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ford ranger is gettin a heart transplant

2K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  BlueBeast 
#1 ·
i have a 94 ford ranger 4cyl 5spd 2wd single cab long bed that i want to drop a small diesel in both for the power and the economy... and the cool factor... i had originally thought of a 4 bt cummins swap but they are heavy expensive and they make too much power to leave most of the stock parts in the truck.. ie trans and rear end... so then i saw on extreme 4x4 where they dropped that 1.6 vw in a sammy and it struck my eye... mostly because of the close relation to the 1st gen rotary pump trucks....so i guess im asking for opinions on which motor to swap in and if anyone knows where i could get a vw or any other small diesel that is easily upgraded and easily atainable...

please dont bash my idea or just say "just put a 12v in it" or "go with the 4bt cummins" as those are both out of the question.. i want to try to keep the truck mostly stock just put a diesel motor in and the small tranny wont hold much torque or hp.... in the end if i have to swap it i will but at first i want to at least try to keep it and i feel like the small vw numbers wont hurt it much
 
#4 ·
this would work good if dont need the go factore: Kohler Diesel Engine — 1028cc, High Speed Open Power with Group 8 Interchange, Model# KDW1003-1001 | Diesel Engines | Northern Tool + Equipment
:hehe::rof:hehe::rof
I would see if you could find like a mid sized JD tractor with a diesel, I know the one i have is a 4 lunger and it has an in line pump like a P-pump, and it makes like 60HP:rof

Im not trying to bash or anything...

I would look through your local junk yards as a start and then look through this: DieselEngineTrader.com >Engine Search
 
#6 ·
Back in the mid to late 80's i believe ford had diesel rangers. I remeber seeing some. There were also chevy luv's and ram 50's. Not sure which motors the luv and ranger used but the ram used a mitichibutchi turbo diesl and thing had a lot of zip and got about 25 mpg's Hope this helps. Kubota makes a good little diesel.
 
#8 ·
I looked into making my own 4bt ranger once and here is what I found:

You need the front springs from a v-6 model to support the extra weight of the little diesel. Other than that your suspension should be fine but traction bars are probably a good idea. Tires with a higher load rating are also a good idea.

Your stock trans may be able to handle it if you get a de-tuned (<90hp) motor... but be ready to replace it much sooner than you would otherwise. Or just go for the higher output motor and get a beefier trans.

The stock rear axle will not be able to handle a 4bt, especially when it is coupled to something like an NV4500. Certain Ford 9" rear ends will not only be able to handle the little Cummins but they fit nicely, can be found with disk brakes, have many ring & pinion options, are very plentiful, are fairly cheap, and generally easy to obtain.

Obviously you'll need an aftermarket exhaust too.

Hope that helps!
 
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#10 ·
i really havent done A LOT of research just because i really dont know where and how to look but i have done a little and have seen a few rangers with the 4bt in them and none of them are running a stock trans.... that sammy i was talking about with the 1.6 vw is using the stock trans and doing fine .... the sammy came with a smaller motor with less hp than my ranger so thats why i figured the little vw tdi wouldnt hurt it if anyone has links to some info on these swaps i know there gettin more and more popular that would be great

i have tried 4btswaps.com and it didnt help any
 
#11 ·
I had done a lot of research and planning once upon a time. A couple of years ago I was about a month away from dissecting my '99 Ranger for a 4bta transplant... but then my brother borrowed the truck one night and drove it up a tree.
Without a donor truck, I scrapped the whole project and bought my 24 valve.

My plan:
4bta (130hp) bolted to a NV4500.
Ford 9" Rear axle with disk brakes and 3.43 gears.
Upgraded front springs and traction bars in the rear.

Remove the stock 2.5L I-4 (and save it for use in a dune buggy).
Remove the engine and transmission cross-members and replace with new ones fabricated to carry the new drive train.
Reinforce and/or box the frame as needed.
Install drive train and accessories.
Get all the other systems back up and running.


The three biggest things that an engine transplant like this requires are time, plenty of workshop space, and fabrication skills.
 
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