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Ranger Project Idea


4BangerRanger99

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For all of you Ranger experts(i wish to be as knowledgeable as you all someday) Im interested in a swap idea. Im only 16 so i dont yet have the funds to do this swap yet,(plus im busy with restoring a '68 Pontiac Ventura with a 4bbl 428 HO. one of only 300 somethin made!) but what do yall think of a 1973 SMO(small block Olds) 350 in a Ranger? Ive been doing as much research as i can about these and they seem perfect for this. They made great power pre '71 like over 350hp factory. Plus they would make like 400ft-lbs at that level. They weigh 560lbs so i think if you do some stiffer springs on the front supsension, it'd be fine. I think a T56 would be heaven with that, and some nice diff gears like 2.75 or something like that. PLus the overdrive, and you could go hella fast. size is a factor though, the're a bit bigger length and width than a 351W. They're about 28.25"L x 27.5"W x 20.25H with carb and air cleaner. So height wise itd be good, but i know the heater box would need some modifications, and driveshaft adjusted I found an engine by me for 100$:icon_surprised:and i thought that this would be freaking amazing in a Ranger. I want my first vehicle to be a Ranger, ive always loved em since i was real little. Yall think that'd be a cool swap? Ive looked and nobody i can find has done anything like this. Cool idea, or dont even bother?
 


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Welcome to TRS :)

Many types of engines have been swapped into Rangers.
Labor of love for your swap, not of practical value, since a 350HP Ranger doesn't really have any practical value, lol.

Height is usually not a problem because you can do a body lift.

Width is the one that can make a swap a bear, yes heater box but also steering column setup on the other side comes into play, it can be moved, just not easily, depending on your definition of easy of course.

302/5.0l is 18.75" wide, and it is a tight squeeze into a Ranger

Look here for engine sizes: http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/V8Conversions.shtml

Length, with in reason, is not to hard to deal with

Also when horse power gets up there rear axle needs to change and frame will need some added strength for the torque.

Rangers strongest stock engine was the 4.0l SOHC, 205HP and 254ft/lb
1999 Explorer 302/5.0l was 215HP and 288ft/lb, so more but not by much.

Ranger is a good platform to use, lots of parts out there for them, but they stopped making them in 2011 so there will come a time that parts may be harder to come by
 

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Ranger is a good platform to use, lots of parts out there for them, but they stopped making them in 2011 so there will come a time that parts may be harder to come by
It will be a long ways down the road.

Even now first gens are not that terrible scarce in JY's around me. They have been out of production for almost 30 years.

New sheetmetal and common replacement parts are still common.
 

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Depending on the condition of your current motor you could go twin screw. V8 swap for Rangers is very popular. I did one myself, 302. Just putting it out there as an option.
 

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GM engine swaps have been done before. I'm sure someone has even done Mopar engine swaps into a Ranger... it's just a matter of time, money, and how good at sourcing parts you are. Personally my first choice for a GM engine would be a small LS, like a 4.8 or 5.3.

They made great power pre '71 like over 350hp factory. Plus they would make like 400ft-lbs at that level.
HP was measured at the flywheel back then and not at the wheels like it is now, FYI, that "350hp" engine may not make anywhere near that in reality... still a V8 in a small truck, will be snappy, just not 350hp snappy.
 

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You might research the difference between gross and net hp ratings too.

A big reason engine HP ratings took a dive (in addition to emissions) was they were measured under much more realistic conditions. Like with factory exhaust, accessories, intake and carb.
 
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4BangerRanger99

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Thanks guys, I understand that the ratings changed, and that they were also measured at the flywheel. Im not looking for a huge horsepower truck.I want a truck thats not a dog, but i dont want to compete in races with it. Except for when that weedwhacker next to me at the stop light thinks hes the greatest thing since sliced bread. This was maybe someday gunna be a DD. The engine i found is from '73 so its got smog heads. Factory those engines made about 175-180hp. They also dropped the compression down to 8.5:1 form 11:1. This would require a bit of work for the engine to fit. Width was really my only concern, the height and length would be easy to deal with, ie body lift and push-pull fans. With the double overdrive tranny i think that it would do pretty decent on fuel. I dont wanna go crazy with power, thats not the goal. Just thinkin outside the box. Ive still got a while for i work up the money to do this anyways, which will be good so i can get all my ducks in a row for when the time comes. Just think, a ranger cruisin around with that old school throaty growl.
 

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4BangerRanger99

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So, would a F150 be a better candidate? I was thinking an '86? engine bay seems like its big enough for that. Lil bit bigger suspension and lil beefier drivetrain than the ranger. Better idea, or worse?
 

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I ran a 7.5" rear axle with my 4bbl 302 for a year without issue. I went to an Explorer rear axle with limited slip so I could do more than a one wheel peel (also got disk brakes out of it) Same 31 spline axle they put in half tons with a different wheel bolt pattern)

I am still running the stock t-case and rear driveshaft with the tiny joints for 6 years now without issue. 302 fits pretty good IMO, no idea how a Olds will fit. Blackwidow is putting a warmed over 350 in his first gen, you might bug him as this is his second SBC swap.

