200 Six Ranger Running, well sorta......

[Anonymous]

Well after alot of work my 1983 Ranger has been road worthy for about a month now. I had bought the beasty from a local junkyard early last winter with what was thought to be a locked up 200 six already installed. The engine didn't end up being bad, it did end up being a bad flywheel/convertor. It had been jammed in place by the piece of sheet alluminum that goes between the engine and tranny. This had caused a tooth on the flywheel to break off and roasted the starter too. After replacing this stuff I put everything back together only to find that the tranny(C3) was leaking around the fill tube. I will hopefully have this fixed soon and really get to drive it. By the way this combo of tranny, engine and chassis will really get off the line quick. I can stomp the gas from a dead start and smoke the tires for 10-15 feet. I'm not sure what the gearing in this truck is but I'm going to replace the 14 inch 215/70's with some taller 15's to make it a little more highway friendly. This should be alot of fun at the track next spring. Now if I can just get a vaccum secondary 2 barrel put on it I'll be happy.

 

[Anonymous]

Any pics?
Also I thought Ford used C4s behind the 200, anyway good to hear it is working for you.
kev

 

[Anonymous]

It's probably a C4. I think the C3 disappeared in the mid-60s.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Chevette,

The tranny is probably a C4. I agree that the C3 was terminated in the early '60's (63 I think). However, you never know what the last owner did to these cars. The rear end in the Ranger was typically a 7.5" with 3.55 gears. Although, I understand something in the 3.8 range was available. With a C4 1st gear and a 3.5 - 3.8 rear the torque curve of the 200 would be a smoker. Great fun.

Steve

 

[66Monterey]

The C3 was a '70s light-duty version of the C4 (It doesn't follow Ford's usual tranny numbering system - go figure :roll: ). Looks almost like a C4, but no cooler lines, no driver's side servo cover, and a 13-bolt oil pan. I think it was only used on light-duty four cylinders, like a pinto.

Depending on the year of your 200, it could be another version of the C4: the C5. More like a normal C4, but with a lockup torque converter. I think the only inline six to get it was the '81-'83 big bell 200 (looks almost like a smallblock V8 pattern, with a low-mounted starter).

Don't confuse it with the old 2-speed Fordomatic of the '50s and '60s...completely different beast.

 

[Anonymous]

The engine and tranny in my Ranger were from a 1978 Fairmont. I was given the C3 info from someone who works on my cars now and then. The transmission in my truck has cooler lines and servo so it would have to be a C4. I have a few poor quality pics and will try to post them. By the way how hard is it to change the seal on the dipstick tube where it meets the tranny? I just looked at my pics and they're even worse than I remembered, I will try to get some others later. [/img]

 

[Anonymous]

a 200 will fit into a ranger? i diditn know that i took mesurments of my block and it wouldnt fit under the hood of a ranger that i can see but i guess it will damm im gunna get a ranger now

 

[xctasy]

The Bordeux C3's were used on all European market Cologne and Pinto engined automatics until 1984, when they got replaced by a version with an OD hub on it. They were good little things for light duty work, but suffered from a loose ride into high which you could never firm up, as well as a very light build. Mustangs and Bronco II's and Rangers got a good old c4/c5, so I'd say its a C4 you have. I used one of these, ex 79 Mustang 2.8, on my C3 equiped 2.3 V6.

In Australia, they used Borg Warner 35 autos, and these were C3 sized, and just as weak. But hey, with an adapter, you can fit any thing to anything...

 

[Greywolf]

Unfortunately, there were some 78 and 79 Fairmonts (and Mustangs) that had the disturbing combo of 200/C-3/6.75" rear.
Wagons definitely came with the C-4 trans and 7.5" rear; all "heavy duty" versions did also. Basically, any excuse Ford could come up with got you the C4/7.5" combo...but they still managed to put the wimpy parts in a few Fairmont 200s.
Ben

 

[XFlow_Fairlane]

the c4 was only behind the 2.3L in the pre 76? mustang2's after that hte c3 was used behind the 2.3L until 1987 when the a4ld came out. I think the c3 was also uised behind the 60 degree motors prior to 87.

