1998 Ranger with 97 Explorer 5.0

[dshwopper]

I have a few questions, I posted on here the other day didn't have any luck, but I think it was in the wrong thread anyways, I'm new at this. Sorry!

But to get started, I have a 1998 Ford Ranger 2.5l Auto 2wd. 222k blew my reverse in June. Had the truck for 3 years and still drives everywhere. Got it for $400. So I started looking up the best motor for a swap and easiet really for my money. Found out the 1996-2001 Ford Explorer will work perfectly, looked more into it the 1996-1997 has no pats, figured that'd be my best years. Even though they don't come in 2wd. So I found a 1997 Ford Explorer 5.0 with 96k AWD. Picked it up for $500. I thought I paid too much personally.

Now I have this AWD drivetrain. I was hoping to swap tail housings and I'd be good. But I wasn't. I need an output shaft and a tail housing, no big deal. But the VSS is in the transfer case. Does this mess anything up if I buy the output shaft and tail housing for 250 total at the Ford dealership. Or should I find a 2wd transmission out of a crown vic. The 4r70w. But I won't really be able to see this transmission move or nothing? My biggest question in the build is does the output shaft have the speed sensor gears on it? So it'll just go together? And how hard is it to do an output shaft switch? Never done it before.

If anyone has done this build, can you please email me or reply with some helpful things, such as complete wiring diagram for the Explorer and/or Ranger? And what's the biggest pain? I heard the VSS and wiring? I absolutly hate wiring. It's going to run me into a wall on problems I bet. Never done an engine swap before. I'm a mechanic but never gone this far indepth, specially being by myself and trying it out.

If you can help that'd be awesome, thanks! And sorry for being new and posting in the wrong places, I'm stilling working around this. lol

Email is dshwopper10@gmail.com If you can email me with info, here will work for me too. And I'll be posting tons and tons of pictures when I start to when I finish the build and help out anyone I can.

 

[Teddyzee]

Your year of Ranger gets the speedometer signal form the rearend ABS sensor, so that's a non-issue.

The Explorer 5.0 were available in 2wd, so you could always just find an Explorer 4r70w 2wd trans.

Wiring probably needs little to no changes, you will want to get an EVTM for each vehicle, and will likely only need to re-pin the tach.

Your Ranger has a non-return fuel system, the '97 Ex uses a return line, so you have some work to do there.

I believe the trans wiring changed during the years for the Explorer, so I would recommend finding a trans from a '97 if you go that route.

 

[dshwopper]

Your year of Ranger gets the speedometer signal form the rearend ABS sensor, so that's a non-issue.

The Explorer 5.0 were available in 2wd, so you could always just find an Explorer 4r70w 2wd trans.

Wiring probably needs little to no changes, you will want to get an EVTM for each vehicle, and will likely only need to re-pin the tach.

Your Ranger has a non-return fuel system, the '97 Ex uses a return line, so you have some work to do there.

I believe the trans wiring changed during the years for the Explorer, so I would recommend finding a trans from a '97 if you go that route.

That's the thing though. The 97 Ford Explorer 5.0 does not come in 2wd. Do you or anyone else know if there is a 97 Ford Explorer 2wd with that transmission that's not a 5.0? I went to a few junkyards and they did not have a 2wd transmission out of a Ford Explorer 5.0. Would it be the same or basically the same wiring if I went with a 4r70w out of a 96 Crown Vic? Then scrap my transmission? Or would it just be easier and plus better knowing my transmission has all the gears? This 96 Crown Vic was said to be just rotted out? 86k on it? Or would it just be easier to buy the output shaft and tail housing?

The wiring I'm not too worried about. If I gotta I'll buy the wiring diagrams from Ford for those exact vehicles. I'm just worried about the VSS mainly. Shouldn't be too hard just gotta know if those parts will work or fit.

