Hello everyone, I just bought a 2000 Ford Ranger 3.0L XL 4x4 automatic. When I drove it home it ran a little rough and look like someone work on it and had no clue what they was doing. But it did set for 3 month out running and after I put my PCM, switch and PAST from my 2000 ford explorer. It start on the first try. But it did smoke for like 3 mins then it clean up and didn’t smoke again. It still run rough thou.

I thought about doing a motor swap to a 4.0 SHO. But am not too sure yet. So far it’s a thought. But if I do, do I need to change the motor wiring harness for the 4.0 SHO since it have a 3.0 in it? I know about the PCM need to be swap to. But does run now on a 4.0 PCM thou with no problem still start on the first try every time.

Then I look over the rear-end and then notice there are clamps on the rear-end like it should have a sway bar on the rear-end. But am not to sure if it should or not. I know my explorer have one on the rear-end. So would the ranger should have one to?

 

2000 Explorer never had 3.0l engine, it used 4.0l or 5.0l engine, so you can't use an explorer PCM to run a 3.0l engine, it would be adding too much fuel to the smaller engine, so yes, smoking on start up and then poor running afterwards
PCM(computer) must MATCH the engine size and type

You could swap in a 4.0l AND its transmission(3.0l trans won't fit on 4.0l engine), and 4.0l computer and engine wiring harness