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Hey guys, i figured id do a build thread on this thing, cause ive found very few on 351w swaps, ive been a long time lurker, first time poster, and recently made an account.
I picked this truck up as a roller (that didnt roll due to a locked up rear end) several months ago to do a v8 swap on. Very little rust, and i kinda dig the patina look. It's an '88 ranger gt with complete body kit, factory looking buckets, and mustang wheels already on it. Im attempting to build a pretty hot/capable street/strip build to rival my wife's '01 scsb silverado I 6.0 swapped, but i wanna be ford powered.
Since it was already a roller I got it on the lift and stripped out the factory fuel tank (rusted out and full of mud), all the original fuel lines, and the rear diff to swap with the 8.8 explorer v8 diff I had left over from my brother's '01 sport trac v8 swap, left it spring under to lower the ride height. Still need to get shocks and a few other things figured out, but it does actually roll now, making it easier to move around. Truck is getting a fuel cell (picked up a 20 gallon cell to go in it, open to suggestions for mounting locations). Im considering placing it where the spare tire mounted under the bed with a trap door to access and fill.
I got the interior stripped out of it (no pics sadly) due to the smell and mouse poop covering it, along with the fact a creek has been in the cab, leaving a good layer of mud on everything. I picked up a 351w roller motor off a buddy, stripped it down, put afr 185 enforcers, ebay dual plane, holley 670 street avenger, bought some mustang tri-y patriot long tubes to attempt to fit with the stock steering shaft and minimal clearancing to the frame, along with a ford performance 28oz foxbody 351w flywheel. Also bought a T5 to rebuild and throw in it, but ended up putting the t5 into a mustang I have and stealing the tko600 out of it for the Ranger. I'm going to convert it to an external slave, hydro clutch system using a mismatch of random parts. I got a 351w foxbody oil pan off Summit, along with Ricks Rangerz mount plates and a Derale(?) oil filter relocation kit. Got an explorer accessory drive I'm gonna attempt to run without the a/c, due to truck being factory non-a/c. Along with a dampener dudes 28oz rebalanced explorer dampener and bc broncos water pump pulley (I couldn't find a stock one). Motor got a summit E303+ cam, mostly just to try out, and ik a stock cam would be an absolute waste of my top end.
Short block cleaned up with my cam installed, just re-used the factory lifters since they looked fine.
Checking pushrod length with the afr's and comp roller rockers.
Got the top end assymbled mostly to keep any dirt/debris out of the valley. Need to get a couple broken bolts out of the timing cover area still.
TKO600 on the left, T5 on the right
I'm going to attempt to re-use my factory length drive shaft for now w/ basterd joints on both ends (1310-1330) for the 8.8 explorer yoke and a c6/tko yoke. If it doesn't work I'll have one cut or made from the explorer shaft(s) I have laying around. Here's a pick next to my mustang shaft.
Ford aluminum foxbody shaft on the left, ranger shaft on the right.
That is about all I have so far, I will try to keep this thread updated as I continue to do things little by little, been doing side work, so the ranger is outside for now. Open to any advice, critics, smart-ass remarks, whatever.
I picked this truck up as a roller (that didnt roll due to a locked up rear end) several months ago to do a v8 swap on. Very little rust, and i kinda dig the patina look. It's an '88 ranger gt with complete body kit, factory looking buckets, and mustang wheels already on it. Im attempting to build a pretty hot/capable street/strip build to rival my wife's '01 scsb silverado I 6.0 swapped, but i wanna be ford powered.
I got the interior stripped out of it (no pics sadly) due to the smell and mouse poop covering it, along with the fact a creek has been in the cab, leaving a good layer of mud on everything. I picked up a 351w roller motor off a buddy, stripped it down, put afr 185 enforcers, ebay dual plane, holley 670 street avenger, bought some mustang tri-y patriot long tubes to attempt to fit with the stock steering shaft and minimal clearancing to the frame, along with a ford performance 28oz foxbody 351w flywheel. Also bought a T5 to rebuild and throw in it, but ended up putting the t5 into a mustang I have and stealing the tko600 out of it for the Ranger. I'm going to convert it to an external slave, hydro clutch system using a mismatch of random parts. I got a 351w foxbody oil pan off Summit, along with Ricks Rangerz mount plates and a Derale(?) oil filter relocation kit. Got an explorer accessory drive I'm gonna attempt to run without the a/c, due to truck being factory non-a/c. Along with a dampener dudes 28oz rebalanced explorer dampener and bc broncos water pump pulley (I couldn't find a stock one). Motor got a summit E303+ cam, mostly just to try out, and ik a stock cam would be an absolute waste of my top end.
Short block cleaned up with my cam installed, just re-used the factory lifters since they looked fine.
Got the top end assymbled mostly to keep any dirt/debris out of the valley. Need to get a couple broken bolts out of the timing cover area still.
I'm going to attempt to re-use my factory length drive shaft for now w/ basterd joints on both ends (1310-1330) for the 8.8 explorer yoke and a c6/tko yoke. If it doesn't work I'll have one cut or made from the explorer shaft(s) I have laying around. Here's a pick next to my mustang shaft.
Ford aluminum foxbody shaft on the left, ranger shaft on the right.
That is about all I have so far, I will try to keep this thread updated as I continue to do things little by little, been doing side work, so the ranger is outside for now. Open to any advice, critics, smart-ass remarks, whatever.
