4.0L V6 to Ecoboost 3.5L

[Bakerm1]

I have a 1995 ranger with the 4.0L in it and it has about two hundred thousand miles on it, this is my first car that i ever bought so it has a lot of sentimental value to me and i want to keep this thing around for a long time but a engine swap will be needed sooner or later. I was wondering if swapping over to the ecoboost motor would be possible, I know that ford uses the durtec 3.5L V6 for the block so that is about the same size. Just thinking and would love some input

 

[backroad101]

Anything I possible with time, money, custom fab work and wiring, etc, but I am willing to bet most will suggest a 5.0L swap

 

[stmitch]

There's very little chance your trans would bolt up to the ecoboost, so you'd need to swap the trans, or fab up an adaptor plate. You'd also need all of the wiring harness, electronics, and the ECU for the ecoboost motor. I haven't seen it done yet, so you'd be the guinea pig.

 

[Ozwynn]

Sooner or later I knew this would come up......... Where is my popcorn

 

[escort_gts]

Interesting.....but, I would just get another 4.0

Sent from my HTC using Tapatalk

 

[Gotta_gofast]

You'd better be damn sure how to do the swap cuz thats a lot of coin to drop onto a brand new drivetrain.

 

[Ozwynn]

There is already 3 of them in my local boneyard

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Wow, I'm lucky to see a 3v triton in my area! lol. If it were possible for me to get ahold of a rolled doner truck for a reasonable price I would take on the swap. But I would only do it if I had all the pieces. Sourcing out all the small stuff takes too much time and trial and error.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

You'd better be damn sure how to do the swap cuz thats a lot of coin to drop onto a brand new drivetrain.

This is pretty cutting edge, there will be a learning curve. If everybody waited until they knew for sure something would work nothing would happen. And different things arise even on mundane swaps.

I think it is a worthy project, that 3.5 would be a riot in a Ranger. Even a 4cyl would be pretty cool.

Just looking at pics, the oil pan looks all wrong for a RBV, and I really don't know about the oil filter housing. Maybe they could be switched something off of an older engine... maybe not. I have never claimed to be or planned to be a Vulcan/Duratec expert.

 

[89Ranger5.0]

There's no rules in custom. None. Just certain things take more, time, effort, and $$$$.

Be an awesome swap.

 

[Gotta_gofast]

This is pretty cutting edge, there will be a learning curve. If everybody waited until they knew for sure something would work nothing would happen. And different things arise even on mundane swaps.

I more meant you'd better have your ducks in a row. Planning and research and the availability of tooling to fabricate custom parts. Just going balls deep without a direction usually ends in $200 ranger shells for sale (at least around here lol).

Just from that picture, the issues (as I see it) would be...

Oil pan as stated
HVAC assembly on firewall would obstruct the DOHC head (see 302 swaps for solution I think)
It appears the steering shaft would run right through the turbo. Have to relocate turbo or possibly use knuckles and carrier bearing to get the shaft around the turbo
Alternator and oil filter relocated
The torqueshift 6 speed auto (the only rear wheel trans I know of for this engine) is a big sombich. Since the 3.5L ecoboost shares history with the ecotec lines, maybe there are more compact transmissions that will bolt to it? The 6 speed trans seems to have perfect shift points and gearing btw.

Are these babies air to air intercooled or liquid to air intercooled? A liquid to air heat exchanger would fit better in the front of a ranger.

I'm in no way stating this cannot be done, its just words of wisdom to have a plan and be sure you know what you're going to be doing to your truck.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

A lot of this is scale of things.

I know on a V8 the DS turbo would be in the way of the steering, and on my longer 302 the power steering pump happily lives where the alternator is on the ecoboost. Pushing for all the forward room I could get my 302 is farther back than the 2.8 was too. If the engine would be long enough to dodge the steering gear the alternator would be ok on the EB.

Since it is a 60 degree engine it would be more forgiving than say a 90 degree V8, how much is anybody's guess.

It is a twin turbo, so proximity of the PS turbo to the plastic HVAC box would be important too. A heat gun can be used to reshape it for the valve cover if you need to, it is commonly done for V8 swaps (or you can swap to a non-AC box to open up a ton more room and don't want AC anymore)

A lot of this IMO is going to be in the air until somobody actually tries it. Even a tape measure can lie (it did on the length of my 302 and radiator clearance) and so far we don't even have that to go by.

The 3.7 is another runner that might have fewer complications. I watched one in a Mustang (automatic with 2.xx gears) pound the snot out of two new (LS1 or LS2) GTO's at the local 1/8th mile track a year and a half ago. Since the Ecoboost is only something like $500 more, my local dealer has had enough interest to even order any 3.7 F-150's though. Just Ecoboosts and 5.0's... so they may not be as available in JY's.

 

[Hahnsb2]

While it would be cool, you can accomplish the same thing with a turbo V8, except fuel mileage.

 

[triumphrider-1]

While it would be cool, you can accomplish the same thing with a turbo V8, except fuel mileage...

...and weight.

 

[ronclark]

I would the to see the swap.
As much as i love my 4.0L, i just wish it had better fuel mileage