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Need help with 5.0 swap info


Saxwing1988

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Ok so I’ve been trying to find a post with what I’m looking for so if anyone has experiance with this swap I need help.

ok so what I’ve been looking up is the 5.0 comes in multiple ford carstrucks And suvs but the 5.0 in the mustang has its own style heads that make it better then the others. So I was going to go get a motor from a 95 mustang that has a 5.0 and I got everything figured out but the transmission and 4wd.
currently I have the 3.0 so I was wondering what all I would need to get a transmission that bolts up to everything. I heard that theif I get a mustang 5.0 I can then get the transmission from a 96 f150 that has a 5.0 in it but I heard that from someone that was doing it in a 2wd truck. So if I got a transmission from a 4wd f150 what all else would I need?
 


RonD

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The 5.0l(302) OHV is a narrow engine so fits in a Ranger, 19" wide
The fuel injected versions of these can have a tall intake in most Fords, the Explorer intake was shorter which is why most used the Explorer V8 5.0l, just FYI

5.0l(302) OHV Bell housing pattern is Ford "small block", this is what the new transmission needs to match

You don't say but I assume you want a manual transmission?

Yes, it needs to be a 4WD model and you will also need the transfer case with it, the BW1354 in a Ranger can take the power of a V8 but not made to do so, also would need an adapter to use it with any model 302 pattern transmission

Yes, you can use an earlier model truck 4x4 transmission, from a 302, but its shifter will come up thru the floor just under the dash, so you will need to cut out the floor and bend the shifter arm so it will work, not hit the dash

The 1997-2003 4.2l modular V6 used the same small block bolt pattern as the 302
It used an M5OD-R2(M5R2) the bigger brother of the Rangers M5R1 transmission, M5R2 was made for V8 power, and its shifter placement is the same as in a Ranger
It also came in 4WD versions in the F-150 series in those years

The 4WD electric shift controller in a Ranger works with any Ford electric shift transfer case

M5R1 and M5R2 are models, not what they fit
A Ranger M5R1 from a 3.0l won't fit on a Ranger 4.0l engine
A F-150 M5R2 from a 5.4l won't fit on a 4.2l
The M5 series is engine model specific
 
Last edited:

Saxwing1988

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Ok so you know alot more so what would be easier? I’m trying to look this all up and I keep going in circles of what to do. The only reason I was thinking of getting everything from an f150 is because I know I can for sure find a 5.0 in a Manuel but the explore all the ones I find are auto. My original thought was 5.0 most likely from the f150 because their easier where I live to find and then using the tranny and the transfer case out of the same f150. If I have to bend the shifter needing I can do so that’s not a huge problem. Just right now I have money to buy a donor and so far what I’ve seen is a lot of 5.0 Manuel f150s and auto 5.0 explorers.
 

RonD

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Yes, all the Explorer V8s were automatics

You can use the whole drive train from a 5.0l OHV F-150 4x4 manual, if fuel injected also get the computer and engine wiring harness with it
The shifter placement is just farther forward, you can work around that not a deal breaker at all

You may want to get just the intake from an Explorer V8 for a better fit under the hood, or you can do a body lift, it really depends on the height of the upper intake on the engine you get, no one can guess on that
 

Ramcharger90

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You can go through my thread it was a 2wd that started with an M5OD-R2 but I went T5 eventually. Some arguments but just ignore those.
 

don4331

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The 5.0l(302) OHV is a narrow engine so fits in a Ranger, 19" wide
The fuel injected versions of these can have a tall intake in most Fords, the Explorer intake was shorter which is why most used the Explorer V8 5.0l, just FYI

5.0l(302) OHV Bell housing pattern is Ford "small block", this is what the new transmission needs to match

You don't say but I assume you want a manual transmission?

Yes, it needs to be a 4WD model and you will also need the transfer case with it, the BW1354 in a Ranger can take the power of a V8 but not made to do so, also would need an adapter to use it with any model 302 pattern transmission

Yes, you can use an earlier model truck 4x4 transmission, from a 302, but its shifter will come up thru the floor just under the dash, so you will need to cut out the floor and bend the shifter arm so it will work, not hit the dash

The 1997-2003 4.2l modular V6 used the same small block bolt pattern as the 302
It used an M5OD-R2(M5R2) the bigger brother of the Rangers M5R1 transmission, M5R2 was made for V8 power, and its shifter placement is the same as in a Ranger
It also came in 4WD versions in the F-150 series in those years

The 4WD electric shift controller in a Ranger works with any Ford electric shift transfer case

