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Hello all. I have a few questions regarding swapping a 5.0 into a 2002 b3000 4x4, and some other interest questions about a completely different swap.
I've done the research, and a 5.0 swap is by far the most economical for this truck. The motor is easy to get ahold of. My concerns are with the drive train and transmission. I have a manual, so I would like to keep the truck that way in the interest of minimizing labor time. a M5R2 from a 2000 f150 is my desired transmission, and a manual transfer case from the same f150 is my desired transfer case.
There are two manual transfer case options for the f150's- the AB and AC. What are the differences between the two? will both bind to a m5r2, or is one automatic-exclusive?
Also, for those of you who have done this swap, did you need a new drive shaft? How much will having a custom drive shaft fabricated cost? I have access to a pretty neat machine shop for free, but there's no way I could fab a driveshaft myself.
Also, does the 5.0 require an upgraded fueling system? A new fuel pump/ return line/etc. I haven't seen too much stated directly about fuel other than potentially needing to add/remove a fuel return line depending on the year of motor. For reference, I would like to get a 5.0 from a 2000-2001 explorer, as they reasonably made the most power. I could ALSO get a 5.0 from a mustang with a manual trans, to avoid the computer problems that come with the PCM from an explorer, though unless I get lucky and somehow snag a 1995 cobra engine for cheap (probably not happening), that would sacrifice some power.
I've also heard that 5.0 swaps tend to struggle with cooling, especially in off-road applications, and I take the truck out into the woods pretty much weekly. Is that something I'll need to worry about, especially if I plan to FI the engine later down the line?
I have also considered an OM606/ M57 swap for the truck. These are both 3.0L diesel engines, made by Mercedes and BMW respectively. I know of at least one guy doing an OM swap, so I know it's possible, but the cost and involvement on that swap rapidly stack up- far beyond the time or money I have at my current disposal. the M57 has a much higher buy in cost, roughly 150% the price of an OM, but the only crucial components needed for a swap would be a custom ECU, which can be bought online for quite cheap (for a swap part). It's smaller length-wise than the OM, so body mods might not be required, and I believe it's a rear sump- plus, it makes almost twice the hp of the OM in stock configuration. There's even a FB group dedicated solely to swapping m57s into rangers. The biggest advantage the OM has over the M57 is that it's completely mechanical, and can be boosted to hell on stock configuration without breaking a sweat. That, and I know the man who designed the OM series diesels, so potentially manufacturing/replacing parts could be made simpler. Both get amazing mileage and are known to be reliable. The transmissions for both can be had with relative ease, and can stand up to some punishment, so using them in a 4x4 truck isn't a concern. I think having a diesel in this truck would be sick, plus the smaller German diesels don't weigh as much as domestics, meaning a lot less would be required in the way of supporting mods.
Information about the 5.0 and opinions on the diesels would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
I've done the research, and a 5.0 swap is by far the most economical for this truck. The motor is easy to get ahold of. My concerns are with the drive train and transmission. I have a manual, so I would like to keep the truck that way in the interest of minimizing labor time. a M5R2 from a 2000 f150 is my desired transmission, and a manual transfer case from the same f150 is my desired transfer case.
There are two manual transfer case options for the f150's- the AB and AC. What are the differences between the two? will both bind to a m5r2, or is one automatic-exclusive?
Also, for those of you who have done this swap, did you need a new drive shaft? How much will having a custom drive shaft fabricated cost? I have access to a pretty neat machine shop for free, but there's no way I could fab a driveshaft myself.
Also, does the 5.0 require an upgraded fueling system? A new fuel pump/ return line/etc. I haven't seen too much stated directly about fuel other than potentially needing to add/remove a fuel return line depending on the year of motor. For reference, I would like to get a 5.0 from a 2000-2001 explorer, as they reasonably made the most power. I could ALSO get a 5.0 from a mustang with a manual trans, to avoid the computer problems that come with the PCM from an explorer, though unless I get lucky and somehow snag a 1995 cobra engine for cheap (probably not happening), that would sacrifice some power.
I've also heard that 5.0 swaps tend to struggle with cooling, especially in off-road applications, and I take the truck out into the woods pretty much weekly. Is that something I'll need to worry about, especially if I plan to FI the engine later down the line?
I have also considered an OM606/ M57 swap for the truck. These are both 3.0L diesel engines, made by Mercedes and BMW respectively. I know of at least one guy doing an OM swap, so I know it's possible, but the cost and involvement on that swap rapidly stack up- far beyond the time or money I have at my current disposal. the M57 has a much higher buy in cost, roughly 150% the price of an OM, but the only crucial components needed for a swap would be a custom ECU, which can be bought online for quite cheap (for a swap part). It's smaller length-wise than the OM, so body mods might not be required, and I believe it's a rear sump- plus, it makes almost twice the hp of the OM in stock configuration. There's even a FB group dedicated solely to swapping m57s into rangers. The biggest advantage the OM has over the M57 is that it's completely mechanical, and can be boosted to hell on stock configuration without breaking a sweat. That, and I know the man who designed the OM series diesels, so potentially manufacturing/replacing parts could be made simpler. Both get amazing mileage and are known to be reliable. The transmissions for both can be had with relative ease, and can stand up to some punishment, so using them in a 4x4 truck isn't a concern. I think having a diesel in this truck would be sick, plus the smaller German diesels don't weigh as much as domestics, meaning a lot less would be required in the way of supporting mods.
Information about the 5.0 and opinions on the diesels would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
