[elhigh]

Barring the diesel swap, you could consider finding a sound Lima 2.3 or 2.5 from a wrecked Ranger and swap that in. Not as much of a headache that way, trying to get the utterly foreign diesel engine into a bay that it was never intended to fit. It'll still all be Ford parts from one end to the other.

+1 on EOC. It's crazy how much distance you can rack up with no engine sounds. I've found myself keeping a running tally in my head of how many miles on my morning commute (personal best, 2.1 miles out of a 23 miles drive) I can do with the engine off. Some of that's on the interstate, so sometimes the engine stays on depending on conditions.

Now to maximize your EOC: how are your wheel bearings? That's a 20 year old truck, and they might be 20 year old bearings judging by how you described its condition coming from your BIL. And the alignment, too.