1983 Ranger V8 swap.. Need a little help..

[SCOTTYFIREMAN]

1987 Ranger V8 swap.. Need a little help..

Ok so me and my 15year old son have got us a project Ranger 1987 model...
We have another 82 model that my dad did a V8 swap to in the early 90's... (On of the first ones)
So im not totally ignorant to the swap and how it has to be done...
Lots have changed since then for Ranger V8 swaps though.
My Dad used some kind of motor mount kit and an oil filter relocator kit..
We still have all of this to use. (Thanks to my Dad)
We plan on using a C4 Trans. With a B&M Zgate cable shifter... (Also thanks to Dad. )

The donor that I have is a 1991 Thunderbird 5.0. Have the whole car....

So here are a few questions that I have...
I have been reading all over the net and get conflicting answers to these questions.
Or no answer to it at all...

1. Can I retain the factory A/C box on the truck, and if so how is this done. Because my dads had no A/C and we had to notch the box corner to clear the valve cover..

2. I keep reading about using Mustang Conv. 5.0 engine mounts.. Are these better than the kit mounts that my dad bought back then? (He might remember the brand of what he bought.)

3. Dad says he didn’t remember why but for some reason he couldn’t use power steering when he did his swap? That’s not true now correct?

4. What is the best fit and affordable radiator to use?

5. I plan on using the computer and harness from the T-bird.. Does anyone see any conflicts with this? And has any on here used one from a T-bird that could give me some pointers?

6. The T-bird currently has factory shorty type headers on it.. Will these fit? They look all most just like the mustang shorty's..

7. I have a gas tank off of a 1999 Explorer. Can I use this tank and fuel pump with this set up.. It looks like I can make the tank fit pretty easy..

Sorry for so many questions...
Any help will be greatly appreciated.....
Thanks Scotty
My son is a member on here too but im not sure what his user name is right off....

All so im taking pictures and im going to be showing step pics and details all along this project...

 

[dirttrackracer]

1. its possible to keep it but it will be close, i think that it will need to be modded
2.it doesent really matter as long as they are solid i would use them, some people make their own brackets so if what you have now will work i would use it
3.not true. you can keep power steering
4.i got told a 5.0 explorer one works good but requires some fitment, there are some replacement ones made for the converision, but i have never used them.
5. dont know
6.take them off to install the motor if it isnt a big hassle, then get the engine in and test fit them and see if they dont fit see if they can be made to fit with out bending them.
7. why not! but i would put a better pump on it though so it will have enough fuel when you "hammer down" lol

 

[JoeyB]

That sounds like the same project my dad and I just did. Is the truck 4x4 or 2 wheel? That's a great little roller motor. A lot of mods can be made to it later if you desire. Trust me I spent way over my budget. A few tips for a few of your questions.

3. Power Steering Pump & Oil relocation kit: Make sure its the right kit that will fit between the motor and the power steering pump. The part of the kit that fits on the motor must have the connectors facing the radiator. If the connectors face the power steering pump it will not work. That might be why your dads power steer pump did not fit?http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/album.php?albumid=287&pictureid=1417

4. This is on area for myself I spent a little extra money and have not regretted it. Afco makes a really nice radiator for the swap. If your not into making something work and want a drop in good cooling radiator look at this one. http://www.jamesduff.com/broncoII/v8conversion.html It fit right into my truck with no mods at all. http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/album.php?albumid=184&pictureid=911

5. If your doing EFI I have no idea. I set mine up old school (carb).

You and your son will have a great time doing this. I enjoyed every minute doing this project with my dad. I did take a lot of photos during my build and posted them on my user page. Hopefully some of the photos will help you out. Good luck on your build.

 

[RangerSVT]

Motor mounts, you can use the 87 rubber mounts you have if they are the 2.9 mounts, just cut the locator tab off, then either fab a flat plate or locate some explorer 5.0L plates to mod, (I have pics if you need em). Mustang convertible mounts (94-95) also work, but require a little modding, the explorer radiator requires a lot of fab work, and cutting of virtually the entire lower half of the core support...I'd recommend a stock 4.0L radiator from an early 90's ranger that will fit your truck, bolt in setup and your good to go. I highly recommend dual 10" electric fans, Summit Racing has em for $45 each, and they are super slim at only 2.5inches thick. The heater box can be modded, but if you do a 3 inch body lift, the motor will clear with no mods needed to the heater box, but its close. Without a body lift, take a heat gun and rework the plastic, if you have no experience with this, take a scrap piece of plastic (like a front inner fender) and experiment, if you get it too hot, you can actually melt it and separate the plastic, requiring a patch panel. The Tbird harness should work, as they are supposed to be the same as a mustang harness, however, IIRC be aware that the Tbird motor is NOT an high output (HO) motor, so performance mods and engine performance will not be as expected. Also, the explorer fuel tank will work but is not needed. However, the entire sending unit will need to be replaced as the fuel system is a returnless style system that year of explorer(98+) The stock ranger fuel tank and pump is more than adequate to supply a stock V8, even a mild V8, but if you go super/turbo charge or nitrous, fuel delivery will need upgrading...Stock mustang/Tbird headers should fit, but removal prior to install is required...I don't think the Tbird power steering lines will work as the size of the fittings is what you will run into. However, if you grab a set from a full size ford, they should be long enough to use as the ranger and the F-series trucks share the same gearbox, whereas the Tbird/mustang/explorer uses rack and pinion steering...As far as the transmission goes, if you have the whole T-bird, I'd go with the trans out of the Tbird (AOD) as you will have overdrive and it's already hooked up, so you know it will work, and you will be using the T-bird ECU, which is already programmed for the AOD...If you have any other questions, feel free to ask away
SVT

 

[shane96ranger]

I'm not much help on anything here but I did read this about not needing to cut the air box. This guy used a heat gun and an oil filter to "reform" the old one, check it out:

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90124

 

[JoeyB]

IIRC be aware that the Tbird motor is NOT an high output (HO) motor, so performance mods and engine performance will not be as expected

I used a 1991 302 TBird motor (according to the numbers) and it was an HO motor. I know this first hand because I broke the entire motor down and had everything cleaned and gone through at the speed shop. The rings I had to buy for the stock pistons were HO rings. Standard rings would not fit. The cam was a roller cam and I was able to install a trick flow roller cam without doing anything. If what your saying is true I guess I have no idea what motor (once again according to the engine numbers) I have and the info I posted is false about the mods you can do. Help me out RangerSVT...if a TBird motor is not an HO motor, what engine do I have?