Stock my engine should be a tad over 225hp. Not sure where a better intake, 4bbl, headers and freer flowing exhaust gets me vs it being a 30 year old engine that runs good but has never been rebuilt.

You ain't gonna like 170-180hp in a F-150... that is a lot of work to get 20-30hp more than the stock 302 (which can make 225 just like mine with factory parts)
 
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OK... having owned a LOT of bull nose (80-86) Ford full size trucks... I can tell you that the fastest one I have owned is the '86 I have now. Supposedly the 5.0 in it is rated at 180hp from the factory. I believe it. 180hp is not a lot but for a full size, long box truck, it gets up and moves, but it is not really "fast"... at all.

Now keeping that in mind. My buddy has an 83 with a carbureted 302, and an AOD. That thing is such a gutless turd. Those 302's were only rated at like 120hp, and the automatic is just awful. I would be shocked if it made 80hp at the wheels.

To make a big truck get up and move you need a big motor and/or deep-ish gears.

But... you can be real happy with a small V8, even in stock form, in a small truck. The 5.0 I have in my Ranger came out of a 89 Crown Vic and is supposedly somewhere around 150hp. I am VERY happy with it, it's so much better than the 2.9 and it's definitely got more power than the 4.0's I have. Plus it's got 35's and 4.10 gears. I bet it would melt the tires off a street style truck.
 

4BangerRanger99

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85_Ranger4x4, i know they didnt make a lot of power and a 302 would be easier, but that swaps been done, many times, im not really impressed. A 302 is a great engine dont get me wrong, but as the old saying goes, " there's no replacement for displacement." Plus, if i rebuilt the engine, for 2K i can get new (and better flowing)aluminum heads, a cam that will complement the new heads,and higher compression pistons so i can make a bit more power. Running 98 octane i should be bare minimum over 250hp. Plus itll be reliable cuz thats how they were originally made, and what they were used to running on. As stated im not looking to drag race, but i dont want a dog. With all the stuff you could do to a 302, you could do to the Olds and get alot more power. Plus that'd be freaking cool, fillin up at the pump, and someone asks why your fillin up with 98 fuel. Pop the hood and go get a bucket cuz theres gunna be drool. and alot.:D ill see if BlackWidow has any thing on this i dont know or missed. This is still quite a ways from being reality so any critisism, or info on this would be great, i wanna learn as much as i can before i start this so i do it right the first time. Sorry bout all the long posts, im just really excited about this stuff.:D
 

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Nothing wrong with enthusiasm. :icon_thumby:

$2k to be right in the midst of stock late model 302/305/318 turf though...

My 225hp is with a stock $30 used Mustang HO cam and stock $75 used E7 Mustang heads on a $200 302 out of an '87 Crown Vic. Nothing special at all.
 

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You could have $2k into good heads alone. Good parts cost money and shit parts aren't worth buying. You really don't need to run 98 octane either, higher octane does not equal more power, it just doesn't detonate with higher compression ratios. An acquaintance of mine had a 5.0 built up with Edelbrock heads, medium size cam of some sort, he said the machine shop said it was good for 425hp (I think more like 300 or less) but it only needed 91 octane.

I have a couple 1996 5.8 blocks that I am going to use for a build in my F150. I seriously would be just tickled pink with like 300hp or so. I need to do some reading up and find out if I can build it to run 87 octane, it's not fun to drive if you can't afford to fill it up.
 

4BangerRanger99

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I dont mean any disrespect, but i did say that that number would be a minimum, being as i havent done this thing yet, i dont know what the actual horsepower is. Going off factory specs for these things before the smog heads and the decompression for emissions these things made like 350-360ish horsepower now i know these arent net ratings so they would be around 300-325ish net correct? With drivetrain efficiency losses i know i wont be making that kinda power at the wheels. So, that 2k would be a major improvement on the 180 net these made after emissions changes. Plus i can get this motor for $100. The least i can find a 302 around my area is for like $500 and thats needing a rebuild and one of them new heads anyways. Just going off of supply, cost, and cool factor. Plus they didnt do that bad with mpgs either. they did like 18mpg(from what ive been told from Olds forums) highway in the Cutlass, Delta 88's so on so forth. If they can push those "boats" and get that mileage. I imagine an '86 F150 wouldnt be a big improvement in weight, but It would still be pretty good. I know the 302's get like 15 highway in a ninth gen body(92-97') 150. I could be wrong. Feel free to correct me. I could leave the compression where it is and just run it on 87 octane or something like that. But no Ethanol. Never bringing that engine anywhere near the stuff. Nope. Anyone feel free to correct me, this is just what info ive found and researched so there is the possibility i can be wrong and i would like to remedy that.
 

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