4BT Cummins in an '88 Ranger gets ALL the MPGs

[@mefastest]

Kudos to Rob for not only showing off his cool truck, but just being honest about his build. Sure it took time and effort to do, but he seems like a very down to earth guy that did his homework, tried some stuff and figured out what worked for his project. Well done sir!

[@HarrisonCountyStudio]

💯 % Great Conversation, a lot of fun information. 👍🏽

[@jonnewton5929]

35 year old ranger looks better than today's version.

[@boredom.victim]

more durable, more reliable, etc...

[@yername31]

I like the gen after this one

[@schwags1969]

I had 5 of them from a Courier to 3rd gen 3rd face lift, great trucks. I have a new Tacoma now.

[@schwags1969]

@@yername31 Not a manual transmission, deal breaker for me.

[@yername31]

@@schwags1969 lol same 2020 off road

[@ahrentelford1391]

Love the older rangers, this one checks all the marks. Very nice build.

[@ALAPINO]

We had a similar vintage, but in blue, as a farm truck. It was a great vehicle. I miss that old horse. A really cool swap, for sure!

[@Brad772006]

Agree, I have an 80's model ranger and I really like this build. Also I appreciate your profile pic. Ride on brother.

[@CleanCutLawnsK2]

I've never been a Ford fan, but I'll compliment that one. It sets right, it looks right, and it's cool with that 4BT.

[@braaapattack2937]

I’ll have to agree on this, never liked anything ford. But this is cool

[@larrybreuer4495]

I WAS a True Ford Fan, until I bought something with the 6.0! Ford basically told me to go F#@k myself. NOT their problem! I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER F#@D as long as I live! Rich…I liked your video…, AND I liked how that guy built his truck. 👍👍❤️

[@brutalbasspro]

Not a ford fan but I love my 86 ranger.

[@jonathanwright5550]

They're called a Ford couriers here in New zealand and ausy

[@Nikkk6969]

Ford rangers are the only ford I’ll buy. Up to 2011, that is.

[@Chad93oleblue]

Enjoyed listening to two guys talk about a motor they could both build with their eyes closed! Owner/ builder who actually knows what they hell he has!

[@brentnielsen2010]

Rich is the Jay Leno of Canada!!! Thank you for representing our country so well in the US!! Great little truck and a perfect video. Wonderful content

[@gregholmes3661]

I love Jay Leno but Rich….Rich is in his own category. So intelligent in so many ways.

[@brentnielsen2010]

Oh, I agree and an amazing sense of humour, his laugh is infectious

[@kenwillis8487]

Over 1008 hours in build time while working 9-5 5 days a week! That’s dedication and discipline defined in my book

[@troyp467]

We need more 4bt engines in everything. I love this as a general concept for a trick. All the fuel mileage let's go!

[@fastinradfordable]

My rabbit pickup tdi gets 60+mpg. And makes the same power. And doesn’t melt down climbing grades

[@troyp467]

@@fastinradfordable blows me away that we can't seem to make a modern small trick that.gets the same mpg. Like emissions crap I guess but it's gotta be possible and surely it would sell. But I guess all electric by 2035....

[@Omegadoomship]

As much as I love the Cummins engines, there are better swap options than the 4BT in my opinion. They are very expensive, weighs a ton while not making a lot of power from factory, and vibrates pretty bad. There are other Diesel engines that you could use that are lighter, cheaper and easy to acquire, and you could possibly tune them to make a bit more power. Engines like the Isuzu, smaller CAT engines, old International engines or many agricultural and industrial engines could make an interesting swap. I know a guy who swaps Diesel engines from old agricultural equipment into a couple old trucks and they are actually quite impressive.

[@zacharyprovance3128]

@@Omegadoomship what ag engines did he put into what trucks?

[@troyp467]

@@Omegadoomship good point. I just like the idea of a small efficient diesel in a trick. I honestly find it more interesting than huge HP numbers. Cool that someone is taking things from ag equipment.

[@slow_exc]

DG has finally come full circle for me. I first started watching when I was trying to learn about diesel engines because I wanted but one into my dream truck build. Last year I was able to purchase the truck and it's a 92 Ford ranger so it's really cool somebody else's build on the channel where I first fell down the rabbit hole.

