trans swap

The 4 cylinder trans needs a different pilot bering to fit (Ford Ranger diesel from AutoZone part #14672) and has weaker internals. The trans was rated at 240ft/lbs of torque,while the V8 T5 was 265-300 ft/lbs of torque.

Some guys beat the daylights out of them and they last, while others break them very quickly.
 
The 4 cylinder trans needs a different pilot bering to fit (Ford Ranger diesel from AutoZone part #14672) and has weaker internals. The trans was rated at 240ft/lbs of torque,while the V8 T5 was 265-300 ft/lbs of torque.

Some guys beat the daylights out of them and they last, while others break them very quickly.

They're not really weaker, they just have different gear ratios which inherently makes them less tolerant to torque.

And no, the AODE will not bolt to the 2.3, but I suspect you can pick up a 2.3 auto trans pretty cheap.