2.3t -> 89 Ranger

superbean · October 30th, 2008, 09:50 PM

I have a little side project alot of you guys may think is cool.

I have an 89 ranger 5 speed, 2.3, short bed 2wd. The stock 2.3 is just out of juice.

So we have a full 87 turbo coupe drivetrain to put in it.

Has anyone ever done this swap? any modifications needed to be done to the harness?

should be fun

Turbo RANGER · October 30th, 2008, 10:14 PM

I have done that swap. i put a 88 turbo coupe motor in 90 ranger 2wd 5spd shrt bed. this is the same swap. you need to do some minor harness mods and repin the processor. if your truck has a map sensor, use those wires to run the VAM and pin them right at the processor. Also most modifications just need to be repinned. Get the wireing diagrams for both vehicles and go from there. It is a super fun little set up.

superbean · October 30th, 2008, 10:52 PM

i do have the harness off the thunderbird, could I use that and make it simpler?

TheDarkness03 · October 31st, 2008, 05:12 AM

i wanna do this so bad. i have a 94 ranger with a 2.3 and a 5 speed, i just wouldn't know where to begin

TurboLX · October 31st, 2008, 07:16 AM

It would be easier to swap the 88 turbo coupe harness because it would be easier to swap it instead of re-pinning the stock harness to accept the LA3 ecu

Turbo RANGER · October 31st, 2008, 07:28 AM

well you could go that way, but it isn't hard to repin a computer plug. You just remove it from the computer, take off the black cover on the back, depress the pin from the front and pull the wire out the back. just be sure that it latches securely when you put it back in. If you swap out the whole harness, you have to re-run it all through the firewall and around under the dash.

TurboLX · October 31st, 2008, 07:54 AM

Yea but the only problem with doing that is you dont know which wires go where...

IMHO its easier to swap the whole harness that way you know you didnt screw anything up while re-pinning.

superbean · October 31st, 2008, 12:52 PM

so if i have the harness, it's literally a whole bolt in deal? Where would the ecu get power from and ect?

I put an rb20 in my 240sx and that wiring was a pain but i managed that somehow lol

TurboLX · October 31st, 2008, 01:46 PM

it all swaps right in

superbean · November 2nd, 2008, 02:25 PM

hell yeah. I looked at the harness briefly today and saw a 4 wire relay and a few 3 prong connectors..

looks fairly simple.

TurboLX · November 2nd, 2008, 02:50 PM

it is, believe me, it's just time consuming getting it out

superbean · November 2nd, 2008, 10:05 PM

time is no biggy. In my nissan it took a while, patience is key

October 30th, 2008, 09:50 PM	#1
superbean Hardcore Enthusiast 1998 Cobra 13.24@105.66 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,778 iTrader: 0 reviews	2.3t -> 89 Ranger I have a little side project alot of you guys may think is cool. I have an 89 ranger 5 speed, 2.3, short bed 2wd. The stock 2.3 is just out of juice. So we have a full 87 turbo coupe drivetrain to put in it. Has anyone ever done this swap? any modifications needed to be done to the harness? should be fun __________________ weeee foooord!

October 30th, 2008, 10:52 PM	#3
superbean Hardcore Enthusiast 1998 Cobra 13.24@105.66 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,778 iTrader: 0 reviews	i do have the harness off the thunderbird, could I use that and make it simpler? __________________ weeee foooord!

October 31st, 2008, 05:12 AM	#4
TheDarkness03 Regular 2003 SVT Cobra Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 127 iTrader: 0 reviews	i wanna do this so bad. i have a 94 ranger with a 2.3 and a 5 speed, i just wouldn't know where to begin __________________ 2003 DSG COBRA COUPE UPR CAI, Billetflow 2.76 upper w/ idlers, NGK TR6 IX's, Bassani catted X, Bassani catback, LFP Dual Pass H/E, MGW shifter, SCT X3, tuned by Greg@RET

October 31st, 2008, 07:16 AM	#5
TurboLX I Post Entirely Way Too Much 1988 Mustang LX Turbo Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NY Posts: 8,778 Blog Entries: 1 iTrader: 0 reviews	It would be easier to swap the 88 turbo coupe harness because it would be easier to swap it instead of re-pinning the stock harness to accept the LA3 ecu __________________ 1988 LX Coupe 2.5L, GT35R, 44mm WG, 32psi, C16.

October 31st, 2008, 07:54 AM	#7
TurboLX I Post Entirely Way Too Much 1988 Mustang LX Turbo Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NY Posts: 8,778 Blog Entries: 1 iTrader: 0 reviews	Yea but the only problem with doing that is you dont know which wires go where... IMHO its easier to swap the whole harness that way you know you didnt screw anything up while re-pinning. __________________ 1988 LX Coupe 2.5L, GT35R, 44mm WG, 32psi, C16.

October 30th, 2008, 10:14 PM	#2
Turbo RANGER Regular 1990 Ranger Custom 11.60@116.19 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mtn. Grove, MO Posts: 53 iTrader: 0 reviews	I have done that swap. i put a 88 turbo coupe motor in 90 ranger 2wd 5spd shrt bed. this is the same swap. you need to do some minor harness mods and repin the processor. if your truck has a map sensor, use those wires to run the VAM and pin them right at the processor. Also most modifications just need to be repinned. Get the wireing diagrams for both vehicles and go from there. It is a super fun little set up.

October 31st, 2008, 07:28 AM	#6
Turbo RANGER Regular 1990 Ranger Custom 11.60@116.19 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mtn. Grove, MO Posts: 53 iTrader: 0 reviews	well you could go that way, but it isn't hard to repin a computer plug. You just remove it from the computer, take off the black cover on the back, depress the pin from the front and pull the wire out the back. just be sure that it latches securely when you put it back in. If you swap out the whole harness, you have to re-run it all through the firewall and around under the dash.

October 31st, 2008, 12:52 PM	#8
superbean Hardcore Enthusiast 1998 Cobra 13.24@105.66 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,778 iTrader: 0 reviews	so if i have the harness, it's literally a whole bolt in deal? Where would the ecu get power from and ect? I put an rb20 in my 240sx and that wiring was a pain but i managed that somehow lol __________________ weeee foooord!

October 31st, 2008, 01:46 PM	#9
TurboLX I Post Entirely Way Too Much 1988 Mustang LX Turbo Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NY Posts: 8,778 Blog Entries: 1 iTrader: 0 reviews	it all swaps right in __________________ 1988 LX Coupe 2.5L, GT35R, 44mm WG, 32psi, C16.

November 2nd, 2008, 02:25 PM	#10
superbean Hardcore Enthusiast 1998 Cobra 13.24@105.66 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,778 iTrader: 0 reviews	hell yeah. I looked at the harness briefly today and saw a 4 wire relay and a few 3 prong connectors.. looks fairly simple. __________________ weeee foooord!

November 2nd, 2008, 02:50 PM	#11
TurboLX I Post Entirely Way Too Much 1988 Mustang LX Turbo Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NY Posts: 8,778 Blog Entries: 1 iTrader: 0 reviews	it is, believe me, it's just time consuming getting it out __________________ 1988 LX Coupe 2.5L, GT35R, 44mm WG, 32psi, C16.

November 2nd, 2008, 10:05 PM	#12
superbean Hardcore Enthusiast 1998 Cobra 13.24@105.66 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,778 iTrader: 0 reviews	time is no biggy. In my nissan it took a while, patience is key __________________ weeee foooord!

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