i have a 250 inline six that i want to put in my 96 ranger.i like the power that a inline six has.also i can use a truck 4 speed for a tranny.im thinking of using the crank senser and coil pack from a 4.0 v six .also using a modified 300 six intake for the fuel injection.also using the 4.0 computer.
im thinking of building a mini big foot .using 67 bronco front axle with solid axle.96 mustang rear axle with speed sensor for the speedo and computer.and disk brakes.
the dirt roads where i live are barely wide enough for a quad so thought that if the axles were narrowed less chance of running off the road into a mineshaft .
thanks lrd56
the reason i like the inline six is it is easier to work on no taking the fender off to change the plugs.

 

Better get the tape measure out.

Will it clear the hood?

The 300 manifold won't be a 300 manifold by the time you make it fit. Besides, the 250 head has the manifold cast with it as one piece. A real POS to work with for performance.

If you're going to use all that 4.0 stuff, which probably won't work on the inline, why not just use a 4.0 or put a 5.0 in...

BTW, does this truck run now?

Just because you have something doesn't make the swap practical.

 

yes it runs .the 4.0 has no power.i wont spend 7.000 to put in a 5.0.that you have to take off the fenders to do a tune up .and cut up the engine compartment.to make it fit.the only problem with the 250 is its not efi.i like the factory efi.better than a carb.the reason i wanted to use the 4.0 computer and no distrubeter is it works good.also with the 250 i can use a truck transmission.and trandfer case.the 250 i have has been rebuilt with parts from clifford.racing head big cam split header.i wanted the fuel injection
from clifford but it wont work with the 4.0 computer.i was going to have the 250 head modified to use the 4.0 fuel injection.but havent been able to figure
out how to make it work .my 2.3 engine wont work for a 4wd motor no power.no torque.i have a 96 mazda 4wd 4.0 mazda 5 speed.junk front axle.its useless for 4 wheeling.even with 4.56 gears.
also the 250 has 7 main bearings.easy to work on.no cutting up the engine compartment.i measured the engine .and if i put the back of the engine i1 inch from yhe fire wall .and move the radiator and air condenser forward 2 inches it would just fit.
also better mpg than the 2.3 and the 4.0 and the 5.0
also more torque.i would also use a electric fan.
i like inline sixs.
have a good day lrd56
i have a new double cowl hood that sticks up 4 inches
my 96 ranger is a xlt air cond 2.3 m50d splash.2wd

 

The I6 into a Ranger has been done but I believe the radiator ends up in the bed. Check out The Ranger Station - Your Ultimate Ranger Resource , I think that's were I saw the I6 swap info.

Putting a 5.0 into a Ranger is easy and cheap (cheaper than an I6). The Explorers came with a 5.0 and are the easiest to swap in. No removing the fenders for a tune-up either, there's alot more room in a Ranger than you think. Heck, I have a 4.6 dohc V8 in my Ranger and have never had to remove the fenders.

Good luck with your project.

 

I've seen the 300 into a Ranger, but have not seen the 250. The 250 has to be a bit shorter than the 300, and the OP has it measured out--just a few minor cut and weld jobs.

 

to buy a 5.0 and all the parts including a different manual trans .i dont do automatics.and have it installed is 7.000.i dont have a shop to work in .i live in a rv park.i have been running inline sixes for 30 years .they are easy to work on .are solid engines. im finishing up my 250 l6 with injectors from a 300 l6 .just have to have somebody figure out the efi wiring.
the transmissions im going to use are a ranger torque splitter.its a two speed trans with overdrive & direct.plus a t18 truck trans with a atlas 4 speed transfer case.i shold be able to go just about where i want.
i wrecked my 96 mazda 4.4 .4.0 engine and 5 speed trans blew up trying to go up a not very steep mining road at 5mph.not much dirt just lots of loose rocks.now the mazda 4.4 sits with the rest of my other projects .at a friends lot .now i need to build another 4x4.
5.0s are a good swap but the torque will bend the frame.the 250 has a different torque curve.less stress on the frame.no cutting the heater box.no bending the firewall.i made a adapter from a 300 bellhousing.so i could use the hydralic slave cyl;inder.i drilled and tapped the bellhousing so i could bolt in the hydralic slave cylinder.it should work .when i get to puttingthe transmissions in i will find out if it will work otherwise i have a big problem.
now i get the pleasure of smashing the m50d into little pieces.
got to get to work
have a nice day

 

Really? You haven't researched this much have you. I've seen seen 460s in Rangers without problems. I've seen V8 Rangers fly down the drag strip, rock crawl, and desert race without bending the frames. In fact, the only bent Ranger frames I've seen were from hitting something hard.

