• Can I install the "Turbo setup" from a 2.3T donor car on my existing Ranger engine?
• Are there any kits available?
• What all does it take to swap?
• What are the possible donor cars?
• What about the wiring?
• Can I keep air conditioning?
• Where would I find a custom header?
• What transmission should I use?
• How long will it take?
• How much will it cost?
• What about an intercooler?
• Ok, I got it in and running, now what?
• Where can I learn more?

Can I install the "Turbo setup" from a 2.3T donor car on my existing Ranger engine?
In a word, Yes. It can be done, but the only reason for doing so would be to prove that fact. The modifications necessary to the N/A block require removal of the engine, so why not just put the donor 2.3T back in it's place? At any rate, if you were to do so...
The block is the same as the turbo block (except for the drilled/tapped hole on the passenger side of the turbo block). You're fine there. The crank and rods are the same too, so you don't even need to change those, but at $350 for Crower rods, its relatively cheap insurance. The pistons are the major difference, upgrade those to low compression forged pieces and you essentially have a turbo engine. And if you want to run it for a while with the 9.5:1 stockers, you can, but go easy on the boost.
As the 2.3T exhaust manifold places the turbo, it wants to occupy the same space as the A/C plenum. To get around this, you can either build a custom header or flip the turbo manifold, but flipping it may interfere with the coil packs (only an issue if you're trying to retain DIS). Nothing you can't get around with a little creativity, but something to be aware of.
You'd be better off going with a T3 (most 2.3T applications) as opposed to the ihi (from the 87/88 Turbo Coupe). The larger compressor will heat the air less, reducing the likelihood of detonation. If you need a quicker spool, look for a .48 A/R exhaust housing. I would look for a lighter wastegate actuator, I'm pretty sure the Saab turbos have a 5psi actuator. You can bleed boost off to get more, but the actuator is usually as low as you can make it go. You may want to look into Saab's APC system as well.
The biggest hurdle will probably be the oil drain line...the oil coming out of the turbo is about the consistency of a milkshake, and needs to come back into the oil pan above the level of the oil or it'll back up into the turbo, and that makes a big mess in a hurry. The turbo blocks had a drain hole drilled and tapped into the block about 2/3s of the way back on the passenger side of the engine, and depending on how old your block is you may even find an undrilled boss there. But even if you do, it's probably going to be easier to return the oil to the oil pan. I strongly recommend pulling the oil pan off the block to drill and tap the hole, as you don't want the metal shavings to end up in the oil.
Which computer do you want to use? The Ranger computer has been pressed into this service, and with a chip it can be made to work, but I've seen more than one person get frustrated with it and end up going to an aftermarket EFI system. If the Ranger computer is what you want to use, get a larger MAF calibrated to match larger injectors (the 2.3T uses 30 or 35 lb/hr units, but these won't work because they're low impedence units). You can start with 19 lb/hr injectors, but if it were me I'd start with 24s. An FMU wouldn't be a bad idea, but an adjustable FPR should raise pressure 1 psi for every pound of boost anyway, as well as letting you set the base pressure, so you may want to start there.
Here's one of the ones who got frustrated with trying to make the Ranger computer work. He's still running the stock cast pistons though.

Are there any kits available?
We are not aware of any turbo kits available at this time. There are companies such as Thomas Knight Turbos that will put a kit together for you, to the tune of $3000+. See the above question for more information about turbocharging the stock Ranger engine.

What all does it take to swap?
Well, it's not quite that easy. As with most things like this, there's more than one way to do it, and one isn't necessarily any more "right" than another. It depends on the goals of the swap, the mechanical skill of the one doing the swap, and the budget.
A few things to note:

1. Most of the guys in the 2.3T community are there because this is an engine you don't have to shower money on to make power. They then stay because they're onery and like embarassing people with a 4 cylinder. Why does this matter? Because the vast majority of the Ranger (and other) swaps, as well as "native" 2.3T buildups, are done with a "make do with whatcha got" attitude.
2. The reason a Ranger swap makes so much sense is because the Ranger 2.3 block and the turbo 2.3 block popped out of the same mold. Meaning that all the bolt holes, and even sizes, are the same. The differences have been detailed in other threads, but the main one is the pistons - the turbo engines used forged pistons that yield an 8:1 compression ratio, the naturally aspirated engines used cast then hypereutectic pistons that yield a 9.5:1 compression ratio.
3. However, as noted in many other threads, the location of the turbo on the 2.3T exhaust manifold will interfere with A/C on a Ranger. Solutions to this vary from starting with a non-A/C truck (which is what I did) to having a custom header built to place the turbo in a more A/C friendly location. Even in a truck without A/C, such as mine, the turbo sits right against the heater box, requiring modification. Again, this is detailed in other threads.