[@williamwayman441]

Wait until you find the CJ Kubota rabbit hole

[@slow_exc]

@@williamwayman441 That would be a pretty sweet project if Jeeps weren't so damn expensive. I know building out my own truck won't be cheap but all in it'll probably still be cheaper than just buying the jeep lol

[@GMCBURBAN]

Very nice rig, simple and reliable, can't fault a nice tidy rig and an old school diesel engine, awesome.

[@RolandoLopezNieto]

That is what trucks should look like, tough and simple. Very nice truck.

[@superrich2719]

Had a 85 ranger, power nothing, 4 cylinder 5 speed manual. That thing would rip. Fell victim to the ON🇨🇦 rust belt. Miss that truck. Great video. Great build. Great time. Thx Rich and Arron.

[@TSRGarage]

Nice truck. And at the end the reminder that I needed.... "get out there and work on it". Headed out to the garage to get something done.... the projects won't finish themselves 👍👍

[@AnarchyEnsues]

Most complete truck yet on deboss garage

[@tjlegel5839]

12:00, they only vibrate a lot if you do not mount them correctly. Awesome build!

[@realmaindrianpace]

Really nice job on that Ranger; great stance, wheel/tire/flare package, and integration of all of the drivetrain parts. Fantastic, I wouldn't change a thing.

[@gregholmes3661]

Rich you are one in a million. I hope you keep this going on for a long time.

[@Crewsy]

It certainly doesn’t look like it has that big of a body lift when you see it from the side. Definitely a well done conversion.

[@Bloodbain88]

10:36 Well that makes me feel a little bit better about my swap. The 12 valve in my chevy 1 ton dually with 4.10 gears gets about 18-22MPG depending on what I'm doing. And I always hear guys talk about how they are getting like 28MPG. I was starting to think something was wrong because I could never get that kind of mileage.

[@justme-n-gracie]

that's what I got in a 12 valve Suburban swap...around 20ish to 23 unloaded

[@Bloodbain88]

@@justme-n-gracie What tire size and gear ratio are you working with? For whatever reason mine actually gets better mileage in town than on the highway. She's screaming pretty high at 70mph with 235/85's and 4.10's. And towing on the highway I can see some losses just because I have to stay in 4th gear. NV4500.

[@sawsurgeon]

I hear you. I get 18 empty and 14ish loaded with my 12 valve ext. cab dually 4x and I’m ecstatic at those numbers. My 2wd Ranger only pulls 20 empty.

[@doomsdaydiesel]

@@Bloodbain88 you'd be much better off with 3.54's. Or 3.73's if you have the 14 bolt rear. I had a 94 Dodge with 4.10s, and even with the higher 47RH OD, it still screamed. Such a dumb setup that I can't believe they actually offered. Picked up a couple MPG's going up to 3.54 and never noticed a lack of power when towing.

[@joshuaphillips1867]

A zf5, especially with 3.55s, usually will feel loose, especially between 3-4. 4th synchro is usually worn the most due to the gearing difference. Internal "lash" in this trans is tight, hence atf fluids.

[@BuildSomethingAuto]

"Whyd I put a 4BT in a ranger? Because a 6BT wont fit" 🤣. I actually did fit a 6BT in an explorer (same chassis) but hes certainly not wrong. It took stretching the front bodywork, moving the steering gearbox, and then still notching the frame in a couple places. Super clean build, awesome ranger. If he wasnt in new mexico id love to meetup and wheel some cummins rangers together! 🚂💨💨 👍

[@crazyoilfieldmechanic3195]

You can easily see the skill and patience and determination of the owner in how nice the truck looks and drives. Job very well done. Looks like it doesn't have an intercooler or water/alcohol injection which would help. Thanks for the vid on it. But 19-20 on mileage, seriously ??? My 95 3/4 ton Ram with a 5.9 and 5 speed gets that if you stay under 65 mph and are not driving up a lot of hills into the wind and it's got over 300k on it. It has 35 inch tires on the back though.......

[@justme-n-gracie]

but you can't blow black smoke in peoples faces when you accelerate.....

