods, Well, I have no plan other than to look for ideas. I think a basic stock style turbo system from a Turbo Coupe would be neat but I've never messed with that. V8 swaps are my thing but not sure I want to do another.

Bob...any tips on 4cyl turbo installs? I know you did the wife's convertible.


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[07v6vistablue]

I never fall into deals like that! Congrats! Looks great!

[Martin0660]

Bob...any tips on 4cyl turbo installs?

First tip is ...Don't, lol. Do a simple V8 swap and enjoy.

If your hell bent on it, there are a number of paths with that truck.

The problem is, they all involve wiring harness, adding a computer, etc.

A donor Turbo coupe is ideal, and the easiest engine harness is fro ma Merkur.

The better path is a microsquirt and stand alone harness on a donor turbo engine. My wifes car I did a Pimp system, but mainly because it already had a pretty acceptable harness.

The non AC makes the turbo install better, but still not out of harms way. A stock style turbo manifold will still put the outlet elbow into the heater box. ways around that with either cutting or better yet flip adapter for the manifold.

Lots of details with the swap, better to ask individual questions and we can discuss. See first point, V8 swap it and have fun, lol.

[Dan B.]

First tip is ...Don't, lol. Do a simple V8 swap and enjoy.

See first point, V8 swap it and have fun, lol.

Point taken.

So....LS swap it? :ghey:

[TooFast98Cobra]

Needs low

[yeahloh95]

i have a set of turbo 2.3 rods and pistons i'll give you if you go that route

[Martin0660]

So....LS swap it? :ghey:

do what make you happy ... not that there’s anything wrong with it.

[Ares]

So...maybe I have some issues....dark blue and chrome bumpers are my weakness.

Pretty sure just Rangers are your weakness :wave:

[Cam99]

Point taken.

So....LS swap it? :ghey:

You couldn't handle the power. Play it safe and put a sbf in it

[PaxtonShelby]

460 swap

#endthread

[Dan B.]

460 CI small blocks do exist.......

[Dan B.]

Pretty sure just Rangers are your weakness :wave:

Yeah.....about that......this happened last night.

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[PaxtonShelby]

I love it! Feed the addiction!! ����

[07v6vistablue]

Nice!

[Tom]

do an ls swap into the bed

[Ares]

Yeah.....about that......this happened last night.

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31654

And prosecution would like to rest it's case.

[Dan B.]

The only problem is that they are 250 miles away. The good part of that problem is that they are now setting on a 100 acre farm that my friend owns. There will be a hauling/hunting trip in my near future to retrieve the new babies.

[black 94]

Nice buy. I just picked up a 97 2.3 5 speed 2wd. So I'll be joining the ranger club. Actually was thinking about doing a turbo swap on mine as well with all ebay parts lol. But also stumped on tuning capabilities.

[Dan B.]

Craigslist is awesome.

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[Dan B.]

Came with performance mods already installed. Lightweight battery hold down and cone filter.

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[Dan B.]

Stand back suckahz.....

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But.....uh......no turbo.

[PaxtonShelby]

I think that is a 1 of 1 limited edition hi-po Ranger.

[Dan B.]

I think that is a 1 of 1 limited edition hi-po Ranger.

I certainly hope no more than one were built. It's a real POS!! But perfect for what I need.

[Dan B.]

Started working on the keeper last night. Door hinges need repaired/replaced on the driver side. New lowers came with the truck. Top will get a new pin.

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Not sure why pics are posting sideways.

[Dan B.]

Behold.......

It's actually really clean under the hood. Lots of new parts were on it.....MSD coil, MSD wires, cap/rotor, EGR, IAC, rebuilt PS pump, reman alternator, new gas tank, tank straps, radiator. Also looks like the valve cover, timing cover and WP had been pulled/replaced at one time. Optima red top came with it. Exhaust manifold has new bolts in it.

31695

We should name this truck Harley. It burns gas, shakes and makes noise.....but withOUT the harmful side affect of horsepower!

Set the timing last night at 10 BTDC. Will run smooth then start missing and idle gets faster. Need to sort that out but for now we are hitting the most urgent needs...the driver door not closing properly, battery ground wires need attention and other easy to do stuff.

[somethingclever]

I like this truck.....

Sounds like a vacuum leak.

[Dan B.]

The ride home for both trucks.

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[Dan B.]

I like this truck.....

Sounds like a vacuum leak.

Thanks. It's just going to be a basic, as they came from the factory driver. The frame is freaking awesome...like new. The shifter handle is pretty sloppy, that will get a rebuilt kit. Door panels are shot but I have a matched pair of grey from a newer 89-92 truck.

