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1998 Ranger 5.0 swap questions


AHenry014

Active Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2024
Messages
30
City
CT
Vehicle Year
1998
Engine
2.5 (4 Cylinder)
Transmission
Automatic
Ill apologize in advance as I'd bet there is the answer to this buried somewhere, but havent found a definitive response in my research. I have read through this page a couple times and have one big question:
For my 1998 Ranger, is the 96-97 Explorer really the smarter choice for a donor over a 99-01 Explorer?

I have a 1998 2.5 auto truck and the plan is to 5.0/manual swap it (F150 4.2 trans). The article seems to have conflicting suggestions as to what is the best year explorer to search for. Under "Engine Choice", it suggests a 96-97 explorer for a 98 ranger because it doesnt have PATS, but ill have to address some fuel system items (pressure adjustment and add return line). So, in respect to engine/electronics simplicity, I understand that suggestion. That said, in the chart just below that statement, it says that the 99-01 explorer shares the same fuel pressure & returnless style system as my Ranger, while also using the axle VSS for the speedo (Id like to swap in the explorer axle as well). The downside is that I have to deal with PATS, which is solved later in the article. In the Speedo section, a statement is made that says "The speedometer may very well be one of your toughest obstacles. If you have a 1995-2000 Ranger you should try and get a 5.0L EFI setup that’s going to match the speedometer setup your Ranger has. This will simplify things for you".

It seems the 99-01 Explorer is the better choice for a 1998 Ranger, unless I am mistaken. Id prefer to deal with PATS over going through the work to add a fuel return line and deal with VSS issues.

Am I missing a key point here?
Thank you!
 
If you're having an Explorer PCM tuned for a manual transmission, eliminating PATS should be doable at the same time.
 
Ah! astute observation! What is the vendor of choice for that service? "Drag Radial Performance" seems popular.
 
The 99-01 Explorer is the better choice for a 1998 Ranger - the fuel pressure/return is correct.

You remove PATS and the automatic transmission functions as part of "tuning" your PCM. There were several members who used to do it, but fewer if any now...
 

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