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Crate 302 or Junkyard 5.0 Swap into 1988 2WD 2.9L Ranger?


Also. (1)Don't buy a Pertronix Billet Flamethrower distributor- their centrifugal advance is FUBAR. After I sent it to them to test and they confirmed an 8 second delay in the advance their tech guy said "I don't know what you want me to do about it". Summit took it back for full credit. Most people who spend the time and money to put a 351 into a Ranger expect less than an 8 second delay when the step on the loud pedal.
(2) Get an oil filter bypass that bolts to the block, mine screws onto the filter threads so I have to cut the hoses off to remove it.
 
The 5.0l from the Explorers is desirable because of the low height of the intake manifold and its EFI, plus it has the SHORT NOSE water pump and accesories
Mustang and truck 5.0l EFI's have a little taller intakes, engine sits lower in the wider frames, so don't fit under Ranger hood, but you can do a body lift
And they usually have the long nose water pump and pulleys

All the Explorer 5.0ls were automatics, but you would want a 2WD, 4WD trans can't be used in 2WD
Yes, 1996/7 had no PATS, and also used lower fuel pressure with Return if memory serves, like your 1988
But PATS can be removed from any computer by a Ford Programmer, so not the end of the world to use a 1998-2001 Explorer drivetrain/computer

Crate 5.0l still need the intakes and exhaust from explorer
Rebuilding the 5.0l from the whole explorer you buy would be better

Doing a crate(or rebuilt) 5.0l engine with carb and AOD automatic would be the least expensive option and easiest


Yes, you can keep all your gauges working, even an amp meter if you have that
You will need a speedometer cable electric drive motor, unless you go with old school Carb and AOD trans

I am liking the sound of cheaper and easier! I've done so much research that I am beginning to get lost, so I REALLY appreciate your reply.

Crate Engine and AOD:
I have done a lot of digging. I spoke to the folks from Blueprint Engine on the phone, and they were friendly enough but kept trying to upsell me to their $18k motors+trans package. I found a local company who appears to have pretty good long term reviews for a crate engine.
Engine: Eyeing the 330HP Version -- https://www.phoenixengine.com/Ford-04.html
Transmission: Perhaps something along these lines -- https://gearstar.com/ford-aod-performance-transmission-level-2/

More questions:
  1. Wiring - for something like the above, what would the wiring solution be to keep all of the gauges working etc? Do I keep the main ECU that's in the truck now, and then just not use that ECU for ignition? Would I need to find a standalone harness for the engine and then do some wire splicing etc using the Hayes manuals as my guide?
  2. Carb questions - I've never owned a vehicle with a carb, so I'm new to that. I live in an area where it gets to freezing and below for about 4 months out of the year. Not that big of a deal as this isn't my daily driver, but would that absolutely suck? Would I be silly for not being patient and taking the time to learn and make an EFI system work?
  3. Or, do you still recommend finding a 2WD Explorer matching all of the criteria you gave above? Then just find a good shop to rebuild the engine and transmission with that?
 
A crate engine is going to be way more money than a used Exploder engine, and be a lot more work for finding wiring, controllers, and accessories, but it will be new rather than used.
Yeah, and that's the part that I am REALLY liking about the thought of the crate engine. Much more peace of mind and having something new/completely rebuilt by a trusted source w/ a warranty.

If you get a junkyard 302 youre better off rebuilding it before install anyways.

Personally id go crate. Be more money up front for sure but atleast you know what youre getting and itll have a warranty.

Source brackets and accesories and shit iike that from the junk yard.

Also if you wanna go with the short intake, mustang/vic/marquis/towncars/tbirds ran them to and are probably pretty common on ebay.

4R70Ws should be easy to get your hands on. Theres tons of 90s 300/302 powered 1/2 ton trucks and E series in junkyards. You can tell the difference between those and AOD's by the shift indicator on the cluster....

AOD- "PRNoDD21"
4r70w-"PRNOD21" (the shift lever will also have the O/D button on end) The E4OD also uses this but i believe the E4OD only went into 351 powered 1/2 ton stuff.