I'm letting Colt do as much of the cosmetic and minor mechanical work as possible with just giving a little guidance. We've tinkered on it twice and when we close up for the night he's told me the "to do" list for the next night.

Thankfully it doesn't need any major mechanical repairs. The only thing that's bad is the passenger side floor pan. The driver side was replaced. The pass side is less than $50...or I can cut one from the parts truck...if it's any good. Probably just order one.

He's laid claim to it. As long as he keeps interested and asks to work on it then that will likely be the case. And...it will keep him away from the 387W truck. :snicker:

[PaxtonShelby]

Love this Father & Son project!

Truck is cool too!

Mild 5.0 swap it and you can tow the 387 to the track with it...

[Dan B.]

Quick 2.3L question....distributor vs distributorless motors.

The motor in the blue ranger smokes. It is a distributor style motor. The other two trucks are distributorless. Now, I know virtually nothing about the 2.3's. Are they interchangable? I didn't know if the distrubtorless motors were the same but maybe had a block off plate for the dizzy...or....?? Obviously the heads are different....4 plugs vs 8 plugs.

[Martin0660]

Quick 2.3L question....distributor vs distributorless motors.

The motor in the blue ranger smokes. It is a distributor style motor. The other two trucks are distributorless. Now, I know virtually nothing about the 2.3's. Are they interchangable? I didn't know if the distrubtorless motors were the same but maybe had a block off plate for the dizzy...or....?? Obviously the heads are different....4 plugs vs 8 plugs.

Same ish, but no... depends on which way you are going and more specific on the years when it comes to DIS.

You are right that the DIS block has a plug "dummy shaft" to drive the oil pump.

The difference is in the front, the DIS block has mounting for the crank trigger while the distributor engine does not.

For what I think you are asking, You can use the DIS block, remove the crank trigger, remove the dummy plug and install your distributor. Bolt your NA top end on that block and go

option - The dual plug will have a roller cam with cast roller followers. It is a much better cam than the slider in the distributor engine and swaps right in. (as long as they are cast followers, NOT stamped)

warning - the auxillary shaft interface is a weak point. mixing and matching parts there is bad juju

My wifes convertible is the other way, actually an early SVO engine that I modified for the crank trigger, installed the dummy shaft, and bolted the dual plug head on to.

[Dan B.]

Update.

Cleaner grill badge. Old one was bothering Colt.


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Vac leak going to the MAP.

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Vac leak to the EGR they tried to fix with tape.

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Horsepower added....

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Door panels updated.

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Seems to be running pretty good now. Well, smooth. It's still gutless. Thinking a rear swap to pick up the RPM's. Shifter rebuild kit will be here today...it's pretty sloppy.

[Dan B.]

Colt has also done a bunch of little stuff. All of the lenses had overspray on them from a repaint. I had clean marker lights from other parts trucks of the past. So he went around and swapped them in. I've told him to get the seat out so I can start working on the pass side floor pan replacement. He's dragging his feet since he knows it won't be driveable for a week or so. It's not licensed but that doesnt keep him from bombing around the yard in it and the occassional drive in Mexico. :thmbsup:

[somethingclever]

That muffler is 1/7th of the truck price. :)

Progress has been made

[PaxtonShelby]

So where’s the vid so I can hear my muffler? Million mile warranty baby!

[Dan B.]

So where’s the vid so I can hear my muffler? Million mile warranty baby!

Put your ear up to a conch shell.....sounds about the same!

[Martin0660]

Every attempt to change the sound of 2.3 exhaust results in more tractor

[Dan B.]

Ok...well...took a step back. Found ANOTHER vac leak. Carb cleaner around the middle intake gasket seemed to be the spot. Pulled it apart and the gasket looked good. I'll throw a new one in and see what happens.

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[PaxtonShelby]

Your sig needs updated to reflect Ranger fleet status.

[somethingclever]

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/pts/d/bradenville-87-merkur-xr4ti/7027586962.html

[Dan B.]

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/pts/d/bradenville-87-merkur-xr4ti/7027586962.html

Son of a.............

[Fast Gypsy]

A day late and a dollar short! I saw this on Craigslist and thought, this is almost too good to be true!

[Dan B.]

Sure would be cool but I'm tapped on cash.

Unless....

Ron....trailer storage rent JUST went up....by about....eh...$900.

[PaxtonShelby]

https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/pts/d/bradenville-87-merkur-xr4ti/7027586962.html

Better hope Colt doesn’t see that ad Dan!

