Little Ranger with a big six....

[Ranger_gone_straight]

Been lurking here good bit of summer/fall, lot interesting tidbits of info on the big six. Anyway I got totally fed up with 2.8 in my Ranger (all the power of a worn out 4cyl and all the fuel economy of a thirsty V8) and had slid off road last winter and hit starter/bellhousing on big rock causing endless starter/flywheel problems. Was going to have to pull the 2.8 anyway to replace the bellhousing so had this spare 300 for my F250 setting around....

A 300 has no problem moving my big 4wd truck, figured it would have no problem with a little Ranger. Its an '84 4wd Ranger, no lift, stock size tires, well actually a size or so smaller since I was trying to help hiway gearing, way too tall for the pathetic OEM engine. I am not finished yet, still lot little things to finish but hydraulic clutch linkage and driveshafts are main thing left to get it moving under its own power and I'm feeling bit frustrated as I have to work on it outdoors and mother nature isnt cooperating.

I am particularly interested what kind of fuel mileage it gets in Ranger, cant be any worse than the pathetic 14mpg I got with the little bent German engine. Just being able to maintain speed on hiway hills without downshifting into 2nd will be worth it if I only got 10mpg.

Anyway here are couple pics, figured people here would get kick out of it. Its taken lot thinking and tinkering to get it to sit in there properly without a body lift. A three inch body lift and I would have been finished months ago, but I wanted it to look completely stock from outside.

[mutt]

precisely the kind of backyard rocket scientist we like roun heah.....
does the revitalized machine meet expetations??

[Asa]

this is excellent
i'd love a list of modifications you had to do to get the 300 to fit in the ranger body, as would several other people here

stock 300? any modifications planned?
more pics of under the hood would be appreciated, how much room is left over?

[Ranger_gone_straight]

I had to move sump in oil pan back couple inches so it is just in front of bellhousing spacer/cover plate and then of course reroute the oil pickup line. Ford in all their wisdom when they went to the rear sump pans made a u-turn with oil pickup tube and ran it down the middle instead of making an oil pump with rear facing flange. A rear facing flange oil pump would have made it easy to route oil pickup toward outside of oil pan, well out of way of the crank.

The big six is also wider than the little V6 and you arent going to reposition the oil pump, the axle has to conform to it, I had to notch some on each side of the cross member part of axle to give it room. I also had to redesign the pivot bracket for the passenger side axle to hinge. The OEM bracket was bulletproof but it stuck up too far and no way to work around it with the oil pan. I welded up my own bracket that also reinforced the cross memeber where I notched it. As I say anybody wanting to do this would be well ahead of the game to just do a 3 inch body lift, save all the notching and re-engineering. The V8 Ranger crowd even say its possible to put V8 in Ranger without a lift, but its a LOT easier with a lift.

There is no extra room, this application takes ALL the room from the firewall to the stock grill. The heater box had to go. The only way to gain a little bit would be to go get single groove damper pulley and waterpump pulley from an early 240. Otherwise you would need to customize grill, extend bumper, etc. The radiator by the way is an all aluminum one intended for early V8 Falcon. I am still little disbelieving claims they make for it, but the V8 Chevy S10 crowd say simular size Chevy 4.3 all aluminum radiator has no problem cooling a 350 V8 so..... Again without a lift there just arent lot radiator options at least not affordable ones. Its an odd size space and custom radiators are high dollar. A straight engine however does allow much better access to starter, distributor, etc from the side.

The carb is off a 240 (1970 half ton van). I put kit in it, dont know how well it will do on hiway. I set float drop, etc to specs for 300. But frankly a one barrel is fine by me. A 300 should be gross overkill for a Ranger without any "improvements". I just wanted a super reliable Ranger that could keep up with freeway traffic. I dont need to drag race, just be able to get up to 60 and stay there even going up hills. That 2.8 was dangerous as I couldnt keep up with traffic especially on hills. There was no reserve power for anything short of downshifting into 2nd and buzzing the heck out of it.

I have kept kind of a running journal of my efforts along with pics. When I actually finish and can actually drive it to find out how well it all works, will put up website of some sort with pics. Anybody crazy enough to want to copy me should have no problem.

