ALH into 95 Ranger 4x4

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
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San Jose, CA
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'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
fuel lines

Thanks CptJack
Little update today. I have the passenger side of the engine compartment all wired up and put back together. The driver side is arguably more complicated and will take a bit longer given that the bulk head connectors are there. Radiator fan controller is mounted, and all the wires have been removed that aren't needed. I found plugs in the ABS controller connector to fill the holes where wires used to be.
here's a few pictures, because who doesn't like pictures.


I spent a few hours trying to give the fan controller an a/c ON signal so that I could turn the fans on when in 4 low and not have to have the engine get warm enough to need it turned on. But the controller is looking for a duty cycle signal from the high pressure side of the a/c system, so I scraped that idea. The coolant fans will just come on when they need to. I expect to need fans on the intercooler for driving in 4 low and will be repurposing the fuel pump relay for this. At the moment I am just going to route the wires and cap off the connector. I want to get this thing driving first, then I will figure out the fans.
Fan controler and MAP sensor wires are mocked in place. They'll get finalized and taped up once I check clearances with the engine.

I also got my fuel lines run from where the switch over valves are up to the filter. I needed these run because once the engine goes back in, there won't be any room to do fit checks. I'll finish up from the valves back to the tank once I get the transfer case and drive shafts out of the bed of the truck. I will drop the stock tank and the bed to have room to route the fuel lines and mock up the shape of the second tank that's going where the spare tire used to be.




What's left for now is just finishing up the wiring in the engine compartment and then making the connections in the cab. With the quarantine going on, hopefully that doesn't take too long.

I hope you all are getting a bunch done on your projects or atleast keeping busy during these times.
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
Location
San Jose, CA
TDI
'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
Well I got to talk with the ECU today. But it wouldn't talk to VAGCOM, only my generic code reader worked.

So along with troubleshooting the codes to get them fixed before cleaning up the wiring, I get to figure out why vagcom won't turn on. I have power and ground, and pin 7 to the ECU (I assume it all works since I was able to use a different reader).
Vagcom turned on when plugged into my jetta. So something must be just a little bit off. Maybe someone out there has had a similar experience and figured out what was wrong. I'll probably call Ross-Tech later today or tomorrow and see what they say about it.

Codes I was able to pull off with my reader were:
P1156 - MAP sensor (G71)
P1161 - MAP sensor (G72)
P1354 - Injection Pump
P1562 - Quantity adjuster

I don't think the map sensor is bad, but I'm working on borrowing another one to test and see. I checked all the wires and they are connected correctly, that would have been too easy. I did also measure the resistance of each wire, and pin 31 that goes to pin 3 has a slightly higher resistance than the other 3 wires. It's 1 ohm vs. .5 ohm for the rest of the wires. I did some light research on how the sensor works and nothing came up.

Does anyone think that the difference in resistance could be the issue?

As for the injection pump stuff, I haven't given the quantity adjuster power yet, so that would make sense that it isn't working. I'll get it hooked up and check again after I get vagcom working to make sure that was my only issue.

Overall I'm pretty happy with how few codes I have so far. Of course I haven't tried to start it yet. I'm want to get vagcom working before then so I can check on what's going on better.
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
Location
San Jose, CA
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'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
Note to self, when you've been powering on the ECU with different things disconnected, clear the old codes and rescan before you believe anything.

MAP sensor is fine. I just need power and ground connected for the injection pump and other sensors on it and I should be ready for to try starting it.

And after swapping the ground wires on the port, I was able to use vagcom to read codes. My guess is that the ground it was using doesn't have the best connection. But I don't know, and I still find it odd that my other reader was able to work.

Note: I do also have a code for some pedal wires not working, but I expect that given I haven't wired up the pedal yet. But it will start without a pedal connected, I tested out this theory on my jetta with success.
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
Location
San Jose, CA
TDI
'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
First start up in truck

I have a running engine! I got it running a few days ago, but then got busy and didn't have a chance to upload the video. The only codes I have at the moment are not having a working pedal and not being able to talk to the instrument cluster. Both codes it should be throwing.
I let off the ignition a bit early which is why it stutters before starting, and because it doesn't have a pedal hooked up the RPM goes to 1100 or so by default on start up. You may have to click the picture to see the video. I think that's how Flickr does things.

