1986 to 1994 4.0 Swap - HELP - question about steering and dash

[TrapperMan2024]

Hey All-

I'm hoping for a little guidance... My rig is a 1986 and I see plenty of articles on the 4.0 swap, I already have that in and have run fuel lines, new exhaust, etc. Now I'm working on wiring... I found the webpage on the dash swap (I thought that would be easier and look cleaner that splicing wires, etc). So, I went back to my donor and pulled the dash, and everything that goes with it. Today, I prepped the dash for going in and thought that I'd throw the steering in to make sure that fit... Nope. It's about ~5" too long, and runs into the firewall side of the brake booster. I'm not sure what I did wrong. I thought about trimming the end of the steering column but wont work since the 'crimped' end of the column that goes into the steering shaft is only 'crimped' about 3".

The webpage of the guy that did the dash swap said nothing about steering column issues, so why my interference. If I can shorten the steering shaft, then the brake booster is still in the way...

Anyone done this swap? Or know someone who has?

(I'm new to forums)

 

[Curious Hound]

I'm confused. Is it too long? Or is it offset left or right or above or below where it needs to be? You seem to be inferring both.

I haven't swapped different generations of dash. I just replaced my gen 3 dash with another gen 3 dash.

 

[gaz]

@TrapperMan2024
I did a 100% 94 Explorer 4.0/dash/column/harness/PCM swap into an 87 BII. There were a couple issues but the dash easily fits, though some alterations to the interior panels are required. I removed both the upper windscreen side and kick panels to center the dash 1st. A caviat to this, I believe is also using both the Explorer's engine bay and cabin heater box and ducts. I can't see it working as well with the 86/87 duct system.

My primary concern was the steering column placement as everything else seemed to work if that was correct. I chose the 4 brake master cylinder/booster bolts as the constant between the 86/87 layout and the 94, though it was the correct choice, there was still plenty of wiggle room with those 4 bolt holes to make it go bad.

I wound up, as others have suggested, also swapping in the Explorer engine side steering column reinforcing plate from the Explorer for the BII column plate; getting in just the right spot required some patience. I wound up mocking up the location of the plate and column 10 or 15 times until there was enough clearance for the cab side column firewall attaching plate with the throttle bracket. Ultimately, this is due to the tunnel bump also being located a little different.

I altered both the lower column support bracket fastener bracket boss holes and the throttle to firewall attaching bracket for the column and it's firewall bracket to be able to slip in.
1) lower column support bracket fastener bracket boss holes; I needed to be able to slide the bracket farther rearward. To accomplish this I elongated the 4 boss holes.
2) throttle to firewall attaching bracket; I had to grind out a bit fir the column to firewall bracket to be able to fit...it is snug but with very little effort, after the column slide through the firewall, the bracket can be place as long as all the other hardware is still wiggle loose. Once that bracket is in, then I tighten the 4 lower column support bolts.

This pic is an early mock-up of the location for the Explorer's engine bay side column reinforcing plate. It was determined by where the column and it's firewall attaching bracket needed to be because of the locations of the gas pedal bracket and transmission tunnel.

In the pic the BII engine bay column reenforcement plate can be seen underneath. This isn't exactly where the final placement needed to be but it set me down the best path.

I wound up needing to use the BII gas pedal vs the Explorer's. The Explorer has a different top angle, it would have interfered with the Explorer column.

The Explorer's big driver's side wire bundle firewall hole is also a little different, as suggested by others, I chose to adapter a section of the Explorer's cab side firewall into the BII to make this more plug and play.

Pics of the other adjustments are on my PC, I will pull them in order of execution. As said, the goal was fir the column to be installable without changing the location of the gas pedal

 

[gaz]

If I had to guess, it sounds like you may have used the bottom of the original steering column firewall hole and cut upwards, instead of using the brake master cylinder boss holes with the 94's engine bay column reenforcement plate, to locate where the 94's column firewall hole needed to be.

 

[gaz]

Here is the progression of changes:
1, Explorer engine bay reinforcement plate located, installed with firewall cutout for 94 steering column.
2, cab side (bad lighting), shows triming togas pedal bracket and harness hole opened up for big connector.

 

[gaz]

1, cabin with Explorer keyed harness connector hole.
2, engine side.
3, with big harness bundle connector in keyed hole.