AOD's were only used untill midyear 93 i believe. So basically any late93-96 300/302 1/2 ton should be the ticket.

Just a little tip if you do go junkyard diving, try to pull parts from something with obvious damage (unless its got a smashed cab from a tree or something)....cause that means chances are it was road bound and running on its last trip.

Yep agreed on the warranty! That's the thought that really has me going back to that direction. I certainly wouldn't pull a motor from a junkyard without rebuilding it.

For the 4R70W - would that be much different to mount up into the truck compared to an AOD? And would it require extra wiring etc? That transmission didn't really show up in a lot of my research - most folks were telling others to get either an AOD (my truck is already Auto & I'd like to keep it that way) or a C4.

Someone also mentioned the 6R80? How about that in terms of compatibility with a carburated or EFI 302?

I found some parts to seemingly help it made up to a SBF.
Control System for the transmission: https://www.usshift.com/usq6.shtml
Adapter to 302: https://www.jegs.com/i/Performance-Automatic/732/PA68507/10002/-1

The 302 would be easier, but if I could go back I probably would have done a 351.

I also highly recommend keeping the air conditioning, I only drive my truck after the salting is done, it makes it much more enjoyable when it's 90° out.
Ease is certainly top of mind for me right now since I am so new to it! And yes - I absolutely want to keep AC. I sweat like a hog, so certainly want to keep that around.
 
Gauges are analog up through 2003 Rangers, so don't worry about that, need 2 wires, temp and oil pressure, 3rd wire for Tach IF.........you go with distributor/carb, otherwise it comes from computer with EFI

Explorer will have all the small bits and front accessory pulley setup, plus exhaust system

Google: 302 build on a budget

You get a Crate engine without the crate price, local machine shops can do most of the work with the parts you provide
Take your pick of what you want on YOUR build, not someone elses idea of what YOUR build should be :)
 
Installing a shitrolet engine in a ford (patent pending), weather a big block shitty or a small block shitty- is biblically known as the unpardonable sin. Some scholars believe it is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit but actually is is running any bow-turd from Generic Motors Corp power plant in a Ford automobile.

LS - loose sxxt
RS- runny sxxt
LT- liquid turd
Even the engine naming series is in the “toilet”. Terrible.


Do you see the problem?
“I LS swapped my Ranger!”
Not phun to admit, TMI if you ask me.

“I put a small block ford in my ranger!”
See how the inflection just leaves one with good vibes?

Henry Ford was a good man. Louis Shitrolet, not so much.


A proverb: If a transportation device should be birthed wearing a “blue oval” or with the birthmark on its parts of FoMoCo, it shall never partake of the Bow-turd of the plant of good and evil.

This is as it was taught for thousands of years and how it shall remain forevermore.

Buy a 302W and install it, It fits,it’s proper, you will find no shame among your peers and many will believe you are a scholar and a gentleman.

Car-Part.com still has a few low mile Explorer engines. That is where my 51k/2001hidden gem originated from.

Is there any question as to the sentiment regarding a cross-breed Ranger?……. Heresy.
 
Yeah, and that's the part that I am REALLY liking about the thought of the crate engine. Much more peace of mind and having something new/completely rebuilt by a trusted source w/ a warranty.



Yep agreed on the warranty! That's the thought that really has me going back to that direction. I certainly wouldn't pull a motor from a junkyard without rebuilding it.

For the 4R70W - would that be much different to mount up into the truck compared to an AOD? And would it require extra wiring etc? That transmission didn't really show up in a lot of my research - most folks were telling others to get either an AOD (my truck is already Auto & I'd like to keep it that way) or a C4.

Someone also mentioned the 6R80? How about that in terms of compatibility with a carburated or EFI 302?

I found some parts to seemingly help it made up to a SBF.
Control System for the transmission: https://www.usshift.com/usq6.shtml
Adapter to 302: https://www.jegs.com/i/Performance-Automatic/732/PA68507/10002/-1


Ease is certainly top of mind for me right now since I am so new to it! And yes - I absolutely want to keep AC. I sweat like a hog, so certainly want to keep that around.
The AOD is vacuum operated and im not sure on the finer details of them, but if you do go carburated it would be the better option as the 4r70w is electronic controlled and would require an ECM.

