New to me Ranger

[Acantara20]

I just traded for a 1998 Ford ranger 3.0, 4x4, with a stick and manual locking hub conversion. I have a carburated 4.6 SOHC in my garage. Thinking about making it a Street legal mud truck. All advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ericbphoto]

Welcome to TRS. I think I’ve heard that the 4.6 is pretty wide, making it a tough fit in the Ranger engine bay. But if you can do it, we want to see you succeed. You’re in the right place. Read the forums and check out our tech section.

 

[RonD]

Welcome to TRS

Yes, the 4.6l SOHC is pretty wide

Look here at engine dimensions: https://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/V8Conversions.shtml

The 1996-2001 Explorer V8 was the 302/5.0l and 19" wide, and barely fits in Ranger engine bay
4.6l SOHC at 29" wide means heater box would have to go, and steering shaft would have to be moved as well

Exhaust may have to be routed outside the frame rails

Can it be done?
Sure, it would be a harder project than the Explorer V8 swap
You would need a body lift because of the extra 6" of height on the 4.6l

If its the 2 valve version of the 4.6l SOHC then the horse power is almost the same as the 5.0l OHV

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Sell the 4.6 and buy a 460. Itll be just as much work with alot more benefit.

Welcome to TRS!

 

[sgtsandman]

Go big or go home! Put a 7.3 diesel in it!

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Go big or go home! Put a 7.3 diesel in it!

F that....

534 "super duty" big block from a 60s dump truck.

 

[Acantara20]

I was just wondering why you think it would not fit? The Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer has 4.6 v8 in them from the factory. Them being RBVs, that this swap might be a little easier? Plus I have a carb intake for it and a Holley 750 cfm carb to remove most of the electronic parts of the swap. Plus the last f150 manual transmission was the same model as the 3.0 manual transmission.

 

[Grumpaw]

You can make any engine "fit", given enough money, time, labor. But it comes down to is it practical ? Are you doing it just because you have an engine available ?
Trying to be different ? Just doing the swap to see if it will work ? You have to ask yourself just what your hoping to gain vs. the money/fab work needed to accomplish the swap.
I have seen many swaps of large engines into small vehicles, like the Ranger. Almost all require omitting heat, ac, re-doing steering, cooling, ect. Even omitting inner fenders, which basically means you can't drive it in any type of in-climate weather, rain/wet roads.
Grumpaw

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I was just wondering why you think it would not fit? The Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer has 4.6 v8 in them from the factory. Them being RBVs, that this swap might be a little easier? Plus I have a carb intake for it and a Holley 750 cfm carb to remove most of the electronic parts of the swap. Plus the last f150 manual transmission was the same model as the 3.0 manual transmission.

The explorers that got the 4.6 werent really that related to the ranger. The last closely related explorer to the ranger was 01 and it ran the 302.

Guys have done it. But in all seriousness, a 460 is roughly the same size, heavier, but has much more potential.

And your 3.0 M5OD isnt going to bolt to a 4.6. Bellhousings are different.

 

[19Walt93]

Check the state inspection rules before you start spending money. Anything 96 and newer under 8500 GVW needs to pass emissions inspection and the Gordon Darby system will read the VIN in the PCM and compare it to the VIN entered at the start of the process. If,for example, you took a 302 and all the electronics out of a newer Explorer and transplanted it the truck would meet the emissions requirements as measured at the tail pipe but the VINs wouldn't match. If the tech didn't catch it- or ignored it- he'd end up in a hearing at the DMV in Concord. That's why I bought a 93 for my swap. I did NH state inspections from 1972 until 2017.

 

[Oxxon]

Hello and welcome to TRS!!