Getting ready for up coming 302 swap

[Twisted4x4]

Well im getting ready to up grade my 89 Ranger 4x4 from a 2.3 to a Supercharged 302 Im getting the 302 from my buddies 96 Bronco. Instead of using his tranny and tcase im gonna get an NP435 trans as well as a 203 and 205 and stick them together. Ive been doin reasearch on the 302 swap for a while know and I think once I get the motor and time I should be able to get er done. Just wondering though if anyone has gone the route of removing the cab and then getting motor, tranny and all bolted in place, then seting the body back down ontop it all I just think this would be a little easier than tryin to stuff everything into small spaces.

 

[ChrisR1S]

Then you run into the issue of guessing firewall clearance. IMO it'd be much simpler and easier to just remove the "doghouse" instead of the whole cab.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

You need the body for engine placement.

Both for where the firewall is and roughly where the radiator is.

 

[baddad457]

You need the body for engine placement.

Both for where the firewall is and roughly where the radiator is.

What he said

 

[RangerSVT]

On your year truck heater box mod is required, so yeah, the body needs to stay on the frame. It isn't that bad to do the install, you can actually drop the motor and trans in together. I dropped my engine, trans and tcase in as one unit, though I needed to take my upper plenum to get it to clear during install. If you haven't already, I'd go ahead and install a 3" body lift. While not needed, it will help with clearance and more room to wrench
SVT

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

On your year truck heater box mod is required, so yeah, the body needs to stay on the frame. It isn't that bad to do the install, you can actually drop the motor and trans in together. I dropped my engine, trans and tcase in as one unit, though I needed to take my upper plenum to get it to clear during install. If you haven't already, I'd go ahead and install a 3" body lift. While not needed, it will help with clearance and more room to wrench
SVT

I think that is only if you have the AC box. Even though I have a bodylift so I "shouldn't" have to worry about it... I am pulling the box off (it is easy to do) for more room as I set the engine in without worrying about crunching it.

 

[Twisted4x4]

I already have a home brew body lift on it, 3 inch i think. Its not an ac box. Ya ill probably leave the cab on but take everything else off up front. Im curently running a v6 radiator, will that be good enough or do i have to have a v8 one?

 

[RangerSVT]

The V6 rad will work, if its the 2 core rad, the single core won't. I'm running the stock 4.0L rad and I have no problems
SVT

 

[Twisted4x4]

Thanks for the input Will any of the motor mounts used for this swap bolt onto the crossmember by using existing holes or am I gonna have to locate and drill? Just tryin to get all the info I can as Ill have to get the motor bolt in as quickly as possible when I do the swap. Cause I live in a mobile home park and dont have a garage to work in, I gotta get things done kinda fast so I dont get fussed at But as long as I can get the motor and tranny bolted in in an afternoon I can always work on the wiring and lines as I get the time.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

You either have to make adapter plates and reuse your V6 mounts or drill holes and go another route.

My truck is 26 years old, I figure the mounts probably need replaced anyway and if I am going to get new mounts they might as well be made to take a 5.0. I am going with the SN-95 mounts.

Dunno if you have found this, but there is a lot of info here:

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/V8Conversions.html

 

[RangerSVT]

I used the 4.0L rubber mounts and the explorer mounting plates. Check out my build thread and you will see what I mean, its all in the first post.
SVT

 

[RangerSVT]

What kind of supercharger you gonna run?? EFI or CARB??
SVT