Do you know how hard it is to do the fuel return line? I know my Ranger does not have one. Plus the Explorer 5.0 has a higher psi fuel system. Do I have to change anything out or buy any extra stuff. I have most of the parts. I have power steering hoses, radiator hoses with radiator out of a 99 Taurus, a radiator out of a 97 Escort also, tons of wiring, and other stuff can't think of.

Also one other thing. The transmission cooler in the front of the radiator. Is that something I'll have to change over to my truck? Or something new I need to buy? Or is my truck light enough that it wont even need it, just wiring it through my radiator? Well hose it to my radiator? Never looked up that, probably sounds retarded lol. Just want all my build to glide with no problems, well the least problems lol.

 

[Mac]

The '97' Explorer 5.0 did come in 4x2, problem is that not too many of them depending on your area. Try using car-part.com. The wiring changed I believe because of some internal differences. The computer really needs to match the year trans. Not sure at all about that radiator you picked up, most use either a HD Ranger 4.0 or the Explorer one. Don't make the mistake several have done and tear too much of the wiring out. Just the engine harness and the cable to the starter need replacement.
Dave

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

That's the thing though. The 97 Ford Explorer 5.0 does not come in 2wd. Do you or anyone else know if there is a 97 Ford Explorer 2wd with that transmission that's not a 5.0? I went to a few junkyards and they did not have a 2wd transmission out of a Ford Explorer 5.0. Would it be the same or basically the same wiring if I went with a 4r70w out of a 96 Crown Vic? Then scrap my transmission? Or would it just be easier and plus better knowing my transmission has all the gears? This 96 Crown Vic was said to be just rotted out? 86k on it? Or would it just be easier to buy the output shaft and tail housing?

The 1996 CV would have a 4.6 so it wouldn't do you much good that way. You could tear them both apart and probably switch the rear end.

Short of tracking down a 4R70 out of a 2wd Explorer I don't know if the older 5.0 F-150 4R70's could be made to work or how compatable the newer 4.2 4R70's out of a 97+ F-150 would be.

You could just throw a manual shift truck transfercase on it, shorten the driveshaft and enjoy the low range too.

 

[Teddyzee]

Your year of Ranger gets the speedometer signal form the rearend ABS sensor, so that's a non-issue.

The Explorer 5.0 were available in 2wd, so you could always just find an Explorer 4r70w 2wd trans.

Just quoting myself for fun.

 

[shane96ranger]

Never seen a 5.0 Explorer in 2wd form.

Sent from a Commodore 64 using a 300 baud modem

 

[RangerSVT]

As previously stated, the 97 ex did have 2wd versions, and I can prove it. I have one. Where are you located? I'd gladly swap trannies with you if you weren't too far. Do you have emissions to worry about? If you do, that will play a big part in more parts you will need. The swap is pretty straight forward. You will use the ex motor mounts (both the rubber mounts and the plates that bolt to the motor), power steering pressure hose, alt wiring harness from the ex, ex starter wiring harness, 99 lower radiator hose (you will have to delete the oil cooler), oil filter relocation kit (I just got the summit brand and recommend staying away from it, go with the transdapt system, I have it on my ranger and love it. I'll be posting in my sport trac thread about the summit brand kit later today). The trans cooler in front of the rad is not really necessary if you don't tow, but the #1 reason for auto tranny failures is heat. It's good insurance to put the cooler on there. On my trac I've got the rad cooler plus the stock cooler in front the rad, plus an additional stock cooler I added and an external trans filter. You will have to do some wiring on plug C149, the plug right below the abs pump that has the alt wiring in it. Read both my threads to get familiarized. The ranger uses the 97 ex motor, but the trac has your frame style. Both threads are detailed in the first post...

SVT

 

[shane96ranger]

As previously stated, the 97 ex did have 2wd versions, and I can prove it.

