1999 3.0 engine to 94 4.0 engine

[Raydog26]

I have a 3.0 flex fuel with a blown motor, someone local to me has a 94 ranger 4.0 with comp and harness. will my 4 speed trans work with this engine?? I have been trying to find some info in the tech section about if this swap will work or not. any help would be great. thanks guys!

 

[RonD]

No, weaker transmission and won't bolt up.

You also have to change the fuel system, '94 fuel rails used fuel return system, your '99 uses returnless fuel system, newer, '97 and up I think, 4.0 OHV used returnless, not sure if only the injectors and rails are different for the higher pressure....... so you might need computer from that year as well.
Finding a later model 4.0l with automatic trans, wiring harness and computer would be best.
Or just stick with 3.0l

 

[Raydog26]

nice thanks for the good info. I have been trying to find a 3.0 to replace the blown motor but a friend of mine is trying to convince me to put a 4.0 in instead. I just need the truck running again and the cheaper easier option is another 3.0

 

[RonD]

What is "blown" on the 3.0l?
Spun main bearings, rod bearing.

If it's just a head gasket it isn't to hard a DIY project.

 

[RangerSVT]

3.0 has its own bellhousing bolt pattern, not shared with any other V6 or 4 cylinder. The ford 2.8, 2.9, and 4.0 all share the same bellhousing bolt pattern. The 4.0 OHV has a different fuel system, as stated, but all OHV 4.0's were return style fuel system. All 4.0's up to 94 (91-94) are OBD1, some had different intake plenums, and have a different wiring harness. 95+ OHV are OBD2 and have better heads. In 98 the 4.0 SOHC came available in rangers, and are only returnless fuel system. 98 also started pats, so swapping another ECU (required with a different engine swap, such as 3.0 to 4.0) will require reprogramming, provided your swap has the same type of pats. You can use another 3.0, but make sure you use your upper intake plenum and all sensors and electronics if your replacement engine is not a flex fuel engine, as the flex fuel systems use a different type of fuel rail and fuel lines...

SVT

 

[cp2295]

I rebuilt my 99 3.0 engine.. Spun a rod bearing and she runs like a champ, not a hard rebuild at all, only thing I recommend is making sure you mark the cam pos sensor on the sensor and the block.. You will be screwed if you don't!!


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[Raydog26]

I have the chance to get a 4.0 v6 from a 1998 ford explorer w/ harness, CPU, and body module tomorrow. Will I need anything else from the explorer to do this swap??

 

[Raydog26]

As far as the 3.0 I am not sure exactly what is wrong, before I pick up this 4.0 this weekend I am going to pull the synchronizer and check it and install the new one I have. When the guy sold it to me, he drove it back from e auto auction, it overheated and he kept driving it until he reached the dealer lot, I have no more details than that except now it won't start. It cranks and it tries to crank over and it backfires in the exhaust but nothing more. I have spark and fuel.

I want to just get the 3.0 running and save money but I am worried he destroyed it. I need to invest more time in diagnosing it though I know.

 

[stmitch]

Nothing is interchangeable between the 3.0 and either 4.0 engine. So you'd need everything that touches the engine, including the trans, to do the swap. Also, if either truck has PATS, you'd need to swap out steering columns, or have a key reprogrammed.

 

[Raydog26]

yeah I did a little more digging on the forums here last night and I kind of ruled that idea out.... and my truck does have PATS... So now I need a game plan for this 3.0 situation....

Here is what I found out today... cam syncro still spins with the motor when cranking so that did not break. motor still spins freely. I have a coolant leak on back side of engine somewhere (hopefully just freeze plugs). and I confirmed the guy blew the head gasket when he over heated it (coolant in the oil). so now I am pulling the entire motor to see how bad the damage is.

Has anyone blown a head gasket and was able to rebuild the engine or should I be pricing a new motor from the junk yard??

I have all the tools to measure out the block I just need to find the specs for it.

And sorry for the long delays, I am not getting email notifications, looking into that now.

 

[stmitch]

Not sure about costs near you, or how far you want to get into this thing, but Taurus 3.0's go for under $500 (some as low as $350) around me. A rebuild kit with new rings/bearings/gaskets is usually around $250.

Each option has pro's and con's.
A used motor swap may take less time than a full rebuild, and Taurus motors are easy to convert to Ranger form. Plus, you could sell off any parts you didn't use after the swap to recoup a bit of the cash you spent up front.
Rebuilding your existing motor would allow you to know the condition of the internals compared to a used engine. It would also cost less up front. It would probably take more time to pull the engine and rebuild than swapping it out though. A rebuild also requires a bit more knowledge/ special tools vs just bolting in another engine.

 

[Raydog26]

I am fine with rebuilding it as long as there is no major damage to block or heads. I am trying to keep my cost down as much as possible, if a full rebuild kit is only $250 that is a lot less than I expected. Where is the best place to get a kit?? I seen them on eBay but I figured the quality was crap.

I have been calling around to junk yards for find a 3.0 but they said "they scrap them out, they are bad motors to keep"

 

[Raydog26]

well this motor is pretty much ruined.... I will post up the pictures tomorrow but the intake manifold is broken, water pump is destroyed, most of the bolts were stripped out and wire harness connectors broken... someone tried to fix this before and failed miserably....

I think my best bet now is find a new motor from the junk yard and prep it for install once this is out tomorrow, I got everything out but the bell housing bolts because I ran out of sunlight.