I only found one other guy who has done this and he had a lifted Ranger and used an automatic and I guess a kit that adapted the automatic to the stock Ranger transfer case. I used 3 spd manual tranny and Dana20 out of an old Bronco. Would have loved an overdrive but not in the budget. Driveshafts I am using are also out of an old Bronco. Front one fits with no mods, the rear one will need to be lengthened.

[Ranger_gone_straight]

By way anybody have any ideas on a hood latch without resorting to pins I'd like to hear it. I can chain it down but awkward. The radiator needed the room where stock Ranger latch goes. One hotrod site suggested the minimalist hood latch from 70s VW Rabbit and had pics how they used it in some antique body hotrod they built. Probably work for me too, but they were throw away car and sure most junk yards have crushed them.

[ludwig]

Boy. There's a sleeper. I'm thinking that white square on the firewall is your paper gauge showing that, yes, you could slip a piece of paper between the back of the block and the front of the cab.

That is NEAT.

Why don't you put your location on your profile. It's fun to see where everyone lives.

[Asa]

By way anybody have any ideas on a hood latch without resorting to pins I'd like to hear it. I can chain it down but awkward. The radiator needed the room where stock Ranger latch goes. One hotrod site suggested the minimalist hood latch from 70s VW Rabbit and had pics how they used it in some antique body hotrod they built. Probably work for me too, but they were throw away car and sure most junk yards have crushed them.

how about the possibility of having two smaller hood latches on either side of the hood? if they were cable pulled, it should be pretty simple to arrange it

[Ranger_gone_straight]

The little white square is salvaged sheet metal off an old diswasher front that covers the hole where the heater box was, you know that thing that juts out from firewall on 80s Ford pickups with air conditioner evaporator in it. I also had to make small notch in firewall for manifold bolt of all things. Couldnt just dimple firewall since it was right close to heater box hole so had to make patch that fit the necessary notch. One big mistake I made was not replacing manifold gaskets while engine was out. I do have an exhaust manifold gasket leak and that rear bolt just isnt coming out with engine in truck. Oh well its not too bad of leak, I've lived with lot old engines with this problem and didnt think too long about it unless it got real bad.

Yes possibly latch on each side of hood would work. I did like that Rabbit latch on that hotrod site though. That was slick. Sure there is simular latch on some more modern car.

[89'fanatic]

put the hinges for ur hood up front then put a latch in the rear on the firewall...would be more unique...

[crash-harris]

Hooray for the near impossible! I've always been told that the 300 was too big for a Ranger/Explorer engine bay, but everyone also told me that a IFS 4x4 conversion was impossible too, but I disproved that

Looks like an EFI would fit, looks like the vaccum ports on the back of the EFI 300 would be in the cab! Sweet job man, can't wait 'til it's done!

[Harte3]

Great stuff I recall seeing some pics 2-3 years ago of a gentleman that did such an install on a 4x4 Ranger that was lifted.

Saw an '84 2wd Ranger for sale here this week and it got me to thinking....dangerous stuff for me...the thinking.

[Asa]

put the hinges for ur hood up front then put a latch in the rear on the firewall...would be more unique...

might be harder to work on, especially for the accessories

[68coupe200]

That is a pretty neat swap ya got there, i often fantasized about doing this to one of the rangers i used to own.

Never even remotely came close to what you have done there, awesome job!

[68ranger]

Very Good job

[Ranger_gone_straight]

That is a pretty neat swap ya got there, i often fantasized about doing this to one of the rangers i used to own.

Never even remotely came close to what you have done there, awesome job! :cool: 8)

I used the 300 cause I really like them and I already owned it as a spare for my big truck. Actually I think a Ford 200-6 with factory rear sump pan would be whole lot easier if you ever want to try doing a transplant, and probably get lot better fuel mileage to boot. Unfortunately havent seen a 200 that didnt need total rebuild around here in long time, nor a 250. I like long stroke engines so probably go with the 250 if I had good one available. I used to have a very rusty '71 Bronco with a 200 and 3 on the tree. It was one of my very favorite vehicles of all time. Finding an early 6cyl Bronco that isnt either rusted out hulk or hasnt been cut, lifted, V8'd and priced far beyond what it would be worth to me is next to impossible. This Ranger is next best thing despite weaker less robust axles and chassis. Rangers anyway are still common and cheap.

