Best V8 swap for a 1993 3.0/Auto/2WD?

koda6966 · Mar 14, 2011

Just curious as to what would make for the best V8 swap (as in easiest) in terms of which vehicle to get? I was thinking if I had found a 95' V8 Explorer.. that would be cool. But I have no idea and I'm new to this. It's a long term project, right now I'm collecting information and possibly buying the donor vehicle. Since the Ranger will be off the road *buying a new car this fall* I will have down time between October-May to work on both vehicles, and the swap would occur once the weather calms around April 2012.

Did they even make a 95 V8 Ex. ? I'm thinking I would need OBDI is why I am looking at 95 and older, and I know they didn't make 94 and older V8 Ex's.

I would also like to use the donors stock transmission, preferably an automatic. I'm assuming I would need a custom driveshaft made, correct?

bobbywalter · Mar 14, 2011

6.0-6.2 late model gm setup.

koda6966 · Mar 14, 2011

I was being serious.

bobbywalter · Mar 14, 2011

i am serious

5.0 · Mar 14, 2011

bobbywalter said:
6.0-6.2 late model gm setup.

He said he was looking for the easiest swap... how is this the easiest thing to swap?

bobbywalter · Mar 14, 2011

its current. has real power and will get better economy power for power.

take me a few weeks to tighten up the details, once done its not any worse then anything else.

whats so easy about swapping in a wheezed out windsor? newest ones are ten years old?

if you start fresh with a rebuild etc upgrade wise, the 6.2 is available used cost effectively with lower miles. settle on a 5.3 and then its real cheap and easy.

fawk i have essentially a big block in my truck and that was easy to do as well... :dunno:

i guess easy is relative...

racing83x · Mar 14, 2011

find a crown vic, grand marquis from the mid to late 80's take everything!, motor, trans, driveshaft, computer, wiring harness, motor mounts, gut the car from everything needed to drive the truck. the motor drops in easy just dont put the water pump on until after. motor mounts "should" work not a guarantee, other than that its just a swap, your biggest problem is the automatic trans mission, the c4, a4od, are like an inch longer than your tranny, no problem to make a new tranny mount, mine came out of a 1985 F-150, cut it to size and bolt it in BEHIND THE RANGER TRANNY BRACE. any more questions message me i just finish mine up

Teddyzee · Mar 14, 2011

Easiest way is Mustang motor mounts ('87-'93 convertible and '94/'95 GT are the preferred ones).
If you want EFI, a Mustang ('87-'93) harness and computer are easiest.
With 2wd, Tri-Y headers are simple and cheap ('65-'70 Mustang)

First year of the 5.0 Explorer was 1996. They are not plug and play for your year. The Motor would be great for you, with it's short front accessories. They will run just fine with Mustang electronics.

If you want to keep it automatic, and AOD from a '93 and older Mustang is a good overdrive trans.

My truck was a 4.0 manual trans, now has a T5 manual, and I was able to keep my stick driveshaft, I simply used it a reference when placing my engine. You could possibly do this with an automatic, but you at least have the option of trying.

Think of your goals for performance and setup (example, EFI or carb). And have a look at similar buidups.

5.0 · Mar 15, 2011

bobbywalter said:
its current. has real power and will get better economy power for power.

take me a few weeks to tighten up the details, once done its not any worse then anything else.

whats so easy about swapping in a wheezed out windsor? newest ones are ten years old?

if you start fresh with a rebuild etc upgrade wise, the 6.2 is available used cost effectively with lower miles. settle on a 5.3 and then its real cheap and easy.

fawk i have essentially a big block in my truck and that was easy to do as well... i guess easy is relative...

He said easy, but left the price tag open... so it's kind of hard to say for sure what would be the easiest.

I know little about the GM motors after the 5.7, so a few areas that I can think of that might be of concern for easiness or budget would be...

Getting the GM transmission to drive a cable driven speedometer
Radiator? I don't know if the hoses would hook up to a 4.0 radiator
Transmission shifter
Connecting fuel lines to the engine
Fuel regulator?
Power steering hose connections from the pump to the box
A/C hoses if he's keeping that
Motor mounts
headers
oil pan
transmission mount

Again, I know nothing about the later GM motors, so I have no idea how cheap or easy any of that stuff is... but I do know what is cheap and easy...

