What did you do to your Ranger today? (Part Deux!)

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I finally stopped in and got a quote for exhaust on my V8 swap. A 2.5" dual system from headers to bumper with mangaflow and x pipe, $1600.

I mean, I know it won;t be cheap and I knew that place was going to be more expensive option. I just wasn't expeciting it to be that high. That was not including converters and I'm not planning for a delete. I'm also not wanting to use magnaflows that he was quoting, I'd prefer a quieter turbo muffler.

I'll be doing some more shopping.

That’s a little ridiculous…

I think I paid around $600 for stainless 2.5” from headers back at the local shop. That was just the pipe and putting in the parts I had, which was a pair of aftermarket high-flow cats and a Magnaflow crossover muffler (so I didn’t need an X-pipe). Shop did a lot of complaining that there wasn’t much room anyway. I did an 18” muffler, IIRC, a longer one like 24” would be quieter. Pity you didn’t make the 25th, I’m sure you would have liked to get to look over my green Ranger

 

[JoshT]

EGR has been hit and miss over the years in our trucks. The 2.9 when it was introduced used an EGR for the first year or two, then it went away through end of 2.9 production. The early 4.0 OHV had no EGR, I’m running a 91 Ranger harness and computer in my Choptop and there’s no EGR. The 91 Ranger with a 4.0 never had an EGR. At least for Federal Emissions regs , not sure about the California Emissions regs.

Learn something new all the time.

That’s a little ridiculous…

That's the "I don't want the work" price.

I knew that shop was going to be ridiculous before I walked in and almost no chance I'd use it. He is apparently the go-to guy for all the high dollar, ~1000+ hp builds in the area. I'm hoping that was price for all stainless, mandrel bent, and tig welded. He might be able to weld and exhaust together, but from the talk he isn't as good or smark on the other stuff as he thinks.

I've got a few more places to check out, that was just the first and closest. I don't need a show quality job or the high dollar parts he was probably going to use.

 

[CamTheHedgehog]

I don’t really find it a pain. I just pull everything that doesn’t match off a donor 4.0 OHV and put on what I run. My Choptop currently has a 96 Explorer 4.0 OHV, my 92 Ranger has a 2000 Ranger 4.0 OHV, and we are putting a 95 Explorer 4.0 OHV in my buddy’s 00 Ranger. It’s a little annoying to have to swap stuff instead of just dropping it in, but it’s really not that difficult

Part of the pain also is getting the right engine year- at least for the SOHC, the valve timing/camshaft grind is different on the EGR vs non-egr, at least on the federal emissions level (again, all from what I can find online). So if you want it to run “properly” you need to get the right year of engine and its respective computer.

Dealing with the OHV definitely seems simpler.

 

[TheSurge]

Changed the transmission oil in my 85 XL. Knocked the hell out of my elbow taking out the fill bolt but it was worth. Gears are running smooth!

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Part of the pain also is getting the right engine year- at least for the SOHC, the valve timing/camshaft grind is different on the EGR vs non-egr, at least on the federal emissions level (again, all from what I can find online). So if you want it to run “properly” you need to get the right year of engine and its respective computer.

Dealing with the OHV definitely seems simpler.

As far as I know, that’s not really a problem with the OHV. I never really checked about the details, I just know that I’ve swapped a lot of random year OHV motors and the problems I had were likely not from something like valve timing or EGR/non-EGR. Slagged a piston on the 4.0 that was in my 92. Dropped in a 00 because it’s what I had and up until it got wrecked, never gave a hint of trouble. My Choptop has an affinity for destroying motors, but sometimes that’s been helped along by me being a bonehead. The last 4.0 that it blew up I knew was going to die at some point (well, it really didn’t quite die, it just didn’t like starting anymore and really ran terrible.) Never tore it apart but I’m pretty sure I lost a cylinder or more, motor was clapped out when it went in but it went in anyway to make it to the 20th anniversary and died shortly after the trip, so it did what I needed it to. The current 96 Explorer 4.0 that’s in it seems quite happy though, which makes me happy.

 

[bobbywalter]

As far as I know, that’s not really a problem with the OHV. I never really checked about the details, I just know that I’ve swapped a lot of random year OHV motors and the problems I had were likely not from something like valve timing or EGR/non-EGR. Slagged a piston on the 4.0 that was in my 92. Dropped in a 00 because it’s what I had and up until it got wrecked, never gave a hint of trouble. My Choptop has an affinity for destroying motors, but sometimes that’s been helped along by me being a bonehead. The last 4.0 that it blew up I knew was going to die at some point (well, it really didn’t quite die, it just didn’t like starting anymore and really ran terrible.) Never tore it apart but I’m pretty sure I lost a cylinder or more, motor was clapped out when it went in but it went in anyway to make it to the 20th anniversary and died shortly after the trip, so it did what I needed it to. The current 96 Explorer 4.0 that’s in it seems quite happy though, which makes me happy.

your the luckiest guy i have heard of so far.

generally ... not always..you get horrid spark knock running a fast burn late model with the older processor and they fall on thier face faster.

running the egr pcm on a non cam sensor engine is a trainwreck as well .. there are differences in cams and even bobweights on the rods.

if you have a 1/4 horse and 1/4 horse compatible ecm its not a issue. there are alot of calibration and running changes to the 4.0. fawking pia.

mid 94 and down dressing the short block usually not bad with 89 to 94 engines. 95 up seem to be ok with 95 up systems. primary issue fast burn heads. and ecm compatibility

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

your the luckiest guy i have heard of so far.

