Josh40601's Build Thread. (D-ranged)

Engine cage all tidied up. Its been pretty freaking gross here lately, but hoping to get some serious headway here soon

Back on her own weight. This is pretty much full bump. Ride height will only be about 2" higher than this. Couldn't go any lower due to interference with the oil pan.





Full lock

Good progress...

SVT

thanks Rick.

Mike has been getting some work done





Then he got stuck trying to burn everything in without dropping it out. lol

Rick, did you use the explorer ECU?

Also, do you remember the year?

If its an XDT2, its a 96 ecu without pats. EQE2 is a 99 with pats. I think i used the 99, i cant remember. If its not getting fuel, it could be pats. I can reprogram the pats if thats an issue...

SVT

Spoke with a tuner here close by and a guy here in Lexington with a 02 ranger and a 97 Explorer motor in it. It's not just the PATS, its the entire GEM doesn't recognize the explorer ECU correctly. The tuner here already has the tune setup, I just need to provide him with his requested specs, and he will build me a tune.

He said the truck would never run without a tune to delete the PATS unless we changed the GEM module to a pre-2000. I honestly think this is why the truck has not ran since the swap.

I'm going to get D from Mike's on Sunday, then taking it over to the tuner (Blankenship Tuning in Shelbyville, KY) to get that last bit done. Then its to the exhaust shop, then to the body shop. Goal is to be driving it by September

Well, went to Konxvegas yesterday and picked up my baby. Haven't seen it since like March or April of 2014. Mike done an amazing job on getting all the fab work he did.




Climbed my fat ass up in there and couldn't help but be all cheesin'. It's kind of a bitch to get in and out, but once you are in, it is perfect. I still may lower the seat mount rails though to provide a little more "clearance" for my thunder thighs, but we'll see.


So the list of shit to do before its back on the road is below:

* Driveshafts
* rebuild coilovers
* mount rear shocks
* mount under-hood items
* build intake
* figure out what to do about a gas tank - 01 tank is going to hit the rear driveshaft
* mount and hookup shifters
* mount headers, have exhaust made
* Tune (may do this before relocating the fuel tank)
* paint everything
* finish the bumper and mount it

Ranger looking great!! It's always a good feeling when u know it's getting close to being done!

Considering I took this thing all the way back to just a frame, it's so sexy

I still may lower the seat mount rails though to provide a little more "clearance" for my thunder thighs

Click to expand...

I'd be more worried about head clearance on that roll bar. I prefer to see them run from the A-pillar back to the rear center for that reason.
Regardless, it looks good.

Richard

alwaysFlOoReD said:

I'd be more worried about head clearance on that roll bar. I prefer to see them run from the A-pillar back to the rear center for that reason.
Regardless, it looks good.

Richard

Click to expand...

Thanks sir. Mike hit his head on the roof bars, but not on the bars in the back. Now when I'm bombing through the desert, we shall see how they do. I have a feeling you are right though.

So today began the "figure out where everything is, and how everything is going to work" task.

1st off was the shifters...

As you can see, the cables seem kinda short



After fighting with the cables, they finally starting going my way...


Even got 2 to go in, and test shifted.


But the problem comes when I got to run a cable to the 203.... 1.) there isn't enough room in the current hole to do this, 2.) the cable isn't long enough to reach, and 3.) I have no mounting setup like for the twin stick setup. Going to email JB Fab and pick their brain regarding this....

Here is how tightly fit everything is with the doubler...


Next up was fuel tank... THe current factory 01 tank is about a 1/4-3/8" away from the driveshaft on level(ish) ground, so it will have to be redone. I have a 15 gal. RCI fuel cell, so I plan to use this. I ran a 13 gal tank in the ranger with the 4L, hopefully the 5L won't make things much different.

anyway, the measurements were 9Hx12.125Wx29.5L (all in inches of course)



After measuring the area on the side of the frame where the factory tank mounts, it looks like I am going to have about 3/4 of an inch between the driveshaft and the edge of the tank. The new tank is almost 3" shorter in height, and 10" shorter in length. The only worry is at the rear of the tank, it gets pretty close to the rear end housing, so I am thinking i will have to notch out the bed beams and move the tank to just under the bed. The goal is to utilize the factory filler door, while using an external fuel pump and filter setup and stainless lines to the filter.

Next up was a rear driveshaft. I used the shaft we built on the rubicon a few years ago as a mock up shaft and it actually fit. I think it is still a little too short, but will serve its purpose perfectly as a mock up shaft.




Last thing I did as it was getting pretty dark, was sit in it and see where I wanted everything, and check clearances. I have about a hand's width of clearance from the top of my head to the bottom of the roof bars, and 6" from the rear bar to the back of my head. knee clearance is perfect, slope of the approximately 3 degrees is right where I want it, and the placement of the triple sticks are right at the height of an armrest.



Overall, I'm really happy how things are turning out. The exhaust should be nothing less than a nightmare, but I'll handle that tomorrow (given the rain holds out)

so...... when can I drive it?!