A Mitsubishi 2.6 4cyl is a torquey long stroke too, light weight, and be a good engine for a Ranger, but require lot of adapting since nothing would bolt up. They will last long time, like 300k miles if you get one with the 8 valve head and put in the kit to eliminate the balance shafts. Most self destruct at like 150k cause the balance shaft bearings wipe out and you lose oil pressure setting up a chain reaction. Those were two weak points. Unfortunately third weak point is that they are also very expensive to rebuild.

Dodge slant six be good engine also, I put one in a Volvo wagon once that had a clapped out diesel, but again hard to find a good used one anymore and bunch hassle to adapt to Ford drivetrain.

[shortbox07]

that is awesome! makes me want to cut my 96 ranger up and drop one in

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

Nice job - good for you. I think you will like the 300. I bet your mileage improves by a few mpg too. I always wondered why someone doesn't offer a conversion kit for this, like they do for a small block V8.

[Good Times Machine]

I had an old 84 F150 with the 302/4bbl and C4AOD, and an 84 Ranger I got from my buddy with a 2.3/2bbl, and C3. Well, the C4AOD started having probs with slippage and it got to where it would NEVER shift into OD....so, with me having no money in those days, i had a choice to make. I would either steal the C3 from ranger, put in F150 and count the days till it burned up, or... since the #3 cyl on the ranger shattered piston going down the highway(not sure how it happened, but it took out half the cylinder wall on one side), I could put my 302 into the Ranger. Well, after snatching a 5spd from a 93 Ford F150, I took it to my cousin's shop and had him do all the necessary work....only thing it got new was a custom rear driveshaft, and some engine mods(rebuilt with a power range of 1500-5500rpms) good for a clutched vehicle.

[zacd]

I had an old 84 F150 with the 302/4bbl and C4AOD, and an 84 Ranger I got from my buddy with a 2.3/2bbl, and C3. Well, the C4AOD started having probs with slippage and it got to where it would NEVER shift into OD....so, with me having no money in those days, i had a choice to make. I would either steal the C3 from ranger, put in F150 and count the days till it burned up, or... since the #3 cyl on the ranger shattered piston going down the highway(not sure how it happened, but it took out half the cylinder wall on one side), I could put my 302 into the Ranger. Well, after snatching a 5spd from a 93 Ford F150, I took it to my cousin's shop and had him do all the necessary work....only thing it got new was a custom rear driveshaft, and some engine mods(rebuilt with a power range of 1500-5500rpms) good for a clutched vehicle.

There is no such thing as a "C4AOD".

A C4 does not share internal parts with an AOD nor is an AOD a derivation of a C4.

A C5 is/was nothing more than a C4 with a lockup converter.

An AOD is a transmission design unto itself...later morphed (by Ford) into the AOD-E/4R70 series of transmissions.

[89'fanatic]

put the hinges for ur hood up front then put a latch in the rear on the firewall...would be more unique...

might be harder to work on, especially for the accessories

its a 300 six...you dont need to work on them very often...if ever...

[Ferris Bueller]

Another reason why the 300-6 is typically cheap to buy used is that they are so tough that they outlast the rest of the truck. If you truck has the same gearing as the truck the 300 came out of, you gain in mileage would be from less weight that 300 is pushing around. I had a red 84 F150: 300 T18 and 3.08 open 8.8" rear. I beat the crap out of that truck delivering pizza. It had somewhere over 100,000 miles on it. Paid $100 for it minus a carb and battery. I sold the aluminum high top topper off it for $225, bought a $70 nice battery from Wally World, bought a $25 carb from a yard. Was the toughest truck I've ever had.