I'm not trying to talk you out of doing the I6 swap, I just feel you're going to spend alot more to do it than you're expecting. You're going to have to make everything to put the I6 into your Ranger, then pay someone to figure out the EFI wiring (not going to be cheap). There's a few companies that make kits to put a small block V8 into a Ranger and almost every wiring issue has been dealt with over and over. Not sure how having no shop makes the V8 more difficult than the I6 though.

Good luck.

 

i dont want to have to buy a whole car just to put in a 5.0.by the time i buy the 5.0 .wiring .5.0 computer and wiring.5.0 exhaust .motor mounts.radiator.
manual trans bellhousing.manual trans flywheel.clutch .basicly all the 5.0 parts .and pay someone to do the conversion.my friend lets me store my junk
at his lot but i cant do any work there.he says to do the conversion including parts is 7.000.what part of living in a rv park do people not understand.in order for me to even try to put in a 5.0 i have to do it in the dessert in the dirt .that means buying all the tools to do the swap and after doing the swap i have to sell the tools because i have no place in the park to store them.also i would have to live in the dessert for at least 2 weeks.and hope that the swap is as easy as people say.i live 30 miles from kingman.that is a long walk to get parts.like the new driveshaft.all the parts that dont come in a kit .my 96 ranger is the only transport i have .my friend wont be responible for any thing i have stored at his lot.
also by the the time i buy a nother narrow wheel base 4x4 it will cost me close to 7.000.i broke the trans in my only other rig .which is my 61 econoline.my other running rig.
to replace the trans will cost 3500.00.it is a a-833 new process 4 speed
have a good day .
what is it that people have against l6 engines.a 5.0 doesnt have 7 main bearings.a l6 has plenty of torque.better mpg.i dont need a race truck .just a good running 4x4.with lots of hill power.
my 300hp 250 l6 has just as much torque as a 300hp 5.0 .easier to work on .less maintenence.cheaper parts.better torque curve.like the power of a diesiel.

 

Has it ever occured to you:

--decisions like this are the reason you are living in an rv park?

--that a V8 has no need for and no place for 7 main bearings?

--that 7 main bearings create more drag than 5 or 4?

--that if you have no place to work on a 5.0 conversion, where, praytell, will you do the 250 conversion?

--that a 300 hp 250 cid engine will have to spin faster than a 300 hp 302 cid engine, and will not have a diesel like torque curve.

--that stock, even the pushrod 4.0 has more power than the 250?

--that the engine computer from a 4.0 V6 is going to time things out for a 60 degree V6 which does not fire a the same intervals as an inline? (maybe this isn't an issue, you'll find out)

--if you have no tools to do the 5.0 swap...what tools do you have to do the 250 swap?

--that you are cutting up a running truck and mixing a '67 Bronco axle with a late model Mustang axle...and an Atlas TC.

--that you will be doing a LOT of walking. Your '96 is the only transport you have?

--that the posts here are not designed (well maybe except this one) to **** you off and tell you that inlines are no good,

BUT TO KNOCK SOME SENSE INTO...sorry, but to point out that you are outlining a project which, according to your own posts, is well beyond your abilities, either as to mechanical abilities, electronics, and even a place to work.*

Your truck runs, leave it alone.

*based on these & other quotes from your posts:

"...wanted the fuel injection
from clifford but it wont work with the 4.0 computer.i was going to have the 250 head modified to use the 4.0 fuel injection.but havent been able to figure
out how to make it work...."

"....building a mini big foot .using 67 bronco front axle with solid axle.96 mustang rear axle with speed sensor for the speedo and computer.and disk brakes......"

".....and move the radiator and air condenser forward 2 inches it would just fit....." (no cutting here...)

".....just have to have somebody figure out the efi wiring......"

