I have a BII that I want to drop a carbureted 5.0 in. I have mustangs and other cars that I have motor swapped and tinkered with but I've never messed with a truck, specifically anything 4x4. I believe I know what to do, and how to do it... in my head. But before I go tearing into it, or supply unnecessary parts to a friend that will do it since he retired. I thought I would check some forums read up on it and go from there. Unfortunately I am not the best forum navigator and everything I have found else where is inconclusive/contradicting. Here is what I was "planning" on.
Getting a 5.0 with a 4x4 trans., drive shaft, and rear-end out of a full size Bronco. Then setting it in there making modifications to fit it as needed, firewall mounts, etc... cutting the drive shaft to fit and narrowing the rear end to make it fit.
That was my 1st idea. Secondly I thought...
Getting a 5.0 from whatever, where ever, and getting trans. adapters, fit it in there and just not use the whole 215 hp so I wouldn't tear up my trans and not replacing the rear-end just the driveshaft.
I don't know which would be best, or cheapest. This Bronco is not really my "baby", I've had it 2 yrs and just now wanting to mess with it not just drive it. So I want the cheapest option to get this done but also done correct. As I said I am not a 4x4 person mostly Foxbody mustangs so I know the 5.0 motors. I do not want the 4.0 from the explorer. Even though it'll go in and bolt up.
Suggestions????
Thank you!
this, with the correctly selected parts and accepted compromises from "perfection" and not requiring the ridiculous notion of it to look factory is literally a weekend swap for two experienced shade trees working together.
granted a few weeks research and preps are needed and actual location vs available parts are factors to that.
lets see how much worse i can muddy the water...
Getting a 5.0 with a 4x4 trans., drive shaft, and rear-end out of a full size Bronco. Then setting it in there making modifications to fit it as needed, firewall mounts, etc... cutting the drive shaft to fit and narrowing the rear end to make it fit.
there are many factors to how easy or hard this can be....if starting stone stock with the ttb rbv, engine placement can be tricky, yet always doable.
a stock truck is usually harder to deal with then a modified truck. especially at this age.
say a truck has a 3 in body lift and a 4 inch suspension lift with premium lift brackets, dropping a 302 in it is a joke as it is ridiculously easy.
donor components are very key.
heres where compromises and considerations come in.
say you have a bronco for cheap that is falling off of its chassis, yet the axles and powertrain are in working order, modifying the pivot brackets to use the dana 44 ttb from the bronco and run the rear and installing it all as is, would be ideal in my opinion. the bronco engine in this fashion needs the car oil pan and no matter what 302 you use if you keep the stock ttb crossmember, unless you go to a different steering gear configuration...oil filter adaption or relocation is necessary.
for me, full width is great. for most...no its not.
the plan to narrow the bronco rear is a waste of time if your not using a 5 x 5.5 bolt pattern front. the explorer rear axle is ideal and will use your current wheels.
basically, if you want to run a carb 302, you dont need a donor truck.
get a 302 with a car pan, run the car mounts, get a c4/c6/aod trans for 4x4...or a 2wd and an adapter for your 1350 case from advanced adapters or use a m5od trans from a 150 if you want a stick, the later 97 plus 4.2 v6 150 4x4 trans is ideal for this, and needs some minor mods to work, mostly enlarging holes with a drill.
if your t-case is ok...its fine for normal healthy v8 power(350-400 ish). the transfer case of the rbv is the strongest part of its drivetrain by a long ways.
the typical swap headers offered from hooker are cheap and easy for most, if you roll the upper frame rails a little clearance is easy.
hooking up a motronic old school setup is cake of course but requires maintenance... the duraspark is real good, and the pertronix or dui setups are outstanding for spark. wiring these is ridiculous easy with any chiltons or haynes manual let alone the internet.
the 88 b2 should have 2 fuel pumps, the in tank will work for a carb fine, bypass the high pressure pump on the rail and just run the intank.((.if you need directions on how to run fuel line then your not an experienced shade tree..))you can wire it to an oil pressure switch or just key on power but i would still run it thru the rollover switch.
cooling.....this for higher power over 220-250 can be a problem.
i venture away from most when it comes to cooling. for some reason people like to work within the stock confines of the oem setup and especially with a gen 1 was never intended for v8 heat load, and it can work fine for sure in the right combination but often has issues in traffic or summer... on a gen 1 truck i prefer to hack up and open the core support and fit a 25x19 with body lift or 25x16 or 17 without and prefer an electric fan under the support and on the rails....i also prefer to mount it with the frame and engine...i like the summit style units and new delivered they run 160-190 shipped. then i run a fan from the junkyard and often its under 30-40 bux.
that brings me to another unecessary but worthwhile mod, especially for a gen 1...i make the front inner clip removable.. this often gets done before the swap during preperations on jobs i have done, so core support and larger radiator fitment later is even easier.
when retaining ac though, these issues get complication. but nothing indeleble.
this is just the tip of the iceberg.....
so what you want and what you plan to do are huge in the decision process.
if your happy with a stock factory 302 power with a carb, a c4/c5 with the ranger output shaft and extension housing to run your transfer case and a bird or sn95 front dress with a 4.0 radiator and say dodge single minivan fan on your stock axles and suspension will be fine...if you have 345 gears...you will want a mild lift and 31's if you have 373 gears.
you may have to slightly mod the oil pan where the ttb bracket is if you want to keep the factory front and rear drive line but its minor and most shops will do it for 40-100 bux to weld it up.
sound too easy?
there were parts readily available from advanced that are not now to use the c4...or rather they sometimes are available.
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