[PaxtonShelby]

I bet they’d take $450 for it. Swap in that tranny and you won’t need that shifter bushing kit...

[turbo83coupe]

If thats the stock T9 manual in there, supposedly they are garbage and break very easily. T5 is a direct swap i guess?

[Dan B.]

Progress is steady. More pics tomorrow.

Battling a possible IAC issue.

[Martin0660]

T5 is a direct swap i guess?

not direct by any means. Need to swap bell housing, Ranger is hydraulic so you need 87/88 Turbo coupe bell and screw around to make it work.

shifter will then be into seat or with buckets way back. Best solution is a S10 tail shaft swap (really hard to find parts)

[Martin0660]

Battling a possible IAC issue.

if idle is going high randomly, like 90% chance it’s TPS and not IAC.

the IAC on these is beyond simple. Check voltage on TPS and check voltage as if sweeps for dead spots.

[Dan B.]

Tried the TPS...everything seems fine.

It's not randomy going high. It is high when it starts (cold or hot) and never settles down when warmed up. Stays around 1600rpm.

IAC...I think the prior owner had it installed backwards. So I flipped it last night. Started the truck and idle was 1500. Unplugged the IAC, which allowed the plunger to close and it dropped to 550rpm. The TPS is currently loose and I didnt think to turn it but that may have brought the idle up to 700-ish and been good. For some reaosn the IAC will not come close on its own and come off the off the high idle. Picking a new one up today to see if that fixes it.

[Dan B.]

New IAC installed. Idle is at 900rpm.

[Martin0660]

That’s great it fixed it. Previous owner must of really screwed with it, I’ve never seen one bad.

[Dan B.]

P.O. had all kinds of stuff jacked up. This truck came with. Ton of new parts. He was chasing down problems with the wrong stuff. A can of carb cleaner to find vac leaks would've solved 99% of the issues. The IAC is really the only part I bought.

He had vac lined unhooked and plugged. New computer. All new ignition system. All new fuel system. IAC on backwards. Just a mess. She seems to be all good now.

[Dan B.]

Floor is all fixed, sealed and painted.

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[PaxtonShelby]

New IAC installed. Idle is at 900rpm.

Congrats buddy!! Nice work!

[PaxtonShelby]

Shifter fixed yet? Lilly wants to drive this one next.

[Dan B.]

It works...just sloppy. Unfortunately the TK5 tranny uses a terrible shifter set up that I can't find parts for.

[PaxtonShelby]

Can you swap in a 4cyl T5? Decent shifters for those are cheap.

[turbo83coupe]

I have bought shifter stuff for an old truck from coreshifters dot com in the past. They seemed to have shifter setups for a lot of really weird and oddbal things. Might be worth taking a look.

[Dan B.]

I have bought shifter stuff for an old truck from coreshifters dot com in the past. They seemed to have shifter setups for a lot of really weird and oddbal things. Might be worth taking a look.

No Bueno. Site shows it as "non-serviceable". That's the problem. A poly ball on the end wears out...it's pinned onto the shifter stick. I've called a few other places with no luck.

The two parts trucks I have are both newer Mazda 5 speed trannies...which are different than the Toko Koygo in the 1986. I may swap one in and get rid of the TK.

[turbo83coupe]

Ehhh! That sucks then! If swapping something in newer is an option, it may make more sense...

[Dan B.]

Ok...since Somethingclever is doing a build thread I may as well update mine.

We ditched the 2.3L.

1989 GT, T5.
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[Dan B.]

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[Dan B.]

Nevermind....the sideways pics drive me nuts. I need to get that figured out.

Regardless...the 5.0, T5 swap is done. I'm just having issues with it running right...wants to stumble and choke really bad at 2500rpms and won't rev past that.

[Dan B.]

It got low'd. DJM beams, 8.8" and flipped. 4.10 with trac loc. Colt has cut a LOT of grass for folks, cleaned animal stalls, and various other odd jobs to pay for a lot of the parts himself.

We went through a few junk motors and bad luck before spending money on a good one. It now has a 306, Edelbrock performer heads/intake, F cam, crane rockers, scat rods, speed pro pistons, 24# injectors, Trick Flow SN95 elbow and BBK 70mm TB. I need to find somone to help me iron out the edges on it to get it running right.

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[2000GT]

Looks good Dan! Honestly, I am not sure of any old school 5.0 tuners anymore.

[Dan B.]

Somethingclever....made this last night in honor of you buddy!! New floor plate for Colt's 5.0 Ranger. :awsome:

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[PaxtonShelby]

She is a very healthy sounding Ranger fo sho!!