Grab a fuel injected 302, throw on some Mustang mounts, bolt on a transmission of choice, slice a couple slots in the crossmember for the mounts, splice about a dozen wires, rock a 4.0 radiator and call it a day.

The newer GM engines being better is not debatable, but being easier to install in a Ranger is.

koda6966 · Mar 15, 2011

Teddyzee said:
Easiest way is Mustang motor mounts ('87-'93 convertible and '94/'95 GT are the preferred ones).
If you want EFI, a Mustang ('87-'93) harness and computer are easiest.
With 2wd, Tri-Y headers are simple and cheap ('65-'70 Mustang)

First year of the 5.0 Explorer was 1996. They are not plug and play for your year. The Motor would be great for you, with it's short front accessories. They will run just fine with Mustang electronics.

If you want to keep it automatic, and AOD from a '93 and older Mustang is a good overdrive trans.

My truck was a 4.0 manual trans, now has a T5 manual, and I was able to keep my stick driveshaft, I simply used it a reference when placing my engine. You could possibly do this with an automatic, but you at least have the option of trying.

Think of your goals for performance and setup (example, EFI or carb). And have a look at similar buidups.

That's what I figured about the explorers. I knew the new body started in 1995 but I wasn't sure they did a 5.0 back then.

85_Ranger4x4 · Mar 15, 2011

racing83x said:
find a crown vic, grand marquis from the mid to late 80's take everything!, motor, trans, driveshaft, computer, wiring harness, motor mounts, gut the car from everything needed to drive the truck. the motor drops in easy just dont put the water pump on until after. motor mounts "should" work not a guarantee, other than that its just a swap, your biggest problem is the automatic trans mission, the c4, a4od, are like an inch longer than your tranny, no problem to make a new tranny mount, mine came out of a 1985 F-150, cut it to size and bolt it in BEHIND THE RANGER TRANNY BRACE. any more questions message me i just finish mine up

Land boat engines are not a really bad choice IMO because usually granny didn't flog the crap out of them. On the flipside they are not the greatest because they don't make a whole lot of power and to change the heads (the problem) you have to change the pistons. I have one in mine, and just circling the shop with open headers it is a lot of fun, I can spin the tires at will. With a 4bbl and headers I don't know exactly how much power I added to it though. If I had it to do again I would look for a shorter pulley drive though.

Mine went in fine with the water pump on it and a 4wd C5. Actually easier than the 2.8 and A4LD came out.

The 4wd C4/5 is shorter than the A4LD/M5OD by about four inches. I would think the 2wd would be about the same since they don't have an extra gear (overdrive) I trimmed my tranny crossmember and slid it ahead and it is working fine.

Boggin · Mar 15, 2011

easiest would probably be a simple carbd 302 engine. but since you probably want efi like everyone else (besides me lol) then i would be on the hunt for a running (maybe smashed up or something) 5.0 explorer

koda6966 · Mar 15, 2011

What rear end did those old CV's come with? I know newer ones came with 8.8 rear ends, not so sure about the older ones.

Anyway, I could probably find a CV easier than a mustang for a better price. How different are they in performance gains? I know there's an ungodly amount of support for mustang 302's, but I'm not really looking for a power house. Just a beast that I can daily drive in the summer.

Plus, is the CV has a larger engine bay, so is the stuff spaced out more making it harder to fit in? Mustangs have a relatively ranger sized bay IIRC.

85_Ranger4x4 · Mar 15, 2011

Check out the link in my sig, it is all there with pics. I started out with a different engine, but halfway down that page is when I picked up the '87 that is currently in the truck :icon_thumby:

koda6966 · Mar 15, 2011

So far I read through to the end of page 7 (post 240 for me) and that's a sweet build!

By the way, you started that thread on my birthday.

I still have more to read, so I'll save my questions until then.

Best V8 swap for a 1993 3.0/Auto/2WD?

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