Dans 94, RCSB, 4.0, 4x4, 5spd

[Dantheman1540]

Just picked up my fourth ranger and finally the combo I’ve always wanted. It’s a 1994, regular cab, short bed, 4.0 OHV, 5speed manual, 4x4 in my least favorite color of red. I’ve had two 2.9s and a 3.0 in the past and didn’t care for either motor. I was actually secretly hunting for a 2.3, 5speed to throw decent axles under just because I think the 2.3 is a cool engine and easy to work on. Instead, this thing popped up in my neighbors yards with a blown 4.0 for $500.
I sourced a “low mile” 4.0 out of a 96 explorer for $500 and the shop with the motor is installing it in a week or so for $350.

I don’t plan to do a ton to the truck right away besides fixing all the little things that pop up, removing the straight pipped exhaust and fabbing up something using a set of free 2018 GT mustang mufflers I found, and installing some new 255/75/17 Kenda KR29 MTs on crown Vic steelies I just picked up.

After I break an axle or need rear brakes, I’ll get an FX4 level2 8.8 with the factory 4.56, and regear the front to match. With the axle swap it will get 97-03 F150 leafs and a shackle flip, along with better shocks to match on all 4 corners.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I'm not sure that 4.56 exists for the front axle. Check before you start.

PS Welcome to TRS.

 

[Dantheman1540]

They are definitely harder to come by, but I still see them on eBay. Shouldn’t be too terrible, I’d drag the front to a local drivetrain shop to get setup and I’m sure they can find a set. Or it looks like 4.88s are more common and I guess I could regear the rear if necessary.

 

[dvdswan]

Welcome to the site. Nice score.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Welcome to the site. Nice score.

Thank you! I feel like I’ve been here forever just never made an account, probably been using the tech section since 2010.

 

[dvdswan]

Thank you! I feel like I’ve been here forever just never made an account, probably been using the tech section since 2010.

Ah, late bloomer. Got it.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Ah, late bloomer. Got it.

Lol your not wrong, seems like even back in 2010 this place was really winding down from its peak. Nevertheless, I was stoked to see the new gen rangers brought some life back into the place.

Getting stuff done on this thing today, wheels and tires are on, motor tear down/ cleanup has started. Decided to hell with waiting on headers I don’t want to mess with the EGR at all so I zipped that junk off surprisingly easily after some creep oil and M18 Dugga Duggas. Gonna paint the valve covers tomorrow and reinstall them, need to order intake gaskets, the headers, egr block off plate, and spark plugs.
One of the next things is ditching the body lift.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Ordered these headers, painted the valve covers for moar powa, and pulled the dry rotted fender flairs off.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Wasn’t in love with how tucked the crown Vic steelies were so I ordered a set of 2” spacers and slapped them on today giving the wheels the width I wanted, just tucked into the fenders. Can’t wait to remove the body lift and fill the fenders a little more. Another plus to the wheel spacers is it helps tuck the front hubs in, and since it currently has auto hub (manual hubs are coming from a friend in NM in a few weeks). The PPV metal center caps snap over the hubs without any issues giving even more protection to the hubs.

I did noticed that the current 4.0 in the truck has a metal intake manifold where the new motor has a plastic one. Is there any difference performance wise between the two? I’m likely going to run the metal on simply because it doesn’t an have EGR port and metal less likely to crack, despite plastic being mildly better at resisting heat soak.

 

[dvdswan]

I've never been a fan of body lifts, personal preference I guess.

But that is a great looking stance.

 

[Dantheman1540]

I've never been a fan of body lifts, personal preference I guess.

But that is a great looking stance.

Thank you!
I really wanted bigger tires maybe a skinny 34-35”, but with the body lift going away, and no immediate suspension or axle mods to be done these 32s should still fit and not be awful to drive with the 3.73 gearing that I’m fairly certain the truck has .

 

[Dantheman1540]

Headers showed up and for being an EBay/china product I’m pretty impressed. Most of the welds look good, some are obviously done by a machine, and only one spot looks like they got too hot and burned some of the stainless properties away. No big deal, down here stuff doesn’t rust bad anyway.
The only weird part will be adapting a single exhaust to the oddly shaped flange on the y pipe merge. I don’t think the factory one exists on the truck anymore so I might have to go junk yard hunting. Gotta find a bolt to block the egr port as well, or I might hack it down more and just weld it in.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Got started on the motor swap myself today. Actually got the new motor in but due to a rod windowing the block and destroying the starter on the old motor I couldn’t start it up today. Everything has gone well except that I didn’t realize the 2wd explorer oil pans don’t have a spot for an oil level sensor.
The clutch looked alright enough to reuse and I halfass resurfaced the flywheel.
Waiting on the starter to show up tomorrow, along with spark plug wires, and a new belt. Then I need to figure out a radiator/fan setup. Someone did a crap job if installing an electric fan and the wiring shorted which may have caused the engine failure.

I’m looking at a $250 kit that seems to have just about everything and looks pretty good.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Sometime in the mid '90's Ford decided to ditch the oil level sensor and only used it on select stuff... for whatever reason the 5.0L Explorers got them though... I'm used to oil leakers so I like the feature...

 

[Dantheman1540]

Sometime in the mid '90's Ford decided to ditch the oil level sensor and only used it on select stuff... for whatever reason the 5.0L Explorers got them though... I'm used to oil leakers so I like the feature...

Well that explains it then, if I had known I would have swapped pans but the motor was already bolted up when we realized it. I’m pretty anal about checking oil when I get gas in all my other stuff and this one will be no different.

Looking at the new motor I think it might be a newer reman unit. The water pump, alternator, all the pulleys, and the freeze plugs look fairly new. Under the valve covers everything had a nice bronze color and the oil pan was very clean so maybe it’s a super low mile unit.