Truck-Loving Hero Builds Ford Ranger Dually With 7.3-L Twin-Turbo Diesel Engine

While we've seen our share of desert-thrashing Ford Ranger pre-runners in the past, this homebuilt dually creation is something else entirely. Instead of capitalizing on the truck's small size and relatively light weight to build an off-road all-star, the owner of this '95 model swapped in a monstrous 7.3-liter Powerstroke diesel engine along with an extra turbo to develop a love-it-or-hate-it truck for the ages. Whether or not it can actually tow much is unclear, but this pickup has to turn more heads than any other Ranger ever concocted.

According to a quick write-up on Engine Swap Depot, the Ford belongs to William Medeiros, who documented parts of the build process on the Ranger Station forum. In order to make room for the venerable diesel V-8, the truck's old power plant had to be taken out and the engine bay expanded (a 4.0-liter V-6 was the largest unit available for this generation of Ranger, or any for that matter). The firewall and transmission tunnel were modified to accommodate the compression-ignition lump, and a new, taller hood was needed to fit the twin-turbo setup and intercooler piping. 

You can see the engine running in a short clip here:

Given its position in such a cramped space, the Powerstroke needs a bit of help keeping cool, which is supplied by 32- by 18-inch aluminum four-core radiator and two electric fans.

Power is sent to an E4OD automatic transmission, which came standard in many of the old body style Ford heavy-duty pickups. An upgraded rear-end was more than necessary to keep up with the engine's additional torque, so Medeiros fitted a Dana 70 axle out of an '81 Ford F-350. The extra weight up front is handled by a Dana 35 Twin Traction Beam with upgraded Dana 44 knuckles and a set of 3/4-ton, eight-lug spindles.

Dual rear wheels are there more or less to complete the look, but we'll give them a pass since proper fenders have been built to cover the extra tire width. The massive shackle hanging from the rear hitch is a nice touch, too.

We can't say that this is a build we'd take on ourselves, but for the sake of entertainment and keeping the internet's unbeatable reputation for absurdity alive, we're glad it exists.