Is there a # or letter in the vin # that tells you what size the motor is ?

 

Yes 8th digit in VIN IDs engine type, not just size, since Rangers use 3 different 2.3l engines and 2 different 4.0ls

Trucks use different letters or numbers than cars for the same engines, there are also Flex Fuel designation(E85), like the 3.0l Vulcan used U for gas only and V for flex fuel, same engine

This site is updated often: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Vehicl...Ford/VIN_Codes

Has both car and light truck engine codes

 

Sorry to Hijack
My wife's 1999 3.0 has the V . Does this mean it's the Vulcan Flex Fuel?
I've seen OHC and FFV OHC for these engines. What is the difference?

 

The 3.0l Vulcan engine is OHV, over head valves

OHC is over head cam, so not a Vulcan engine, Ford did use a 3.0l OHC they called it the 3.0l Duratec, never used in Rangers, and no relation to the 3.0l OHV Vulcan

Ranger 3.0l or B3000 used
VIN "U" for gas only
VIN "V" for Flex Fuel

Only real difference is injector size and the computers software

So yes you have a Flex Fuel 3.0l Vulcan Ranger

In a 1999 you may also have a Fuel Sensor on the fuel line near the fuel filter, these cost $650!!!!

Most don't use E-85, 85% ethanol, fuel so don't need the sensor
If it should fail you can replace it with a "fuel sensor replicator" costs much less, but you are then running a gasoline only vehicle

Ford only used these fuel sensors for a few years, 1999/2000 in Rangers, after that they just used computer software to detect ethanol content with O2 sensors lean/rich data

 

Thanks Ron! I meant OHV not OHC. The darn letters on tyhe keyboard! LOL