After getting the engine to start, I went and cleaned up the wiring so that I could put my ABS pump back in. I still need to route the power and ground wires to the starter in a neater way and to get the ECU wires to the Ranger Engine connector. Neither of those are in the way at the moment so I am focusing on getting the interior wired up so I can put the dash back on.

After digging around on the Ranger forums and my wiring diagrams, I figured out that my 95 was an in between year for how the tach is set. 96-03 has a few wires that do or don't get pulled to ground depending on 4,6 or 8 cylinders. For the 95, I simply remove pin 1(bk/y wire) of the 16 pin connector and my cluster goes from displaying 6 cyl. tach to 4 cyl. I'll verify this with Vagcom once I have coolant and exhaust plumbed. That way I can leave the engine running and not have it over heat or fill my garage with fumes.
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
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San Jose, CA
TDI
'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
Center Console

Thank you Greengeeker. It has been a big relief having the engine running now. I'm working on getting all the interior wiring back together now. I think I have every thing in the dash run, and I got my center console made. I just need to figure out how to mount my pedal and it'll all be back together.

The fuel gauge will show the level of which ever tank is not being used and the LEDs will indicate which one that is. I'll also put a set of LED for indicating the dash shown tank as well. Switches are for the air compressor, fuel tank selector, keeping the radio on with the truck off for at camp sites, running the intercooler fans, cutting flow to the heater core (important since I don't have A/C), and turning off the buzzer I will be installing as part of my low coolant warning. The missile switches are also arranged to prevent the tank select switch from being knocked accidentally.

I need to do some maintenance on my bandsaw and then I'll be able to get my pedal mounted. I'm trying to make it so that the pedal bolts into place and I don't need to weld to my wirewall if I can avoid it.
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
Location
San Jose, CA
TDI
'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
Ford ranger On board air

Agreed, welding is a bit too permanent and hard to change for something that really needs to be positioned just right.
So after mounting the switch for the air compressor, I realized that I never ran wires for one or even had a plan for where it was going to go. So I found a small ARB one. The guys I camp with have all had good luck with them so that's what I chose to use.
I spent a bunch of time trying to find some place to put it today, when I knew it would fit in the spot that I had planned to put fluids. But in the end, it's easier to put fluids in a tool box or in the bumper I have planned than running wires and air lines. So that's where it was going. But as all things that seem too good to be true, so was this. I made it about .5" too narrow to easily get the compressor to bolt in. So I started cutting, trying to make small cuts and leave as much material as I could. But it continued to be a pain and I couldn't get all the bolts in easily. I ended up cutting off as much as I could and still have some structure holding the coolant bottle in place. Overall though I'm happy with the placement as it keeps the compressor higher than the air filter for my truck, so it should stay dry during any water crossings.

I haven't figured out if I want to modify the center console for the ARB switch now or not. But I'll probably leave it. I like how it looks, and I can bolt on the locker switches by the side later if I get them.
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
Location
San Jose, CA
TDI
'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
Throttle pedal

Not much progress this week I had to take care of some other stuff this week, but it was also nice, so I went for a few hikes to get out of the house.
I did get the throttle pedal mount completed today though. Here's a breakdown of what I did. With pictures for entertainment! I hope this helps.
I was surprised when I got the Ranger pedal out and found that the two pedals are essentially the same shape.


I always felt like the ranger pedal was too close to the floor board, and also too close to the tunnel. It took 3 tries to get the pedal where I wanted though. That's why there are so many holes in the bracket. I started with a guess, and then mounted the pedal to check for fit. it took a few tries to get it exactly where I wanted it. But it also shouldn't be too hard to adjust it later if I don't like where it is.

The wedge mounts with the same bolt hole that the original pedal used. I had hoped that the flat spot on the firewall, but it ended up not being enough. Which then made it convenient that I used a scrap piece because it already had a tapped 1/2-13 hole that I put a set screw into to help wedge the wedge it against the firewall. The set screw is really just some all thread that I ground a slot into for a screw driver.
Assembled in the truck:

And finally, I filled the hole where the cable passed through the firewall. I tried to just cut the two ends of the cable, but the plastic grommet was held tight to the firewall by the pedal. So I couldn't use that. Instead I used a 1/2" bolt and a washer on each side. It actually looks a lot better than I expected. I wanted to use some gasket sealer, but didn't have any on hand, so if it becomes a problem later I can always deal with it later.
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
Location
San Jose, CA
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'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
Search light