I know they make stand alone ECM's to run the E4OD behind a carbed V8 so i would *guess* thats also an option for the 4r70w but im not sure.

The C4 used to be a pretty standard V8 swap trans, but they are getting hard to find and lack an O/D, but really would be the eaisest to use.

I have no idea on the 6R80.

As far as the carb vs EFI....its a coke or pepsi type debate. Both do the job and youll hear people with good arguements on both sides. Personally im a carb guy. A properly tuned carb with a properly operating choke will do just about as good as EFI on a cold start, after warm you wont notice any difference. People drove carbed vehicles in cold climates for years.

If you do go carb resist the urge to "over carburate"...as in "im gonna go buy the biggest cfm carb i can to bolt on"...you gotta match the carb to the motor. Factory 2bbls on 302s flowed around 330cfm. Keep that in mind lol.

I prefer edelbrocks.

That being said though there are alot of self tuning, easy to wire aftermarket EFI systems. I have no interest in them and therefore have no first hand experence with their reliabilty.
 
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The AOD is vacuum operated and im not sure on the finer details of them, but if you do go carburated it would be the better option as the 4r70w is electronic controlled and would require an ECM.

I know they make stand alone ECM's to run the E4OD behind a carbed V8 so i would *guess* thats also an option for the 4r70w but im not sure.

The C4 used to be a pretty standard V8 swap trans, but they are getting hard to find and lack an O/D, but really would be the eaisest to use.

I have no idea on the 6R80.

As far as the carb vs EFI....its a coke or pepsi type debate. Both do the job and youll hear people with good arguements on both sides. Personally im a carb guy. A properly tuned carb with a properly operating choke will do just about as good as EFI on a cold start, after warm you wont notice any difference. People drove carbed vehicles in cold climates for years.

If you do go carb resist the urge to "over carburate"...as in "im gonna go buy the biggest cfm carb i can to bolt on"...you gotta match the carb to the motor. Factory 2bbls on 302s flowed around 330cfm. Keep that in mind lol.

I prefer edelbrocks.

That being said though there are alot of self tuning, easy to wire aftermarket EFI systems. I have no interest in them and therefore have no first hand experence with their reliabilty.
AOD's were not vacuum operated- in fact they didn't have a modulator valve at all- they used governor speed and throttle position only to govern shifts.
The AODE and 4R70 are both AOD descendants with electronic controls, they don't need an "ECM"(GM's name for engine control module), they need a transmission controller to run with a carbureted engine.
An E4OD is based on a C6, as is a 4R100 and they're both huge. 6R80's are even bigger and heavier. They're all overkill in my opinion and need controllers, too.
I also prefer a carburetor and agree that too big isn't better, but I much prefer a Holley because I know how to tune one. My son had an Edelbrock on his 302 swapped Turbo Coupe and told me how good it ran so we traded carbs for a week. The shiny P.O.S. cost me 2 tenths in the quarter and had soggy throttle response. His Bird now runs a Holley. 600 CFM is plenty, my go to carb is the 80457 vacuum secondary with electric choke. Double pumpers are great race carbs but aren't street friendly and take too much tuning.
I used a C4, partly because I had 2 of them and partly because I've always liked building them. I might have had to modify my floor pan with an AOD and I like the way C4's shift better. I used 3.00 gears to compensate for no OD and the 351 doesn't seem to struggle.
 
