Fuel system differences

[moalaska]

Does anybody know if there is a difference for the 4.0 sohc in fuel systems between 2003 and 2009? Was there any flex fuel rangers? Other injectors and fuel pressure regulator and everything else related the same or is there a difference in the later models for flex fuel with a fuel sensor and the injectors and everything, or was flex fuel not available on the rangers? Looking on doing an engine swap and just trying to find out if that's something I need to look out for.

 

[superj]

i kind of think there were flex fuel versions but i am not 100% sure. some of the other guys that know more will come and give you a better answer

 

[Brain75]

... Was there any flex fuel rangers?

Another forum I post in a gal was asking about a 2000 Ranger flex 3.0L... And from (terrible failing memory), I seem to remember that was the heyday of flex - everyone touted it as being the savior (until we saw it got 33% worse MPG, and only cost 5-8% less at the pump). I would bet there was in that year range you asked and in the 4.0. Authoritatively I can't say for sure though.

Just curious, you want to know because you are on the hunt for a flex motor or trying to figure out a wiring gremlin or? The cost (even here in NE Colorado really close to the ethanol plant in Windsor CO) still does not justify it, and it looks like it never will without government intervention. They just don't sell it at a proportionate dollar figure with E0, E10 and E15.. (and yes the local pump sells E0 - you can get it anywhere in the mountains they call it "Marine" (boating) or "Recreational" (boating) there (and you bleed for it) or all the small towns out on the plains - where it is dirt cheep).

 

[moalaska]

Another forum I post in a gal was asking about a 2000 Ranger flex 3.0L... And from (terrible failing memory), I seem to remember that was the heyday of flex - everyone touted it as being the savior (until we saw it got 33% worse MPG, and only cost 5-8% less at the pump). I would bet there was in that year range you asked and in the 4.0. Authoritatively I can't say for sure though.

Just curious, you want to know because you are on the hunt for a flex motor or trying to figure out a wiring gremlin or? The cost (even here in NE Colorado really close to the ethanol plant in Windsor CO) still does not justify it, and it looks like it never will without government intervention. They just don't sell it at a proportionate dollar figure with E0, E10 and E15.. (and yes the local pump sells E0 - you can get it anywhere in the mountains they call it "Marine" (boating) or "Recreational" (boating) there (and you bleed for it) or all the small towns out on the plains - where it is dirt cheep).

I'm wondering in case I find a good low miles engine somewhere for my truck, I know the long blocks are all the same besides balance shafts, but was curious about fueling or sensors or anything else

 

[JoshT]

I'm wondering in case I find a good low miles engine somewhere for my truck, I know the long blocks are all the same besides balance shafts, but was curious about fueling or sensors or anything else

If long blocks are the same, don't worry about the sensors or fuel system on the donor. Use fuel system and electronics from your truck with the new engine.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I don't believe flex fuel was ever implemented on the 4.0L SOHC.

Just beware that the early 4.0L SOHC had some inferior timing chain components. I want to say by 04 MY factory engines all had received to updated components.

With all of these engines you may come across... proper maintenance was the key to longevity.

 

[Brain75]

from all the aftermarket add on kit, there are 2 additional sensors, one in the fuel somewhere (addon usually in tank), that monitors what the Ethanol percentage is...and one between the main computer and the fuel injector rail (to tweak fuel injection ratio based on what the other sensor says). Ford shouldn't have had to get more fancy than that, did they... dunno. There is one additional ODB2 code that a flex can send, basically "flex fuel sensor bad" - so did they use a different computer brain for that one difference.... dunno?

I just googled a little more and turns out ford did make more changes then that... with ethanol you can NOT use steel fuel lines (since the water in the eth will eat steel), etc etc... did not realize ford is still using steel lines in the non-ethanol versions.... apparently different injectors (larger) , etc etc - more than just one or two changes...
AND a Vin Decode:
Ford 3.0L VIN Codes (8th Pos):

U = 3.0L Regular Gasoline OHV (12v) - Ranger/Taurus/Sable

V = 3.0L Flexible Fuel Gas/Ethanol OHV (12v) - Ranger

1 = 3.0L Flexible Fuel Gas/Methanol OHV (12v) - Taurus/Sable

2 = 3.0L Flexible Fuel Gas/Ethanol OHV (12v) - Taurus/Sable

S = 3.0L Regular Gasoline DOHC (24v) - Taurus/Sable

if someone could google up all the 4.0L vin codes that would probably tell you if there was one
(The tech article here on TRS doesn't mention of flex ever being in a 4.0L)


But over in the explorer sport trak forum world they piss and moan about the 2002 and 2003 explorer 4.0L flex - people claim they own it and it is a total POS.
Trip advisor agrees and says that FFV was an option in 2002 and newer explorers (but does not say what engines - aren't those years 4.0 V6 and 4.6 V8 as the only 2 options.)

