4.0 swap opinions.

[PaleBlue90]

ok so i fired up the ranger beacuse i was gonna take it toa tranny shop. got it warm and after i shut it down i decided to check the oil.......can anyone guess what my 2.9 left me? milky white........ so i started lookin at how much it would cost and the effort to swap another 2.9 in. i might as well do a 4.0. then i could get the stronger tranny. all i would have to do is swap and wire. not a whole lot a BS right? ive read alot of the tech stuff here about it. but im just looking at opinions about it, was it worth it in the long run?

i see more power,a little better fuel mileage,stronger tranny,stronger clutch. i recently worked on a 4.0 ranger at collage and it has alot more balls compaired to my 2.9 so i see it as a plus. i could also get quite a few parts off it that i might need/want. what tips,suggestions do you have about the swap? if i get a exploder with the eletric case, is it a direct swap to my manual case that already behind my 2.9's fm 146?

 

[PaleBlue90]

ive also have the thought that i could keep the exploder and just swap tcases if it has the eletric one. but i am unshure if it will bolt up. (going from eletronic to manual shift)

 

[Sunk]

The transfers cases will swap. Since you have a 2nd Gen truck, the wiring is simple. Just keep the explorer around until you're done in case you need anything.

 

[PaleBlue90]

ive thought about it and the exploder might be kept and i might off my 89 ranger. i got more room with a exploder,id just swap cases. do you have any clue at how much work it would be to swap if i need to?

 

[Sunk]

I swapped in a 1354 in place of my 1350 a while back... both manuals though. It was simply a process of unbolting the old and bolting in the new. 5 bolts, the one on top with kind of a PITA though...

You'll need to pull back the carpet and take out the shift plate in the floor the shifter goes through and trim the carpet appropriately. I guess you'd need a different trim ring around the shifter boots too, but that's purely a cosmetic issue.

 

[CJREX]

4.0 swap is the best thing I ever did to my Ranger.

It makes the truck downright FUN to drive.

The 2.9 pushing 33s was less than exciting.

If you want, PM me and I can send you the wiring diagram I used. It's for a 1991 Explorer harness into an '89 Ranger/BII but it should be close.

Also, with the '90 model, you won't have to deal with the fuel lines. Yours should just hook right up to the 4.0 lines. I used '90 BII fuel lines on mine.

You'll like it!

 

[stegomon]

did a 4.0 swap and a 302 swap...the 4.0 was more fun!

 

[PaleBlue90]

ive gave it some thought and i cant afford to be down without a truck anymore. should i get a exploder and wheel it?

heres my thoughts

the good:
more room
4.0
better trans
bigger clutch
8.8 and TTB D35

the bad:
if i do the 4.0 swap i got no were to do it
i got no were to store said parts truck
im down a truck for how ever long it takes
i still have hardly any room to fit me and friends to go camping/wheeling/whatever

 

[PaleBlue90]

i emailed the guy about this

http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/942627668.html

it has auto hubs and eletronic t case. i would swap that out and do manual hubs

 

[BlackBII]

1350$ for a Donor??

That's rather expensive, the two donors Ive got for my 4.0 swaps have both been only 250$, and then I got 160$ back from the scrapyard for them.

If your gonna buy that explorer, I would just drive it, it's in decent shape.

 

[crawlin91]

that sucks didnt you say it was pushing 300K though? my 2.9 has been pretty damn reliable so far. Ive actually been looking at a 2 door, manual explorer sport to buildup just for the extra horsepower. Probably be a low budget build-junkyard axles etc. 1st gen
4.0 would be alot more fun in the ranger, but it sounds like much less work for you to swap into a sploder

 

[PaleBlue90]

1350$ for a Donor??

That's rather expensive, the two donors Ive got for my 4.0 swaps have both been only 250$, and then I got 160$ back from the scrapyard for them.

If your gonna buy that explorer, I would just drive it, it's in decent shape.

if i got it ill just make it my new rig and part my ext cab

 

[BlackBII]

if i got it ill just make it my new rig and part my ext cab

Now that is a good idea!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

ok so i fired up the ranger beacuse i was gonna take it toa tranny shop. got it warm and after i shut it down i decided to check the oil.......can anyone guess what my 2.9 left me? milky white........ so i started lookin at how much it would cost and the effort to swap another 2.9 in. i might as well do a 4.0. then i could get the stronger tranny. all i would have to do is swap and wire. not a whole lot a BS right? ive read alot of the tech stuff here about it. but im just looking at opinions about it, was it worth it in the long run?

i see more power,a little better fuel mileage,stronger tranny,stronger clutch. i recently worked on a 4.0 ranger at collage and it has alot more balls compaired to my 2.9 so i see it as a plus. i could also get quite a few parts off it that i might need/want. what tips,suggestions do you have about the swap? if i get a exploder with the eletric case, is it a direct swap to my manual case that already behind my 2.9's fm 146?

If you just got it warm, go take it for a long drive.

If you don't run it very long in cold weather the moisture in the air inside your crankcase condensates and goes into the oil. After you get it good and warm it works out and leaves for good.

I recently had that happen in my Ranger, I drove it 3 miles to my dads shop. I hung my lights on it and figured while I had it in the nice and warm shop with the hood up I would check the oil, I did and it was all white snot... didn't even see any oil. Took it for a good and long drive and checked it again... perfect looking oil.

 

[PaleBlue90]

If you just got it warm, go take it for a long drive.

If you don't run it very long in cold weather the moisture in the air inside your crankcase condensates and goes into the oil. After you get it good and warm it works out and leaves for good.

I recently had that happen in my Ranger, I drove it 3 miles to my dads shop. I hung my lights on it and figured while I had it in the nice and warm shop with the hood up I would check the oil, I did and it was all white snot... didn't even see any oil. Took it for a good and long drive and checked it again... perfect looking oil.

ita for shure coolent. i filled the rad 2 days before and its almost empty