".....now i get the pleasure of smashing the m50d into little pieces...." (I see how selling it would make no sense)

I'm sorry man, but a cobbed up 4x4 is waaayy down the list of things you need.....

 

im buying a piece of dessert.15 acres.with really bad roads.going to have to haul water.run a wind generator.and solar for at least 2 years.i need a narrow base 4x4.not another piece of junk like my 96 mazda 4x4 weith a 4.0.
that blew up trying to climb a small hill at 5 mph .the roads if you could call them that are at least 7 percent grade.also very narrow just about the same wheelbase as my ranger.my friend said it cost the same whether its a 4.0 or a 5.0.plus the ranger still needs to be converted to 4.x4.otherwise i have give up my property my wife wont like that.i thought about using a turbo tbird engine .but i dont think it will last very long.i dont need a race truck just a narrow base 4x4 that will do what is needed.i was going to have my 96 mazda 4.4 fixed but a new motor and transfer case would cost 4000.00.its not worth it and have it do the same thing again.
we have been waiting for ths property for 20 years .
the rv park is only temporay.i have most of the skills i need .i have the money in the bank.
dont want to be forced to move into kingman.
we bought the property for the view.

 

gave up the land
sold all my other stuff. .5.0s are great if you want race power.i dont need race power .just lots of torque for pulling steep very rocky hills.that is why i picked the ranger torque splitter and granny 4 speed and atlas 4 speed transfer case.i picked the mustang rear axle for the big disk brakes.also because its a 9 inch .i picked the 67 bronco front end because its a solid axle
with leaf springs.i thought it would be better than the mickey mouse front axle that was in my 96 mazda 4x4.a regular bronco would not go up the roads that were on the property .you cant put a ranger splitter & a granny 4 speed&atlas 4 speed transfercase behind a 4.0.your stuck using the mazda m50d trans and transfer case.just like the one in my 96 mazda 4x4.i built my bellhousing adapter for my 2.3 but the 2.3 will never have the power to pull the extra weight of the extra transmissions and the solid front axle.im moving back to alaska but will still need a heavy duty narrow wheelbase 4x4.we have property 75miles south of fairbanks .same problem as the property we gave up here. many hills very narrow roads.
i liked it here in arizona.lousy roads.
sometimes i just dont have any luck.
my 250 l6 with the hotrod parts i bought wwith the right fuel injection.should make at least 250hp try gettinh that out of a stock 4.0.also the l6 should get at least 200ft lbs of torque.betterthan a stock 4.0.

 

if somebody made a 4x4 that had the wheelbase of a bobcat skid steer.the torque of a big hp diesiel.so i could tow a 250 gallon water tank up a very rocky 7 percent grade .i would buy it instead of tearing up my 96 ranger 2wd.
that is the problem .still havent found the answer.
sorry for all the other useless info that other people had to read.
have a nice day
suzuki samuris dont hold up .
m50d trans arent worth the gas to take it to the scrap yard.

 

I was going to say get one of these:

YouTube - Cat D4

But they are a bit spendy, with a 1944 model going for $5500...

CATERPILLAR D4, Used CATERPILLAR D4, CATERPILLAR D4 For Sale At MachineryTrader.com

D2s are worse, they're all antiques and priced like they belong in the Smithsonian...

I guess Komatsu isn't to Cat what Hyundai is to Cadillac...

Used Heavy Construction Equipment & Used Heavy Construction Rebuilds | Hoss Equipment


What I'm trying to say is you need to get a cat in there and smooth that road out, widen it, get rid of the damn rocks and then MAYBE a wheeled vehicle can pull some weight up that hill.

Can you do that or is it one of those things where you have to have Congress approve any road work?

 

Isn't a 250 a Chev motor, and the small Ford L6 a 240???

 

chevy makes a 250.ford makes a 240 but it is the smaller version of the 300.
my 250 l6 is a bigger version of the old 144-170-200.
i might get a 300 then i can use a t18 truck trans then i should be able pull what i need.still need 4x4 in the winter.
its not a act of congress to widen the road .a friend in alaska siad i could use one of his older bobcats to work on the road .sounds like fun .
leaving for alaska soon
thanks for all the info.
sorry for the venting
lrd56