Engine swap with questions?

[dshwopper]

Hello, I have a 1998 Ford Ranger 2.5 2wd auto 222k $400 (3 years ago) I have a 1997 Ford Explorer 5.0 AWD 96k. $500

Okay, I've torn apart the Explorer. I have just everything part. Engine and transmission are still in the Explorer. I pulled everything out from around the engine, is ready to be pulled out. I looked around before I bought this truck for the best and easiest build. Granted I have a AWD. I have the parts to do a 2wd and someone doing it for under $300. I pulled everything around the engine I have the harness on the floor not the WHOLE thing. I have it all, my biggest thing right now is. I pulled the fuse box on the drivers side right before the firewall, under the hood. I pulled that to the side, there are three billion wires there. Now I suck with electronics. So wires scare me a little. I'll try to upload a picture of it if it works down below. But there are 3 boxes with wires plugging in going into the firewall. There is one bolt on each one. I know how to unplug them and everything I'm not stupid. But my biggest question is. If I pull those out. What do I need to do for my Ranger to plug these in. Probably not as easy as I make it sound. I don't plan on this being easy. I read somewhere I can't find it now though, I need an adaptor 115 pin to 42 pin, or visversa. I can't spell I'm sorry. But you get what I'm saying. What do I do? What do I need to buy, look up, rip into, or whatever.

 

[Range98]

I did basically the same swap but my ranger was 4x4. Same years though. I didn't touch the fuse box in my explorer. Not positive here but I think the fuse boxes are basically the same except that the explorer has more fuses for interior electronics. So you shouldn't need to switch them if you are just swapping the engine. I didn't have to and we have the same trucks. My explorer was 1997 with gt40 heads. Not sure if electronics got changed in 1997.5 explorers though.

 

[dshwopper]

I did basically the same swap but my ranger was 4x4. Same years though. I didn't touch the fuse box in my explorer. Not positive here but I think the fuse boxes are basically the same except that the explorer has more fuses for interior electronics. So you shouldn't need to switch them if you are just swapping the engine. I didn't have to and we have the same trucks. My explorer was 1997 with gt40 heads. Not sure if electronics got changed in 1997.5 explorers though.

I have a march of 1997 Explorer 5.0 and I have an april of 98 Ranger 2.5. If you didn't change your fuse boxes if you just pull the ECU/PCM and plug it into your harness in the ranger? I'd like to just keep it all and just bolt everything together since they are almost exact under the hood. I'm changing almost everything, mastercylinder brake booster all of it. Since my harness is plug into my fuel rails I'll probably just pull the engine with the harness and just plug and go with it. Since I know my engine has no leaks on anything, runs good. I don't want to play with a gasket and might mess it up.

Since you did the build you'll know what I'm talking about. The three plug behind the fuse box on both trucks. I don't have any numbers on either one. I know I have to cut 42 and ground it and something with the 41 I don't exactly remember but I have it saved on my computer. I looked I don't have any numbers, I searched for the wire, couldn't find it. Do you know or did you bother with it, is it in the top bottom or middle plug? And is that wire that color just in the Ranger harness or the Explorers? I searched for it can't realy find any information on it too much? If you have or know of a website with the exact wiring diagrams for both engines and wires of both trucks, other than the ones in the haynes manuals. Or even a place to buy it. I'm a dummy when it comes to wiring, so I need it broken down for me lol. But it looks pretty simple. From what I have been reading and looking at on it.

 

[Range98]

I have a march of 1997 Explorer 5.0 and I have an april of 98 Ranger 2.5. If you didn't change your fuse boxes if you just pull the ECU/PCM and plug it into your harness in the ranger? I'd like to just keep it all and just bolt everything together since they are almost exact under the hood. I'm changing almost everything, mastercylinder brake booster all of it. Since my harness is plug into my fuel rails I'll probably just pull the engine with the harness and just plug and go with it. Since I know my engine has no leaks on anything, runs good. I don't want to play with a gasket and might mess it up.

Yep pretty much! I followed the guidelines for modifying the 42 pin engine to truck plug that sits right on top of the engine. I've had no wiring issues. I'm not sure what exactly you mean by the 3 plugs behind the fuse box. I didn't touch them at all during the swap. I only modified the large 42 engine to truck plug. All the wiring colors lined up like this said. http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/5_0_swap_in_newer_ranger.html[/URL]