I am looking to replace the 2.9l FI engine in my 1990 ford ranger with a 3.8l FI engine out of a 1995 mustang...other than needing to take the transmission and rear end with it what else would need to be removed from the mustang and installed in the ranger.

anyone who has done this or knows what it would take please let me know.

 

Engine bay harness and fusebox, all engine related electronic components, most likely dash harness, fuel pump, etc. Motor mounts will need to be fabbed also. The main question would be why? A v8 swap would be much easier and most likely cheaper. Plus v6 mustangs arent very impressive in stock form. Not to mention the 3.8 wont make a good truck motor. The powerband is too high for a truck as they have no torque down low.

 

1. i use my ranger as my main means to and from school and while i live in the dorms the 170 ish miles kills my tank and the 3.8 should get better gas mileage with being geared higher...i know it will not get as good as it did in the mustang (aerodynamics and additional weight).

2. higher powerband doesnt matter to me bc most of my miles are highway (70 mph speed limit) and i dont really pull anything with it...the most i do is throw stuff in the bed. occasionally a snowmobile or four-wheeler in the bed

3. i have just bought a slightly modified up 95 mustang, for less than what i can sell the motor for, it was totaled by the previous owner but all of the drivetrain is is excellent condition the work to the motor was performed less than 3000 miles ago and it drives good but it is a little cold with a windshield with holes in it, no passenger door and the roof and floor being push a quarter of the way from the passenger side to the drivers side...all of the damage is isolated in the center of the car on the passenger side. so if i dont have to buy anything or hardly anything it would be worth it to me and cheaper.

 

It's been done. Yeah, you'll need the computer, harnesses, pretty much everything. Looks like you already have everything too. Well, almost. You'll need the engine and tranny mounts. They can be found online somewhere, or you could build them yourself.

 

AHA! but 3.8 has unique bolt pattern and Mustang/T-bird tranny fits it. The problem is that I newer seen t-case for mustang tranny!

 

I believe avanced adapter sells an adapter to hook a T-5 to a ford T-case, is common in the V-8 ranger swaps.

 

The 3.8L is not a very good engine.

The timing covers rust out circa 60,000 miles, the head gaskets go away around 80,000 miles, the valve cover gaskets leaked from day one.

 

I had head gasket leaking at 70 K

 

BTW. It is possible to fit T5 ore something like T5 tranny to any engine that fit a4LDs. To do it you can use bellhousing of a4LD... mashined a bit, with some new holes..... ! anyway it works.. I have aerostar with GAZ tranny, but GAZ tranny is like a T5..... with external slave

 

a 4.0 swap would be a much better idea. you would still need the computer, but the trans would be a bolt-up. if fuel milage is what youre after, a 2.3 would be your best bet.

 

Truth be known, the 3.8 isn't all that great, as Pablo said, there bad for blowing head gaskets. The 5.0 V-8 would be just as easy to swap and it's a lot better motor. Lets face it, hardly anyone swaps a 3.8 into thier ranger because it is sort of a sorry motor compared to others.

 

i already have the 3.8 so a 5.0 is out of the question and as for trannies i have it as well i have a whole car minus the passenger door so i have the whole drivetrain and all the electronics and the motor was just redone...valve cover gasket does not leak, so i am not worried bout blowing any gaskets or losing oil

 

Well, my work is done here, I tried hee hee !!!!!! Anyhow, good luck with it, sounds like you have everything you need to do the swap.