[@A2J_Tim]

im about 25 mpg with my 5.9 cummins 3/4 ton

[@jamessmith7691]

Sweet little Ford for the year. Watching it roll a little coal was precious . lol The truck was well done.

[@dabfabbrooks5340]

Can’t wait to see a ranger build. Been building my 91 extended cab 5.3 swap on tons for a 8 years now. Seeing this now I have to go finish mine.

[@Rays_Bad_Decisions]

You can do it!!!

[@smccorison]

My dad had a 88 ranger. Brings me back to when I’d sit behind him in the jump seats. I’d love to buy this/ should build my own

[@jerridehlinger9689]

would like to see deboss do a 1.9 tdi, om606, m57 swap in a small pick up

[@ohiofarmer5918]

A local guy in Deploraville Ohio built a 4BT into a classic square body Dakota. Very nice as well. Live this build

[@clintonstubbs2319]

I like that Ford Ranger with the 4BT Cummins Diesel engine Rich. Enjoy watching the channel and how you build different types of vehicles.

[@dadgarage7966]

Fender flares that cover the large tires properly. Just like the old days. Wow.

[@peteyboyexpress7402]

Nice truck Rob, well done!! Rich thanks for showcasing this truck, she is a real beauty.

[@wimtillaart8671]

That ranger could've used a bit more red in the interior! Love it, love it, love it!!!

[@joecifelli1253]

I love stuff like this. Old school ingenuity. That trucks power train will easily outlast the factory. God bless men and women who do stuff like this.

[@MindofMatter]

Loved this one, Rich! Nice honest old truck built by someone with experience and realistic goals. Looks and sounds great! Kudos to the builder

[@wesharris07]

Heck ya! Abq! I actually have been looking at building one of these with a TDI swap. Never thought to put a 4BT. That thing is sweet.

[@vk2aafhamradio]

Super nice job by Rob, thanks much for the feature, Rich 😃👍

[@just-in-time6069]

I've owned a few rangers through years and had lot fun with them of road from diesel to gas to lifted and lowered fun little trucks .

[@rupertkingsley]

3:38 did I just see a smoke ring?!

[@zacharyprovance3128]

I've never been a fan of quarter ton trucks but man that is one slick little beast! Seeing these videos is a great motivator! Lord knows I don't have the skill but I've got a mighty strong hankering to drop a 7.6L John Deere into one or two of my old project F600s and seeing stuff like this and the C12 rat rod makes me think that even I could do it (with a lot of time, trial, and error of course).

[@leviduff2740]

What transmission would you put behind it? My neighbor keeps saying he wants to do something like that but he doesn't know how to bolt a clutch and transmission to it.

[@zacharyprovance3128]

@leviduff2740 I'm not sure yet. I think that'd be one of the biggest challenges. My dad advises using the clutch out of a same period tractor if possible as they're tremendously tough. I don't imagine any automotive transmissions would bolt right up. Apparently the John Deere 7.6 (466) was built with the help of Navistar so I guess it might have some "relation" to the on-road DT-466.

[@bennyboogenheimer4553]

Cool Truck, Great Guy! Matching demented humor.

[@pkuudsk9927]

Nice build clean install. I wanted to do a 4bt in my 1987 YJ but the motors are so expensive so I am going TDI route if my 4.2 ever gives up at 300+ kms it still runs strong so it may never happen, now I don't drive to work daily anymore hard to justify

[@papatango5082]

I had an 84 ranger diesel it had a 2.2 perkins and a 4spd in it, kinda gutless but I could get almost 700 miles out of both tanks. I miss that truck.

[@pidgeiam4979]

That’s pretty cool. I love it thanks for sharing and props to the owner for those 3hrs after work to get it done. It’s just neat. Great job Ranger owner. 👍👍👍

[@davidmc1489]

Many moons ago....buddy of mine put a 289 in a ford courier.....took some doin....was hard to keep the stock rear end from commin apart

[@logtownacres]

An 88 ranger was my first vehicle. I loved that thing.

[@tjsMAR]

NEW MEXICO!!!!! I never thought i'd see the day that Rich would stop through my town!

[@richhull7465]

That’s just awesome. Thx for checking ir out.

