...the short answer....swap in a 4.0 L.
However, the 2.3 in your truck should be the "Lima" engine, which goes all the way back to the Pinto sub-compact of the early 1970's.
Its a good engine. In fact, its one of the all-time great engines!
It can be modded a million different ways, always works and returns excellent fuel mileage.
The only thing it fall short on is power, in stock form.
You can throw the usual at it; manifolds, bigger exhaust, a cam, ported head...but at that point, you might as well just install a larger engine.
...or...
You can simply live with what you have and acclimate to the power of the engine.
Eventually, you'll get used to it and living with it will be less difficult.
I think a lot of people tend to go through this process. They get something thinking it will be "all that" and when it falls short (because they thought the same thing applies to all), they immediately get disgusted and trade it in for something else.
....and that's fine.
But if you're not in the position to be swapping out cars, left and right, or if you really are happy with the basic platform, then realize what it is that you have and simply accept it for what it is.
...and if you're really chomping at the bit to do something to your truck, you might want to think about a drive axle swap.
Your truck probably has 3.45 gears in the rear end (the standard ratio all Rangers were fitted with). There's also a 3.73 and 4.10 differential available in the 7.5" drive axle.
Your engine has a relatively short stroke crankshaft, so deeper gears may behoove you....just remember to change out the speedo gear to the appropriate one.
The computer is tied into the instrument panel and if you make a change like that in one place, you'll need to correct the panel as well, so you can travel SAFELY and in full confidence that the computer will work with the rest of the truck in the way that its supposed to.
Good luck.
Dean
