OK well im looking to buy an 86 ranger and i went and looked at the truck today and a few things caught my eye. number one it seemed this ranger had a 7.5 inch axel in it stock now i always heard that all v6 rangers had the 8.8 in them this truck is an 86 reg cab 5spd but it still doesnt make much sense to me. so i guess my questions is did any v6 rangers come with the 7.5 in them. my next question is when he started the truck i gave it a lil gas and i noticed it had a sorta off idle stumble. now i figured it was because the truck has the old air metering system and it has a really free flowing custom intake on it. my questions would be i guess is there any way of fixing that and also is my train of thought on the problem correct. my last question is an interesting one. the rad on this truck was flat out puny and the guy said it had some overheating prolems so i told him to just drop a rad from a 4.0 in it because it would mount right up and its twice the size, now i just wanted to know if you all thought that was a good idea or if he should just try to get a lower thermo and fix the fan shroud, id rather have the bigger rad anyways tho cause it would make sure it stayed cool when i cruised out to the sand in the desert out here but i just wanna make sure it will help too. also the guy is looking to regear it cause it has 31's and only 3.45 gears in it now, now if it is a 7.5 i think im just going to tell him to lower the price and ill just drop an 8.8 in it but i heard a while back that the gears from a 7.5 would fit an 8.8 is this true or am i on crack??? thx in advance for all the answers

 

Only later 4x4 v6 rangers had the 8.8L and all 2 or 4wd 4.0 trucks. Some 4x4 3.slow trucks may have still had the 7.5, though. The 2.9L trucks probably more than got by with a 7.5, too.

As for the stumble, who knows. Maybe it needs a tune up or the truck hasn't been run much lately or the computer got unplugged and reset. Who knows.

Even a 2.3L radiator should cool a 4.0L. Serious, since it's not exactly trying to cool a Powerstroke. As cool as my 2.3L runs, I would run a 4.0L on the same rad if the hoses ran right and I wanted a 4.0L swap. Heck, when my mom had her v6 Camaro, the v6 and v8 rad part numbers were the same. Overheating is not necesssarily just the radiator, basically. Don't bother with a lower thermo. You've got it wrong thinking that will help. If the truck is really running hot enough, a lower t-stat will just get the inevitable started sooner. Fixing the fan shroud SURE WILL HELP!

31s and 3.45s = not great. I run 215/75/15 (~29") and the 3.73 and it is semi-slow getting off the line.

Either way, knowing that older v8 Stangs ran with 7.5s, the 8.8L is overkill for you. Unless you just want to, of course.

 

i wish i could post photos of what i do with these trucks, after that you would understand the need for an 8.8 if not a 9 inch. well i guess about the overheating problem ill just have him fix the shroud, but id rather have the 4.0 rad anyways cause i am gonna take it out to the sand and that puts alot of stress on an engine, eg. overheating my 351w in my f150 but that was also my fault for making 6 runs at this hill at full throttle.... kids nowadays the off idle stumble only happens right after startup so i think you might be right about it not being run alot, tho i wouldnt be surprised to find out it really is that gay old air metering system cause ive heard the stangs have that problem which is why they convert older 5.0s to maf but who knows. thx for the answer