2004 Ranger with 2.3L engine replacement
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More Turbo
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 578
Likes: 146
From: Salisbury, MD
2004 Ranger with 2.3L engine replacement
I am contemplating putting a reman engine and a reman transmission in my 2004 ranger, I have had it since it was new and now it has 360,000 miles on it. The transmission is slipping pretty bad and the engine is eating oil due to head gasket leaks.
From what I gather this would be around $8k-$12k job if I had a shop do it, just wondering if any of you had done this swap in the past and how hard was it? I figure both the engine and transmission are both not worth rebuilding due to high mileage, hence why I was looking to swap them out.
Thanks!
From what I gather this would be around $8k-$12k job if I had a shop do it, just wondering if any of you had done this swap in the past and how hard was it? I figure both the engine and transmission are both not worth rebuilding due to high mileage, hence why I was looking to swap them out.
Thanks!
Cross-Country
Joined: Jul 2025
Posts: 51
Likes: 7
I am contemplating putting a reman engine and a reman transmission in my 2004 ranger, I have had it since it was new and now it has 360,000 miles on it. The transmission is slipping pretty bad and the engine is eating oil due to head gasket leaks.
From what I gather this would be around $8k-$12k job if I had a shop do it, just wondering if any of you had done this swap in the past and how hard was it? I figure both the engine and transmission are both not worth rebuilding due to high mileage, hence why I was looking to swap them out.
Thanks!
From what I gather this would be around $8k-$12k job if I had a shop do it, just wondering if any of you had done this swap in the past and how hard was it? I figure both the engine and transmission are both not worth rebuilding due to high mileage, hence why I was looking to swap them out.
Thanks!
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 1,315
Likes: 312
That’s a lot of money to put into a truck that’s worth nowhere near that much.
I had to weigh this with my ‘03 F150. Worth maybe $1000 if I sold it, but it ran great if it wasn’t for the oil burning. I found a running 4.2 for about $1500 on EBay and had it shipped to work and forklifted it off the truck when it arrived. I was in for $3500 with engine, fluids, fuel pump and labor all said and done. Maybe a smidge more since I did gaskets, plugs, wires and isolator bolts while the engine was in my shop at work.
You probably can snag a nice running lower mileage engine and transmission for a decent deal and make this worth it.
I had to weigh this with my ‘03 F150. Worth maybe $1000 if I sold it, but it ran great if it wasn’t for the oil burning. I found a running 4.2 for about $1500 on EBay and had it shipped to work and forklifted it off the truck when it arrived. I was in for $3500 with engine, fluids, fuel pump and labor all said and done. Maybe a smidge more since I did gaskets, plugs, wires and isolator bolts while the engine was in my shop at work.
You probably can snag a nice running lower mileage engine and transmission for a decent deal and make this worth it.
Last edited by Johnny Paycheck; Jan 9, 2026 at 03:34 PM.
Cross-Country
Joined: Jul 2025
Posts: 51
Likes: 7
[QUOTE=Johnny Paycheck;21741333]That’s a lot of money to put into a truck that’s worth nowhere near that much.
I had to weigh this with my ‘03 F150. Worth maybe $1000 if I sold it, but it ran great if it wasn’t for the oil burning. I found a running 4.2 for about $1500 on EBay and had it shipped to work and forklifted it off the truck when it arrived. I was in for $3500 with engine, fluids, fuel pump and labor all said and done. Maybe a smidge more since I did gaskets, plugs, wires and isolator bolts while the engine was in my shop at work.
You probably can snag a nice running lower mileage engine and transmission for a decent deal and make this worth it.[/QUOTE
anything is better than the price of new trucks and they’re junk all of them.
I had to weigh this with my ‘03 F150. Worth maybe $1000 if I sold it, but it ran great if it wasn’t for the oil burning. I found a running 4.2 for about $1500 on EBay and had it shipped to work and forklifted it off the truck when it arrived. I was in for $3500 with engine, fluids, fuel pump and labor all said and done. Maybe a smidge more since I did gaskets, plugs, wires and isolator bolts while the engine was in my shop at work.
You probably can snag a nice running lower mileage engine and transmission for a decent deal and make this worth it.[/QUOTE
anything is better than the price of new trucks and they’re junk all of them.
Thread Starter
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More Turbo
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 578
Likes: 146
From: Salisbury, MD
I agree it isn't worth that much. I have been keeping an eye out for a donor I could pull the engine from but they are few and far between that don't have over 100k on them.
I work on my trucks, I just have not done a full engine swap out yet so not sure how intensive it is with these smaller ones. If there is another engine/transmission I should be considering I am all ears, from what I read keeping stock is the way to go.
I work on my trucks, I just have not done a full engine swap out yet so not sure how intensive it is with these smaller ones. If there is another engine/transmission I should be considering I am all ears, from what I read keeping stock is the way to go.
Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 217
Likes: 5
little late to the party, how is the swap going?
I swapped the 2.3 in my 2005 a few years ago. once you discover the hidden "access routes" to some of the bolts it's easy.
pulled the engine by itself. did the clutch a couple years before the swap.
I swapped the 2.3 in my 2005 a few years ago. once you discover the hidden "access routes" to some of the bolts it's easy.
pulled the engine by itself. did the clutch a couple years before the swap.
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