Ford Repair: engine swap, dominic frasca, oil leaks

Question
I run a delivery business, and need economy and power, (dont we all?)
Anyway, I have a 1983 Ford Ranger with the 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine in it. Can I purchase and install a V6 engine for this vehicle? If so what additional parts would be required? What year engine should I look for?
Thanks in advance!
Dominic Frasca

Answer
Dominic, what CAN be done and what is FEASIBLE are two different things!  I recently dropped a 5.0 V8 into my son's '90 Ranger, along with a transmission from a '88 Grand Marquis... I fabricated the engine mounts, the exhaust, the air intake tubing, the driveshaft, etc. and it runs GREAT, but the small things will take forever!  Like, the speedo is off about 25%, the PCM wiring is still a mess, although I made the essential items work for ignition and fuel injection, etc.  I may finish this project within a year or so.
Assuming you want something more easily accomplished, you could find a Ranger in the salvage yard with the powertrain you want... an '87-90 with a 2.9 V6 would be my choice (the older 2.8 was more prone to overheating and oil leaks) but with any you'll also need the PCM, wiring, hoses, radiator, transmission, cooler, etc. to make the swap work.  It's not an easy job, and the body wiring may not be the same, so you'll also need the fuse box and VERY IMPORTANT - schematics for both vehicles!  
My recommendation - if you want a V6 truck, buy a V6 truck and transfer the items you want from your old one to the new one... your bed, box, or whatever should bolt in easily to any Ranger, even as new as a 2004, with only a few minor modifications.
Hope this helps!  If you do decide to pursue a swap, let me know how it's going along the way.  There are several web-sites devoted to V8 Rangers, and you'll get a lot of ideas from them... try a web-browser (like Yahoo) for "V8 Ranger" and you'll find plenty, with pictures!
Clay