93 Splash in SC, V8-Swap version

[Curious Hound]

Removed the wiring harness from the engune today and scraped most if the crud out from around the oil filter. Then I lifted the transmission up onto the workbench so it can be rebuilt. Next, I decided to reomove the dash from the Explorer, since the weather is so fine today. Now, I'm having second thoughts about swapping the dash. The upper mounts for the Explorer dash do not exist in my Ranger and would not be part of what I would get if I swapped the firewalls. That means I would have to fab some upper mounting points, which would require some tricky and accurate measuring. I would also need to do a bunch if mod's to the heat/AC ductwork in the engune bay to delete the AC and reclaim the real estate that the evaporator coil currently requires. Plus, repairing the hole the PO made to access a non-functioning blend door. In the Ranger, I alrrady have the non-AC housing in the engune bay. I also wanted the tilt steering column and wheel with cruise control buttons. This column has been abused. The cruise buttons are gone and the transmission shifter needs repairs. It is very sloppy and the indicator in the cluster was off by one setting - it showed N for reverse, D for neutral, 2 for drive, etc. And, the tach in the cluster wasn't working.

So, what are my choices? Anything I do requires heavy wiring mods coming from EEC IV to modern OBD II. That's not an issue for me. If I get a digital dash from someone like Holley, would that work with the Explorer ecu? If so, I could scab that into my Ranger dash and have OBD II instrumentation. Then use a floor shifter for the transmission or maybe find a 3rd gen steering column with shifter in the junk yard. Remove clutch pedal. I might find a 3rd gen column with cruise buttons on the steering wheel. That wouldn't be a horrible solution. If the digital dash doesn't play with my Ford ecu, I would have to buy an aftermarket ecu. Then the dollars really start adding up.

Another idea would be to fab up my own dash and use the Explorer gauge cluster or an aftermarket digital dash. That idea has been in the back of my head for years. I would need a box brake to make a really nice job of it. I would still have to deal with the steering column replacement or floor shifter.

What do y'all think?

Wiring harness gone

on the bench Ready for rebuild

dash be gone.

 

[bobbywalter]

the dash...just need to spot a few tabs in to mount it.

fairly easy.

bigger thing for next phase is to get the engine running on the ground with full understanding of what you have. i see i forgot to suggest this as you were pulling it...as you popped the trans first in the rig. i thought i detailed that but re-reading through this i did not.


since its all already separated i guess once you bundle it up after refreshing things you can ground run it.

this can be a pia....but having it function out in the ether pre transplant so you know exactly what you have is time well wasted. you know every wire and system...

then trans plant or the custom fitment of the sub-sytems is just lego work....

i used to have 3 types of windsor and, a 4.0 and 2.9...a 350 gm and ls systems....and a mazda l for floorstarting at junkyards or craiglist rebuild meeting places....essentially just a dynopak.

but when you can run an engine at idle for 30 minutes with a small radiator and e fan.... hiding oil pressure issues is hard to pull off. i have left more engines than i have bought running them to hot idle oil psi.---5-10 hot idle psi after 55 psi cold start lends to questions hard to answer.


there will be wiring differentials if you are not running the explorer system intact.

....when you get there with everything cleaned and freshened up.....hooking the trans and radiator up and doing a full function test out where you can easily rectify issues is nice.

i can pop a 302 in a ranger in minutes.....that is the easy part....

making the fead and everything else work is the trick.

having to figure out why it wont start or run or that it has no oil pressure cause the fawking pump suction is smashed into the pan ect ect ect....gets frustrating...

more than one swap on these boards has been sold or scrapped after sitting 5 years because they dont want to pull the engine for some strange reason...put it all together but it wont run....


this system specifically.... no. you can probably just slam it together and go...but doing the work is worth it to me.

making the core support lift off goes a long ways in catastrophic trouble shooting....or when you fawk up and break it.