[Good Times Machine]

Well, when i went to auto parts store to get a price on a replacement trans, they asked which one i had, i told em the 4-spd auto with OD, and they showed me a screen that had it listed as a C4-AOD....so that's what i was going by. This was Discount Auto, so maybe that explains it

Anyways, I do wish i could find a used/rebuilt C5, i could use that lockup converter(i'm guessing it's built-in to trans???). If so, that sounds much better than OD trannys.

[willowbilly3]

I love it when guys do thisd kind of stuff, this is real hotrodding at it's best. Keep us posted on the build and get some good pictures, we all love pictures.

[frank b]

Great job!

You may have to stiffen up the front suspension, and may have handling issues with that big piece of cast iron in front, but think of the traction you'll get in 4WD!
What are your plans for a heater box? You should be able to find a simple one in a junkyard to fit inside the cab.

[Ranger_gone_straight]

Great job!

You may have to stiffen up the front suspension, and may have handling issues with that big piece of cast iron in front, but think of the traction you'll get in 4WD!
What are your plans for a heater box? You should be able to find a simple one in a junkyard to fit inside the cab.

The V8 Ranger folk say the V6 springs are usually good enough for small block V8 so should be ok for the big six. However I did do my research and can buy brand new direct replacement stiffer springs if I need to for not bad price. And there are even yet stiffer springs available that are a direct fit that should even support a big block V8 if anybody wanted to try such a thing. I know there are some that have done it, not sure why, but they have. And you thought putting a big six in a Ranger was difficult..... I wouldnt like thinking about what would be necessary for say a 460.

I cut the heater box in two pieces, separating the the blower housing from the air conditioner evaporater housing. I will remount the blower part, then run say a 2 1/2 inch pvc pipe from blower housing and make a hole in that patch I put over the hole in the firewall, there should be room for pvc pipe flange above the intake manifold. 2,5 inch pipe should flow enough air from blower so I have good stream of heat. Heck guess I could even use dryer vent hose.

If that doesnt work, I have a mini heater assembly I saved out of an ancient Datsun 520 pickup when I made it into a utility trailer that would easily fit under the dash, but would mean running new tubes to defroster vents. Those old kind of heaters also tended to really heat up the drivers right leg.... I had an old '72 Courier before this Ranger with simular kind of setup. Got so they wanted over $100 for special order heater core for the Courier so I did surgery on it to use a $15 Escort heater core. Worked ok. Escort heater core just little larger.

[Ranger_gone_straight]

Clutch linkage hooked up and bled yesterday. Today started it and yea, clutch works properly. I swear I have hassled with hydraulic clutches in past (especially certain OEM all plastic hydraulic linkages in certain full size pickups.... "better idea" my derriere) so this high quality Wilwood setup seems like a stroll in the park. It bled easily, it has enough travel, just no hassle at all. My only real concern was I went with the 5/8 bore master cylinder when all recommendations were to use 3/4 inch. Was possible I might not get enough travel on slave using 5/8 master but luckily I did.

I did it cause I wanted to try for a lighter pedal. Unfortunately that wasnt the case. Despite me using 10 inch clutch with this setup and using the 5/8 inch master cylinder, still rather stiff clutch pedal. No worse than my big truck but hoped for better in Ranger.

Now just deal with extending rear driveshaft and whole lot little clean up jobs getting wiring running correctly, and bits and pieces all back into place. The endless clean up jobs are worst part about this kind of project, but necessary if I dont want hassles down the road.

And I noticed one bad front axle u-joint when doing the transplant. So get to pull passenger side front axle shaft.

[American Thunder]

They make a 302 swap kit for those trucks. It comes with an adaptor to bolt the 302 up to the stock transmission. Which would also work with the 300, since it has the same bell pattern as the small block. I had this same 300 swap planned, I had been looking for a Ranger or Bronco II to put it in, but I procrastinate. I was going to use a 3" body lift to give me some extra room under the firewall and maybe move the whole mess back a few inches.

[Ranger_gone_straight]

Yes one of adapter places make like a $300 plate to adapt standard SBF bellhousing to the early Mazda/Mitsubishi 5 spd with removable bell housing. Unfortunately those are very light duty transmissions. I think one in good shape might hold up with a 200-6 but not with 302 nor 300 unless really babied. I just wasnt at all impressed with quality of tranny that came in my Ranger. Course 5th gear should have been in pristine condition since engine didnt have enough power to ever use it.

