2000 Ranger - '99 Explorer 5.0 Build Log

A fresh thread for the actual build! Now I'm excited
The title is a little misleading, since I don't have the actual Ranger yet - but a 2000 Extended Cab, 2 wheel drive is my objective. I do however have the Explorer! 137,000 miles, and the engine sounds real good. $650 (Canadian - which is under $500US) - feels like a bargain! Hoping to salvage the engine, computer/ECU/wiring, the PATS system, the steering column/ignition to go with PATS, the rad, sway bars, rear axle (which has brand new pads and rotors ) drive shaft and the AC components. Anything else I should recover while I can? Brake master cylinder maybe? Anything I should do/check on the engine before pulling it? I'm planning on upgrading the top end a bit, so I'll have that apart to check at a bare minimum.

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NICE score on the Expo! The one I used was wrecked and I gave $800 for it and I thought that was a bargain.

You will need to strip the interior and remove all the wiring to be merged with the Ranger's. That's all I can think of in addition to what you mentioned.

Conor:

Nice wheels.

OK, I was lazy; PATS module is just behind the passenger's airbag/above the glove box. I just pulled the module - no point in tearing entire truck apart. And as you have the keys, screw driver will allow you to pull the ignition tumbler out, again no reason to pull the entire column. With that, you are done inside and can start working under the hood. (I didn't use any of the rest of the Explorer's wiring.)

I don't know what to say about airbag modules: Are they good? Or are they a liability risk? As you can only get them OEM at moment, they are worth their weight in copper (not quite gold yet )...

The Explorer sway bars bolt in very different than the Rangers; not certain they swap. (again, I retained Ranger ones) You will be keeping your Ranger drive shaft (it's longer if you get extended cab), but you may want the axle yoke just in case. (if your Ranger has 7.5", you will need the Explorer's to match its axle.)

I would do a compression and leak down tests if you can before disassembling. Then take it to muffler shop and have them loosen the exhaust bolts (undo and do up again works). And start soaking the torx bolts on the intake "V-8" cover in PB blast/Liquid Wrench - the steel bolts will be corroded to the aluminum manifold.

I would keep the catalytic converters and rest of exhaust. That would at least allow you to get truck running while you work on upgrades.

I used the Explorer axles and master cylinder in squirrel, after the lousy results I got installing Mustang brakes in my daughter's truck (and I don't like them any better in my son's 'Stang but as he never has a load in the car, not as much of an issue).

Explorer seats and center console are always worth consideration (depending on wear/colour).

Maybe keep the rims? Are they 15s or 16s?

I knew I forgot something last night - the lock cylinders out of the doors; so, you only need one key both to get in and to start the vehicle.

Accelerator cable and cruise control cable.

Good chance you'll need chunks of the Expo ABS system get get a working speed signal for the Ranger.

While not essential, the Expo A/C evaporator and high pressue a/c hose is a better fit with the V8 than the Ranger evap and hose. The Expo high/low a/c hose assembly will work perfectly well with either the Expo or Ranger a/c accumulator and condenser.

The Expo power steering fluid cooler is an easier mod to fit than keeping the Ranger's and you'll need both Ranger and Expo power steering high pressure hoses to marry the Expo upper and flex hoses to the Ranger's lower hose fitting.

Transmission fluid cooler lines and radiator, but I found it was a better fit to mod the 3.0 Ranger's fan shroud to the Expo radiator than use the Expo shroud.

The Ranger's body to engine harness really does not reach the Expo's 5.0 42 pin engine to body harness connector well so making an extension is a handy way to both stretch the harnes and make the handfull of wiring changes needed in the swap. You'll want as much of the Expo's body end as you can get and a matching chunck from another similar Ford -- look for one with as long a pigtail as possible.

Also, the a/c wiring pug under the a/c master cylinder is different between the Ranger and Expo. Again, you can make a plug adapter using parts from your Expo doner and a scrap yard Ranger.


Probably a MUST read: http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/5_0_swap_in_newer_ranger.html

The Vision

Since I'm treating this as my "build log" - I thought I might as well post the details of what I actually have planned.... then a couple of years from now I can look back at this for a good chuckle I figure a minimum 1 year, really expect 2, and wouldn't be surprised to be at 3 for the completion of all details.

- So, ideally I'll find a 2000 Ranger Extended cab, to which I'll install this 5.0L V8. To the engine, I'd like to have a mild cam (with some lope for that cool sound) Headers, clean up the heads (do some hand porting/polishing/fitting ) maybe a new intake (still researching that) 24lb injectors, bit bigger diameter mass flow intake thingy (that's my technical name, when I can't remember what something is called...) Dual exhaust with Flowmaster 40's. Rockers/lifters/springs are still undecided (not looking for high rpm use). Clean it all up and make it look pretty!
(EDIT) - Forgot to include 5 speed manual transmission / 2 wheel drive - when I posted this.