M5R1 and M5R2 are models, not what they fit
A Ranger M5R1 from a 3.0l won't fit on a Ranger 4.0l engine
A F-150 M5R2 from a 5.4l won't fit on a 4.2l
The M5 series is engine model specific
Some minor mods to @RonD 's post:

Most of us use an Explorer 5.0/Automatic, because it is basically a bolt in. You remove the PATS, ECM, locks from doors and ignition switch from your 3.0; replace them with the Explorer ones. Swap the engine and transmission and you're running again using the Explorer's keys. Anything beyond that gets more complicated = less likely the project gets completed. Not sure how much better the Mustang heads are than the GT40P heads on the Explorer, but fitting exhaust for anything but Explorer is pain in you know where.

Historically, Advanced Adapters made an adapter to allow the BW1354 transfer case to bolt to the 4R70W automatic, but as Ron says that case isn't really designed for V-8 power. To install the 1354 output shaft in a 4R70W, you pull everything out of the front of the transmission, install the new output shaft and put all the pieces back in - if your transmission needed a rebuild, that's the time to do it. The ideal case (IMHO) is the BW4406 found in '97-03 F-150/Expeditions. It is about 2.5" narrower than the BW1356 so fits better between frame rails, yet retains the Ford electronic shifter (for better or worse).

4.2 is part of the 3.8/3.9/4.2 Essex family, not Modular. The Essex and SBF bell housing patterns are the same, but Essex engines use 12mm bolts while SBF use 1/2", so you would need to ream the holes to bolt up and Essex transmission to your 5.0. The 4.2 version of the M5OD-R2 has the same shifter position as your existing M5OD-R1 (assuming you have manual); the old 5.0 version is about 6" ahead; as indicated, it needs some subtle mods to fit. So, there are pluses and minuses to whichever choice.
M5OD-R2 doesn't come behind 5.4 Modular engines, only 4.6's. As RonD says, the 4.6 M5OD-R2 has a different bellhousing pattern.

But all truck M5OD-R2 are the same internally/output, so you can take a 4.6 M5OD-R2 4x4 transmission remove the rear housing and output shaft and install them to any 4.2/5.0 M5OD-R2 4x2 transmission (more work, but more common...).
There are also M5OD-R2 in T-Bird SuperCoupe's (and Cougar exquivalents) but their gear ratios are slightly different, so you would need to swap gears too if using one of those as the 2wd donor.

The M5OD-R2 throw out bearing is the same as M5OD-R1 so you can just connect the existing clutch line.

Another piece of information: NP273 transfer cases - used in SD trucks uses the same planetary as some of the lighter duty NP cases, just with 6 "planets" not 3. (e.g. 231, 242, etc). So, it is possible to swap the Ford input gear into those transfer boxes. And the NP boxes, BW4406 and BW1356 all use the industry standard transmission/transfer case interface so are more common options than the BW4406. Why Ford did different interface for the 1354 is just one of the Ranger's peculiarities...

If you are using an Explorer ECM with manual, you will need to have someone delete the "Check Engine" light where it can't connect to the Auto.
 

Saxwing1988

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Yeah we were saying it would be easier to just grab everything out of the f150 engine tranny wiring tcase pcm all the pats system and if they have a key great if not I can just get one made. Then I’ll order the conversion kit which should come with motor mounts so mounting it won’t be an issue and they also have the oil pan for a 5.0 that fits in a ranger. Then all I have to figure out is drive lines because I’m sure those will be different size at the very least and exhaust which won’t be that bad to deal with.

Also from what I saw online the 5.0 in a mustang has better heads better cam and the 5.0 from the explorers don’t support supper chargers that you can put on a mustang 5.0. I didn’t look to deep into it just that’s what I saw. Also my truck already has a body lift so Ishould be good with clearing the motor. Also I’ll look at your thread also I was trying to find some yesterday but the ones I did find Didn’t have a lot of info on them.
 

rubydist

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One other important piece of data for you - the front accessories on the Explorer 5.0 are shorter (closer to the block) than those on the F-150, and the F-150 is too long to fit in the Ranger engine bay. If you take the whole assembly from an F-150 you will still need to get the front dress from the Explorer (or 94-95 Mustang) to make it fit in the Ranger.
 

Saxwing1988

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3” with torsion crank
Tire Size
33x12.5
Honestly I almost think the easiest way after looking like all day is I saw this video of a guy who took everything out of a 97 explorer and just made his ranger awd instead of messing with 4wd. Since mines a Manuel I could always just switch it to auto. But it seems more straight forward and easier
 

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