One of the lesser-known rarities in Ford's history is its iconic midsize Ranger pickup truck equipped with a fuel sipping, four cylinder diesel engine. Actually, there were two different engine models offered back-to-back; a naturally aspirated, Mazda made 2.2 liter Perkins for the 1983 and 1984 model years and a turbocharged 2.3 liter made by Mitsubishi for 1985 and 1986. Purchasing one didn't require ordering from a secret menu, but the configuration was largely unpopular and there are not that many in existence.
The 1983 and 1984 Perkins option was only available with a four speed manual transmission and two wheel drive configuration. Although it still boasted 41 miles per gallon on the highway without an overdrive transmission, the engine only peaked at 59 horsepower and 90 lb-ft of torque. From a performance standpoint, it was positioned dead last; the 2.0 liter gas engine was rated at 73 horsepower and 107 lb-ft of torque while the V-6 option gave the ranger 115 horsepower and 150 lb-ft.
When equipped, however, the diesel powered Ranger retained a payload capacity up to 1,620 lbs - not bad for a little pickup with a 4,500 lbs GVWR.
For 1985 Ford decided to give the Diesel-Ranger concept a serious chance, losing the naturally aspirated Perkins and adopting a turbocharged 2.3 liter from Mitsubishi. The Mitsubishi 4D55T turbodiesel made 86 horsepower and 134 lb-ft of torque. Although the numbers might seem lackluster, recall that this is 1985 and the most powerful engine option was the 2.8 liter V-6 at 115 horsepower. The diesel option was now 3rd in power and 2nd in torque making it a much more attractive engine choice.
The Mitsubishi diesel was also only available with a manual transmission, but the four speed had been ditched and a five speed unit with overdrive took its place. This engine was not new to the U.S. and Dodge had been tinkering with its own midsize "Ram 50" that was powered by the same unit.
Ford would abandon its diesel ambitions for the Ranger following the 1986 model year. Unfortunately, they'd have to open a fairly serious recall campaign in April of 1987 to address a flaw in the Mitsubishi diesel's engine blocks from the 1985 production run. Affected engines could develop a stress crack that could result in an oil leak and severe engine knock due to a casting flaw in one of the main bearing bulkheads; the only remedy was to replace the engine block.
As neat as these little diesel concepts are, they share one major common problem - part obscurity. Before you seek out a piece of domestic diesel history, take a moment to find replacement parts for one of these rare gems. A trip to your local parts counter is out of the question; it is quite difficult to get parts for either of these engines from domestic sources.
Perkins Engine Specs
| Names | 2.2L Perkins, Model 4.135 Perkins diesel | |
|---|---|---|
| Vin Code | 7th digit "P" | |
| Engine Family | Perkins 200 Series | |
| Manufacturer | Toyo Kogyo (Mazda) [1] | |
| Type | 4 cycle diesel, liquid cooled | |
| Configuration | Inline 4 cylinder (I-4) | |
| Applications | 1983 - 1984 Ford Ranger 1982 - 1984 Mazda B2200 |
|
| Displacement (nominal) | 134 cubic inches, 2.2 liters | |
| Displacement (actual) | 134.6 cubic inches, 2.21 liters | |
| Bore | 3.50 inches (88.90 mm) | |
| Stroke | 3.50 inches (88.90 mm) | |
| Bore/Stroke Ratio | 1.00 (square) | |
| Compression Ratio | 22.0:1 | |
| Firing Order | 1-3-4-2 | |
