92 project

[jester1020]

Wow it's been a long day. I'll post up some pictures of stuff tomorrow. This will be the first ford I've ever built. -The short version- About 2 weeks ago my boss gave me his 92 ranger regular cab short bed 3.0 a4ld. I've spent the last 2 weeks deciding what v8 and trans I wanted to install. Since I've never built a ford motor I did give thought to buying a trans adapter from marked motor sports and dropping in a honda V6. In the end I wanted to do this as a redneck tribute to the ranger I helped my dad build when I was 15 (85 model 289 w/302 heads and a C4). I've been looking for a good 5.0L roller motor and AOD. Well today I brought the ranger home home and roughly 20 min later I found an 89 f150 5.8 5 speed for $500. Still waiting on the tow truck to drop it off but it's mine.

I've got an insane amount of crap to get done.
-swap over to 95 front spindles
-fabricate caliper adapters and have stock rotors machined down to hubs for
95+ cobra brake conversion
-find some 17" crown vic steel wheels and chromed plastic center caps
-find an 8.8 rear and order the cobra mounting pads
-find the clutch pedal assembly for a ranger
-figure out if I can use the F-150 clutch master cylinder on the ranger
-locate a pair of exhaust manifolds
-find a dual plane intake and 750 carb
-inspect motor, compression check, clutch, steam clean, etc.
-check for shifter location on F-150 trans (might be to far back)
-figure out why no air seem to come from the ranger hvac system (yes the
blower works)
-find out if a 3.0 radiator will keep the 5.8 cool. Think it has to be a 4.0
-elec fans
-hybrid the ac's to work
-oil filter the heater box
-oil filter relocation kit with cooler
-wiring WOOHOO! my favorite part
-85 front end conversion
-figure out mounting and wiring for the pristine leather accord seats I have
-figure out if I actually need to swap over to a 5 speed steering col.
-order the convertible mustang engine mounts
-need to pick out a cam (as soon as I'm sure if it's a roller motor or not)


I'm sure I'll add to the list as I go. I'll mark off the things I've done in red.

 

[MrRangerSir]

Well, good choice in ditching the Honda V6. Bad news if you were expecting a roller motor. 5.8 was roller in 95/96 only. 3.0 rad will not be enough. Even the 4.0 rad may be not enough for the 5.8, but it has been known to work with the 5.0. A/C with a 5.8 is going to be a tight squeeze!

 

[jester1020]

 

[jester1020]

So the questions begin.....

If anyone knows feel free to chime in. I have to find out how different this round plug is from the ranger to the f150. I'm curious if I could simply add/move a few wires and make keeping everything fuel injected plug-n-play.

 

[dangerranger83]

Your going to be making custom headers, that I will say.

It's also going to be a tight squeeze and far from plug and play.

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[jester1020]

So I made a little progress today. Taking my time because 1989 plastic isn't very forgiving.

My plan is to unbolt/remove the core support and pull motor and trans out as one piece nice and easy........ Of course every time it's nice and easy it takes 3 days 2 sawzall's a torch.

I was really hoping I could use those 70's manifolds suggested on - http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/V8Conversions.html - the conversions page. It looks like there's lots of room to play with, but no shot of the steering box side so who knows.

 

[jester1020]

I made a little more progress today. I got the core support out. Pulled the PCM/ECU out. pulled the harness out of the engine bay. Unbolted the headers and realized that they were actually welded to the exhaust pipe. I'm very very close to snatching out the motor. I noticed that it already has a dual sump pan that I'm told I need for this swap. Slow and steady.

 

[bearsrngr]

The body of that f150 looks nice, and short box too. My sons been looking for one that nice. Any how, good luck with the swap and keep posting progress.

 

[jester1020]

Well it's been pouring rain here the last 2 days so my plan to work on the ranger some is out. I spent plenty of time planning the 351 refresh. I figure it's gotta be easier to do it with it on the engine stand than with it mounted in the ranger. I was already planning to tear into it, and do the bearings timing chain etc. I figure it's gotta be easier to do it with it on the engine stand than with it mounted in the ranger. I was on ebay looking for a decent priced gasket set and I stumbled across this - http://www.ebay.com/itm/171012703835?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 I sat down and started working out the numbers I can do a super cheap stroker build using that crank, 5.94 chevy pm rods, and stock compression height 350 chevy pistons. So roughly $500 for a 402/408 (depending on standard or 30 over) It would only be good for 4-450 hp but that's way more than enough for me.

 

[dangerranger83]

Is the stock FI setup going to be able to fuel the engine being stroked or are you going to have to do a custom tune on things? Also I would skip out on doing the cobra brakes on your 7.5 and just put an explorer 8.8 under her since it has disk brakes and it has 31 spline axles, the 7.5 will not be able to handle 400hp.

 

[Jfive]

I'd think about doing a 393w if you want to do a stroker. It uses 302 pistons and the factory size ford rods. Scat makes a 9000 series crank for a good price, and its good to possibly 800hp from what I've seen. I'd look at getting a set of GT40 or P heads, some roller rocker arms and a good cam. Factory ford rods are good for the power your wanting to make. I'd just get some arp bolts and some cheap cast pistons, or hypers and go carb.

 

[jester1020]

I'd think about doing a 393w if you want to do a stroker. It uses 302 pistons and the factory size ford rods. Scat makes a 9000 series crank for a good price, and its good to possibly 800hp from what I've seen. I'd look at getting a set of GT40 or P heads, some roller rocker arms and a good cam. Factory ford rods are good for the power your wanting to make. I'd just get some arp bolts and some cheap cast pistons, or hypers and go carb.

I was actually researching the 393 and I do like the idea that it uses stock ford rods and pistons. Even though I don't have much brand loyalty to ford or chevy it does seem wrong to mix the 2.

I was reading up on the gt40p heads. I need to do more research on them but I've seem people complaining that they fall on their face about 4500 rpm. That mixed with a special header makes me want to walk away from them.

 

[jester1020]

Is the stock FI setup going to be able to fuel the engine being stroked or are you going to have to do a custom tune on things? Also I would skip out on doing the cobra brakes on your 7.5 and just put an explorer 8.8 under her since it has disk brakes and it has 31 spline axles, the 7.5 will not be able to handle 400hp.

At the power level I want to be in the stock intake and TB shouldn't have any problem flowing enough air to feed it. I'll use larger injectors to feed it, and I can fine tune that with an adjustable fuel pressure regulator. I should be able to get it pretty close with a quality A/F gauge and sensor.

I plan to toss the 7.5 in favor of an 8.8, the local u-pull junkyard have at least 50 exploders and roughly 20-25 rangers. I'm hoping to find an 8.8 in a 4.0 ranger, but if im not mistaken the ranger version had drum brakes.

 

[dangerranger83]

The only thing stronger about the ranger version is the ring and pinion and spider gears and thats not to much more. The ranger 7.5 and 8.8 have the same axle shafts, 28 spline, so your not really doing much of am upgrade from the 7.5 to the ranger 8.8.

A couple of weeks ago I was planning the disk brake swap but was going to use the mustang gt/v6 brakes so that i could use my current rims and in the end it is cheaper to go with the explorer 8.8 plus get an upgrade in shafts. You just have to flip the leaf perches and shock mounts.

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[Mac]

I was reading up on the gt40p heads. I need to do more research on them but I've seem people complaining that they fall on their face about 4500 rpm. QUOTE]
Those are used a lot for Mustang upgrades with no problems. Have to as a minimum replace the valve springs. For a 351, I'd just go straight for aftermarket., stroker aftermarket for sure.
Dave