"Ethanol / Oxygenated blends were not compatible with the Ford Explorer until 2002. From 2002-2005 ethanol blend of E85 is allowed to be used in Flex Fuel Vehicles only. "

Types Of Gas A Ford Explorer Takes (Explained) - The Driver Adviser

We have put a lot of effort into gathering the exact data. This way, you know exactly what kind of gasoline you need to put in your Ford Explorer. We …

thedriveradviser.com

 

[JoshT]

What does that have to do with the poster's question?

OP doesn't have Flex Fuel, just wants to know if it was a thing for those year models and if it is something that he needs to be concerned about when hunting for a long block. Even if it was a thing, it isn't something he needs to worry about.

No problem going down a rabbit hole and doing some digging, but some times it's a good idea to just turn off the brain and not overthink things.

 

[moalaska]

What does that have to do with the poster's question?

OP doesn't have Flex Fuel, just wants to know if it was a thing for those year models and if it is something that he needs to be concerned about when hunting for a long block. Even if it was a thing, it isn't something he needs to worry about.

No problem going down a rabbit hole and doing some digging, but some times it's a good idea to just turn off the brain and not overthink things.

I'm also thinking outside the block. If I can find an engine from an explorer or mustang.

 

[JoshT]

I'm also thinking outside the block. If I can find an engine from an explorer or mustang.

Answer will still be the same. If you're staying with the 4.0L SOHC it won't matter what the donor came with.

Flex fuel used an additional sensor in the fuel system and maybe a different ecu, but the differences between that and non flex fuel were almost all in the tuning. What made FF happen was the ecu adjusting timing and fuel tables based on octane content detected by the added sensor. The different ECU was likely just to include circuits and programming for the sensor.

If you are just using the long block from the donor, then flex fuel isn't something you need to be concerned about.

 

[moalaska]

I'm not limiting my search to just 03 or 04 rangers, explorers and mustangs have the same engine with different components. If I didn't find a ranger engine though from say 04 or 05 or up that was complete that's why I was asking this question because if I could just drop the engine without messing around with swapping parts around then that would be ideal. But if there are differences then I would need to know.

 

[JoshT]

So what didn't you understand about my last replies?

Where fueling (to include flex fuel) is concerned. If all you are using is the long block, it won't matter if it came from a 03-04 Ranger, a 2005-10 Ranger, an Explorer, or a Mustang. Flex fuel is not part of the long block and does not alter the long block.

As noted there may be a difference in balance shaft. There were also improvements to internals, particularly the timing chain components, with later being better. Those are not differences that will prevent the long blocks from interchanging. Camshafts may be different between the car and the ranger/explorer engines to give a different power curve, but I haven'e seen proof of that and it is within the computer's ability to self tune for. They can be swapped between the engines if need be.

There may be external components that need to be swapped to use the engine in place of yours, but those parts can be swapped from your engine and are not part of the long block.

 

[Brain75]

Before I got yelled at for giving too much information I thought I answered this:

"Does anybody know if there is a difference for the 4.0 sohc in fuel systems between 2003 and 2009?" - YES, in the explorer version from 2006-2010 offered the FFV (flex fuel), and the injectors for definite sure are absolutely different (larger).*** and this DEFINITELY was the 4.0L from Wiki and 3 different forums/users corroboration.

*** starting in 2000 they also offered "explorer" based vehicles to the post office that took an explorer chassis, flex fuel and major body changes sold it as the "Utilimaster"

Was there any flex fuel rangers?- Yes, 3.0L..... Was there any flex fuel 4.0L ranger?: Unknown, almost certainly not. There is no VIN code known or reported by Ford for a 4.0L flex ranger.

Other injectors and fuel pressure regulator and everything else related the same or is there a difference in the later models for flex fuel with a fuel sensor and the injectors and everything, or was flex fuel not available on the rangers? - Injectors are definitely different, unknown what else is different.

Looking on doing an engine swap and just trying to find out if that's something I need to look out for.