Not really a super interesting post, but since you're looking for I've also been cleaning up some other wiring from before and putting in wires for the air compressor. The previous owner installed a search light and the power wire was run over the fender, so I pulled the wire into the cab and connected it to the dash connector. It's run to the fuse panel I'm putting in the center console and get power from there.
.
I highly recommend to anyone who is going to to this to get a second set of connectors if you can. It's been really handy for adding pins to the stock connectors and keeping the wiring clean, and also to avoid needing to drill and holes or put in grommets.
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
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San Jose, CA
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'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
Thoughts on engine mounting

Last thoughts for tonight are more for anyone who's considering this swap into a 93-97 ranger because of how the TTB suspension effects the shape of the space for the engine. The mounting of the beams are on opposite sides of the frame rails and it crowds the bottom of the engine space.
If I were to do this again, I would scoot the engine forward another inch or so in order to be able to get it lower and still be able to access the motor mounts. I know I already made a 2 inch spacer, but for fitment I would push that further. Obviously take all this with a grain of salt since I haven't put any miles on my current set up. But because the clutch only handles rotational force, I don't see any reason why the spacer couldn't be made a little longer. It would just need to be big enough to handle the torque, and adjust the weight of the flywheel if needed.

You can see in this picture of the tunnel how the transmission is sitting against the tunnel. I'm going to patch the hole I cut earlier when I thought I was going to leave the transmission rotated. I'm also going to make some space so the transmission doesn't rub against the tunnel.
It's interesting looking back and seeing how this project has changed. I definitely like having the transmission in the stock location, and would have even liked to have moved it a little more. I would have tried to move the starter to the driver side also where the Ranger had it. I believe it would fit, but I haven't done any checks to verify that. I'm past the point where I'm going to go back and try, but if you have the tools and abilities I would explore it.
 

greengeeker

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Feb 8, 2006
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS
Why is it sitting up so high? I'd recommend at least 1/2" of clearance all the way around the transmission. I should remove my shifter cover to show how much it moves under max load.
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
Location
San Jose, CA
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'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
Engine mounting location constraints

Green - Seeing how much the engine moves under load would be great. If it's easy to remove everything and take a video, that would be awesome. But depending on your cab that's probably not the easiest thing to do.

Hopefully this answers your question, I appreciate the feedback and questions. I'd rather have someone ask the question now instead of thinking about it later when something doesn't work.
It's up so high because of the turbo and alternator. The turbo sits right on top of the passenger motor mount and any lower and I wouldn't be able to tighten the nut. And the alternator on the other side is right above the steering box. I had it lower, but then noticed that there was less than an 1/8" between the two. And when I went to raise it up I had to go up about .5" or so in order to clear the lower bolts on the engine bracket.
If/when rubbing becomes an issue down, I'll address it then, right now I need to get this thing driving. My options to fix it would be: a body lift, changing the shape of the tunnel, different engine mounts (which would require messing with the engine transmission adapter)

Messing with the tunnel is probably my favorite option right now, because I would like to go back and coat the cab in lizard skin to damp sound and also insulate. But that's also a future project and could be done at the same time.

I took some pictures but I don't know how well they will actually show what I'm talking about, but here they are.
Drivers side engine mount. The tab had to be low enough to be able to put the bolts in.

Clearance between the alternator and steering box. I may have to lift the engine to be able to change the alternator. I'm not sure if there is room.

A terrible picture of the space between the passenger side mount and the turbo
 

RamblingswithRyan

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Apr 29, 2020
Location
Ohio
TDI
Future Ranger TDI
I'm being very diligent with it. I did the same at first, removing all the unnecessary wires, and have since cut different sections out of the harness temporarily so that I can move them where I want then, then reconnect them.
I got the motor started a few weeks ago with a different harness that I knew worked. I haven't started it with this one yet. I've already had the immo removed from the ECU. Other than that it is stock while I get the kinks worked out. I'll start adding stuff once its running reliably.
Today I just got the ECU mounted and over the weekend I mounted the box that will hold my glow plug relay, along with a relay 43 that I'm adding to give me a low coolant warning light. I ordered the relay this weekend upon finding out that it has special circuitry inside and is not just a standard relay. I'll post more about this once I get the relay and test my circuit.
I took the mounting bracket off the jetta and bolted it in the ranger between the radiator and the air box.


