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94 ford ranger swap to 4bt

2K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  Thegreengoblin 
#1 ·
I have a 94 ford ranger 4x4 with a 4.0 v6 and wanting to possibly swap to a 4bt because my motor has seen better days. I have a 6 in lift with a 3in body lift on 35’s. With a Jeep straight axel with bronco 2 knuckle conversion. What all would I have to do to swap a 4bt in? And how much would the motor, trans and t case cost?
 
#2 ·
A 4bt is pretty heavy, tall, and large in general, plus all the associated running gear, etc. for a Ranger. A considerable amount of labor($) will be required just to fit it in there. Exceptionally lifted vehicles do not have very good road manners, plus are easy to tip over.

Might be way cheaper and quicker to rebuild your gasser. VW diesels are suitable for Rangers.

Ed in CO.
 
#3 ·
Need to search the forum. There are several Ranger builds. As for cost, a lot of variables in there. A used 4bt probably in the $4000-5000 range. That's a guess, but there aren't as many out there as 8-10 years ago. Figure another $1000 to replace, gaskets, seals, and bearing. That could go higher. Performance mods like a better turbo can add more to the pile. Never assume an engine is in good condition unless it comes with a written warranty. Transmission will depend on which one you choose. If the engine you get happens to have the Ford adapter plate then you'd go with a Ford transmission. In the manual line the M5R2-OD is possible for light duty work but if you are more aggressive then the ZF S5-42 would be better. Both of those have 31 spine outputs so you might be able to use the existing transfer case. If you want an upgrade then a Ford NP205 might work. I say might because you have to work around your existing frame width. I generally tell people to figure $8000-10000 to do a swap and don't be surprised if it runs more. All the little miscellaneous stuff you don't think of can add up quickly.
 
#4 ·
I'm probably the biggest trader on here . I'll just say that I got lucky when I did mine . I give about $1850.00 for a motor I heard run .. My Ford Bronco 1972 already had a NP435 4SPEED TRANS IN IT .
& I really have no idea how much more I spent but I say I spent about another 1500..00 to maybe 2500.00 but I don't believe I'm anywhere near 2500.00. I spent $130.00 on my exhaust & I thought I'd been robbed .
.... I forgot to say I did mine about 12 years ago .. Mine was perfect for years but last year some one put sand in my fuel tank .. & I've spet a year trying to get it straightened out .
. Now I'm afraid I may have a cyl going down .. BUT I'M not going there yet.
..........
................. I love mine as I use it on the farm . It never gets hot. Heater doesn't work well but. It's not over heating .
It'll pull anything on the farm Like a trailer of 125 bales of hay.
Grain Drill to sow grain .. Hay rake .. & FIELD 20FT WIDE DRAGS to bust up cow turds in the spring Or drag after planting. Then chase a heard of wild pigs .. Now that was a trip . Then out to New Mexico on a ranch out there hunting for mule deer .. 5000 FT TO DAMP & UP TO 9250. yo hunt on the flats up top .50,000. ac. This year will be our 16th trip in 18 years But my Bronco can't go this year . But it crawled every mountain .
. & I say I get's about 16 mpg in that kind of work ..
 
#5 ·
Hey I did my 89 ranger about 8 years ago. I had about 6 or 7 inches of suspension lift, 3 inch body and 35s. I ran an nv4500 to np205. Engine actually fits pretty good in that engine bay if you remove the plastic inner fenders.
I ran an 8.8 and dana 44 high pinion solid front axle.
Great truck, only reason I don't have it is I got wife, kid and German Shepard and we like to camp so it just became too small. I yanked the engine and put it into a ford expedition instead.
Having said that, the biggest pit fall is that 2/3rds of the weight of the vehicle is on the front axle. The road manners where as you'd expect with 35s, sas and a heavy engine, but totally manageable, but don't expect 70 mph through the twisty back roads or hwys. Off road the mismatched weight made it trypod on downhill stuff when it became steep, but I had factory width axles and using full width might have fixed that issue to some extent. Also adding a bit of weight back there helped a lot. Overall I loved the truck and hated to part it out but I still got my 4bt so hopefully my expedition will work better for my family. (Its just in the completion stages)
If you need any info, id be happy to help you through any questions about doing the swap.
 
#6 ·
Hey I did my 89 ranger about 8 years ago. I had about 6 or 7 inches of suspension lift, 3 inch body and 35s. I ran an nv4500 to np205. Engine actually fits pretty good in that engine bay if you remove the plastic inner fenders.
I ran an 8.8 and dana 44 high pinion solid front axle.
Great truck, only reason I don't have it is I got wife, kid and German Shepard and we like to camp so it just became too small. I yanked the engine and put it into a ford expedition instead.
Having said that, the biggest pit fall is that 2/3rds of the weight of the vehicle is on the front axle. The road manners where as you'd expect with 35s, sas and a heavy engine, but totally manageable, but don't expect 70 mph through the twisty back roads or hwys. Off road the mismatched weight made it trypod on downhill stuff when it became steep, but I had factory width axles and using full width might have fixed that issue to some extent. Also adding a bit of weight back there helped a lot. Overall I loved the truck and hated to part it out but I still got my 4bt so hopefully my expedition will work better for my family. (Its just in the completion stages)
If you need any info, id be happy to help you through any questions about doing the swap.
also as far as milage I was getting 25 mpg and could do 70 mph happily. (before I went to 35s and more lift I would easily get 30 mpg and better. no bs, all precise done calculations)
 
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