[@Go4BrokeOffroad]

i have an om617 in my bronc2. badass little rig. almost zero modifying anything to make it fit.

[@fonhollohan2908]

The ole rangers were popular rigs back in the day with the 4BT thrown in there sure does make it a even nicer little truck. Love it. yep roll over a cigarette butt throws out his camber, caster and toe. LOL

[@tindjin07]

Woohoo Albuquerque! I have seen this truck, didn't realize it had a 4BT. That is awesome.

[@timbrwolf1121]

He's got about 1300-1500 hours into that build. Pretty impressive.

[@kraabol.mp4]

That a sweet ride! My 86 4Runner TDI swap gets 30+ mpg easy and 20 mpg towing my 72' Tow Low camper that 19' 3000lbs

[@racerchaser27]

Now that would be a fun project. Love that kind of stuff. Nice truck

[@whitefreeman5798]

my mazda/ford sundowner with a perkins diesel would do 70 on the interstate and got in the high 20s mpg .. it would have been nice to have a turbo on it with a little added power but that little truck did great for years

[@mikelezcurra810]

Very cool. He needs to replace the H1C with an HX30W. Would be much less laggy and less smoky.

[@dylanb8427]

I've still got a turbo'd 6.2L diesel swapped FJ40 :) He did a nice swap with that thing!

[@bradboardwell8295]

At the 9:00 to 9:06 mark, I hope whoever welded those nerf bars onto the frame didn't do anything else to this conversion!! Holy hell, ray Charles could weld better than that!!!😂😂 I applaud the owner for thinking outside the box and going the 4BT route. Cool little ranger.

[@tristanroberts3498]

First off that fella is very smart. And that trucks is absolutely perfect

[@clarkbourgeois7661]

I had an '87 Ranger that I bought new in high school from grass cutting proceeds. Then worked for a LTL freight company in college and shipped lots of Deutz Air Cooled engines for oilfield power pack units. Always thought it would be cool to drop one of those in the little Ranger.

[@breech123]

At an auction, I bought a used '99 Ranger 4x4 in 1999. Had it 17 years and put a quarter of a million miles on it. When I sold it, being in the rust belt, I was pretty glad only the passenger door bottom had rust holes, and two fenders had small rust bubbles in the paint, otherwise the original body was still great with no dents. Lost reverse one day and the oil pan metal was thin. Got $1000.00 for her.

[@RioGrandeTyler]

That’s cool you guys were parked at Los Altos skatepark in Albuquerque New Mexico, If I End up doing a Cummins swap on my Ranger it’s awesome to know there’s one in my town … really valuable information exactly the video I needed

[@Taydrum]

I like this truck a lot, my only issues I have with it are it smokes a lot, and the body lift. But the owner shares the same sentiment as me. I wish these were more common

[@trialspro]

Appreciate the honesty with the fuel mileage. I've got a diesel grand cherokee and guys are always inflating their numbers

[@afireinside909]

Awesome ranger! Great build!

[@northeasterndirtandpropert7974]

Any trucking with a 4BT rattling around is a good truck to me.Thats a beauty build.

[@schwags1969]

Cummins sell a complete engine/harness and the adapters are easy to find, this is a great swap.

[@MRSketch09]

I'm blown away that he made this work... So many different parts/axles... How does a person even figure this stuff out & know?

[@fastinradfordable]

Cool rig. But my tdi swapped rabbit pickup gets at least twice the mpg.

[@captaininsano2777]

Here's a cookie for ya😮. 4bt will walk all over that crap VW junk diesel in that fwd can't haul any real weight POS. Lol

[@Vaino_Hotti]

What TDI do you have? 1.9 or some newer 2.0? A rabbit is a biiiiiit smaller and lighter than a 4wd Ranger, but I'd bet that Ranger would get better MPG with a TDI aswell.