 

[RangerSVT]

I had an 87 Tbird 5.0L, but I don't remember if it was HO or not, I know the earlier birds (85 and older) were not HO engines, but I can't recall if the new ones are, they may be...Ford may have used a mustang motor in the Tbirds and just detuned the programming to keep them in line...
SVT

 

[dirttrackracer]

the explorer rad helped our ranger allot. the stock 4.0 rad with a flex fan overheated on long trips and around town crusin at low rpm was fine. but them our motor had around 500hp and we didnt get the dual fans whick would have helped it allot i think

 

[Boggin]

heres a page with some parts on it specificly for b2/ ranger 302 swaps
http://broncograveyard.com/bronco/c-317

it includes oil pans, motor mounts, and seems like you already have the rest

i have a friend who used stock exhaust manifolds from a 1979 f100 302 and they gave him plenty of clearance

 

[Teddyzee]

Answers in bold.

The donor that I have is a 1991 Thunderbird 5.0. Have the whole car....

So here are a few questions that I have...
I have been reading all over the net and get conflicting answers to these questions.
Or no answer to it at all...

1. Can I retain the factory A/C box on the truck, and if so how is this done. Because my dads had no A/C and we had to notch the box corner to clear the valve cover..

No problem keeping the box. But to keep the rest of the AC system, you will want the short front accessories from an Explorer 5.0, or '94/'95 Mustang 5.0 (also available on '93-ish Cougar 5.0). With normal front accessories, the rad needs to be placed under the core support, which is very simple, but requires removing the ac condenser. You would also want/need to use an angled EGR spacer (Explorer 5.0, sn95 Mustang) to clear the AC box, as the stock way puts the throttle body pointing right at the end of the blower box. EGR delete would also work

2. I keep reading about using Mustang Conv. 5.0 engine mounts.. Are these better than the kit mounts that my dad bought back then? (He might remember the brand of what he bought.)

This is the simplest method. 5.0 Mustang mounts (good) or '87-'93 Vert, '94/'95 GT mounts (better, slightly lower placement). Very affordable, too. Do a part #search, these may already be on your T-bird.

3. Dad says he didn’t remember why but for some reason he couldn’t use power steering when he did his swap? That’s not true now correct?

No problem here, as stated above, you will want an oil filter relocation kit with a 90degree adaptor at the block. About $60.

4. What is the best fit and affordable radiator to use?

I used my stock 4.0 rad, you may want to try a '94 or older 4.0 rad, too.

5. I plan on using the computer and harness from the T-bird.. Does anyone see any conflicts with this? And has any on here used one from a T-bird that could give me some pointers?

Also fairly straightforward. Google "Harwood Performance" for tips on the Ranger side of things, and check various other forums for wiring tips from the Tbird. (www.sbftech.com, www.veryuseful.com, www.fordfuelinjection.com) and get an EVTM for the year of the tbird. Then compare what you have to the typical Mustang diagrams. You won't be using any of the Tbird connectors, so they are irrelevant.

6. The T-bird currently has factory shorty type headers on it.. Will these fit? They look all most just like the mustang shorty's..

You could try, but I believe they are not a direct fit. You could modify them, of course. The latest trick is Shelby Tri-Y headers. (any tri-y to fit '65-70 Mustang). These are said to be tight for a c4 bellhousing, but some models are available for auto applications.

7. I have a gas tank off of a 1999 Explorer. Can I use this tank and fuel pump with this set up.. It looks like I can make the tank fit pretty easy..

I see no problem here. If your truck was originallycarbed, you may want to harvest the entire fuel circuit from the Tbird, too. (fuel pump relay, inertia switch, etc.



All so im taking pictures and im going to be showing step pics and details all along this project...

Let us know as you get into it.

 

[SCOTTYFIREMAN]

I forgot to mention..... This is a 2WD truck.....

Also the engines in the Tbirds from 1990 untill the 4.6L were all 5.0 H.O. engines.. And the 1994 and up 5.0 H.O.'s had the same cam as they used in the 93 Cobra...

The engine that I have got in this Tbird came out of a 1994 GT Mustang... Only has 25,000 miles on it..

 

[JoeyB]

I stand behind what I said early. That's a great little roller motor. A lot of mods can be made to it later if you desire. A 2 wheel should give you a little more flexibility with headers on the driver side. Have a great time doing this project and do post photos.

 

[Teddyzee]

Slightly on or off topic... but Tbirds and Cougars were available with both LoPo and HO motors back in the day, if that was causing any confusion.

And Scotty, take all this info for what it's worth, budget and availability affect all of this, there are a million ways to do it.

 

[SCOTTYFIREMAN]

No one else got any info?

 

[1mean02hd]

www.cardomain.com/id/1mean02hd

Check that out. I "ve got alot of pics and info there.
BTW Cougars and T Birds have the same cam that Mustang Cobras use. Cobras have 1.7 ratio roller rockers as well.