8N engine swap help

i have a 49 8n that i partially restored a couple years ago, it works well but i want to step my game up a little bit. im thinking of trying to swap a 1988 ford ranger 2.0L engine into my 8n, just wondering if anyone has some insight on what to do about the transmission or anything else related. if this swap wont work im going to rebuild the 8n motor but the ranger motor is basically the same displacement and has approx 80hp. any(helpful) input would be awesome!

Welcome lsw0n!

I don't know your capabilities or access to metal working machinery, but trying to do an engine swap on one of those is a very complex undertaking!

There are several obstacles. Building an adapter plate to mount the engine is an exacting process. If the end of the crank and the input shaft of the transmission don't align to near perfection, there will be all kinds of problems. Then there is the clutch, flywheel, starter, etc, etc...

But one of the most difficult obstacles is where to remount the front suspension. The original engine is an integral part of the structure of the tractor. Where will the front end attach? It can be done, but it takes some serious fabricating.

If you do want to do this, you can pretty much assume this will now be only a show/parade tractor, not practical for any work. Even though the Ranger engine has more horsepower, the power is in the wrong RPM range to be useful in the tractor application. Tractor engines are all bottom end torque, where automotive engines are high revers, making their power at higher RPM. Also notice the Ranger engine is much taller. The gas tank will have to be relocated, somewhere... And, you will need a governor.

My advise would be to keep the original engine. Rebuild it to factory specs, make it as dependable as possible, put it back as close to original as you can.

And if you are still serious about doing a swap, seek out as many completed projects as you can find. Take pictures, study carefully, ask the builder a LOT of questions. There are some more popular swaps, like flat head Ford, SB Chevy, SB Ford, maybe others. There are probably some adapter plates that can be bought for these, maybe even some kits. That way someone else has done the engineering, made the mistakes so you don't have to!

Good luck!