Hello from Idaho!
 

Hey! I name is Sandra Nelson and i bought a 1984 Ford Ranger with a 2.8L,which I plan to swap out with my 1993 Ford Explorers 4.0 engine and kind of the reason I joined this forum to see if someone has done it and what it takes to drop the 4.0L into the Ranger. I recently found out my oil was creamy and I am going to have to pull the engine anyway so I thought just throw the 4.0 in, seems how my Explorers transmission went out and really don't want to repair a transmission that is notorious for exploding...lol.. Anyway bought Rick Bobbi, my ranger, for $200 its four wheel drive and a 5 speed manual... I also own 2 explorers both have blown transmissions a 1992 and a 1993 the 92 has quite a story, and the 93 I got for free, I also own 2 Datsun 620's a 1978 and 1979, the 78 is becoming a derby pickup hopefully in time for the derby in Lewiston!!! The 79 I am rebuilding because it lost power and blowing blue smoke so we all know what that means...All the other vehicles are my family's which are mainly Fords, 73 Datsun 620, 78 Bronco, 79 Short Box F 1-50, 84 Mustang, 84 Toyota Pickup,88 F-250, 95 Explorer, 95 F-150 (x2), 99 Contour.... And a Dodge that is 60's- 80's... LOL its got everything!!! Enough of the vehicles I am 20 years old got my Associates in Automotive Technology and currently working on my Bachelors in Business Administration, thinking about opening a car lot/ towing yard/ shop....I just want a reason to have a ton of cars!!! I also have my CDL so I can drive a car hauler for those long trips to pick-up multiple cars... I wanted to be well rounded and be able to run a business... I am also friendly and don't typically bite so if you want to learn more or have suggestions on the engine swap, I would love to hear it Pros or Cons!

Welcome to the forum Sandra

General mechanics skills are becoming a lost art, you are on a good path working on older vehicles.
95% of vehicle work is common sense, other 5% is knowledge

Older vehicles teach common sense, so do newer ones but most miss the point of why something happens and just start swapping out sensors, lol.
Pro mechanics as well, thinking and applying common sense is a lost art.

Otto Cycle engines have been around since 1854, yes a long time, and pretty much nothing has changed as far as "how they work", fuel, spark, and compression, the rest is just bolt on stuff to make things easier, not "better", easier, which I am all for, easy is good, lol.


The 2.8l, 2.9l and 4.0l OHVs shared the same basic block, 2nd Gen Cologne V6.
So same bolt pattern for transmission and motor mounts

Good read here on installing 4.0l OHV into older Rangers: Ford Ranger 4.0L Engine Swap FAQs

You will have a TK4 or TK5 transmission(TK = Toyo-kogyo) in an 1984 Ranger 4x4, neither was a "good" transmission, but it will work/bolt to the 4.0l OHV, use 2.8l flywheel and clutch.
TK was not built for much horse power, so 4.0l OHV will shorten its life
If you can get an M5OD-R1 transmission from a 1990-2012 Ranger 4.0l 4x4 then do it
It will bolt to your current transfer case, but drive shaft length will change

Omg!!! Thank you so much!!! I do agree that common sense is leaving the trade, i went to school to learn about new vehicles because all I knew how to work on was my older vehicles, my first vehicle was the 1978 Datsun that I am turning into a derby truck, but I took excellent care of it just one day jumped a tooth and she took a bite out of a valve, I fixed the valve but found a crack in-between the valves I slapped it together and drove it to school for the rest of the year ( only a couple months with a 40 mile commute) she is currently only running on 3 cylinders and already sounds like a derby pickup...but if I went out there and turn the key she would start, she doesn't sound good but she runs and drives ...lol... anyway a lot of the students didn't know much which i understand they went there to learn... but in reality we learned how to plug the car into a computer to figure but what was wrong...you can type symptoms in and it will tell you whats wrong or what to check... don't get me wrong its cool and makes life easy... but i like the thrill of getting something running... like in engines class me and my partner stroked out a 351w, I was nervous to start it but once i turned that key and it fired up... that rush...

So close, and yet so far
 

Haha, could not resist a bad pun.
Wow, I have a couple of good transmissions, etc, attached to dead motors in metal housings in my front yard. I've reverted to a pushrod engine, and wont be going back. I don't think. If you think of me they might still be here.

So close, and yet so far
 

Haha, could not resist a bad pun.
Wow, I have a couple of good transmissions, etc, attached to dead motors in metal housings in my front yard. I've reverted to a pushrod engine, and wont be going back. I don't think. If you think of me they might still be here.