Duff sold kit to adapt a 2wd V8 T5 out of a Mustang to the stock Ranger/BroncoII transfer case but its not available anymore. Most likely very pricey as are all those 4wd adapter kits. But you'd really have something durable when you were through compared to money into one of the light duty trannies.

The nice thing with my early Bronco Dana20 is I have lot options for transmission if I ever decide I need them. Took while to get shifter set up (generic $10 thing off ebay), but the old three speed I am using probably meet my needs and they are cheap as people restoring/modifying their early Bronco usually replace them with automatic or some heavy duty 4spd or 5spd with granny first gear and/or an overdrive.

A three inch lift would really make life easier as I mentioned earlier. Believe me it would. And body lift kit around $100-$150 if you shop around. I am just stubborn and wanted Ranger stock height. Have to say even now I'm not completely convinced my notches in cross member might not cause problem if axle hinges to an exteme limit and bottoms against it. Guess I'll find out one of these days though my normal driving shouldnt push suspension/axle to anything real extreme.

[American Thunder]

Yes one of adapter places make like a $300 plate to adapt standard SBF bellhousing to the early Mazda/Mitsubishi 5 spd with removable bell housing. Unfortunately those are very light duty transmissions. I think one in good shape might hold up with a 200-6 but not with 302 nor 300 unless really babied. I just wasnt at all impressed with quality of tranny that came in my Ranger. Course 5th gear should have been in pristine condition since engine didnt have enough power to ever use it.

Duff sold kit to adapt a 2wd V8 T5 out of a Mustang to the stock Ranger/BroncoII transfer case but its not available anymore. Most likely very pricey as are all those 4wd adapter kits. But you'd really have something durable when you were through compared to money into one of the light duty trannies.

The nice thing with my early Bronco Dana20 is I have lot options for transmission if I ever decide I need them. Took while to get shifter set up (generic $10 thing off ebay), but the old three speed I am using probably meet my needs and they are cheap as people restoring/modifying their early Bronco usually replace them with automatic or some heavy duty 4spd or 5spd with granny first gear and/or an overdrive.

A three inch lift would really make life easier as I mentioned earlier. Believe me it would. And body lift kit around $100-$150 if you shop around. I am just stubborn and wanted Ranger stock height. Have to say even now I'm not completely convinced my notches in cross member might not cause problem if axle hinges to an exteme limit and bottoms against it. Guess I'll find out one of these days though my normal driving shouldnt push suspension/axle to anything real extreme.

I guess you could go with an F150 5-speed/transfer case assembly. I swapped one of those into my '83 full size Bronco, and though the pedal assembly/hydraulic clutch setup was sort of a pain, it worked out pretty well. I assume your ranger already has that hydraulic setup, so that's half the battle.
Oh, and the early full size transfer cases do bolt up to the later model F150 5-speeds, because that's what I ended up doing.

[crash-harris]

The bolt pattern for all the full-sized t-cases is the same. People have tried to put a B&W 1356 or 1345 in their Bronco II/Ranger frame and it's too big to fit. I think the 1345 is a little smaller, but still too big, but the old NP cases may fit...as long as you don't mine your low range geared a little bit higher.

[Ranger_gone_straight]

You really dont want anything physically bigger than a dana 20 in Ranger, it fit ok, but not lot room to spare. I was even thinking of clockiing it a notch for more ground clearance like you could in early Bronco, but there just simply wasnt room. The dana 20 was about as bullet proof as it gets though and still popular in many applications. All kinds of adapters to mount any tranny you can think of to them. One website where some guy adapted a 2wd 5spd to his in his early Bronco without any kits or adapters, he made his own and it worked fine.

