5.4 Triton in an ‘08 Ranger FX4?

[Jmonsu]

Hey Everyone! New member with a question for the experts.
I’ve got an ‘08 Ranger FX4 with a manual trans and a shot 4.0 SOHC motor. I’ve also got an ‘02 F150 Supercrew FX4 with an auto trans and a 5.4 Triton V8 that the insurance company is about to total because of a fender-bender that happened today.
Before I let the ins. co. give me next to nothing for the F150, I was thinking that if I could put the 5.4 into the Ranger it would take the sting out of the whole ordeal.
I’m fairly handy, but I don’t have welding or fabrication skills. Will I be getting in over my head if I try to do this? I’ve been reading that it can be done, but it’s not easy. Does anyone here have any experience with a similar swap? I’m not looking for the “you can do anything with enough time and money” comments, but rather good advice from someone who has already done it (or at least tried it) and can offer an opinion based on experience.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts and advice.
Jim

 

[Dirtman]

I've never seen anyone do it, people have discussed it before with the 4.6 though but never seen a completed swap. The bottom line is the triton engines are just too damn wide to be a practical transplant into a ranger. I definitely would he interested to see if you go ahead with this and see how it comes out. People have done swaps with wide engines like the 3.5EB and one of the biggest issues I saw on that was there was no room for the steering shaft. It had to be completely removed and an entirely new steering setup fabbed from scratch to get the shaft to go around the engine. Brake booster and master probably need to be relocated as well, hvac box eliminated, potentially some firewall work etc etc. And don't forget the massive amounts or wiring needed to splice the two trucks together.

 

[Dirtman]

Oh and since your in NJ you may wanna check with the DMV. When they scan your truck for inspection the ECU info will obviously come up for the F150 and not the ranger. Generally they don't care about engine swaps IF the new engine is the same year or newer. They may give you crap about having an older engine in it. Normally I'd say screw it they will probably pass it, but given the amount of work you would need to do, verifying if you'll be able to drive it legally would be smart before you find out you just spent months building a truck you can't drive.

 

[Roert42]

I haven’t read this whole thread, but it looks like this guy did something about as close as you will get to what you want to do.

4.6 Swap Tutorial

So here is my 99 ranger that I swapped a 4.6 that I hand built into. First off I wanna say that my number one objective during this swap was to not mod the body or frame in any way. In other words everything I did to bolt in the 4.6 was using brackets or off the shelf Ford parts so that I could...

www.therangerstation.com

 

[Roert42]

Can also checkout this thread.

5.4L V8 swap

Will the 5.4L s/c Ford engine fit in the engine bay of a 1998-2004 ford ranger. Also what will need to be modified if it does. If the motor doesn't fit what V8 would you recommend.

www.therangerstation.com

 

[Jmonsu]

I appreciate all of the info and the links to threads from others who have done something similar in the past. At first glance I’m thinking I’d be WAY over my head if I try this, so I guess I’ll just have to fight the ins. co. for a reasonable settlement on the F150 if they total it when they come out this week.
So does anyone have a spare 4.0L SOHC motor lying around that they’d be willing to part with? Or does anyone want to buy an 08 Ranger FX4 with a dead power plant? I hate to part with the truck, but I can’t afford to spend a fortune on it.

 

[fastpakr]

There shouldn't be a shortage of good SOHC mills to choose from. One source I'm not clear on is the Mustang - does anybody reading the thread know if there are any issues using the long block in a Ranger?

 

[Dirtman]

If they total the f150 you can always buy it back for whatever your deductible is with a salvage titile. So you have whatever money they offered plus the truck. If you have the time and patience you can generally part out the truck and make quite a bit of money. You'd be surprised what parts go for. A freaking cup holder could fetch 50 bucks. If the airbags didn't deploy they are worth a fortune. A few hundred or more for the engine, same with the trans, transfer case etc. Axles are a couple hundred a peice. You could end up making 2-3 grand or more just parting it, and when its basically a skeleton scrap it for another $300-500 in steel.

After that you got plenty of money for a brand new engine for the ranger.

 

[Jmonsu]

That’s a great idea, and certainly one that I’m considering. The damage was minor, and both the interior and exterior are in excellent condition for a truck that is nearly 20 y/o.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Doesn't look too terrible, maybe a spring, wheel possibly an axle and of course a tire and you would have a truck to sell.

Truck prices are fricking stupid right now, it would probably still be worth more than it was a year ago.

 

[Dirtman]

That thing is a gold mine for a part out! Also looks completely fixable unless there's frame damage. It will have crap resale value if you do fix it though because it will forever be stained by the salvage title.

 

[Dirtman]

Doesn't look too terrible, maybe a spring, wheel possibly an axle and of course a tire and you would have a truck to sell.

Truck prices are fricking stupid right now, it would probably still be worth more than it was a year ago.

Salvage title puts a massive hit on the value....

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Salvage title puts a massive hit on the value....

Not so much on something that old.

It varies from state to state on how salvage titles are handed out too.

My '85 was totalled from hail 20 years ago and it still has a normal title.

Minimal parts if the frame is ok and the thing would still be worth a couple grand and you don't have to deal with parting it out.

 

[Dirtman]

Here in NJ once the insurance company totals it you can buy it back but the title is under salavage and you can't just fix and drive the truck. You have to fix it, get it inspected for safety and then re-titled. The new title and every title after that will always have a salvage mark on it. Which when you try to sell it sends up a bunch of red flags for the buyer. It's a real pain especially when they total something with just cosmetic damage. There is no safety or driveablity issue but its stuck with that salvage stigma. I think you can refuse the settlement from the insurance company which means they wont pay you a dime, but at least you keep the title clean. Though the accident will still be on the vehicle history.

 

[Roert42]

For Sale - (NJ) 4.0 sohc engine and manual trans

2003 ford ranger 4.0 engine and m50dr1-hd transmission. Has 95k miles on engine and trans. Selling engine and trans in the truck. Power steering pump or lines leak. No interior. No fenders or doors. No hood. No grille. Frame is really rusty on it. Selling the truck with engine and trans in it...

www.therangerstation.com

Here is a complete drive train for your truck.