| Engine Block Material | Cast iron with dry cylinder liners | |
| Cylinder Head Material | Cast iron | |
| Injection System | Indirect injection, mechanical injector pump | |
| Poppet Pressure | 1,920 - 1990 psi | |
| Injection Pump | Diesel Kiki VE pump (Denso) | |
| Injection Pressure | Max 4,000 psi | |
| Aspiration | Naturally aspirated | |
| Valvetrain | Standard cam-in-block pushrod engine, 2 valves per cylinder, gear driven camshaft | |
| Intake Valve Diameter | 1.591 - 1.598 inches | |
| Exhaust Valve Diameter | 1.412 - 1.422 inches | |
| Valve Lash | 0.012 in (0.30 mm) [2] | |
| Cold Start Aids | Glow plugs, 1 per cylinder | |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 7.0 quarts with filter change | |
| Engine Oil Spec | 0 °F & above | SAE 10W-30 diesel oil |
| -20 to 60 °F | SAE 5W-30 diesel oil | |
| Oil Pump Type | Gerotor | |
| Lube Oil Filter | Spin-on | Ford E73Z-6731-B |
| Bypass | Ford E73Z-6731-A | |
| Fuel | Diesel | |
| Power | 59 horsepower @ 4,000 rpm | |
| Torque | 90 lb-ft @ 2,500 rpm | |
| Idle Speed | Curb | 780 - 830 rpm |
| Fast | 1150 - 1250 rpm | |
| Fuel Economy | 41 highway, 33 combined mpg | |
| Engine Weight | Approximately 530 lbs | |
| Coupled Transmissions | Toyo Kogyo TK4 four speed manual | |
[1] - Engine produced by Mazda under license.
[2] - Valve clearance adjustments to be made on warm engine.
Mitsubishi Engine Specs
| Names | 2.3L Mitsubishi, Model 4D55T diesel | |
|---|---|---|
| Vin Code | 7th digit "E" | |
| Engine Family | Mitsubishi 4D5 | |
| Manufacturer | Mitsubishi Motors | |
| Type | 4 cycle diesel, turbocharged, liquid cooled | |
| Configuration | Inline 4 cylinder (I-4) | |
| Applications | 1985 - 1986 Ford Ranger | |
| Displacement (nominal) | 143 cubic inches, 2.3 liters | |
| Displacement (actual) | 143.06 cubic inches, 2.345 liters | |
| Bore | 3.586 inches (91.1 mm) | |
| Stroke | 3.543 inches (90.0 mm) | |
| Bore/Stroke Ratio | 1.01 (marginally oversquare) | |
| Compression Ratio | 21:1 | |
| Firing Order | 1-3-4-2 | |
| Engine Block Material | Cast iron with dry cylinder liners | |
| Cylinder Head Material | Aluminum | |
| Injection System | Indirect injection, mechanical injector pump | |
| Poppet Pressure | ~ 1,700 psi | |
| Injection Pump | Diesel Kiki VE pump (Denso) | |
| Aspiration | Turbocharged, wastegated | |
| Turbocharger | Wastegated to 12 psi | |
| Valvetrain | Single overhead camshaft (SOHC), 2 valves per cylinder, cogged timing belt | |
| Valve Lash | 0.010 inch (0.25 mm) [3] | |
| Cold Start Aids | Glow plugs, 1 per cylinder | |
| Engine Oil Capacity | 6.8 - 7.0 quarts with filter change [4] | |
| Engine Oil Spec [5] | 10 °F & above | SAE 15W-40 |
| -5 to 100 °F | SAE 10W-30 | |
| 15 °F & above | SAE 20W-40 | |
| 40 °F & above | SAE 30 | |
| 45 °F & below | SAE 5W-30 | |
| Oil Pump Type | Gerotor | |
| Lube Oil Filter | Ford E5TZ-6731-A | |
| Fuel | Diesel | |
| Power | 86 horsepower @ 4,200 rpm | |
| Torque | 134 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm | |
| Idle Speed | 750 rpm (+/- 50) | |
| Max Governed Speed | 4,500 rpm | |
| Coupled Transmissions | Mitsubishi 5 speed manual | |
[3] - Valve clearance adjustments to be made on warm engine.
[4] - Available service data does not provide a consistent engine oil capacity and is often contradictory. Capacity is application specific; always verify using dipstick.
[5] - Originally required engine oil meeting API SF/CD.
Editor, Diesel Hub