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302 mounts in an 87 4cyl ranger recipient


corerftech

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I have removed the stock 4 cyl mounts and pillars from my 1987 std cab ranger.
What is going in place is a1997 explorer 302 carb converted.

It seems that most people are using some form of stock early motor mount and using the explorer R/L block plates. Correct me if I am wrong and if so, any part number for a best fit rubber mount would be helpful.
Not using a kit to install!

Second concern- it seems I will likely have to strip the motor down pretty well (don’t want to) for the sake of space, keep a tranny attached, send it with a hoist and then level/center/adjust fore/aft and then mark the mounts for bolting or welding.
Is there enough room by any stretch to leave the heads and cast manifolds on and send the engine and 4R70 down the hole for marking?? This is an experience question here. Also it seems to adequately relieve the A/C air box with a heat gun, heads need to be ON!
I can’t visualize it and am after some experience on the early stages of fitment. My bay is clean, old mount towers removed, radiator out, upper support for core support segmented out for ease of trial fitment. While underside of truck is pressure washed of Alabama mud and grease.
Thanks in advance for the help in visualizing the stab and also pet numbers or a source for proper mounts for the above mentioned truck and engine.

mike in memphis
 


Elutheros

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Mine had a 4.0 so I just used the flat plates on top of the 4.0 mounts. Don't know about 4 cylinder mounts. Are you doing any body lift? It makes it a lot easier to do a 3" body lift (and new body rubber mounts). I never tried stuffing the engine and trans in together. Just seemed a lot easier to do it separately. R u planning on A/C? I finally chopped off the front of the evaporator housing and threw evap. coil away. I ordered a Vintage Air system recently and then everything related to heat/air under the hood will go away. You should have a little more room up top with a carb.
62752
 

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Shran

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Mine is a 4x4 truck - getting the engine and trans in as one piece is impossible, adding a t-case to that is double impossible. You will have to have it in and out multiple times, just plan on that, and plan on attaching the trans and removing it as many times as well.

I used Mustang convertible motor mounts and cut slots in the frame for the bolts to drop through. I would have liked the engine to sit lower but it is what it is.

Not sure on the exhaust manifolds. I used 70's truck 302 manifolds, they tuck in tight and I had them bolted to the block the whole time. I tried using the big late 80's car manifolds but they don't fit well and would have required notching the frame.
 

corerftech

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Purely a street truck, standard ride height, it’s a work truck for my son. Std cab, short bed. I have cut away the top crossbar for the core support so the engine CAN enter and exit at much shallower angles (with trans attached I believe) but as I have thought about it…… an engine separate for “rough” mount location and setting radiator/fan/firewall/Valve-cover clearance to start. Then install the explorer Driveshaft at Pinion Flange. Then add engine with trans to ensure I get fan/firewall and height clearance, plus exhaust clearance, plus do my best to set the tail shaft at the right length for the donor exp shaft to fit without mods. Once all that is set, then mark the mount holes, pull everything and drill mounts. So engine rough mount marked, engine/trans to marry the yoke/tailshaft length/set a descent angle for driveline (try to match pinion angle), then adjust the front end (move radiator fore/aft as the core support is a blank canvas to build on now). There’s a bunch of interference points to mitigate and the trouble I see is attacking them in the proper order to minimize in/out cycles with parts.
I was planning on keeping the GT40 (not p) exhaust on the donor engine. This needs to be a bone stock engine (carbureted) with a limit to power. I have a 90 that will get a similar treatment, but added zip. This is the Guinea Pig to help me figure out how to do it right (the second time).

As for A/C, was hoping the explorer donor system would move over (in time).
There is a tight budget on this conversion. I opted for a 7.5, 3L73 diff replacing the 3.73 open. Nobody is going to romp on throttle with skinnies on the back and bust something. I just don’t want my son to be at work on a farm and have a little mud or sand bury one wheel. And also if he does goose it a bit to pass someone, not light the poor lonely wheel up. I’m doing a full rebuild on the diff (2000 model year ranger donor locker) on the stock 56 1/2 axles. It’s just less work and 220k miles on the engine, it’s not going to be at the strip!
I actually believe the reliability of the 302 roller motor is higher than probably any 4/6 installed in Rangers (in stock form) and I think easier to service. Hp/TQ improvements don’t matter. A Fubared 4 banger replaced by an exceptional donor and that reliability of loafing down the road without stress…… that is where I see the benefit for him. I think with 4R70W and a Baumann I might get him 20 MPg on highway (right foot behaving) at 70 mph.

He is going to need AC (it’s Memphis for Pete Sake!) so I will leave the coil in the firewall and heat/mold the box. I just don’t think I can tackle the AC until the car has proven roadworthy and bugs worked out.

many thanks for the replies and especially the pics.
If there is anyone who has a pic set of mounts on a pre 92 4 cyl installed, I’d like to see them. Even if difficult to interpret.
 

Shran

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If there is anyone who has a pic set of mounts on a pre 92 4 cyl installed, I’d like to see them. Even if difficult to interpret.
I guess I am not understanding completely, are you planning on mounting your V8 to the 4 cylinder motor mounts? Or removing those so that you have a bare crossmember to work with?

The 4 cylinder mount deal is a moot point if you are removing them and using something else. The engine crossmember is the same on 4 and 6 cylinder trucks...the holes for the mounts are simply drilled in different places. I would never consider using 4 cylinder mounts for anything else, they are barely adequate for that purpose, let alone adding more torque from a V8... I have broken several of them just bouncing around on dirt roads.

One popular motor mount option was to use factory V6 mounts and build flat plates that will bolt onto your engine and line up with the holes on the V6 mounts. There is an article in the tech library about doing this - not sure how it affects your engine height vs the other choices.
 

corerftech

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I have a bare crossmember. I mentioned the 4 cyl mounts have been removed.

the explorer engine already has mount plates which may or may not have correct hole placement for new mounts. I may need to fab new plates, no big deal.

New mounts need to be drilled and bolted but in the location that allows both front and rear alignment with everything (radiator, donor explorer drive shaft,pinion angle, firewall, frame rail/exhaust path

measure twice and cut once situation and the concern is access for marking the mounts with a complete long block and cast exhaust still intact- with a trans hanging from it. How many stabs will it take and how many iterations. Trying to attack the setup with using the minimal number of attempts to locate the mounts at their final attachment points.

I suppose if I make some slotted plates that allow a couple of inches of fire/aft sliding I can at least get the front to back set, mark the sliding plates and fab fixed single hole plates using the sliders as a template.

Can you get an arm past the exhaust to the crossmember with the engine dangling a 1/4 inch above the crossmember and mark the mount holes?

I’m not taking the inner fender plastic flaps off—— that would give great access but——- putting back will suck……
 

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