Today I finished up the box to mount the ECU in and got it secured into the truck.

With these two things in place I can finish up the wiring for the glow plugs, and work on connecting power to all my vacuum solenoids that live over on this side.
Relay 43 should be here tomorrow, so I should be making some major progress this weekend.
Honeybadger, how did you mount the ecu? I see it’s in the firewall, but how difficult was that? I’m trying to figure out where to mount my ecu in my ‘95 Ranger swap
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
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San Jose, CA
TDI
'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
ECU mounting

Honeybadger, how did you mount the ecu? I see it’s in the firewall, but how difficult was that? I’m trying to figure out where to mount my ecu in my ‘95 Ranger swap
Do you have a swap thread going? Id be interested in seeing how you're doing things since we are using the same rig.
The difficulty was not bad, but I wouldn't call it quick. I used a hacksaw and a file to open up the space where the ranger ECU mounts. Basically I opened up the hole in a few stages trying to get it just big enough for the ecu to fit. There isn't a whole lot of extra material for mounting the box to the firewall if you get too crazy with cutting.
Inside my aluminum box, I used the steel VW mount for the ecu, but I modified it to be as low profile as I could. Then I drilled holes through both and attached it with rivets. I don't have any pictures on this computer, but I can check my other computer later to see what other pictures of the process i have if you want.
I hope that helps.
 

RamblingswithRyan

Active member
Joined
Apr 29, 2020
Location
Ohio
TDI
Future Ranger TDI
Do you have a swap thread going? Id be interested in seeing how you're doing things since we are using the same rig.
The difficulty was not bad, but I wouldn't call it quick. I used a hacksaw and a file to open up the space where the ranger ECU mounts. Basically I opened up the hole in a few stages trying to get it just big enough for the ecu to fit. There isn't a whole lot of extra material for mounting the box to the firewall if you get too crazy with cutting.
Inside my aluminum box, I used the steel VW mount for the ecu, but I modified it to be as low profile as I could. Then I drilled holes through both and attached it with rivets. I don't have any pictures on this computer, but I can check my other computer later to see what other pictures of the process i have if you want.
I hope that helps.
I don’t have a swap thread going yet, but I have been taking pictures along the way with the intentions of making a thread. I actually joined specifically to reply to your thread and trade ideas back and forth with you since I saw you hadn’t finished quite yet.
I wasn’t originally going to start a swap thread until I was done with it, but I think I may start the it sooner. I am also videoing the process to post up on my YouTube channel. I felt like there was a need for some more video out there on Ranger TDI swaps since there’s not really all that much. Lots for Jeeps, but not Rangers.

I think I’ll try to get a VW ECU mount at the junk yard since I don’t have one.

I’d love to see any pictures you may have of the process if it’s not a bother.
 
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HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
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San Jose, CA
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'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
ECU mounting

I actually joined specifically to reply to your thread and trade ideas back and forth with you since I saw you hadn’t finished quite yet.
I’d love to see any pictures you may have of the process if it’s not a bother.
Awesome, welcome to the forums! Starting a thread is a great way to get feedback or get ideas if you need them. Any links to your videos?
So I have fewer pictures than I thought. I guess I was more focused on working. Here's what I've got.
ECU and the plastic deal that it sits in removed.

Mock up of the ECU on the vw bracket sitting in the hole

I do have the dimensions for the box, so you could approximate a little bit bigger for the hole size.

And then the last I have is just of it installed, which has already been posted.
The back side I just got covered up a few days ago before re-installing the dash. Here's the two pictures of that.

 

RamblingswithRyan

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Apr 29, 2020
Location
Ohio
TDI
Future Ranger TDI
Awesome, welcome to the forums! Starting a thread is a great way to get feedback or get ideas if you need them. Any links to your videos?
So I have fewer pictures than I thought. I guess I was more focused on working. Here's what I've got.
ECU and the plastic deal that it sits in removed.

Mock up of the ECU on the vw bracket sitting in the hole

I do have the dimensions for the box, so you could approximate a little bit bigger for the hole size.

And then the last I have is just of it installed, which has already been posted.
The back side I just got covered up a few days ago before re-installing the dash. Here's the two pictures of that.

Oh, interesting...so your Ranger ECU was up there? Mine is down under the clutch master cylinder.