Yes my OEM V6 setup had the internal hydraulic throwout bearing and the plastic master cylinder mounted at weird angle. Present setup has regular throw out bearing with fork. I bought Wilwood slave and master cylinder and dont regret it a bit. Well actually it was a Southwest Speed version of the Wilwood slave along with a Wilwood master, but same difference. Works great. Each to their own, but I dont want to make fixing hydraulic clutch linkage into a major undertaking so wont voluntarily ever use one of those slave/throw out bearing combo setups. It may have some theoretical advantages and I am sure it saves car manufacturers some assembly time, but it costs me lot time and frustration if I ever have to work on it. Modern engineers have forgotten the KeepItSimpleStupid mantra or more likely its just the bean counters and the marketeers running the show.

[American Thunder]

Yes my OEM V6 setup had the internal hydraulic throwout bearing and the plastic master cylinder mounted at weird angle. Present setup has regular throw out bearing with fork. I bought Wilwood slave and master cylinder and dont regret it a bit. Well actually it was a Southwest Speed version of the Wilwood slave along with a Wilwood master, but same difference. Works great. Each to their own, but I dont want to make fixing hydraulic clutch linkage into a major undertaking so wont voluntarily ever use one of those slave/throw out bearing combo setups. It may have some theoretical advantages and I am sure it saves car manufacturers some assembly time, but it costs me lot time and frustration if I ever have to work on it. Modern engineers have forgotten the KeepItSimpleStupid mantra or more likely its just the bean counters and the marketeers running the show.

I hate that internal hydraulic slave, it's scary thinking about all the work involved to change it when it fails, I MUCH prefer the external slave units with the fork, but this was what I had to work with, so I kept it.
I replaced the slave with a new one, but I re-used the master from the parts truck, as that's pretty easy to replace if it ends up failing at some point.

[Ranger_gone_straight]

I know, you are locked into using the combo unit on newer transmissions short of some really serious and expensive modifying. One thing was interesting that kit to put SBF bellhousing on those Mitsubishi/Mazda trannies also changed it from internal throwout bearing to fork setup. I think that kit would be great to put a 200 in a Ranger, it would be pointless with bigger engine as tranny would tear up quick.

By way I got looking and did see those kits to adapt other transmissions to a BW1350 transfer case used in Ranger and Bronco2. Really pricey though. I wonder if you could get a T18 in there without a body lift? You'd never have to use low range with that granny first gear. And hard to destroy a T18. Also not have to deal with an external shifter like on a 3spd.

[TCIC 300ci superbeast]

t18 aren't bullet proof but close to it......i striped out my revers gear pulling a 88f250(7800lbs) out of the mud.
with a t18 you really dont need 4low but its really fun to show up big blocks runing 15-25mph through the holes... when i just crawled through it doing 1-2 mph and low rpms....and having the TQ of a 300 i can put it in 4hi 2nd gear and just scream through the mud.

[American Thunder]

Torque multiplication is a beautiful thing. My flatbed makes 900 ft/lbs of torque, and in low range/low gear, the truck creeps along at about 2-3 mph flat out on the limiter, motor screaming at 2700 rpm. That's gotta be about 30:1 overall. Sheesh. 30x900??

[Ranger_gone_straight]

Into the shakedown phase to find any obvious problems. Even been taking it out on some back roads. Trying not to get too far from home yet just in case.

The 3spd isnt the most wonderful tranny in the world. Been a while since I've dealt with really clunky external shifter. But hey it was cheap and kept me from having to deal with yet more adapting. Reverse requires slipping the clutch if you are in high range. Why the engineers thought customers wanted to go 35mph in reverse is beyond my comprehension. Funny dont remember my old '71 Bronco being like that. But thats the thing about memories, you forget some of the unpleasant stuff.

As to power, woo-hoo, no lack of power. You can tell there is more weight up front, but really not much different than having a small cast iron V8 in a rear drive compact car. No weird handling or anything.

[Harte3]

Now for the fine tuning .

[Ranger_gone_straight]

Oh I didnt mention, I did figure out a hood latch. On Ranger, like full size trucks the saftey hood catch is separate from the latch. I was able to weld on strip of metal to the original Ranger saftey catch and use it. For latch I used one off an old Datsun I had setting out in the field rusting away. Its very simular to that VW latch I mentioned, about same era. Anyway it had its own saftey catch built into latch which I removed as it was in way and didnt need two catches to trip at same time when opening hood. Tight fit but it was small enough it fit in middle of front of hood where original Ranger latch had been.

