i have a 2006 Mazda tribute with 69,000 miles but cant title it (long story), I am considering finding a good donor ranger/b-series to put the tribute engine in, now i know that the tribute is fwd and that the heads are different on the tribute 2.3 vs. a ranger 2.3, but is the block the same?, meaning can i pull the engine from the tribute, put a head/timing cover/and whatever else is needed from a ranger and then put it in a ranger/b-series?, if so, what year model ranger would work?, I know lots of rangers came with the 2.3, but I have no idea as to what ranger could bolt up and plug up to a 2006 Mazda tribute engine, Ive seen fusion blocks being used in rangers but I don't know about the tribute/escape/mariner, any advice/input would be great

 

Welcome to the forum

Have a look here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_L_engine
2.3L (L3-VE,L3-N5,L3-DE)

The 2.3l Duratec engine is the Mazda L engine

Not sure you have to change the head since the Ranger 2.3l had that pesky coolant connection on the rear of the head because this engine was designed for transverse mounting, and not much was changed for use in a Ranger.
Head gasket "might" be different, just look up the part number and see if they are the same

So long block swap should be fine

Ranger and B2300(mazda) were the only rear wheel drives this engine was used in, and these engines were built in the US, transverse mounted engines were built in Mexico