Your setup looks really clean and put together, but my firewall doesn’t look exactly like yours. Strange. See, my truck is a Ranger, but it had a Mazda B4000 body put on it because the original body rusted out. Maybe the Mazda body is from an older truck. I remember my 1993 truck had the ECU down under the clutch master cylinder too.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/188243715@N03/49845832002/in/dateposted-public

Here’s my channel link. Not much on there yet but of course, better content is coming on the Ranger/Mazda.
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCD35u9NXbTny7-uZ4UOSUDw
 
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HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
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San Jose, CA
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'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
That's interesting that your ECU is right there, that's where my 3 bulk head connectors are. Where do the wires pass from the engine compartment into the cab? I'm going to be adding the last few wires to these connectors in the next few days, so I'll take some more detailed photos to show you and everyone else what my set up looks like.

That's not a bad place to mount your ECU though, if you can get it to fit. That's pretty well protected from "the elements"

Just FYI, we're almost getting to the point where we should probably be having this conversation on your build thread, but since we're talking about a 95 it still seems like it could be useful for others who are trying to do the same thing.
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
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San Jose, CA
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'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
That's interesting that your ECU is right there, that's where my 3 bulk head connectors are. Where do the wires pass from the engine compartment into the cab? I'm going to be adding the last few wires to these connectors in the next few days, so I'll take some more detailed photos to show you and everyone else what my set up looks like.

That's not a bad place to mount your ECU though, if you can get it to fit. That's pretty well protected from "the elements"

Just FYI, we're almost getting to the point where we should probably be having this conversation on your build thread, but since we're talking about a 95 it still seems like it could be useful for others who are trying to do the same thing.
 

RamblingswithRyan

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Apr 29, 2020
Location
Ohio
TDI
Future Ranger TDI
Must be since I had a 4.0 and you had a 3.0. Yeah, I’ll stop hijacking the thread. I’ll start a thread ASAP here and get these things sorted out on there. Thanks for the input. If you’re curious on how I did anything feel free to message me. I look forward to seeing more of your build whatever the case. I’ve been reading it for a good year and a half I think. Keep it up, bud!
 

Alberta 7.3

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Joined
Nov 11, 2017
Location
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
TDI
CBEA Ranger under construction
Over the years, Ford played ping pong with a location for the PCM/ECU. Passenger kick panel, driver side of firewall, on the cowl. Some are weatherproof, others must reside in the cab to prevent damage (but windshield leaks usually crater the inside mounted ones.)
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
Location
San Jose, CA
TDI
'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
Dash back in

No pictures, but the clutch is now installed. Up until now I haven't had the pressure plate installed, just the flywheel to be able to start the motor. Because the ALH is sitting higher up than the ranger motor, I had to remove the vacuum pump in order to tilt the engine down enough to get the transmission mounted. I couldn't lift the transmission high enough to slide it onto the engine because of the fire wall, so I had to tilt the engine down to get it together.
Also, the dash is back in the truck now. I got the glove box and airbag cover installed.



I need to verify all the dash lights work and then I can button up around the gauge cluster.
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
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San Jose, CA
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'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
Body mount issues

I should say that while I don't plan to do a body lift right now, I will likely do one in the future. Just enough to clear the transmission. Otherwise I might look into making a new spacer and engine mounts to get the engine to sit lower.

Right now I am changing out the body mounts, I bought them long ago to do when I changed out the suspension bushings. Long story short, I did the suspension bushings and the body bushings have just been sitting around. Since I have the carpet out, I figured now would be a good time to change them. Plus new hardware will be easier to remove and add spacers to when/if needed.

As with everything you don't get around to for a while, the parts don't fit, but I also don't know why. It looks like my radiator support bushing is supposed to be a different shape.

I'm posting this in the ranger forums to see what people think, but maybe someone here knows something about this also.
I'd prefer not to cut and fab the bracket to fit the body bushing since there isn't a lot of space to weld without fully removing the body. These bushings are that expensive to make the work justifiable.

Hopefully someone knows what part I need. I've seen a similar shape on explorer body mounts, but I can't find anything telling me if they fit.
 