• 2.3T engine (as complete as possible) - from any 83-88 T-bird Turbo Coupe, 84-86 Cougar XR7, 85-89 Merkur XR4Ti, 84-86 Mustang SVO, 84 Mustang GT Turbo, or 84-85 Capri RS Turbo; "Best" would be an 86 SVO or 87-88 TC but as has been said before they're all (well, all the EFI ones, anyway) fundamentally the same, so I wouldn't pass up a good deal just because it wasn't the "best".
• Exhaust - Hooking the turbo to the stock 2" exhaust can be done, but I wouldn't. My recommendation is to get at least the downpipe (the pipe leading from the turbocharger to the catalytic converter, if present) custom fabricated in 3" pipe. I'm not sure if any of the SVO or TC downpipes will work on a Ranger, but I'd think they'd be marginal solutions at best anyway. I went 3" all the way, including the muffler (stick with a straight-through design like the Dynomax Ultraflow or Hooker Aerochamber), but necking down to 2.5" after the downpipe shouldn't hurt you too much.
• Computer - I've listed all the ones I'm aware of and their applications in other places, but the "best" one is the PE computer from the 85.5 & 86 SVO. Running a very close second is the LA3 from the 5 speed 87-88 TC (which is what I'm using).
• Computer Pinouts (for both the 93 Ranger and the turbo computer of your choice - I don't have all the Ranger pinouts (available from Helm Inc.), but I do have some, and if you post your specific needs in the forum I can tell you exactly which wires to change. I can also find most if not all of the turbo computers.

What are the possible donor cars?
First of all, all the EFI 2.3Ts are fundamentally the same. This includes the 85-89 Merkur XR4Ti, the 84-86 Mustang SVO, the 83-84 Mustang GT Turbo, the 83-84 Capri RS Turbo, the 83-88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, and the 83-86 Cougar XR7. Enough so that if you find an early car in good shape for a donor, don't turn it down. That said, the later you can get, the better off you are, except in the case of the Merkur (the intercooled cars are earlier but better). Here's a quick breakdown:

Car	Tranny	Year	Computer	Injectors(pph)	Intercooler	turbo	VAF
GT Turbo	T5	83-84	TA	30	No	T3 .63 A/R	Small
Capri RS Turbo	T5	83-84	TA	30	No	T3 .63 A/R	Small
SVO	T5	84	ZBA	30	Yes	T3 .63 A/R	Big
SVO	T5	84	TE	30	Yes	T3 .63 A/R	Big
SVO	T5	85-85	TJ	30	Yes	T3 .63 A/R	Big
SVO	T5	85	PJ	30	Yes	T3 .63 A/R	Big
SVO	T5	85.5-86	PE	35	Yes	T3 .48 A/R	Big
TC	T5	83-84	PC1	30	No	T3 .63 A/R	Small
TC	T5	84	TF or TC	30	No	T3 .63 A/R	Small
TC	C3	85-86	PK1	35	No	T3 .63 A/R	small
TC	T5	87	LA2	35	Yes	IHI	Big
TC	T5	88	LA3	35	Yes	IHI	Big
TC	A4LD	87-88	LB3	35	Yes	IHI	Big
TC	A4LD	87-88	8UA	35	Yes	IHI	Big
XR4Ti	C3	early 85	PK	35	No	T3 .63 A/R	small
XR4Ti	C3	85-89	PK1	35	No	T3 .48 A/R	Small
XR4Ti	T9	85-89	PF2	35	No	T3 .48 A/R	Small
XR4Ti	T9	85-89	PF3	35	No	T3 .48 A/R	Small

Most (and I among them) will recommend getting an entire donor car if feasible, because then you can see the placement of everything and all that.