[Donstang86]

Your a Rangerman lol!My Nephew has a 1987 Ranger 2WD. I am trying to talk him into throwing in a 5.0. What type of motor mounts, crossmember, headers and harness do you use? Easy swap for a beginner?

[Dan B.]

Your a Rangerman lol!My Nephew has a 1987 Ranger 2WD. I am trying to talk him into throwing in a 5.0. What type of motor mounts, crossmember, headers and harness do you use? Easy swap for a beginner?

Motor mounts...make my own. I've tried some kits but never like the results. I put the motor as low and back as possible...this is determined by oil pan/crossmember clearance and the firewall. Then I build the mounts accordingly.

Trans crossmembers. They vary in design but most will work fine. The trans mount holes may need elongated or you can relocated the entire crossmember easily.

Headers also vary. Most are notorious for needing the passenger side frame rail trimmed on the upper edge. We used a 66 mustang tri-y on Colts truck. They fit without any frame trimming.

Harness. We used a complete 1989 GT/T5 with A9L as the donor. I hate wiring so it went to a friend for that. The connections seemed minimal.

Easy? That depends. A carb/C4 swap with stock diff would be super easy. I tend to go overboard on my swaps. End up running a completely new fuel system...cell, pump and filters. I always upgrade the rear diff...did a 8.8" swap and a flip to lower Colts truck. Mine has a narrowed Mopar 8.75 on S-10 springs. The heater box requires trimming to clear the pass side valve cover. If it's AC truck that is a lot larger trim or removal. I've never done one of those but have seen them.

In short, it's not like removing 2.3 from a foxbody and installing a 5.0. That is all straight forward bolt on parts with no clearance issues. Much like me...these swaps do have issues. :snicker: But they are fun when finished.

[somethingclever]

Have to say the truck is looking amazing.

BTW - I have nothing against .100" thk aluminum plate..if that's what the sign material is.....

[Dan B.]

BTW - I have nothing against .100" thk aluminum plate..if that's what the sign material is.....

Only the best.........

[Dan B.]

Update. With help from a friend and some more experimenting...it's fixed. And dang does it run! The main stumble was from a bad coil.

Now I just need to build the tailpipes and get it inspected.

Also need to build a traction bar system for it. I've not nailed it from a dig...that would be pointless. Any semi aggressive application of the throttle in second gear results in wheel hop. The 387W truck has modified slappers and they work fine. Wanted to build a DIY caltrac system but not sure how long the current diff set up will stay in. Colt is already talking about coilovers all around. I'll help build it but I'm not funding that! So in the interim I may just do slappers.

Regardless...it's way more fun that I expected. The lowness and EFI/stick combo will makes for a super fun ripper that looks like pappy's old daily coffee shop driver.

[somethingclever]

Need burnout pics stat.

[Dan B.]

Need burnout pics stat.

Wheel hop is BAD. Have feelers out now for a pair of slappers to mod. No smokey burnouts until then. :goodidea:

[PaxtonShelby]

Time to start looking for 14” tires on craigslist.

[Dan B.]

Needed a cover for the fuel cell in the bed.

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[Dan B.]

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Colt wanted to leave it as is...kinda goes with the rest of the truck.

[Dan B.]

Colt is sporting the green tie and mullet. Had to get some pics with the truck for Homecoming.

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[Dickbag 5.h0]

Women and horsepower........deadly combination to empty your wallet.

Not blue.....but does have a chrome bumper......

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/388905332879127/

[Dan B.]

I saw that. It's pretty rough. The floor sheet metal wouldn't scare me but the if the chassis were bad then that's a bigger issue. That truck is only about an hour from me. I messaged the owner but they haven't got back.

[GOT SVT]

Women and horsepower........deadly combination to empty your wallet.

Not blue.....but does have a chrome bumper......

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/388905332879127/

Dan definitely needs that

[Dan B.]

Dan definitely needs that

Pimp wagon for the rentals.

[Dan B.]

Road trip for wheels today. 90 miles in all. Doesn't sound like much but with a student driver and first venture more than 15 miles it's a great start!

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[Ares]

Are you in the Armagh area? Was leaving the Seward Plant and coming up 56 to 22. Swear I saw this little Ranger on the road around 11:30ish

[Dan B.]

Are you in the Armagh area? Was leaving the Seward Plant and coming up 56 to 22. Swear I saw this little Ranger on the road around 11:30ish

Yep. My address is Armagh. We were heading out to Somerset at that time.

[Ares]

Yep. My address is Armagh. We were heading out to Somerset at that time.

Doh, I didn't even notice that under your avatar pic :doh: