how hard is it to put an 2.5 out of an 85 into a 84 Ray

You will have to use the '84 wire harness .

what about the distributer and coil

The 84 and 85 are the same engine. The only difference is the wire harness, which is why you have to use the '84 wire harness.

I had to use the '84 distributer and harness for our 84 swap. (used an 86 Pontiac 6000 engine) To date we have done two '84s an '86 and an '88 swap. I couldn't have done it without the help of PFF!

quote Originally posted by wanobi: The 84 and 85 are the same engine. The only difference is the wire harness, which is why you have to use the '84 wire harness.

No, the wiring harness is is not the only difference.

rlinn84, it can be done if you move the distributor, ignition coil, oil pressure switch, and wiring harness from the 84 to the 85. Once you switch those parts over the 85 is a drop-in.

Alternatively if you have unrestricted access to the 85 donor, you can update the 84 to the later model wiring and install the 85 engine "as is". This however is a 70-90 hour job which involves (among other things) replacing the wiring harness from the instrument panel back to the tail lights.