2003 ranger vm 2.8 swap
 

Ok so after selling my v2203 ranger and building a 4bt f150 I think its time for another ranger. We are having another baby so my v2203 2dr ranger wouldn't work so I bought this one today. It's a 2003 ford ranger with a 4.0 5 speed 4x4 and 4door. It has 4.10 gears now so regearing will be in the future. The motor is a vm motori 2.8l 4cyl. It is not the 2.8 from the liberty it is industrial and has timing gears not a belt. It has wet sleeves It is a turbo motor with a ve pump. Here are a few pics
Attachment 32045
Attachment 32046Attachment 32047
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Here is a short video of it running cold with out glow plugs before rebuild

That looks nice. congrats on the new baby and the new truck. Is it a DI or IDI motor? I would have been very wary of the VM jeep motor. mechanical timing sounds better.
have fun with it take lots of pics. What belt system are you going with, it already has the v-grooves. If I do another Kubota I am pretty sure to do a all serpentine set up like Kubotaman's

It is di with 18/1 compression. I've been talking to fte about the belt. I really want to go serpentine. But haven't made a decision yet. This will have to be the last kid or I can't have another ranger l0l 2 is the limit

That's a nice sounding engine, I'm jealous! :tu:

Nice truck man!! That's just what I have been looking for!

Nice truck and engine, I'm not familiar with a vm engine, what's it out of? Any idea how many HP it is? My serpentine belt works great but you must have a lathe! There are just too many spacers, bushing, step down bushings, and other custom built components to try and build a serpentine system without one.

The vm is from a zamboni sized sidewalk sweeper it's rated at 64 kw and 300nm @ 1500 with max rpm of 3000. So 90 ish hp and 225 tq before tweaking. I agree on having a lathe but I really don't have the space right now but I know fte has been itching to use his so I might have him help me.

I meant to ask, why not another Kubota? Been there done that or??

Well I really liked the kubota and it suited my needs very well when I was commuting 75 miles 1 way and I needed 4x4 but now I have moved to Monroe and my commute is only 17 miles 1 way so my needs have changed. I bought my wife a new vw jetta sportwagon tdi and I did all the deletes so its getting excellent milage and I have my new superduty for work / 4x4/ hauling but I hate to use it like a truck. I wont really take it in the woods , mud or put greasy stuff in the bed. I intend to use this for that as well as my run around truck. The kubota did the job but I got this motor pretty cheap and thought why not I will probly have another kubota in the future but for now I want to try this. Also I was kinda taxing the kubota in my opinion. During the winter I go over the mountains almost every weekend either to the ski lodge or to leavenworth that is a really hard pull and at 4200 lbs pushing 30+lbs for extende pulls I would be afraid I was hurting the motor in the long run. Redveloce makes the same pull in his wrangler and I'm sure the same is on his mind

I love the idea, but, might the VM's management system be too picky and data-hungry? :humm: My daughter's Liberty CRD is an awesomely jolly little truck, and I sometimes fantasize about that engine in an 80's-vintage Jeep Comanche, but, don't have any idea how to make it work. If you do it, let us know! :choochoo:

------OOPS! My bad! Didn't see "page one" of the thread until after I posted. Now I'm going to be "watching" eBay for used Zambonis, with VE-squirted VMs.

Why does it seem that all the small-Diesel conversions are into pickups? If I ever dive into another, I'm thinking Bronco II. How much more tweak-power might you get from this one? As points of reference, the stock common-rail 2.8 in the Libby claims 160HP and 295TQ, and is pretty joyful. 95'd be kind of slow, but 225 is still respectable. Does it govern out at pretty low RPM? I guess the spring kit for a VE would help that.

Well I finally got time to work on it tonight. So I decided to pull the oil pan and see what I had, here's what I found
Attachment 32024the mains are the same as the v2203 kubota
Attachment 32025oil squirters!!!!

But unfortunately it has alot of sludge in the oil pan and the pickup was pretty clogged and turning the motor over by hand upside down I could really hear the blowby on cyl 1 and cyl 3 that explains the rough starts so it looks like I will be doing a full rebuild before it goes in. The full rebuild kit is about 1500 for new liners pistons rings all the gaskets head bolts new bearings oil pump and water pump from vm. so i will make the adaptors while I wait for my parts.

If you're like me I just feel better when I go through an engine before I put it in something. Just makes me feel better but can get in your pocket! :tu:

Well I was doing some research last night when I discovered this engine has a big brother. A cummins/mercruiser d4.2l 300 hp is this engine in 6cyl! The engine is a vm all the same parts as mine same liners mains Ect and was sold as a cummins marine division up to 350 hp. So if that motor can achieve 300 hp reliably mine should be able to achieve 200? 4bt and 6bt this basic principle applies.

Well apparently I get to call it a cummins swap. The engine is sold as a mercruiser d2.8l. And is badged as a cummins. So I think I get to call it a cummins ish swap. This way I at least have a recognizable name. I know its nothing more than a name but not having to explain what brand it is to everyone would be kinda nice.

It's in the cummins manual as a qsd 2.8 200 hp but its usually 165 in most boatsAttachment 32023

I wonder if you can get that front acc. drive form that marine app, that would be sweet!

Tear down
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Huge intake ports
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Got to love the individual cyl headsAttachment 32018 no cross hatch left on the (good) cyl
Attachment 32019 awful lot of carbon

Well I think I an going to have to get a new trans. I think I will be going with the m5r2 from a f150. I think this engine might make too much power for the m5r1 to handle

I'm not using the ranger I will be starting a new thread for the new truck. Same motor