What works
I'll start a what works post to give some folks an idea of what we got working, this is subject to change as I'm just finishing my swap.
1986 2.9 XL 4x4 3" body lift 31"x15" Tires
4.10 Rear end ratio.
2003 Ford Explorer telescoping drive shaft. Did not have to shorten at a yoke to flange length of 47.5" on the dot. Front drive shaft had to be shortened. Driveshaft is a little on the tight side with about .5" of play tightened. This will give me more room to flex on extending the driveshaft in rough terrain.
Had to get a flange yoke put on the rear end that fit a 1330 U joint and match the smaller bolt pattern. Guy at the driveshaft shop gave me this piece.
We had to order an obsolete Spicer part:
End Yoke -Splined Bore 1330 series,Strap Style, Ø1.146x26 spline, 2-4-7631-1
We had to use a lathe and mill down the part to match the old part profile at the seal lips inside of the transfer case.
I retained the Borg Warner 1350 transfer case, mechanically shifted.
Ordered a C5 tail housing and output shaft from Transmission Parts and Cores out in California. Somewhat hard to deal with but they had the parts I was looking for and they got them here after a second attempt.
Used a 1973 F100 C4 transmission. I rebuilt it using a transgo shift kit. Had to order an aftermarket dipstick tube to accomodate the pan fill portion. Uses the big H servos for heavy duty use. Used a re-manufactured torque converter, the bigger size diameter that was offered (Maybe 14" maybe 11"?) 164 tooth bell housing.
1987 Mustang block, specs checked out to be stock, but needed a bore and hone. Bored over .020", E7TE Heads, did a valve job on them and cleaned them up good. On retrospec I might have been better off getting a full motor. I had to order pushrods, rocker arms, and had to get the sheet metal channels that hold them in place, much of this cost could have been avoided, but I have new parts at least.
I used a block spacer between the C4 and the engine. Had to special order this, although I could have found one in the Junk Yard in hindsight. I learned quite a bit that you can get most of what you need at a junk yard.
I put the engine, transmission and transfer case together outside of the truck. I dropped it in using a worm gear device on the engine hoist with the front of the truck sitting on wooden blocks with the tires removed. This allowed me to drop the entire drive train unit in. Gradually adjusting and lowering until I got it into place and make my marks. I had to turn the entire thing diagonally in the engine bay to get it to fit when I lowered it.
I used Mustang Convertible mounts located in the conventional passenger and drivers side, swapping them around staggered them quite a bit. Drilling a series of holes on either side of the cross member and used an angle grinder to finish the slots.
I used my original transmission cross member and used a new transmission mount from rockauto (last one was messed up from holding the transfer case by itself for about a year) The angles in the original cross member allow the front drive shaft to reach the front end and the transfer case. I spaced them with washers temporarily and bolted it to the bottom of the frame drilling new holes. This moved my transfer case up about 5.5".
The engine wasn't put back as far as it could have, with about an inch from the head to the firewall. This made it closer to the front of the truck to where I had to take out my radiator core support and make a bracket to fit a 4.0 radiator in. I pushed the radiator up as far as possible, touching the grill bracket. I had to grind out a slot for the radiator cap, but other than that a 4.0 radiator fits perfectly in the core support between the remaining walls, which gives it much support.
I got clothes hanger and welding rod and formed it in the shape I needed to trace the radiator hose routes. Took the form to the auto parts store and found the hose fitting sizes I needed.
I used 89' Grand Marqui/ Crown Vic water pump, foxbody water pump does not fit with the crown vic brackets. Uses just a 26" serpentine belt to go to the alternator, power steering pump (original) and crank.
Using a mechanical fan, may upgrade to a flex fan or electric fan in the future. Fan clutch fans with reverse flow water pump wont work with the conventional going crown vic water pump. Fan clutch ended up about .5" away from radiator, although I discovered that Four Seasons carrys a shorter one if need be. Even with a reverse fit spacer, the fan blades were too close to the radiator.
Transfer case was aimed pretty good at the rear end all things considering.
I ran the remote oil kit down to the front and had hydraulic hose made with swivels and placed the oil filter with the bottom facing out at the very front of the frame rail top in between the power steering and the front support under where the charcoal cannister purge used to be, in front of the tire for easy access. It remains well out of the way of the drivers side tire.
Used a K&N small air filter and matched it to a buddy's intake hose, and fits good according to the picture above, Had to modify the evaporator box a little bit more in addition to what I needed to do to fit the valve cover underneath. The throttle body goes straight into it otherwise. I took a throttle cable from a mustang and routed it in lieu of my ranger one, as it was too long. It fits well.
70's style straight exhaust manifold and C4 pipe works well on the passenger side with about an inch of clearance from everything.
The after swap stage is of course next. Making it a much better driving machine.