[@justme-n-gracie]

lol but your VW Caddy isn't 4x4 either

[@SuperDriver379]

I always wanted to take a small truck and swap a Perkins 4.236 turbo motor in it. But gearing it would be the only real inconvenience. Trying to keep the ripums low for mpg but gearing it low enough to not be a turd with the whole 100hp’s

[@christinamoneyhan5688]

I owned a 1981 Mazda 2200 pick up truck. Bought it new. It was a lot leftover as no one at that time wanted to buy it. The truck is a Ford Ranger . It had a Perkins 2200 cc diesel in it from the factory. Two wheel drive and a 5 speed overdrive transmission. 40 miles per gallon empty or overloaded with oak firewood. Great truck but, Northeast salt roads ate it up before 120,000 miles. Sold it to Amish farmer.

[@cb2536]

I had an 89 Ranger with a 5.0 /5spd it was a very fun truck. Got 20mpg but it was 2wd with 26" tires.

[@TylerDuysen]

just a piece of knowledge about the zf5 the gear ratio being off since its a gasser trans isnt a big deal the diesel gears swap directly inj so you get a close pattern but sbf bell housing pattern

[@TylerDuysen]

also the 80s rangers came with diesel 2.2l perkins to be exact it was only offered for a couple years but those engines got very great mpg too

[@philljustphill1656]

You spend some time in australia and brasil, and the perspective on small diesel trucks totally changes. Toyota Hilux, being the king, of course. But everyone has a damn good one, nissan, mitsubishi, chevy, ford, *not VW*... The colorado diesel is the best option in it's category...

[@vietmanesemechanic6331]

2005 I had a 01 Ram dually 4x4 Cummins 6sp 4:11 gears If I wasn't wrong I was doing 15-17 mpg ? Sounds right? My buddy had a 97 auto and he has he got 25 mpg ?

[@oddcarsandbaddecisions]

ZF5’s without the dual mass flywheel are horribly loud. The trans was louder than my 6.9 IDI at an idle!

[@davescott124]

I thought the oil pan was a front diff for a sec from far away lol, that's gonna be fun offroad, need some steel plate on that for sure.

[@jaredwitmer4836]

Awesome job Rob, glad to see you and your truck doing well. I guess the 7.3 never got pulled for a DT360😂.

[@davebarr1930]

This is right up my alley. I started building a nissan 720 with a 4BT about 10 years ago but got too busy to finish it. This motivates a bit though. Btw. While in Albuquerque you gotta try a little place called the Dog house for lunch

[@devil2jz500]

I’m in Albuquerque too! I have a 92’ Land Cruiser 80 series. Debating between a 4bt, 6BT or a TDI swap. What else do you need to get your 720 running? Dog House is a church for local food.

[@davebarr1930]

@Devil2jz im no longer in Albuquerque. I moved there right as Covid began not knowing what kind of damage it was gonna cause. Unfortunately, I moved back to Las Vegas (NEVADA) not that fake one in N.M lol. If I were in your position and had a toyota I'd personally go with a 6BT or even a 1JZ just depending on how much daily driving its used for.

[@ElectronicMechanic50]

Awesome 1st gen ranger too! Like my 88

[@2ndgenshedmover]

Really cool build! Props to you for doing research and putting in the time to build this and flowing thru!

[@jonniessink1]

One "upgrade" he can do to the ranger is to put on one of those aftermarket exhaust tips from a modern diesel truck that draws in fresh air to cool the exhaust before it exits the system. This is so the fresh air can mix with the exhaust and dilute the smoke and make it appear cleaner. I did something similar on my old 6.9 idi after i cranked up the fuel so i wouldn't get pulled over by the cops everyday just trying to cross an intersection. Now i have a turbo, so it barely smokes at all

[@loganstaal3162]

I’ve got a 88 solid axle swapped and am doing the ls swap right now

[@Scoots1994]

I love my little diesel SUV, but I'm always chasing the setup. Put a bigger turbo to free up some flow, bigger exhaust, boost control, but it all comes down to the compromise of the limited adjustment of the pump I have.

[@Jarheads4Yeshua]

My recommendation is to find the transmission that came with it stock, look for the bread truck trans/UPS truck trans to get the correct gearing ratios...

[@Appytail]

THIS Ranger truck with a Cummins 2.8 is my dream rig ....

[@garyworokevich2524]

Nice little rig.