What about the wiring?
What wiring challenges you are faced with will depend greatly on what you're starting with.
-Carbureted trucks:
The carbureted trucks will require the addition of an EEC-IV wiring harness that connects the computer to the engine, and that harness will need a few connections to the actual truck. The easiest thing to do is to obtain an EEC-IV Ranger harness and re-pin it to match the turbo computer, then interface it with the truck, but you can also make the donor car's harness work. If you're piecing one together, the Merkur engine harnesses were completely separate from the rest of the car's wiring, and can greatly reduce your headaches.
EEC-IV trucks:
When starting with a truck that was originally equipped with EEC-IV computer control, the easiest thing to do is just re-pin the existing harness for the turbo computer. What is re-pinning, you ask? When I speak of re-pinning a harness, I'm referring to moving the pins around in the computer connector so that the proper inputs and outputs match up with the computer. Ford, in their wisdom(?), moved things around from computer to computer such that while the IAC (Idle Air Control) output may be on pin 42 in one computer, its on 13 in another. Fortunately, though, the plastic connectors are all the same, so all you have to do in our example case is:

• Unplug the existing computer by unscrewing the 10mm bolt holding the connector to it.
• Remove the red "keeper" from the face of the connector by prying on the edges with a tiny screwdriver
• Slide that tiny screwdriver down pin 42, releasing the catch, then tug lightly on the wire itself from the back of the connector and it should come on out
• Push it lightly into port 13 on the connector
• Replace the red "keeper"
• Screw the connector into the new computer, and there ya go.

Can I keep air conditioning?
On a Ranger with the stock 2.3T exhaust manifold, the heater box/AC plenum interferes with the turbo placement. It's mainly the O2 sensor that causes the clearance issues in the stock location, and there wouldn't be any real problem in moving that around, but the turbo itself is still going to almost (if not actually) touch the plenum, and as hot as it gets it will melt that plastic. This is easier to show than tell, so here's a picture of where the turbo sits in the truck, so you can get an idea of the clearance:

Where would I find a custom header?
Any specialty exhaust shop should be able to fab one up for you, but here are some places I'll recommend you look on-line. Keep in mind that custom header and cheap are mutually exclusive under normal circumstances...

• Red Header
• Knight Turbos

What transmission should I use?
The Ranger tranny will bolt up directly to the 2.3T block, and I know of one guy who's got about 20k miles on his behind a turbo and it's holding up fine. If you want to change to a T5 5speed, you'll need to cut a new hole in the floor of the truck, and you'll need bucket seats. You'll also want an 87/88 TC bellhousing, as those were the only T5s with a hydraulic clutch like the Rangers. If you're wanting to go automatic, don't bother changing because the Rangers and the TCs/Merks used the same automatic trannies. However, there is a bellhousing (from 2.3/C4 equipped Mustang IIs and Pintos) that allows the use of the C4 automatic - which can be built strong enough to take just about anything a 2.3T can dish out. A C4 bellhousing from a 2.0 Pinto or Capri will also work with a stepped dowel kit from Tiny Avenger

How long will it take?
That depends on several variables - your experience, the amount of research you've done, and the luck factor can't be denied. Some swaps go really quick and easy - I've known of people driving in N/A on Friday and driving out Sunday with the turbo spinning happily. Personally, I've been working on mine for almost 3 years and I still haven't quite got it reliable. If everything goes as well as possible, I'd still budget being without the truck for a week at the very least, and if you work hard on it regularly you should be able to get it done in a month at the outside.

How much will it cost?
I wouldn't pay over $500 for an engine, complete and including the turbo. Rebuild costs will vary depending on what the engine needs and your local machine shop prices. Exhaust will vary depending on what you get and who does it for you.
Basically it will depend on who you know and what you find, but I've seen it done complete for as little as $300 and as much as $3000.