- The Ranger: repair and replace components to make the truck as "new" as I can - brake lines, brakes, suspension components, body work, lighting, etc. 2 inch Body lift and 2 inch suspension lift.
- Exterior - I have my heart set on a "Prerunner" style, though I won't be doing the long travel suspension, as I don't actually have an off-road use for it (have an Arctic Cat SxS for that) This will be purely for the "look". Fiberwerx one piece hood and mini fenders, as well as removing the box and fabricating my own to fit the fiberglass bedsides. Exterior roll bars with a spare tire mount angled down to the rear bumper. Custom bumpers, running boards and front skid plate. 35 x 12 inch tires on 15 inch rims, with -44mm offsets. The entire exterior will then have a custom graphics vinyl wrap (I run a sign shop for a living, so this will be a "working example" of a wrap)
- Interior: Racing style seats with 5 point harnesses, custom console, new steering wheel (no air bags) white gauge faces, a custom made center-dash panel (perhaps with an iPad mount for GPS, multi-media, back up cams, etc) removal of the fold-down back seats and replace with a custom tube and metal "shelf" for gear and tools, with perhaps a center seat (if I can work something to have back passengers legs go under the front console/between the seats... nothing to comfy lol) Budget is 14k Canadian dollars (wonder how far I'll blast past that!)

I think that covers most of it It will be interesting to see if can get there!

You are in great shape since you have the entire truck to part out as needed.

Like mentioned you only need the small pats module behind the pass aigbag, ignition cylinder, key, and engine ecu to start the vehicle. A 2000 Extended cab will have pats already so you won't need the steering column or dash harness. (although if you do it really is an easy swap, and if your ranger doesn't have a tilting column you defiantly want to grab the expo one then)

The gt40p heads can be modded to make some great power! But do a cost comparison to all the upgrades you plan to do to the heads because there are some great aluminum assembled head packages out there that may be in the pricerange by the time your all said and done with parts and any machine shop work.

The GT40 intake manifold on the expo is a very good flowing setup, and unless your wanting something different for looks, it will not be a restriction for your stated plans.

For the maf and injectors you mention, here is my recommendation, if you do move to 24lb injectors, do not by a new maf 'sensor' that is calibrated for 24lb injectors, although this is common for a plug and play fix, it's not required if you will be tuning the vehicle by other means, and since you are going to be manual swapped, as we talked in the other thread you should put the $200-250 that an upgraded/calibrated maf sensor will run you into buying the $400 SCT x4 tuner.

The stock black plastic 98-00 expo maf housings are relatively large and flow better than the aluminum ones with cast post in the middle. So it's actually very good already with some headroom for a mild build. There are a few options for larger maf housings to drop your sensor into if the expo one becomes a restriction down the road.

The front swaybar is direct swap. The expo rear swaybar can work but requires some modifications..

at this point, I guess better "too much than too little" while I've got the whole Expo here. I really don't have room for the Ranger AND the Expo, so I'd like to get it stripped out, and moved out...
Every time I read a new post here, I'm reminded further of all the things I don't know! lol... like how to take apart a steering column/ignition barrel - but I'll cross each bridge as I get there.
If I'm reading the Ford door sticker correctly, my rear end is a "D4" - so according the handy Rangerstation chart, I've got a 3.73 differential, with limited slip. Probably geared too high for 35 inch tires - so down the road I'll have to choose between smaller tires, or gear change.
Getting more power out of this little block is interesting - If I'm reading correctly, the original HP rating is 215HP (at crank or wheels? .. I don't know) Then I read how its quite easy to get up around 300 - 320HP out of it, at the flywheel (I assume) - But also, the GT40P heads flow pretty good "as is", the intake is good, etc - So headers, a camshaft, injectors and a custom tune - with maybe some mild porting/cleaning of the heads (DIY job) - is going to get me there? Seems too easy lol! I guess regardless of what that nets me in power, its likely as far as I want to spend/take it, for the initial install.

Project truck and plan change

so, here's the "project truck" that's going to receive the transplant
1999 Ranger XLT "sport" - 135,000km (85,000 miles) - seems in decent shape all in all, no rust really. Reverse is not working, so I picked it up for $800 CAN (about $600 USD I think?) which I thought was pretty good!
However... after giving this a couple of months consideration, I am now going to mod the truck first, get it all setup (more or less) as outlined in the first post, so I can get it on the road - then take my time getting the 5.0 out of the Explorer and rebuilt/modified the way I want it / swap it into the Ranger later.
So it might be pretty long between posts on this "V8 swap" thread.