97 ford ranger big block 4x4 project

[Tisdale]

I have a 97 ford ranger that i am working on putting a 460 in with a 4 speed transmission and a np205 transfer case. I have a dodge rear dana 70 for it and a front heavy duty dana 44 out of an f250 for it. I plain on making a detailed build about this with pics of it as I go so hopefully it will maybe help some other people out that are looking at doing something like this.

 

[Stangman92]

Welcome to TRS!

I'm interested for sure, take plenty of pics!

 

[Tisdale]

This is how the truck is sitting right now i just have the engine sitting on the engine mount and the transmission sitting on transmission mount nothing is bolted down yet cause I am only mocking this up right now. i had to cut a lot of the transmission tunnel out to fit the np435.

[/IMG]

 

[Tisdale]

I had to hit the fire wall on the driver side back some to make room for the cylinder head but the cylinder head cleared good on the passenger side. The picture here is of the driver side cylinder head.

 

[Tisdale]

so today i got some more work done to it. i got a valve cover on to figure out how much room i would have between it and the steering there wasnt that much room.

Then i got the engine pulled back out so i could weld the engine mounts up the rest of the way which i wasnt able to do today.

 

[PlumCrazy]

Whats the plan for an exhaust manifold on the driver side?

 

[Tisdale]

I plain on making custom headers for it.

 

[Ford78]

Doesn't look like a lot of room their on the drivers side, ever think of getting a steering box on the outside of the frame?

 

[Tisdale]

I thought about it but I wasn't sure about how I would run the steering shaft from the gear box to the shaft that comes out of the fire wall.

 

[Ford78]

It would be close to what I have, I got a yota box and just supported the shaft. I have some pics in my build.

 

[96firephoenix]

I hope you've inspected and reinforced the frame... No way my 97 would handle the torque from a BB engine. It'd end up like a cinnamon twist, only less tasty.

 

[Tisdale]

Yeah I'm boxing the frame to handle the big block.
What year and kind of Toyota did you get your gear box from?

 

[Ford78]

The steering box u want is from a Toyota 4runner or pickup ifs steering box, years are 86-95.

 

[Tisdale]

what all did you have to do to get that steering gear box to work on your truck?

 

[Ford78]

I plated and sleeved the frame with 1/4 plate steel. Got a male #6 jic adapter for the inlet of the steering box and got a new factory powersteering hose and chopped the steering box side off and put a female #6 jic on it.