 

[TrapperMan2024]

Wow GAZ! thanks for such a quick response!

Its very clear to me that the dash does fit, but the mounting hole from my 94 explorer don't match with the 86 ranger cab. to get it to work, I think I'm going to have some fabrication work and I see from your pictures that I am going to have to mod the firewall to get the steering column to work as well.

Would it be simpler to just leave the old dash in. I see there is a couple people that have done that as well. What is the advantage to the dash swap? Maybe I should reconsider the swap and just keep it stock. Thoughts?

 

[gaz]

@TrapperMan2024
It simply is a choice, do you prefer to rebuild the harness or make a few structural changes. I am an electrician and mechanic by happenstance but I can sort out structural modifications...in my head, faster than I can un-pin and repin wire runs with my hands, so I made my bed.

If I had all the time in the world and no other worldly responsibilities/commitments, I would have rebuilt the 1st gen harness to work with the 2nd Gen components because of my adornment for the style of the original features.

After considering:
• the instrument cluster ∆'s
• all sensors/connections ∆'s
• fuel system ∆'s
• harness and PCM routing

I chose to enjoy amending the modest physical changes verses the...in my eyes, near complete wire harness rebuild, for a seemingly more plug and play experience.

In the end I am faced with an unexpected mystery as the 4.0l seems to fit in the 87 BII engine bay much better than the 2.9l did. I can't for the life of me explain it; there is more clearance between the firewall and tunnel, between the engine and all the crap in the bay. I am pleasantly surprised.

The other cold hard fact is that buying a complete running donor chassis today can be more economic than hunting down all the needed components. The part that I was having trouble locating was a sound complete wire harness/PCM. Purchasing a complete drivable Explorer to cannibalise, made my initial goals much simpler to attain.

How bout those Broncos... RIGHT.

 

[gaz]

Which mounting hole(s) are you referring to, maybe we can help?

Did you use the column support from the Explorer? The part that the the brake master cylinder/booster bolts to through the firewall (4 bolts).

 

[TrapperMan2024]

I installed the 94 explorer column support, and it bolted right up to the existing holes of the brake booster (no issues there). but the screw holes on the 94 dash (near the windshield) don't line up at all with the ones that the original dash used. (So, how would I attach the new dash to the firewall?).

Since I have the 100% entire wiring from the 94 explorer, the dash, engine, tranny, etc. I assumed from reading other posts, that the dash swap would be the obvious choice, but I cant seem to get it to 'bolt up'.

Now I'm frustrated and ready to throw in the towel...

 

[TrapperMan2024]

I had a breakthrough last night, and figured out that the 2 'brackets' near the windshield (on the firewall) in the center could be bent up a little and then used to mount the dash. So the dash is in!

However the outside mounting pieces on the firewall needed to be bent down so they wouldn't interfere with the dash.

I found a mounting hole on the column bracket that will work to anchor the dash, as well as one down by the the parking brake bracket... but the explorer dash requires a mounting tab for the passenger side, down by the ECM (computer). Currently, it is unsupported and needs something to connect it to the A column. Here are some pics to help understand. What did you do to anchor it?

 

[RobbieD]

It wouldn't be that hard to just fabricate a mount.

 

[bobbywalter]

i would just make a tab with flat stock.


there are several variations of these and this is the first of those. the steering and hvac change again after 94....


of course i do the opposite of gaz and just lay in the eec system leaving everything else in place whenever possible.


though generally the older stuff is so hashed it makes sense to update the wiring and stuff. so this extra work can be well worth it....plus parts are a bit easier to procure...though 94 is old too these days...

of course there are so many options...

this is both a bolt in swap that can indeed be bolt in and take....6 hours, or you can choose to incorporate all kinds of explorer stuff and take 600 hours.

for the most part, they are pretty easy to work with.

 

[SenorNoob]

I second the flat stock tab.

 

[TrapperMan2024]

Thanks all-

My next issue I have is the steering column support and clutch pedal/brake pedal assembly...

I have a manual tranny and the steering column support I am using is from an AUTO... so I need to weld the clutch pedal arm onto my existing pivot shaft that the brake pedal arm goes on. Has anyone done this? Can anyone send me some pics of how theirs worked. I want it to be as close to OEM as I can.

Am I making sense?