RamblingswithRyan

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Apr 29, 2020
Location
Ohio
TDI
Future Ranger TDI
I'm posting this in the ranger forums to see what people think, but maybe someone here knows something about this also.
I'd prefer not to cut and fab the bracket to fit the body bushing since there isn't a lot of space to weld without fully removing the body. These bushings are that expensive to make the work justifiable.
Hopefully someone knows what part I need. I've seen a similar shape on explorer body mounts, but I can't find anything telling me if they fit.
I’ve replaced the body mount bushings on my old 93 and my replacement bushings looked like your blue ones. My frame brackets were rusted away so I don’t know if it was the same as your stock bushings. I ended up modifying the frame brackets since they were rusted out. It was quite easy to do especially if you know how to weld. If you’re worried about not having clearance, I was able to lift the body up enough with a floor jack in order to weld the giant washers onto the frame brackets with ease. I hope that helps a bit. Alternatively you could modify the new bushings to fit.
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
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San Jose, CA
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'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
Bent body mount bracket

Well after a few days of taking care of some other projects, I'm back to my body mount situation. Which has now made it's path quite clear. I will be changing the mounts to fit the bushings I have. I was already planning to modify the mounts, but my method for changing the mounts was determined for me when I went to remove the other side and found this.

I don't know if I did that or a previous owner, but regardless I'm not getting a new bushing into that bracket. I tried using a hydraulic spreader I have, but it didn't budge. So I'm going to check pick-n-pull to see if I can cut off the radiator support brackets from another ranger and weld them on to mine. Being in CA, I'm not too worried about all of them being rusted through. But, if that doesn't work out, then I'll go the fab my own route. This just seems like it might be a bit quicker and easier.
And the "while I'm in there" bug caught me and I'm going to make some spacers to lift the cab up somewhere .25"-.5" to give the transmission space. I'm going to be removing the bed to fab the second fuel tank, so it'll be easy to install the spacers for the bed.
 

HoneyBadger

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Dec 25, 2012
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San Jose, CA
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'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
Body mounts

Well almost 2 weeks later and I don't have much to show. But I have been working on the truck. I had to make two trips to Pick n Pull to get the body mount I was looking for. I found another '95 Ranger and it had the same slot. That same trip I tried a '96 Explorer because it was the next closest thing. I wasn't hopefull but it was worth a shot. No luck.
So later that week I was ready to go to a further yard that had an earlier year ranger, and a '94 showed up at my local yard. Grabbed those and found a hex hole that fit the bushings just right. I'm annoyed that I found 2 rangers that had a different hole type for the body mount but that only one kit is sold. My dad theorized that maybe the CA built trucks got a different body mount for some reason. Pictures included because who doesn't like pictures.

I also spents a couple days turning down these bushings to fit inside the body mounts because I didn't like how the ones I got were going to fit. They were too short and that was just going to crush the mounts more, and right now I'm trying to get as much height from them as I can.

I got the new mounts welded on the truck and paint is drying now. I'm going to make some I think .5" spacers or close to it depending on the material I find. That'll clear my transmission tunnel and also line up the intercooler with the radiator support up front. More on that later...
I'm hoping by the weekend to have the body mounts buttoned up and the interior back in place. Then I have a few non-truck related welding projects to do before I can get back at it. I think making a second fuel tank is next on the list, so I may have some questions for any folks who have done that before.
 

Alberta 7.3

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2017
Location
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
TDI
CBEA Ranger under construction
That is weird that they changed the opening in the body mount. I know for sure 92-97 full size F-series trucks have the hexagonal hole. I'm curious what I will find when I start to rip apart my 08 Ranger now, I know the frames were redesigned in 98. I'm guessing that is the Duff mount kit by the blue color, which shows as being for 83-97, yet the same kit sold by Daystar has application for 83-93.



This energy suspension kit looks to have the correct shape even though the years are off https://www.energysuspensionparts.com/4.4117
 

HoneyBadger

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
Location
San Jose, CA
TDI
'02 Jetta 5 spd, 03 jetta auto, future ALH Ranger
body mount comments

This energy suspension kit looks to have the correct shape even though the years are off https://www.energysuspensionparts.com/4.4117
From what I've seen (mostly from internet searches), the Explorers got the slotted body mount sometime around '95 at least in the sport trac I believe.

The funny thing about that kit is that the front body bushing would fit correctly, but the back one (tall mount) wouldn't because only the front is a slot for me. The other two are both round.

This seemed like the better solution for me in case I ever need new body mounts for some reason. Now I just need the one set. Better than trying to mix two different ones.
 
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