AOD's were not vacuum operated- in fact they didn't have a modulator valve at all- they used governor speed and throttle position only to govern shifts.
The AODE and 4R70 are both AOD descendants with electronic controls, they don't need an "ECM"(GM's name for engine control module), they need a transmission controller to run with a carbureted engine.
An E4OD is based on a C6, as is a 4R100 and they're both huge. 6R80's are even bigger and heavier. They're all overkill in my opinion and need controllers, too.
I also prefer a carburetor and agree that too big isn't better, but I much prefer a Holley because I know how to tune one. My son had an Edelbrock on his 302 swapped Turbo Coupe and told me how good it ran so we traded carbs for a week. The shiny P.O.S. cost me 2 tenths in the quarter and had soggy throttle response. His Bird now runs a Holley. 600 CFM is plenty, my go to carb is the 80457 vacuum secondary with electric choke. Double pumpers are great race carbs but aren't street friendly and take too much tuning.
I used a C4, partly because I had 2 of them and partly because I've always liked building them. I might have had to modify my floor pan with an AOD and I like the way C4's shift better. I used 3.00 gears to compensate for no OD and the 351 doesn't seem to struggle.
You sure about the AOD? I thought they were vacuum...or atleast the early ones...didnt Tbirds/vics run them clear back in 1980? I guess i could be wrong about them...im not super familar. There is the AOD-E that came out around 92 or so that was electronically controlled

I agree the C6/E4OD is total overkill for his application.

I always had issues with holleys staying in tune. The edelbrocks were always set it and forget it.
 
Ah ok after researching it seems they ran a TV cable. Pry still be a good choice for a carbed motor
 
You sure about the AOD? I thought they were vacuum...or atleast the early ones...didnt Tbirds/vics run them clear back in 1980? I guess i could be wrong about them...im not super familar. There is the AOD-E that came out around 92 or so that was electronically controlled

I agree the C6/E4OD is total overkill for his application.

I always had issues with holleys staying in tune. The edelbrocks were always set it and forget it.
Yes I'm sure, I went to the new model intro class in the fall of 78 when the AOD was being introduced in the 79 LTD. This is a hilly area so people have to add some throttle on hills, causing a downshift. Letting off the gas quickly at the top of the hill caused a sudden, harsh 3-4 shift, followed by a customer complaint.
 
Yes I'm sure, I went to the new model intro class in the fall of 78 when the AOD was being introduced in the 79 LTD. This is a hilly area so people have to add some throttle on hills, causing a downshift. Letting off the gas quickly at the top of the hill caused a sudden, harsh 3-4 shift, followed by a customer complaint.
I dont recall ever owning anything with an AOD. Had many C6's and a few FMX's though.

Honestly if he didnt care about O/D an FMX wouldnt be a bad choice. Stouter then a C4 but lighter then a C6.
 
I dont recall ever owning anything with an AOD. Had many C6's and a few FMX's though.

Honestly if he didnt care about O/D an FMX wouldnt be a bad choice. Stouter then a C4 but lighter then a C6.
FMX has little or no support now but they were a good trans in their day. They were used in tons of police cruisers and took a lot of abuse.
 
FMX has little or no support now but they were a good trans in their day. They were used in tons of police cruisers and took a lot of abuse.
Theres still a few performance parts out there for them. Or atleast last i knew
 
Theres still a few performance parts out there for them. Or atleast last i knew
I just like C4's better, possibly because I've built so many. Though it's been a while, the one in my Ranger is the first one since the first week of February, 1982 when I became the service manager. Building transmissions is more gratifying.
 
For all those hating on people that put another manufacturer engine in their vehicle... Call it blasphemy, sacrilege, or an unpardonable sin... It's their vehicle and they're footing the bill. Until you start shelling money their way, nobody cares what you think. Sad, but true. (Admit it, you started singing "Metallica")

This isn't a million dollar 427 AC Cobra, a 69-70 429 Boss Mustang, or a 2020 Shelby Mustang vin # 001. Vehicles like these would require an identical engine to keep most of the value. Think of all the hot rods that were made out of Model Ts with Chevy V-8s in them instead of a Ford flathead. Yes, in the 30s when hot rods first came out flatheads where the craze. But after the mid 50s the CSB where all the rage, FSB came out in the early 60s and some changed to that. You can hate all you want on CSB but they were popular and held up extremely well. It all depends on how it was built, just like any engine. If you build it loose, it will grenade, no matter the make.

I was thinking about putting a Nissan 5.6 in my D21 Hardbody but knew I would never find one for the price I got my LSX for.

It's all relative, you see it as blasphemy, while others see it as another gearhead modifying their vehicle. Just take it easy, don't overheat yourself and enjoy the thread.
 

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