Swap Radiators

[85_Ranger4x4]

So, to be fair, the 98-11 Rangers, even stock, the rad pokes out below the frame rails by a few inches. I was looking at my green Ranger yesterday and realized that

I really wish I could borrow one for a weekend to experiment with. By the time I buy a used one I might as well buy a new one and I don't really want to buy anything if I don't know if it will even fit. That is why I just got the shroud.

And then guys swapping 351W's in early Broncos love the radiator that I have...

 

[Shran]

I have a 89 Crown Vic 302 in my '86. Front accessories for that engine as well.

Radiator is the old James Duff V8 swap one that goes inside the core support. I believe Northern makes these now, Duff does not

Hoses are a universal lower flex hose and part of the Crown Vic upper, just trimmed to length

Fans: two electric ones, one on each side of the radiator.

Thermostat: 180 degree

Fit & function: it works, but I don't have a lot of room for fan clearance. Different front accessories would make a big difference. The electric fans are just barely adequate. Around town it stays cool, gets hot on the highway easily. Lower temp stat helped some with that. I think my winch blocks some airflow. In any case I think my setup is about the bare minimum you would need for a V8 swap and there is no room for an AC condenser if you wanted one - not a factor for me though.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Y'all are gonna make me pull out my tape measure. Shame on you.

I mean, I have both rads here, I can probably take measurements and pictures. Unfortunately I don’t have a vehicle handy to test fit with

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I mean, I have both rads here, I can probably take measurements and pictures. Unfortunately I don’t have a vehicle handy to test fit with

Choptop?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I really wish I could borrow one for a weekend to experiment with. By the time I buy a used one I might as well buy a new one and I don't really want to buy anything if I don't know if it will even fit. That is why I just got the shroud.

And then guys swapping 351W's in early Broncos love the radiator that I have...

I have a few old rads here. Either they were leaking or they were pulled when I was stripping something down and haven’t been reused yet. The leaking ones I’ve intended to knock the plastic tanks off so they can be scrapped as “clean” rads rather than “dirty” which is worth a little more but I like to have more than one or two before cashing them in so they sit. I’ve never tried fitting anything other than a stock replacement or a like to like as I did with the 5.0 swaps I’ve done because the 95-01 Explorers basically used the same rad as the Ranger, just thicker for the V8 application.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Choptop?

I’m not tearing that cooling system apart again anytime soon. I didn’t even think about trying to fit a different rad when I had it apart not long ago, I was just trying to hurry repairs along then. Besides, it has a 2” body lift.

 

[PlumCrazy]

I am running a factory single core 4.0 rad in my 97 Ranger with an Explorer 5.0. All factory Explorer accessory drive including the clutch fan. I only have a small shroud on on the top of the rad from a base model 80's non A/C Ranger. The single core rad still has a thick tank on the driver's side, so that and the top shroud make up 50% of a normal shroud .lol

I have zero cooling issues. It runs right around 195* with the AC on in 100* heat. If I beat on it for 15+ minutes at slower speeds it will get up to 205* and then cool back down soon after.

I think I just used 4.0 hoses upper and lower after deleting the water/oil cooler on the 5.0

Only tricky part of my whole setup was that I had to trim down the OD of the metal fan blades by about 3/8" to clear the radiator tank....method shown below.

 

[Curious Hound]

Y'all are a bunch of kill-joys.

So, the Explorer radiator I have is roughly 25 1/2" square to outside edge of the tanks and about 3" thick. Plus mountumg tabs and stuff hanging off of all that. That means, with the top edge aligned with the top of the core support, it will hang down between frame rails and interfere with the front cross-member. It just barely fits between the frame rails, by "rough" tape measing. Either I have some major cutting and fabbing to get that in there or I need a different radiator.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Y'all are a bunch of kill-joys.

So, the Exolorer radiator I have is roughly 25 1/2" square to outside edge of the tanks and about 3" thick. Plus mountumg tabs and stuff hanging off of all that. That means, with the top edge aligned with the top of the core support, it will hang down between frame rails and interfere with the frint cross-member. It jus barely fits between the frame rails, by "rough" tape measing. Either I have some major cutting and fabbing to get that in there or I need a different radiator.

Don't force it, just get a bigger hammer.

If you still have the original hoses off your 5.0 you could always try the dual core you have now. You really are not out anything to test it but a little bit of time. If it passes get new hoses, if it doesn't go onto plan B.

 

[PlumCrazy]

Y'all are a bunch of kill-joys.

So, the Exolorer radiator I have is roughly 25 1/2" square to outside edge of the tanks and about 3" thick. Plus mountumg tabs and stuff hanging off of all that. That means, with the top edge aligned with the top of the core support, it will hang down between frame rails and interfere with the frint cross-member. It jus barely fits between the frame rails, by "rough" tape measing. Either I have some major cutting and fabbing to get that in there or I need a different radiator.

I didn't read through everything, but I learned the hard way that the 95+ Explorer rad does not fit between the frame rails of a 94-97 Ranger. Now what I dont remember....is if it was because of how I boxed mine...or if the factory frame horns had the same issue.

I know we squeezed a 95 Explorer rad into an 86 Bronco II without issue IIRC

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Thinking about it I don't think I have never seen pics of a Ex 5.0 rad in a first gen.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Looking at them online the later Ranger 4.0 radiator looks identical to the 5.0 rad but is just thinner. Same core dimensions and eyeballing it the tanks are the same as well. Widthwise if one goes somewhere the other should fit as well.

Both are made to cool 210+/-hp...

 

[PlumCrazy]

Looking at them online the later Ranger 4.0 radiator looks identical to the 5.0 rad but is just thinner. Same core dimensions and eyeballing it the tanks are the same as well. Widthwise if one goes somewhere the other should fit as well.

Both are made to cool 210+/-hp...

IIRC The loaded 4.0 Explorers used the same rad as the 5.0

The one we had was a 2"+ thick core with the side "wing" mounts and no studs on the bottom.

 

[Curious Hound]

I Measured the frame more accurately. Frame is 1" narrower than the radiator.