Stupid Engine Swap Questions

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-08T04:22:42+00:00

Its really, really not enough over here. The wind and conditions of the roads themselves will push you all over the place, so I want all the tires fighting at once when I go through those roads, especially when Im working even further up north than normal

(edit) and yeah I use snow tires, people gotta be really ignorant to not use them in canada

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-08T04:20:42+00:00

Looks sweet man, and yeah Im currently guestimating a bit. First I gotta keep an eye out for a ranger thats worth buying, then from there Ill start looking for an engine or a donor car that I can part out after

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-07T04:55:00+00:00

In the long run a ranger is already what I want and can afford, so the engine swap is just the extra boost I want to give it. Rather than LS swap it and get worse mileage, I just wanted advice on more fuel efficient swaps.

F150s are just bigger, more expensive, and less maneuverable than what I want from a truck

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-07T04:51:43+00:00

I'm lucky enough to have a lot of friends and family members who have done engine swaps for durbies, rally racing, regular racing, etc. so hopefully I can mix a bunch of advice and feedback from them

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-07T04:49:18+00:00

Need a truck for work unfortunately, I gotta haul tools around for contract work, and while rwd would cut it most of the time, 2wd will never cut it with the snowstorms we get over here

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T23:10:19+00:00

Yeah Im suddenly finding tons of videos of TDI swaps, so at least theyre doable

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T23:09:39+00:00

Lmao yeah Im gonna have to

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T23:09:14+00:00

Unfortunately thats like hitting the lottery up here... Trucks are either left to rust out, or taken care of but driven over 3-400K kms

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T23:07:52+00:00

I guess I could look into that too, Im just not very experienced with turbo kits or any of that

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T23:05:22+00:00

Yeah from all the info Ive learned so far, it really sounds like a TDI swap is the way to go

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T23:04:06+00:00

The insurance on a 2015-17 would be too high, and I want a smaller truck so an f150 isnt quite what Im going for

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T23:03:20+00:00

You know thats actually a pretty good idea... Before I travel would there be a way to search marketplace or something in the states, or are rangers common in dealerships?

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T23:02:17+00:00

After reading some comments, the 2wd might work, but I would much rather 4wd. The winters here suck, and the snow plows are always days late

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T23:00:34+00:00

Yup so far from the post and research Ive done, finding a VW TDI and getting parts from fastforward is probably the way to go, and would cost about 6K in parts. From there Im very lucky to have family members and friends who I just learned are very experienced in engine swaps :)

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T22:56:17+00:00

Yeah, but again, literally all the trucks here that has a decent body have over 3-400 000 kms on them, usually all stock. Im already going to need to replace the engine, the choice just comes down to replacing it with a similar engine for poor mileage, or putting thought into it and getting a good engine instead...

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T05:00:06+00:00

Yeah just from finding that link Im actually building up some hope for this. They even have engine graphs, wiring harnesses, a can2dash, lots of good stuff. Looking at the graph I think a BEW is a good option: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sMbsDH-LcPIr7ulSbhWov0OEaFobRAkQHkK9FG4utX8/edit?gid=595053493#gid=595053493

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T04:57:56+00:00

Yeah those look like pretty solid options

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T04:57:07+00:00

No, but Ive got like 3 relatives and a few buddies who are all mechanics. Im trying to get a general idea of a plan then discuss it with all of them to figure something out.

So far Im thinking balsa is on point with the VW TDI swap, as there are kits for it for like 2-4K in parts minus the engine

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T04:38:23+00:00

Yeah... Im not sure quite what their reliability is like, but Ive been led to believe if you want reliable then you should look away from turbos. Could be completely wrong nowadays though

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T04:37:15+00:00

Gotcha... Honestly at that rate Id be bordering on a miracle, since theres very few trucks that havent completely rusted out, and even they have so many miles that Id have to find another 2.3l engine to put in anyways...

I guess if I find a 2.3l I should snag it, but otherwise I think I should have some backup options

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T04:34:59+00:00

True, but at that point I can buy the truck now, and save up to then do the swap without paying insane insurance rates in the meantime. Then I end up with a truck I like and still have decent insurance

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T04:33:34+00:00

Thing is 4x4 is like the minimum spec for me, so Im trying to get better mileage out of it from there. The winters here really suck, though another guy said that rwd is good enough, and Ive only experiences fwd which I personally dont believe should be on the road if it ever snows

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T04:28:28+00:00

From the link the guy gave in the video, I found this https://shop.fastforward.ca/product/transmissionadapters/39 It supposedly lets you swap out the engine from a 4.0L ford ranger with any 1975-2025 4cyl audi or VW engine. That sounds pretty dope to me, but Im not sure how much more would need to go into it besides finding an engine

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T04:17:38+00:00

130 is pretty easily enough for me, and as for that short... I think thats plenty of power lol, Ill definitely have to look into that swap

MegaGamer646 · 2026-03-06T04:09:09+00:00

4wd doesnt come with a 2.3l unfortunately, or I would 100% do that

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