 

[Curious Hound]

the dash...just need to spot a few tabs in to mount it.

fairly easy.

bigger thing for next phase is to get the engine running on the ground with full understanding of what you have. i see i forgot to suggest this as you were pulling it...as you popped the trans first in the rig. i thought i detailed that but re-reading through this i did not.


since its all already separated i guess once you bundle it up after refreshing things you can ground run it.

this can be a pia....but having it function out in the ether pre transplant so you know exactly what you have is time well wasted. you know every wire and system...

then trans plant or the custom fitment of the sub-sytems is just lego work....

i used to have 3 types of windsor and, a 4.0 and 2.9...a 350 gm and ls systems....and a mazda l for floorstarting at junkyards or craiglist rebuild meeting places....essentially just a dynopak.

but when you can run an engine at idle for 30 minutes with a small radiator and e fan.... hiding oil pressure issues is hard to pull off. i have left more engines than i have bought running them to hot idle oil psi.---5-10 hot idle psi after 55 psi cold start lends to questions hard to answer.


there will be wiring differentials if you are not running the explorer system intact.

....when you get there with everything cleaned and freshened up.....hooking the trans and radiator up and doing a full function test out where you can easily rectify issues is nice.

i can pop a 302 in a ranger in minutes.....that is the easy part....

making the fead and everything else work is the trick.

having to figure out why it wont start or run or that it has no oil pressure cause the fawking pump suction is smashed into the pan ect ect ect....gets frustrating...

more than one swap on these boards has been sold or scrapped after sitting 5 years because they dont want to pull the engine for some strange reason...put it all together but it wont run....


this system specifically.... no. you can probably just slam it together and go...but doing the work is worth it to me.

making the core support lift off goes a long ways in catastrophic trouble shooting....or when you fawk up and break it.

I see the wisdom in running it before install. I'll try to keep that in the schedule. I did run it and drive it some before the teardown began. It was just not great to drive down tje road. The steering was really starting to scare me. And that takes some doing. I just don't want to waste too much time in dash and firewall swapping if it would be wiser to change directions. That's why the questions and time for reflection today.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I wonder if the 95-97 Ranger dash used the same tabs. I’m thinking it’s probably the same dash but idle musings that maybe?

 

[Curious Hound]

I wonder if the 95-97 Ranger dash used the same tabs. I’m thinking it’s probably the same dash but idle musings that maybe?

It's very likely.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I see the wisdom in running it before install. I'll try to keep that in the schedule. I did run it and drive it some before the teardown began. It was just not great to drive down tje road. The steering was really starting to scare me. And that takes some doing. I just don't want to waste too much time in dash and firewall swapping if it would be wiser to change directions. That's why the questions and time for reflection today.

I think you’re good and don’t need to start it out of the truck since you did test drive it. I didn’t road test my donor because it didn’t have plates and a battery but we did start it on a jump pack and drive it around the yard and onto the tow dolly so I was comfortable with going forward with the project, it ran and moved.

 

[Robertmangrum.rm]

I wonder if the 95-97 Ranger dash used the same tabs. I’m thinking it’s probably the same dash but idle musings that maybe?

I can say from experience the 95-97 has has different mounting positions from the 93-94. When I pulled the motor out of the 96 XLT to put in my 93 XL I wanted the 96 interior. Mainly the dash and door panels. I liked the bench seat in my 93 XL. If I remember correctly I added some 1/4 20 nut zerts to the front pillars. I thick the tabs across the windshield screwed into place. I know the ECM and all have different locations in the firewall too. I think he's changing the firewall out though.

 

[Curious Hound]

I can say from experience the 95-97 has has different mounting positions from the 93-94. When I pulled the motor out of the 96 XLT to put in my 93 XL I wanted the 96 interior. Mainly the dash and door panels. I liked the bench seat in my 93 XL. If I remember correctly I added some 1/4 20 nut zerts to the front pillars. I thick the tabs across the windshield screwed into place. I know the ECM and all have different locations in the firewall too. I think he's changing the firewall out though.

You didn't change the firewall? Which heat/AC ducting did you use?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

IMO the 93-94 dash you have is superior.

HVAC system has factory A/C delete options and the heater core is an easy roadside swap.

I think the gauges are pretty standalone. I don't remember how you plan on driving the speedometer which is the only real hitch.

I have pondered retrofitting mine with real aftermarket gauges. I say "real" with numbers rather than trying to extrapolate engine feedback by relations to NORM on the gauge. Like it is running 202* rather than just a hair closer to the R than usual kind of a thing. I think it would be easy to make a panel to replace your cluster since it is more of an open concept than mine and you are not concerned with keeping it looking original. Some speedometers I have come across just drive by GPS which would simplify your speedometer situation.

That isn't cheap though.

I think user Twister converted a 4406 to a mechanical speedometer drive back in the day though if you want to look into that.