bkrukow

OK this is kind of out there but I am doiong a little research for a budy that wants to throw a small diesel in his 91, 2wd Ford Ranger. He bought the truck with around 300,000 miles on it abought 5 years ago from the place he works at for $500.It has the original 2.8 litter v6 and a 5 speed. He drives truck and is a diesel nut. His wife thinks he is out of his mind but dident say no. We where discusing what to put in there and he thought of a small 2 or 3 cylinder detroit 2 stroke. I have absolutly 0 knowlage of these engines. Does anyone have any ideas? Any specs such as dimentions, wheights, potential problems such as finding a tranie that would work. I know nothing abought them and he dont know much more. I am sure we will run into wheight problems and definatly dimension problems if we get into more than 2 or 3 cylinder versions. We are not doing this to try and make a fuel milage truck, it already gets high 20s, or for any real reason other than to try and come up with something diferent. If people look at it weird sitting at a stop light then we acomplished our goal. If someone asks why and says thats dumb than thats even better. I dont think he would be totaly aposed to a small cummins if that was the only rout open but he realy wants the sound of the 2 stroke. Any ideas????

Hemi Cat

I think a ranger would have a problem carrying a 2-71 in the back let alone add a trans and rad and the battery to start it. The 71 series is a tall motor and weighs a lot, it has an SAE 12 bolt pattern for bell housing usually requiring a heavy duty trans. If you are serious about this set-up, consider using a one ton frame and suspension to start with then put the ranger body on top of it. Sounds like a project I would love to see completed!!!!! If the 2 cycle detroit is what you are after, check arround for a V-6 53 series. It's a higher reving motor. Most likely application is in 60's & 70's med duty trucks or construction equipment

bkrukow

Thanks. We found a few on ebay and I figured judging by the pics that they where going to be to tall. I was not shure abought wheight. He comented abought posibly finding a full size truck to use but thought it would be neat to use the Ranger for the "dumb looks" factor. Winter is just around the corner here now and this is a project for next summer because it will have to be a driveway project. I am just starting the research end of it. Hopefully by time we get it done (if he actualy goes threw with it) one of us will have d didgital cam to show ya pics of it. We did find one V6 that suposadly came out of a chevy pickup. It had everything nessasary to put it in a truck and make it run.

Buckshotmckee

Back in 83-84, Ford put a diesel in the Escorts, and my understanding is that it was built by Cat. Don't see why that wouldn't work.

suzukiZrider

the diesel rangers were
83-84 Mazda naturally asperated 2.2 diesel
85-87 Mitsubishi turbo 2.3 diesel
and if im not mistaking the escort had the mazda 2.2 liter

Forrest Nearing

put a 3.9 4cyl Cummins in it... it still won't fit very well, but what the heck, right?

suzukiZrider

i think a 4bta will fit in a ranger easally might be a but heavy but it will work better tehn a 2 or 3 cylander detroit diesel

bkrukow

I had a 84 Lynx abought 5 years ago that had a diesel in it. I dont remember who made it any more or if it was a 2.0 or 2.2 but I think it would be a bit underpowered for the Ranger. It had 485,000 miles on it and looked like it. It would get around 60mpg if you could stand to sit in it long enough to take it down the highway.

Where would we find a 4bta? Does anyone know how much they whey? any specs on them?

suzukiZrider

well its basically a 6bt a 5.9 with 2 cylander chopped off and here one on ebay with a tranny for $2200 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...sPageName=WDVW
heres another i found
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...sPageName=WDVW

Haulin_in_Dixie

I ran Detroits a good part of my life. The most advantagous motor would be the 4-53. But I can tell you this, it is a fairly tight fit in a full sized chev pu. All that being said, the best use for a two cycle detroit today is if you have a boat. Makes a good anchor.

They dribble oil from the air box drains, they are very noisey, terrible on fuel (by todays standards) have starting problems below 20 degrees or so. Either will break the top ring on them. And they are heavy. They also use a good bit of oil in new condition. They were a great motor in the sixties, but this is the 2000's and almost any alternative is better.

A 71 series with any number of cylinders is not a small motor. I would never even consider a two stroke detroit for a conversion. The front end of the ranger will never take the weight of any of the detroits, unless you can fine one of the three cylinder 53s, and I have no idea where you would find one. Have not seen any for many years. A 4-53 is fairly common in construction equipment but the governor will not do for the road. I still have a 4-53 reduction blower in the storage shack here.

They also have some quirks to them. If you idle long and the air box drain plugs, you have a run away engine, runs on its own oil. If the blower drive strips, you have a run away engine, the governor is on the blower. With a 53 gearing would not be too bad, has a 2800 top rpm range. A 71 only has 2250 stock, but can be run up to 2400 or 2500.

Another thing, I did already mention. If you put one in, forget the stereo, you won't hear it. Common practice on conversions was to spray the under hood areas with foam insulation a couple of inches thick.

He don't want one, just thinks he does.

induchman

Two stroke DD's suck oil like crazy. I've replaced both the 471's and 671's on my boats with B4TA's. If they'd had the Centinnel system I wouldn't have complained so much.

nickleinonen

a 353 green grenade might fit in the ranger chassis. i think some of them had gm th400's bolted to the back of them, so that would give you a 3 speed slushbox, and with some adapters, you could probably bolt on a nv4500 or something to it... i love how them screamers sound... very nice... diesel fuel making noise at its best!

bkrukow

OK so what is a 353 green granade? Like I said I am just begining the reserch aspect of this and as I figured the 2 stroke Detriot seems to be out of the question. Thanks for all the info. Keep the ideas coming.

suzukiZrider

a 353 green granade is a detroit diesel 3-53 the 3 is for 3 cyl and the 53 is i beleive 53 ci per cylinder the old detroit diesel 2 strokes will leave a puddle of oil under them every night

Haulin_in_Dixie

The detroits used so much oil that detroit went to a 100,000 mile oil change. Just add makeup oil