[strech4020]

I was hoping to hear you say that the entire hood and fenders tilts to the front semi style. Then again, thats a whole other fabrication/engineering cluster procreation endeavour.

Marc

[cougeuph]

A different idea for a unique hood latch system.

Place the hinges on the drivers side. Latch on the Passenger side.

Mean bunch o' work but unique with the hood opening up on the passanger side.

[mutt]

a step further, do like early 50's Buicks. them gigantic hoods over those Straight 8's hinged on either side- you could hike up the L or R side, depending on which side of the Wall of Iron you had to tinker on.....

[john-dickjr]

just seems like there would be more room for a straight 6....lol..want to take about no room, stuff a 429-460 BBF into one

[Ranger_gone_straight]

Started it today to go to friends house and engine wanted to leap out of the truck. No. 1 cylinder not firing. Swapped sparkplug out of the big truck and then as smooth as you want. Friend had some company and they looked at it with blank stare and asked why all the work when you could have had a V8 for same amount effort.... Oh well guess most people will never understand.

I am comfortable enough driving it now, hope to find another tach to put in it, think speedo is off a bit. I found one of those online speed/gear ratio calculators and in 3rd gear (its a 3spd) with size tires it has, should be 55mph at 2400rpm. The tranny leaves quite a bit to be desired, but will do what I need it to do.

[American Thunder]

How's the acceleration?

[Ranger_gone_straight]

Well once you get it shifted into gear it accelerates fine. Shifting is as you would expect on a clunky old three speed so no fast shifting. But you can actualy accelerate UP hill in high gear, compared to the 2.8L and doing the double downshift polka just to try and maintain speed Stock 300s arent fast engines, but can get out of their own way.

Think a bit and a 4wd Ranger with weight I added with the 300 and the old cast iron transmission/transfer case brings it up around 3500 pound (I would guess) and into fullsize 2wd half ton pickup weight territory. Dont expect lot performance difference. Just think of what a stock 300 (with about 150k miles on it??) would be like in a short wheelbase 2wd full size pickup with 3.55 rear end and clunky 3 spd and you will be close. Now a 300 in a 2wd Ranger would have significant weight advantage...... A fresh rebuilt 300 with compression raised to at least 9:1 and life gets even better though then light duty rear axle might not be very happy.

[80broncoman]

You need to use hood pins to hold down the hood.

[Ranger_gone_straight]

You need to use hood pins to hold down the hood.

????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[Ranger_gone_straight]

Took a moderately long drive on secondary hiway this morning. No problems per se, started and ran up hills just fine.

However noticing a developing roughness/harshness at higher rpms. Also some burping when going down steep hill or just slowing up quickly. No loud backfire, but a more gentle hiccupping type pop. Annoying. I lapped valves in this thing before putting it in Ranger so shouldnt be from that.

Speedo has to be off quite a bit. I was cruising at 40mph without people closing the gap rapidly. More like I was going 55 to 60. New tachometer on its way so that will settle that.

[AbandonedBronco]

However noticing a developing roughness/harshness at higher rpms. Also some burping when going down steep hill or just slowing up quickly. No loud backfire, but a more gentle hiccupping type pop. Annoying. I lapped valves in this thing before putting it in Ranger so shouldnt be from that.

Mine was having this issue for a while. When I backed off the gas going down hills, or slowing up quickly, it wouldn't necessarily backfire, but it would just "pa-pop-pa-pa-pop-pop". I kept trying to tune it out and it would never go away. It completely went away during my swap from the log exhaust manifold to the EFI manifolds, so I'm assuming it was related to some form of an exhaust leak or manifold leak. Might be something to check?

[Ranger_gone_straight]

Thanks, yea, that makes sense. Going to have to bite bullet and deal with that bad heat riser valve anyway, probably just remove it and weld up the shaft holes. Enough people here running EFI exhaust or headers so shouldnt be big deal.