[@billk9628]

20's is about the norm in most Cummins 4bt/6bt for MPG. But what most people don't understand is that that is also when pulling a Bobcat on a 7000lbs trailer and interstate speeds as well! Try doing the same with any V8, and I guarantee that milage will fall to about 12mpg. Nice Rigg!

[@J_prath]

This is the coolest truck I have ever seen.

[@melrichardson2392]

Absolutely beautiful brother , I would be so proud.

[@winterlounge]

An OM617 or 616 would probably be lighter and get better mpgs. Been considering that swap in Toyota.

[@litoaykiu]

OM604 would be upgrade. OM616 or 617 are about half the weight of 4BT.

[@doomsdaydiesel]

Do it!

[@wulffgaming]

I have a 1980 F150 2WD that I swapped a 6BT and NV4500 into. It gets 25-30 MPG average, and well over 30 on long trips. I have owned this truck since 97, and it's been 6BT powered since 17. Did the swap myself, and didn't need any "Special" or modified parts, aside from the front u-joint yoke added to the original driveshaft. Everything else can be bought through any normal parts retailer. Love the truck, and would not sell it for any reasonable amount, unreasonable perhaps.....

[@bigtrucker26]

I need to know which hydroboost worked! I have a 2.3l gas turbo in mine, and ensuring vacuum has always been a issue.... mine has no power steering, but i would consider adding it for better brakes...

[@nephrium]

So you're looking around to see about that repower cummins swap eh? I know it's been years at this point, but I really like those repower cummins motors.

[@literallyshaking8019]

It just looks right. Fantastic build.

[@patcb829]

What an awesome build Rob and loved his honesty on stuff.

[@1leggeddog]

This is so cool and actually what i thought about doing myself to my project but in a Bronco II

[@tdotw77]

I like it. Something a lil different. The ol Bronco II's. On a side note, I wondered why Ford went w\ Bronco Sport instead of the old Bronco II names? 🐎

[@justme-n-gracie]

the Mitsubishi 2.3L turbodiesel is a bolt in with Ford factory mounts and lots of power with the wastegate modified. And does not weigh 400 pounds extra like the Cummins 4BT. The Ranger/Bronco II brakes, even with the Explorer Dana 35 upgrade do not have brakes adequate for the extra weight of the Cummins. Maybe OK for casual driving but not for hard use.

[@JBlake-moon-shdo]

Bob you did an excellent job. Thanks for sharing.

[@tomcleghorn4005]

What a great guy and a great truck. Wish we could do that in Canada without paying through the arse for insurance.

[@DEBOSSGARAGE]

Its old enough to go through hagerty. $200 for the year

[@brandonfloyd6321]

My brother 4bt swapped his spracoupe ag sprayer. Luckily his 4bt came with the ford plate on the back and the sprayer already came from factory with a Ford t5 behind the peugot engine so slapped a sbf bell housing on the t5. So was a easy swap.

[@adventureswithedna]

You asked if he had something nice and shiny to drive. I have a 98 BMW 540i 6 speed as my daily, but I tend to drive Edna more. Usually just drive the BMW when I need AC lol. Edna gets driven way more than what you see on my channel

[@jameshathaway5117]

This thing needs a Gear vendors overdrive and it would be perfect! Not only would you get that gear between 3rd and 4th you get an extra gear between almost every gear (4th gear is direct 4th overdrive is .78 and 5th gear is .76 so I'm not sure you can count 4th overdrive as a viable gear). With a GV the ratios would be 3rd 1.61 3rd overdrive 1.26 and 4th at 1.0 so it would be way better. Plus the lower gear rear ends would be an option because double overdrive ratio is .59! That means a 4.10 rear will still have a higher final drive ratio than the stock 5th gear with 3.55 rear.

[@yougoof]

I learned about gear vendors from scotty, when he was much younger on a aftermarket car shop show on t.v . I've found 2 f250's that had it, they were both the 80's 4 speeds.

[@justme-n-gracie]

then the rear driveshaft would be a foot long....

[@jameshathaway5117]

@@justme-n-gracie the gear vendor replaces the tail shaft. The overall length is the same. Typically you use the same driveshaft. Most of the kits actually have a tail shaft extension piece because the overdrive is shorter than the average tailshaft.