 

[Anonymous]

Yikes! I've never heard anything good about the C5, and I'm praying that when I finally get my donor car on the hoist that I don't see that little hump in the tranny pan. If I do, I'll be tranny shopping ASAP!

I read an interesting article on the C5 that stated that it wasn't actually part of the numbering system, and that they called it that just because it was convenient. As I understand it, the C5 was just a C3, with the lockup torque converter. (or something like that)

The most common Ford 7.5 rear ends were 2.73, 3.08, 3.24?, 3.48, and 3.73 on the range of fox bodied cars. I believe the 2.73 gears were most common on the sedans with the 200 and an automatic.

 

[xctasy]

The C3 is the French made Brodeux 3-stage auto made from 1974 to 1987. It did indeed morph out to become the A4LD Brodeux-built trans.

The C4 came out in 1964, which is why it was termed the C4.

The C6 came out in 1966.

The C5 was just a truck C4 with lock-up clutch from 1981 to 1988. Abrilliant trans to build up as a C4, incidently. The stock C5 misses some of the stronger C4 bits, and has some service issues in the stator support.

Then there is the JATCO version of the C4, made by Toyo-Kogyo or some other Asian co-operative who did Nissan/Datsun/Mazda automatic boxes. These were found in late 70's Granada's.

Early V6's were Cologne imports, and got the C3 gearbox in Pinto's and Mercury sold German Capri 2300, 2600 and 2800. The Mustang II's used good old US C4's behind them. Then they reverted to C3's in the Pinto V6's and in the Fox Mustang 2.8's.

Bronco II's never hit home till the 1983 year, and it was stuck with a 4-speed for a while. I guess the gearbox would have been French C3.

 

[nater200]

count the bolts on the tranny pan. if it has a 13 bolt tranny pan it is c-3 if it has a 11 bolt pan it is a c4. i have done some research beause i have been looking for a flexplate for 5 months for a c-3. i have a 1980 mercury capri with a c-3 tailing my 200. just count the bolts...

 

[Anonymous]

I see my80chevette hasn't posted for a while, but I would be interested in finding out what modifications were done to the Ranger to make the engine swap. I have been looking at the possibility of installing a 200 into my '84 BroncoII in front of the C5. From the info I have been able to get so far, the 200 is about 3" longer than the 2.8 V6. The swap looks do-able - would probably have to make some modifications to the radiator mount and lose the air conditioning...

 

[Anonymous]

The radiator has to be moved foreward of the stock possition 4 inches. Thats where mine was. If you use an electric fan you can lessen that a bit. You'll need shorter fan/waterpump bolts to remove the fan. I would show you pics, but I sold the ranger 2 months ago. Have fun!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply, my80chevette.. That's about the way I had it figured. Were there any problems with hood clearance? I have also been told I will need a rear sump oil pan.

 

[Anonymous]

I never really checked the oil pan but it seemed like a factory piece. There were no clearence issues on my rangers flat hood. A issue with my truck was that I never did get the throttle working just right, it needed a custom cable really. That seems kind of sad now, I never really got to see just how much it would have smoked the tires with full throttle. Keep one thing in mind if your bronco dosen't have overdrive the rear gears in these trucks will beat your low rpm six to death.......don't ask me how I know.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote}Keep one thing in mind if your bronco dosen't have overdrive the rear gears in these trucks will beat your low rpm six to death.......don't ask me how I know.[/quote]



Shouldn't be any worse on the inline six than the V6 it came out with. In fact, I would wager the 200 six would handle the rpms better than the 2.8.


Here is a link to a thread on the Rangerstation.com with more info about the swap: http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/ ... getnewpost

 

[lucas250]

count the bolts on the tranny pan. if it has a 13 bolt tranny pan it is c-3 if it has a 11 bolt pan it is a c4. i have done some research beause i have been looking for a flexplate for 5 months for a c-3. i have a 1980 mercury capri with a c-3 tailing my 200. just count the bolts...

Hi, sorry to bother you, if im getting right, yo hay a ford 200 inline six, with a c-3 bourdeax automatic transmission, right? is it working fine? the engine its stock´or modified to increase power? Thanks a lot for the time to read and answer.
Best Regards!!

 

[frozenrabbit]

19 year old post.......