sohc 4.0 help

rekles · Oct 26, 2016

looking for some help in doing some 4.0 sohc swaps

ranger 1 is my 99 with a blown 4.0 ohvranger-

2 is my sons 95 with a bad 3.0 and 5 speed

- I need some help on the best way to swap these motors in for the least amount of $$ If need be i can pick up a doner explorer for my son so he can just swap everything over. This is gonna be my sons play/drive to school truck . we hope to complete this truck in 8 months. Also what would be the best 5 speed to mate with that?*

As for the 99 its going to be my daily driver. I have read that you can use the ohv harness and ecu with some modification? id think that this would be the cheapest and eaisiest way to do the swap because i have the harness and ecm ? what would be the best auto trans to use?

*Im not worried about smog, i just dont want a cel.

*THANKS FOR ANY AND ALL INFO

RonD · Oct 26, 2016

Welcome to TRS

Cheapest swaps are to use the same motor
1995 gets 3.0l Vulcan
1999 gets 4.0l OHV

1997 to 2004 4.0l SOHC engines need new timing chain sets, for sure, so add that to cost.
Also thermostat housing.

4.0l OHV and 4.0l SOHC use same trans bolt pattern and motor mounts
3.0l doesn't, so new trans, computer and harness
4.0l SOHC needs a Knock sensor to run Regular gas, so unless you plan on running higher octane fuel ALL THE TIME you will need 4.0l SOHC computer and wiring harness.

If you will not use original engines, 3.0l and 4.0l OHV, then a 5.0l V8 swap would be the only way to go, IMO.
Same work and parts but more horse power in the end.
4.0l SOHC is no easier to swap into a non-4.0l SOHC Ranger than a V8

gw33gp · Oct 27, 2016

The 5.0L swap is done a lot but there are problems associated with it. I know of one that was done very well and he had overheating problems when pushed hard. He felt the radiator had plenty of capacity but the larger engine filled in the engine bay too much and interfered with air flow.

The stock 5.0 has only slightly more horse power than the 4.0 SOHC but it does look considerable better when it comes to torque. While the 4.0 SOHC is not great on gas mileage, it is still better than the 5.0, especially when using some of that extra torque. I have done an extended off-road trip with another Ranger with the 5.0 and he was needing to put a lot more fuel in it than I did. We were not pushing the vehicles that hard either.

That 5.0 sure does look nice in a Ranger though.

MagicMexican · Oct 27, 2016

RonD said:
4.0l OHV and 4.0l SOHC use same trans bolt pattern and motor mounts
4.0l SOHC needs a Knock sensor to run Regular gas, so unless you plan on running higher octane fuel ALL THE TIME you will need 4.0l SOHC computer and wiring harness.

4.0l SOHC is no easier to swap into a non-4.0l SOHC Ranger than a V8

Seems like if you had a 4.0L OHV, you could swap in a SOHC, with new wiring harness and computer, plus the knock sensor and voila, you have a SOHC ranger. But can your M5OD-R1 handle the power from the SOHC? Swapping in an R1 HD isn't very hard, according to the tech library (never done it).

The 5.0L would definitely need a tranny, which was never factory fit into a ranger, so you'll have to figure out which tranny/transfer case combo to go with and then have driveshafts made, and probably have the 5.0 tuned (since most 5.0L engines you find were mated to an auto trans.

So, I guess if you went 5 speed, the 4.0L SOHC would be a little easier, as far as custom work involved.

If you went auto, maybe they're closer. I guess the deciding factor is how much you want "bolt-in" vs fabricating and custom stuff. And how much info you would need. There is a lot more out there on 5.0L swaps than SOHC swaps. But that's just my opinion based off what I've researched due to my own plans... as of now, I haven't done either swap, though I plan to.

RonD · Oct 27, 2016

Used M5OD-R2, manual for V8, runs $300 used to $900 new/rebuilt

4.0l SOHC, pre-2005, timing chain replacement is about the same cost depending on who does the work, you or a mechanic.

M5OD-R1 or R1HD are virtually the same inside so I don't think the SOHC would hurt the R1

The plug and play aspect is attractive, for the 4.0l SOHC, but just not seeing a big enough upside for all the work, vs rebuilt 4.0l OHV or going with a V8

adsm08 · Oct 27, 2016

In a 99 the SOHC swap wouldn't be that hard. Grab an engine harness and computer from an Explorer of the same year and go to town. Shouldn't really be any extra work.

I do agree that the SOHC is not likely to hurt an R1 that doesn't already have issues, since the important parts are the same between the two transmissions.

In the 95 it shouldn't' be much different. The two vehicles are largely the same, except for computer stuff and some fuel system changes.

I like the SOHC over the 5.0 because it is largely plug and play for about the same money/work. I plunked a SOHC in my 87 as I was rebuilding it from the ground up because I happened to have one just hanging out in the garage.

rekles · Oct 28, 2016

5.0 is defenitly out of the picture for either of these trucks although I might consider the swap for my 96 4x4 either that or a ls1 but I need a daily driver before I can even start that project.

I was hoping there was another way that I didn't have to incorporate the pats with ignitioin , key , ecm, and programming for the 99 sense I already have pats and all that comes with it.

So I guess the ohv ecm won't work? I could of sworn I read a write up on it in an older explorer swap where he had to drill a hole in the oil pan for a sensor and some other things too

sohc 4.0 help

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