generally ... not always..you get horrid spark knock running a fast burn late model with the older processor and they fall on thier face faster.

running the egr pcm on a non cam sensor engine is a trainwreck as well .. there are differences in cams and even bobweights on the rods.

if you have a 1/4 horse and 1/4 horse compatible ecm its not a issue. there are alot of calibration and running changes to the 4.0. fawking pia.

mid 94 and down dressing the short block usually not bad with 89 to 94 engines. 95 up seem to be ok with 95 up systems. primary issue fast burn heads. and ecm compatibility

Interesting…

My 92 arguably ran much better with the 00 motor and running all the stuff to make it a 92. My Choptop with the 96 motor is running like a r**** ape, dumb thing with 4.10s is able to bark the 35’s and overdrive is actually a useful gear…

I’ve had 4 different 4.0 motors in the Choptop, maybe 5, starting to lose count. Spark knock has never been an issue.

I do want to replace the ECM with aftermarket, just haven’t got that far yet…

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

 

[rubydist]

You also don't have a 5.0 swap from a 200k mile donor, the 200k mile 4.0L that it repalced didn't have EGR problems either. It's all part of tinkering with old used stuff.

FWIW, you should still have an EGR on the 2003. It left from the factory with one anyway. All NA Ranger since the 80s have had EGR, likely all gas powered Fords have. Even the new stuff has EGR.

I had a 2003 FX4 4.0 sohc that I bought new. It never had an EGR valve.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Pulled the '97 into the shop (ok, nosed in to the end of the hood, you'd think I could find enough room for a Ranger in a 36'x48' shop...) and first installed the rag in front of 2/3 of the radiator, temps are getting below 50 in the mornings and my mileage and heat output are lacking... Conveniently I was thinking ahead and folded it and put it in the mesh cargo thing on the rear cab wall so that's pretty cool of past me . Then while there I did an oil change, not sure how I managed to get it within 40 miles of my planned oil change mileage (220k) but here we are... oh and on that note, I passed 220k on this hooptie today!

 

[scotts90ranger]

Dumb realization, I have 4 shocks sitting in the shop for the '97, I full on meant to install at least the front tonight but just remembered... I'll work on getting room for the whole thing in the shop and will make an attempt next week... this weekend is full...

 

[JoshT]

I had a 2003 FX4 4.0 sohc that I bought new. It never had an EGR valve.

See

Learn something new all the time.

On topic, I did nothing to the Ranger to day, but I did find some interesting information. Next major step in my swap is getting a proper exhaust. I've been kind of scratching my head how I want to handle CATs. Want to keep forward cats and was planning to go 2.5" from collector extension back and have universal cats installed. The over priced shop I spoke with says can't do it, won't fit. (Among the reasons I'm not using them.)

Got to thinking about the exhaust shops around here and most of them are going to install crush bent pipes. Crush bent 2.5" pipe is barely going to flow better than the stock cats and pipes. Well today I sidcovered that Magnaflow actually offers OEM replacement cat pipes with 2.5" mandrel bent pipes. I'll still have to use the local shop custom pipes from there back, but that'll take care of almost 1/3 of the system and not cost much more than buying good universal cats would have.

Have an appointment tomorrow afternoon with another shop to put it on therack and get a quote. I'll talk with them about the Magnaflow cat option. Unless they really impress me, there's two or three more that it'll be visiting over the next week or so.

 

[JoshT]

Dumb realization, I have 4 shocks sitting in the shop for the '97, I full on meant to install at least the front tonight but just remembered... I'll work on getting room for the whole thing in the shop and will make an attempt next week... this weekend is full...

I know the feeling. I've had new shocks sitting here for the back of the car for months. I hate it when I look at them and think I could have done that in a fraction of the time I've wasted in front of this machine during that time. I should to change it's oil this weekend, so maybe I'll find the motivation to do it then.

 

[JoshT]

Chatted with another exhaust shop today. This one actually looked at the truck. We seemed to be more on the same wavelength. This guy was popping off ideas for considerations I had, before I could mention them, and didn't scoff at retaining cats.

After talking about a plan for what to do I brought up using the magnaflow cat pipes and he seemed to like the idea. Said if they are available and would fit, then it would be much easier than trying to get the CATs located and bends in that area right. Was all for letting Magnaflow handle the work. If I provide the cat pipes, it was going to come out to be 3-400 for labor plus parts. That's 2.5" dual cat-back exhaust, bolted to MF pipes at transmission crossmember, a dual in/out turbo muffler (my preference), and over the back axle to the rear of the truck. Pretty standard fare. I like the idea of connecting to the "stock" flanges at the crossmember, it'll allow for dropping the cat pipes for transmission work, and be easy to connect a stock Explorer rear cat if I ever need to in the future. I wasn't planning flanges, I figured on cutting the pipes and using exhaust clamps, even if it had to be done after I got it back home.

Also said to give him a call before ready to start and see what kind of price his distributor could get on the pipes. I'm probably not going to do that part. MF seems to go by MSRP, every online retailer for them lists at the same price except for a souple that jack it up. I've already found a place that's got a 20% off coupon for the pipes. I can get the cats for $620 right now. plus around another $600 at the exhaust shop.

That's still high, but a lot better to me that what the other guy was planning. I'll try to put in some overtime for the next few weeks and then see about dropping the truck off for some work. I'm still going to talk to a few more shops, but this one is looking favorable.

 

[Blmpkn]

I thought about mine.. that's about it.

Oughtta get some work done to it here soon.. just been in a rut.