What about an intercooler?
When air is compressed, it heats up. Hot air is less dense than cold air, and therefore carries less oxygen to mix with the fuel in the combustion chamber - yielding less power. The job of an intercooler is to cool down the compressed air and therefore yield more power. Looking at the list of donor cars, the SVO and 87/88 TCs were the only 2.3T cars to come from the factory with an intercooler. They both mounted it in the same spot, between the turbo's compressor discharge and the throttle body. They both used hood scoops to duct cool outside air to the intercooler, which looks (and functions) similar to a radiator. This setup can and has been adapted to the Ranger, but it is far from the optimal location, because it sets the intercooler directly above the hot exhaust manifold, and presents the problem of getting air to it. The most popular setup on the Ranger, and probably most effective, is to mount an intercooler (whether it be one from a 2.3 Ford, or a Volvo, Saab, Mistsubishi, etc.) behind the grill and route the air from the compressor to the intercooler and then back to the throttle body. It is common to cut the intake manifold and re-weld it at a 90* angle to facilitate the plumbing, but not absolutely necessary.
Another option is to convert the Ford (or other) air-to-air intercooler to a water-to-air unit, and use the A/C condensor core as a heat exchanger for the water. This is done by plating over the top and bottom of the intercooler and run a water/glycol mix through it instead of air, then plumbing that water to the A/C core. It's a good idea to add a small resivoir into the system, so that at the track you can add ice to the coolant and further reduce the inlet temperatures.

Ok, I got it in and running, now what?
Go have some fun with it! If you don't quite have enough out of it, the first step is to raise the boost. There are myriad ways to do this, from the cheap/free butt splice in the vacuum line to the wastegate actuator (allowing the intake manifold pressure to be higher than the pressure that the wastegate sees) and the bleeder valve (like above, but adjustable) to the very expensive electronic boost controllers.
From here,I'm going to hand you off to the FAQ on TurboFord.org, where you can find out more about making the 2.3T in your Ranger a true street terror.

Where can I learn more?
There are many places on the internet to find information about the 2.3T, and most of the contents of this FAQ have been compiled from these sources (combined with personal experiences).
- Email lists
There are several email lists dedicated to the 2.3T. As with most email lists, it is strongly reccommended that you spend some time reading the archives and reading the emails before asking questions. This gives you a chance to assess the "tone" of the list, and gather the huge amounts of information in the archives. Clicking on the links will open an email to the subscribe address for that list.

• Turbo@yahoogroups - This is an open, unmoderated list dedicated specifically to the Ford 2.3 Turbo. Caution - this list is high traffic, generating 75+ emails a day.
• jyturbo@yahoogroups - Another open, unmoderated list, this one dedicated to installing a turbo out of a junkyard onto whatever engine you have. Truly a make-do-with-what-you-have list, with an emphasis on the Ford 5.0 V8, but all engines are welcome. The 2.3T connection comes in because those are the most common donors. Another high-traffic list.
• TurboRanger@yahoogroups - A list dedicated specifically to the 2.3T in a Ranger. Helpful specifically because of the files section, and consists mainly of those who have done the swap.
• Ford23T-DP@yahoogroups - A relatively low-traffic list dedicated to the use of the Dual-Plug head (installed on the Ranger 1989-2001) in a turbocharged application.
• Tuner23-DP@yahoogroups - For the electronics whizzes, this list is a clearing house for information related to using Shiftmaster's EEC-Tuner with the 2.3T computer.
• FordRanger16VDOHC23L@yahoogroups - A forward looking list exploring the potential of the new Duratec DOHC 2.3 in the Ranger with a turbocharger.

• RangerForum/2.3T General information and specific questions about the 2.3T and swapping it into a Ranger
• Turboford.org/techboard Providing present and potential members of the TurboFord mailing list with a reliable, up-to-date reference source for turbocharged Fords, as well as any additional information that might be relevant to turbocharged Ford owners
• MustangSVO.org/Web Board The Mustang SVO Web Board - Beware the purists...
• MustangCentral.net/JYTurboTechThe less you spend, the better. Going fast doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Let Forrest show you how!
• FordRanger.com/4bangers 4 Bangers, Rangers, SVO! Welcome to the Ford NA/TC 2.0L/2.3L/2.5L RWD 4 Banger Message Board. You can ask all your 2.xL and 4 cylinder questions here. Mustang, SVO, TC, Pinto, owners with 4 cylinders are also welcome to post information and questions.

• Donald's Turbo Ranger page
• TurboTekToys' now defunct site
• Maik's Turbo Ranger
• Chris Roth's Turbo Ranger
• The Ranger Station's 2.3T info page
• SVO engine in a Ranger
• 2.3T in a Pinto
• 2.3T in an 86 Mustang
• Mike Sitar's homepage