Want to know anything else I figured out.... Well someone reported that if you have an EXPLORER flex 4.0L the 8th digit of the VIN is a K. This is a single hit, spoken in passing I did not spend any more time researching.

You could grab a FFV engine and then run it totally normal never feeding it E85 and it will purr just like a regular, your oversized injectors will just be working less hard.

If you grab a FFV, and any related neccessities (unknown what, probably the ECU), and you want to run E85 then you STILL have to go through your entire fuel system and eliminate steel, or anything else ethanol will eat up (probably differences in the pump for example a different diaphram in the pump,etc - a hundred places along the way.)

I suffered this conversion once involuntarily, my 1948 had a steel tank (inside the cab, behind the seat). E10 and E15 caused it to puke orange goo all the time - . I replaced the entire fuel system starting with a fullsize bronco (plastic) gas tank and then every single bit from there forward to the carb, new pump, new sending unit, new filter, new lines.

other notes.. I believe (I only saw it once in reading), the ODB2 code is P0176, "Fuel Composition Sensor Circuit Malfunction"

 

[JoshT]

Context Brain, context. Not yerlling at you, just saying to take notice of the context. In the context of 4.0L SOHC Rangers, there were no flex fuel Rangers. The 3.0L really does not matter in that context and mentioning it adds confusion.

"a difference for the 4.0 sohc in fuel systems between 2003 and 2009? " May have been, but if you are swapping the long block, they are irrelevant. Remove the components from the existing long block and install on your new long block. Again, going into more detail adds confusion.

"Looking on doing an engine swap and just trying to find out if that's something I need to look out for. " Swap is a poor choice of words in this context. Swapoften conjures the notion of installiong a non-original engine. Something like installing a 3.0L, 5.0L, or LS in place of his factory 4.0L SOHC. This is a replacement, he's removing one 4.0L SOHC and installing another 4.0L SOHC. That is, unless he left out an important piece of info like his truck has a 2.3L or 3.0L.

He is not trying to install flex fuel. He's asking if there are any concerns with installing an engine from a flex fuel equipped vehicle into his non flex fuel truck. He won't be swapping ECUs or any of that stuff.

Changing ECU to one that includes Flex Fuel would open up a lot of issues, well beyond just the fuel system. Without going into depth, that would involve almost every computer on the truck due to the way they communicate with each other. Since that is not the plan and does not affect the engine itself, it's best to avoid those issues and avoid adding confusion.

The extent of the fuel system on the engine is fuel rail and injectors. He has a 2003, and according to RockAuto parts listing those injectors were used from 2001-2003. The listings show 2004 fuel injectors were 1 year only, and 2005-2010 being the same between all 4.0Ls. Main reason for the fuel rail to have changed was if the intake changed or fuel system style changed (return vs returnless) and I doubt the latter happened.

Considering that he is changing out the engine, it is only a few extra bolts to get at the fuel rail and injectors. Remove the 8 bolts holding the upper intake to the lower and the fuel rails are right there. If you need more room, the lower intake is another 12 bolts holding it to the heads. All of those connections use o-ring seals, so easy cleanup and prep for reinstallation. If I were pulling the entire engine, I'd be removing the upper intake anyway as part of the process just to get it out of the way and prevent damage.

No matter how he slices it, he will want to install his injectors and sensors onto the replacement long block to ensure compatibility. Engine accessories and mounts are going to come off anyway for removal and installation. There's a decent chance that the oil pan and exhaust manifolds will need to be moved over unless it's from another Ranger. I don't know about the upper intake, but they may have changed over the years and models as well.

In other words, just use the long block and maybe lower intake of they are the same. Move all of your existing stuff to the new longblock. You're going to be stripping the engine down that far for the change anyway.

 

[Brain75]

sidenote; I said "starting with the tank"... to be honest I THOUGHT based on forum advice on FTE that I could "get away" with just cleaning the tank really well and putting in 2 fuel filters, a cheap disposable replace 5 times in the first 1000 miles and then a 2nd marine grade fuel filter (sediment bowl and water drain spigot the works.... well reality is even after pulling the tank 3 times, cleaning it twice and then cleaning and "bomb" coating the inside (a paint bomb that is supposed to enamel coat the entire inside), I realized I was never gonna get the orange goo (rust) to stop and gave up and "fixed it right" (replacing everything).... I kept the marine quality fuel filter that thing was spendy as hell.