2006 Ranger with a manual transmission and the 2.3L 4 cyl. engine. 140,000 miles. Burning oil, Diagnosis was stuck rings, probably due to a prior owner not changing oil frequently enough and needing either a rebuild or replacement.
The body has minimal rust and this truck is pretty fuel efficient for running around town with the 4 cyl manual especially compared to my F150 4x4, so I am thinking about fixing it and possibly trying to do it myself.
Repair shop estimates are $3,200-$4,000 to install a used engine. I have found some used engines for $1,100 to $1,500.
I have never replaced an engine myself but would not mind giving it a try. I have been able to find videos, or use repair manuals to figure out a lot of other repairs on vehicles over the years, but an engine is a much more expensive part to risk wrecking as part of a learning experience.
Do you have any suggestions for good online sources for instructions / manuals / videos to try to learn how to pull the engine and replace it with a different engine?
Besides an engine lift, what specific tools should I plan to buy, borrow, or rent? I have a big air compressor and impact gun as well as pretty much all sizes of wrenches, sockets and impact sockets.
Am I crazy to want to try to learn how to swap an engine on this truck as my first attempt?
I am not a mechanic, just a guy
Here goes,
When the truck was built, someone probably not a mechanic installed the engine.
If you have average skills and am smart enough to know what tools you need to rent, it doesn't seem to me that you couldn't do it.
I would think that the hardest part, other than working safely, is making sure that everything is reconnected properly.
Since you have another vehicle to use. Perhaps a junk yard engine with as many add ons as possible should work. Otherwise, it's just a matter of taking a part off the bad engine, one at a time, and installing it on the good one.
Just take your time, take notes, don't rush and work at an even pace. Take lots of breaks, sit back and plan your next move.
Have you ever. as a kid, built model cars or planes? This pretty much the same thing.
Good luck
Fantastic, go for it. You'll need a cherry picker and an engine stand. Maybe a transmission jack if you disconnect it before pulling the engine. You'll need lots of zip lock bags and a marker and a good camera can be a life saver. Have at it!
See below for some pointers: if you are very mechanically inclined and have had a lot of experience with other repairs, then you would not be crazy to do this. But for a lot of people (including myself who are not as mechanically inclined) - we’d be nuts. This is nothing like model cars/planes - a lot more is at stake including your safety.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DiGZT14iO4Q
