inline six

[MISBEHAVING]

the 4.0 is acting funny sitting at 241,532 hard drivin miles considering a motor swap and cant seem to find a 302 thats worth paying for within 350 miles of where i live but 300 are redaly avalible anyone ever heard of a inline six in a ranger wondering what would be involved

 

[Twister]

the 4.0 is acting funny sitting at 241,532 hard drivin miles considering a motor swap and cant seem to find a 302 thats worth paying for within 350 miles of where i live but 300 are redaly avalible anyone ever heard of a inline six in a ranger wondering what would be involved

Someone on here has swapped on in before, if i remember correctly it involved a lot of cutting. Search for it.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

It's been discussed MANY times.

The problem with making an inline (300) six work is that it makes for a very long block. A 302 out of a fullsize truck or a car will be a bit long as well. The reason the 302 for an Explorer/Mountaineer fits is because they re-designed the accessories and water pump to shorten things up. It's a tight squeeze even at that. A straight six, IIRC, is even longer than a 302 out of an F-150.

It can be done, I'm sure. But to make it work right, you'll probably need to use an E-fan and do a LOT of custom fab work. Radiator would have to be relocated, you may have to cut part of the firewall and replace it, etc. You'll have to use a trans out of a fullsize along with the T-case, custom driveshafts, etc.

An Explorer/mountaineer 302 pretty much bolts right in. I did a 99 mountaineer into a 00 Ranger. Radiator, engine, trans, awd t-case. All bolted right up, had to drill one hole in the drivers side motor mount and splice one plug in. Stock 4x4 driveshafts bolted right up too.

 

[Will]

A 300-6 doesn't fit. I've seen it tried a few times, but I have not seen a running, functional truck with a 300-6. I've seen lots of good pictures of the swaps, but they always run out of pictures before the very end. I would say don't do it. I have owned a 300-6 and also a 292-6 Chevy and they are good engines. They are the same feel. They buzz really strong right off idle but they don't have much power.

A 4.0 is a better motor and it's worth it to just fix yours.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

An Explorer/mountaineer 302 pretty much bolts right in. I did a 99 mountaineer into a 00 Ranger. Radiator, engine, trans, awd t-case. All bolted right up, had to drill one hole in the drivers side motor mount and splice one plug in. Stock 4x4 driveshafts bolted right up too.

It is common to move the rad under the rad support which pretty much opens it up to do whatever for a fan but with a pusher fan it is possible to run the two row Explorer rad in the stock location even with the long water pump... I did for almost a year.

I swapped to the Explorer front drive (balancer, timing cover, water pump, brackets, alt and PS pump) and now have room for a flex fan to clear with plenty of room. As an added plus "remove the grille" is no longer step one in changing the alternator.

And a '98+ truck 5.0 swap is much different than a 83-97. It still isn't bad but things are different. For one thing the stock 5.0 rad will have 3-4" poking out the bottom of the frame rails on a 83-95 rig, engine mounts are completely different, have to use a different oil pan and so on... things are just not the same.

 

[AllanD]

A 300-6 doesn't fit. I've seen it tried a few times, but I have not seen a running, functional truck with a 300-6. I've seen lots of good pictures of the swaps, but they always run out of pictures before the very end. I would say don't do it. I have owned a 300-6 and also a 292-6 Chevy and they are good engines. They are the same feel. They buzz really strong right off idle but they don't have much power.

A 4.0 is a better motor and it's worth it to just fix yours.

or simply REPLACE his with a younger example of a 4.0

I've also owned and actually liked 300-L6's both carb'ed and EFI (EFI much better)

frankly if I had an F-150 with a Dead 4.9 I'd seriously consider
trying to install a 4.0 in one. (getting a used low mile 4.9 is getting very difficult, getting a used low mile 4.0 is considerably easier because the A4LD's behind them die frequently)

While the 4.9 produced more torque at it's peak than the 4.0 does by 40ft/lb,
there is only a 5hp difference and the torque corve of the 4.0 is actually
"flatter"

The 4.9 spends a lot of it's time fighting it's own mass.

 

[03huntin'rig]

If you figure out a way to use the 300 i would. i have a 94 f150 with the 4.9 and its got 460,000 miles and still goin with no engine/tranny/rear end work

 

[ZMan]

Its been done. Someone posted pictures of their completed, running swap on here years back. He had to move the radiator forward as much as possible, and used a pusher electric fan. Didn't do any cutting to the firewall.

I agree with Allan though, just replace your 4.0.

If you're REALLY dead set on putting something different in, spend the cash and put a 4bt Cummins in it, at least that way you'll get over 30mpgs.

 

[adsm08]

A 300-6 doesn't fit.

That is not entirely true. If you don't move the firewall back at all you have exactly 2 inches between the front of the crank pulley and the back of the stock radiator.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

That is not entirely true. If you don't move the firewall back at all you have exactly 2 inches between the front of the crank pulley and the back of the stock radiator.

Crazy, I have about two inches between my crank pulley and my two core Explorer radiator in the stock location with my 302... and that is with the short Explorer FEAD.

I would have thought the I6 would be longer than a V8...

 

[adsm08]

It is, I am talking about the stock 1-core 2.9L rad. The 2-core Explorer rad is thicker.

That number was also measured from the back of the 2.9 engine block. It's possible that the 4.9 would sit closer to the firewall.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It is, I am talking about the stock 1-core 2.9L rad. The 2-core Explorer rad is thicker.

That number was also measured from the back of the 2.9 engine block. It's possible that the 4.9 would sit closer to the firewall.

I noticed it was thicker when I replaced my 2.8 radiator with it, add an inch to it and you have made up the difference. Length is what complicates a V8 swap the most, an I6 will be very tight.

With the long water pump I could just stuff my pointer finger between the WP hub and the radiator. That would be roughly an inch and a half between the WP and a single core radiator that would be absolutely helpless to cool it.

 

[cody93]

i think a slant 6 would fit better, or the falcon 6's.. 300s are a beast

 

[theAntihero]

I love the 300 I6 but really if you are gonna swap something in you might as well go for a v8 rather than a slightly bigger 6cyl.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

What are 2 advantages of a V-6 design over an inline six-cylinder engine design?

Size and weight.

The four cylinder that comes in a Ranger is about the same weight as a 302, inlines are pretty heavy for their displacement.