Hey RangerMan64,
Thanks, that's alot to read 'eh? The 302 swap is a great swap, I started out on that road myself. I had collected all the pieces to build a nice 302 and would have been done awhile back except that I ran into financial issues which forced me to sell off everything.
It's just by chance then that I went a different route after seeing the Hot Rod magazine article about "The Predator" V-8 chainsaw, the rest is history...
I'm happy with the choice I made although I was disappointed when my "4.6" Rover V-8 turned out to be a 4.0. The 4.6 makes 35 more hp and 30 more ft lbs so it would have been a better starting point power wise. They are the same externally the only diff is a 2.8" stroke vs a 3.2" stroke. Economy wise I might be better off, we'll see.
As far as "emissions legal" in Oregon I can't quote any legal info. As far as what I'm dealing with... here in my area we don't have any testing. I have however included a high flow cat in my exhaust which exceeds anything required based on vehicle weight.
One very interesting note is that the USA bound Rover V-8's of my model year, 1998, (as well as other years), are NOT factory equipped with a "Secondary air pump" or any plumbing for one and therefore is not required equipment here in the states. This is a real bonus for keeping things compact and reducing parasitic hp loss. Apparently these motors run clean enough without it.
Requirements and testing in Oregon will depend on where you are located.
Potential for resale will be another factor in what you end up with. I will say that most vehicles I've been around that didn't have cats do have an obnoxious exhaust odor to them. With low restriction inexpensive units available I can't see any positive reason not to incorporate them into your exhaust. After all, we all gotta breathe here right?
I'm confident that once it's done my little powerplant will be capable of passing any emissions test that relies on actual test data and not some hard and fast rule that says you can't change anything. I've chosen to operate my injection and timing with the Mega Squirt II system for a variety of reasons not the least of which is cost.
Unlike the "Big Boys" I can buy a fully assembled, fully tuneable
NEW ECU for about $400. Certain used Rover ECU's can be had for alot less that would "work" for my application but I need to be able to tune it myself without having to buy an additional "Tuner" or pay to have a chip burned every time I want to make a change.
As far as your 302 swap goes, if you keep everything intact that came with the donor motor, depending of course on the year of the donor, you will probably be okay.
That would include the ECU or a compatible ECU from a similar model/year.
I think the main criteria in swaps is the motor must be the same year or newer than the vehicle and conform to the emissions numbers of the model year of the motor.
There are better qualified people to advise you on what you'll need to do to be compliant in your area. I would suggest you do some research to see what experiences others in your area have had. Ultimately you should probably go to the source in your area that governs any restrictions or requirements especially if there is testing and/or enforcement so you don't end up in hot water or with expensive after the fact compliance costs.
I do want to say that I've always been a Ford man through and through. If it weren't for the all aluminum aspect of the Range Rover motor I would definitely be doing a smallblock Ford swap!
I looked at aluminum blocks for the SBF but the cost is way more than the reduction in weight is worth, at least to me.
There are alot more options for building a SBF than the Rover and pretty cheap too. Thankfully there is enough available for Rover builds to support anything I'll ever want to do. The four bolt block with all 5 mains crossbolted means it can hold up to serious mods including some boost.
I paid about as much for a complete used motor as a decent pair of new aluminum SBF heads would cost, making it an affordable alternative.
The fit of the Rover V-8 makes it look like it was designed for the Ranger. From the overall length with water pump and factory fan to the oil filter location and shape/size of the oil pan
it's just right for the Ranger...
Good luck with your project and be sure to post pics and progress!
Thanks,
Mike