3.0 sho in 4x4 99 ranger

[Lowranger87]

Thanks! I'm pretty sure its the only TTB SHO swapped ranger in existence right now haha. Exhaust is easy, switch the manifolds left to right. They fit perfect that way lol. The rag joint in the steering shaft has to go, takes up too much room. I just made a steering shaft from a universal borgeson shaft and the correct spline u-joints from Summit

 

[14TR]

Do you have any other pics of the swap or more details? I’d like to see as much as possible before I dive further in

 

[Lowranger87]

Yea I have a fair amount of pics, but I'm not sure how much they will help being that you're working with a 99. But I can answer pretty much any question related to the swap, feel free to ask!

 

[JimmySM]

Wow, looks like there's at least a few of us trying to make this insanity happen.
I have a 99 2WD truck that I'm currently swapping a '95 3.2L SHO into. The factory SHO manifolds do not fit (reversed or otherwise) with the double wishbone front suspension due to the upper a-arm mounting bracket locations above the frame rail. So, I'm making my own headers/exhaust.
I bought a rust bucket truck as a swap candidate, something I wouldnt mind hacking up. I'm toying with the idea of picking up a 4WD truck instead as a more permanent swap chassis, though still running it as a 2WD truck, so I'm curious how the 4WD IFS and subframe geometry works out.
For controls, there's a guy in Edmonton (Halee Fabrication) that has recently come out with an aftermarket Megasquirt-based controller specifically designed to control a SHO engine.

 

[pjtoledo]

Wow, looks like there's at least a few of us trying to make this insanity happen.
I have a 99 2WD truck that I'm currently swapping a '95 3.2L SHO into. The factory SHO manifolds do not fit (reversed or otherwise) with the double wishbone front suspension due to the upper a-arm mounting bracket locations above the frame rail. So, I'm making my own headers/exhaust.
I bought a rust bucket truck as a swap candidate, something I wouldnt mind hacking up. I'm toying with the idea of picking up a 4WD truck instead as a more permanent swap chassis, though still running it as a 2WD truck, so I'm curious how the 4WD IFS and subframe geometry works out.
For controls, there's a guy in Edmonton (Halee Fabrication) that has recently come out with an aftermarket Megasquirt-based controller specifically designed to control a SHO engine.

real easy, just acquire a 2000-ish 2WD Sport Track set of steering knuckles and bolt them on.
that gives you 12" front rotors.
or get the Ranger Edge knuckles and stay with the 11.25" rotors.

if you have a coil spring Ranger the options are stock or completely custom.

 

[14TR]

Part 2: progress has been SLOWWW
Some mistakes made along the way, not much time out there, even less time to film lol

 

[14TR]

Not a lot of time out there this winter, but have made some progress on the dash/interior thought I’d update. The overhead bars in the center and over the drivers head have been added, as well as horizontal bracing on the bed bars.
The dash was made out of .040 aluminum and had to be done in two pieces because my plasma table can’t cut wider than 48”. It’s better this way anyhow, as it gives it something of a “modular” ability should I want to change anything in the future. The center console that will contain all the appropriate switches such as ignition, fuel, fan, lights, 4wd selector, etc, covers the seam of the two halves anyway.

apparently the pics are too big. See next post for downsized pictures

 

[bhgl]

Winter's a slow month for me too, don't sweat it!

Love to hear things are still moving along!

 

[14TR]

Managed to shrink them down a bit

 

[14TR]

Switch plate cut and installed. Nothing special but was able to get the proper size holes cut for the Carling style rocker switches. The center 1/2” round hole is a purposely undersized hole for the push button start switch. I’m not sure on what style I’m going with so I wanted it small enough it can be drilled out to size with a step bit. Why have the hole at you may ask? So I know it’s already centered properly

 

[98SHOanger]

Ok I don’t want to be “that guy” talking about all these different swaps and not accomplishing any of them, but here’s the deal…

For the last 15 years I’ve planned on swapping a 2.3turbo out of a thunderbird turbo coupe into a bronco 2 for the type of racing we do (I had started a thread on it a few months ago in the B2 section). I have the engine, the proper trans, and the 2.3 to FM 145 bell housing. I got looking further into the condition of the bronco a couple weeks ago and it got rough!! It’s been sitting since about 2009-2010 without being raced or moved. Bad enough to the point I decided it wasn’t worth the effort to use that vehicle, but can use parts off of it. In the ast week I found a good deal on a 99 ranger ext cab with the 3.0 and auto 4x4. Bad rockers, nice frame! Yes it’s starting from scratch since it isn’t already set up with a cage etc, but it’ll be worth it for the good bones (I’m going to make a separate thread regarding cage options fyi).

I can swap in the 2.3 and FM145 into this truck and get this thing rolling in the next few months possibly, but another option is get the cage in it race ready and still run it with the 3.0 Vulcan in it in a much lower class and just see how she does. While pondering the option with my buddy I race with, I casually mention that the only engine I know of that shares a bell housings pattern with the 3.0 is the 3.0/3.2 Yamaha SHO engine. He reminds me (I had long forgotten this) he has a 3.0 SHO engine on a crate in the garage that he believes is good running condition that I can have. Now I know it’ll bolt to the trans, and the engine would scream, and it’ll only be like one class higher than the 3.0 Vulcan, but is there any other concerns?
I’m not worried about electronics as I’d either look for the appropriate harness and EEC to run it, or run megasquirt since that was the plan for the 2.3 anyway and I have one already. I know about the magazine ranger sho from 30 years ago, but I’m not certain what all had to be done. Keep in mind this is strictly a race truck. Don’t care about AC accessories, emissions, or even longevity of the trans. Would the oil pan need to be custom? I assume the engine mounts are in the same location? I appreciate input and feedback. I’d still like to do the 2.3 someday because it’s been on my mind so long, it just seems like this is begging for it since the truck happens to have the right trans to bolt to it and the engine could be had for free

P.S. I have an above average equipped shop and good (not claiming great) fabrication skills) . Welders, lathe, Bridgeport, CNC plasma table, etc.

just Finnish. On 2-15-2025 fully functional and street legal

 

[98SHOanger]

You most definitely will either have to cut and weld in a new trans tunnel to make space for the engine, or figure out a way to space the engine forward. If you build brand new mounts for the entire drivetrain to move it forward, you'll have to get a new driveshaft built and figure out the geometry there.

This swap is super deceptive, because there's rumour and story about how "the trans bellhousing bolts right up!", and "you can flip the intake 180 degrees for longitudinal applications!", but in reality it's a LOT of custom fabrication to get the SHO in and running well.

It's not a rumor it's true I just finished this swap of a 3.0 SHO INTO A 98 ranger splash 4x4 every thing works including the dash instruments

 

[14TR]

It's not a rumor it's true I just finished this swap of a 3.0 SHO INTO A 98 ranger splash 4x4 every thing works including the dash instruments

Can you show me pics of the area where the driver side manifold is relative to the steering shaft? That’s the only part I have concerns for. I’ll have my Vulcan lifted out this week. I have a 3.0 and 3.2 SHO engines, both running. But only have the harness and ECU for the 3.2

 

[98SHOanger]

Ecu the same on both 3.0 and 3.2. The thing that gave me enough clearance was cutting the plastic back where the ac core would reside

 

[14TR]

Ok great. Since mine is in a race vehicle, the whole HVAC is removed, as is AC compressor, cruise, etc. my biggest concern was gonna be the stock manifold hitting the steering shaft, but looks like I’ll be ok