I wasn't saying they didn't exist, just that I'd never seen one. Motor Trend did a comparo with a 2wd Explorer and a Durango with one in 2000. The comparo is a little unfair, as they state... but here it is:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/112_0003_2000_4_wheel_drive_challenge/viewall.html

 

[RangerSVT]

Shane, its Kool, I was actually posting while you posted, LOL. 2wd are harder to find, and until I actually bought the drivetrain, I havent see one either...

SVT

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I wasn't saying they didn't exist, just that I'd never seen one. Motor Trend did a comparo with a 2wd Explorer and a Durango with one in 2000. The comparo is a little unfair, as they state... but here it is:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/112_0003_2000_4_wheel_drive_challenge/viewall.html

I can vouch, an Explorer in 2wd is pretty helpless...

 

[shane96ranger]

Shane, its Kool, I was actually posting while you posted, LOL. 2wd are harder to find, and until I actually bought the drivetrain, I havent see one either...

SVT

Being in Utah, any 2wd Explorer is very rare. I've seen a handful of the 1st gen in 2wd form - not a single 2nd gen though. It's really strange looking to me.

 

[littlezell]

here in georgia I have seen many that were 2wd and v8....

 

[dshwopper]

As previously stated, the 97 ex did have 2wd versions, and I can prove it. I have one. Where are you located? I'd gladly swap trannies with you if you weren't too far. Do you have emissions to worry about? If you do, that will play a big part in more parts you will need. The swap is pretty straight forward. You will use the ex motor mounts (both the rubber mounts and the plates that bolt to the motor), power steering pressure hose, alt wiring harness from the ex, ex starter wiring harness, 99 lower radiator hose (you will have to delete the oil cooler), oil filter relocation kit (I just got the summit brand and recommend staying away from it, go with the transdapt system, I have it on my ranger and love it. I'll be posting in my sport trac thread about the summit brand kit later today). The trans cooler in front of the rad is not really necessary if you don't tow, but the #1 reason for auto tranny failures is heat. It's good insurance to put the cooler on there. On my trac I've got the rad cooler plus the stock cooler in front the rad, plus an additional stock cooler I added and an external trans filter. You will have to do some wiring on plug C149, the plug right below the abs pump that has the alt wiring in it. Read both my threads to get familiarized. The ranger uses the 97 ex motor, but the trac has your frame style. Both threads are detailed in the first post...

SVT

I live up in Maine lol. Very hard very rare to find one. I've yet to see one, that I know that was a 2wd v8 though. Even junyards and salvage yards. I've checked 3 so far. I know of two more, I just gotta find them. I'll have to check for one out of an F-150. But wouldn't that be the same as the 96 CV though? Because the F-150 is a 4.6 or a 5.4? So the wiring would be different I would think? How would I get around it?

Has anyone ever tried to replace a output shaft? Is it risky to do? Pain in the ass or just something you personally wouldn't do, or well anyone else. I'm not sure if those radiators would work either, it's just a couple I have kicking around the yard from pervious cars. I'm not 100% sure what I'm getting my self into, doesn't seem like the worst thing I've done it seems. I want to try it . Be fun and something different. But don't want to tear into it so far where I don't know where I'm going after?

Also one other thing, does anyone have a wiring diagram for a 1997 Ford Explorer 5.0 AWD. And or 1997 Ford Ranger 2.5 Auto 2wd.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I live up in Maine lol. Very hard very rare to find one. I've yet to see one, that I know that was a 2wd v8 though. Even junyards and salvage yards. I've checked 3 so far. I know of two more, I just gotta find them. I'll have to check for one out of an F-150. But wouldn't that be the same as the 96 CV though? Because the F-150 is a 4.6 or a 5.4? So the wiring would be different I would think? How would I get around it?

Pre '97 F-150's had the 300, 302 and 351, all share the same bellhousing. Post '97 the 4.2 V6 has the same bellhousing pattern with smaller boltholes... which are simple to enlarge. I know people have used the V6 option in manual transmissions in Ranger swaps before, dunno about the automatic.