may have a donor but hesitant

[Dimis]

i have a 2001 ranger 2.5l automatic trans

i want to and will eventually do a 4.6l v8 swap

my mother in law just bought a new lincoln mkx and has a 2003 mercury gran marquis ultimate edition that i can practically have

should i go for this motor/trans?

what rear is on that car and can i use it cause it has the disc brakes i want

what are the specs on that motor other than it being the modular 4.6l (hp cam setup number of valves etc...)

can it be easily upgraded or am i better off looking for a different motor?

thanks in advance

 

[5.0]

I'm guessing the rear end will be too wide. Explorer rears are 8.8's with 31 spline axles, and they can be bought with factory disc brakes already on them. I think there is an article in the tech library about the swap. I can buy them for $125 in the yards around here.

Get the car anyway... you can always trade it for a 5.0 Explorer or something else if you decide against the 4.6 swap.

I can't answer any of your other questions.

 

[Teddyzee]

The engines had approximately 215hp. Not sure if they had a different intake manifold than the ones that ended up on the '96 Mustang. It's likely a 2 valve/cylinder SOHC version. The Lincoln Mark VIII was available with the first 32valve DOHC, had about 280horse.

 

[Mac]

Even if it's free you'd be ahead spending $1000 on an Explorer motor and trans. They were rated at 215 hp and are a lot cheaper/easier to upgrade and drop right in. Forget now who just did that 5.0L swap and he said it took eight hours to get it in.
Dave

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

GregR did a 4.6 swap in his 98+ Ranger, it looked like it fit really well.

4.6's are no slouch for aftermarket either... depending on your area they might be better than the old 5.0 for used stuff. You know the history of a car, whereas an Explorer would be a crapshoot... a lot of those anymore have been pretty well ran in the ground.

If it would fit worth a darn I would have dropped a 2v 5.4 in my Ranger and never looked back...

 

[Teddyzee]

When I first read your post, I thought you said 1993 Merc...
Wiki tells us the '03 in the full size car had 239hp.

I don't know had radically the front of the '02 Explorer changed, but they have the four six.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

When I first read your post, I thought you said 1993 Merc...
Wiki tells us the '03 in the full size car had 239hp.

I don't know had radically the front of the '02 Explorer changed, but they have the four six.

The PI heads and intake came out in '99 in the trucks and made a big difference. My brother's '97 F-150 still motivates quite well with the non PI setup though. Dunno when it came out in cars though (before '03 apparently).

The '02 Explorer was a major redesign, I would say probably very different. '01 was the last year with much simularity to a Ranger. The 4.6 switched to the 3v in '06.

 

[Teddyzee]

I believe PI heads first appeared on the Mustang in '99 (250hp?)
The rest of the cars in '01 or so. I don't know about the trucks.

The PI heads and intake make quite a bump to non-PI engines, as the end result has a higher compression ration than the PI engines do.

I have a '97 Mustang GT, and I love the engine. I would definitely put one in a Ranger one day. My dad has a Red '01 Supercab that will be the likely candidate.

 

[baddad457]

No matter what, even if the motor is free, the overall cost versus the effort to transplant it all will come out on the short end of a stick versus a 5.0 based motor.

 

[baddad457]

GregR did a 4.6 swap in his 98+ Ranger, it looked like it fit really well.

4.6's are no slouch for aftermarket either... depending on your area they might be better than the old 5.0 for used stuff. You know the history of a car, whereas an Explorer would be a crapshoot... a lot of those anymore have been pretty well ran in the ground..

Greg's was a DOHC motor though.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

No matter what, even if the motor is free, the overall cost versus the effort to transplant it all will come out on the short end of a stick versus a 5.0 based motor.

All told I have roughly $3k in a $1k truck with somewhere between 150hp and roughly 175hp at the flywheel. That is just all the crap to physically put a boring long block in 4wd truck. It is fun to drive and I have no complaints that way don't get me wrong, just getting at that swaps are not cheap.

Wiring would be the getcha with a mod motor... but that devil must be delt with in that new of a truck anyway.

That weezer of the mod motor family still puts just about any factory pushrod 5.0 HO (aside from the 94-95 Cobras which it is tied with) to shame for power. And they respond well to mods on top of that if it still isn't enough. Get a tuner and have a good time, it will probably wake it up off of granny setting and be an instant shift kit to boot.

And above all if done right, that thing would still be 100% emissions compliant.

Greg's was a DOHC motor though.

And even bigger and harder to fit that the OP's SOHC.

 

[baddad457]

And even bigger.

But makes ooddles more power and looks cool with those HEMI valve covers.

 

[Mac]

Dasfinc here just last year did his '98' Explorer swap for under $2000 including the $800 for the truck, '98'. Runs 14.8 in the 1/4 mile. JY motor and trans (auto). Still stock with a little tune, He has a part by part build up elsewhere.
Dave

 

[Dimis]

Mac can you put a link to that step by step build he did?

im off in nowheresville delaware with absolutely no good places for interesting hobbies (speed shops here suck gun shops here suck... delaware just sucks) so finding/getting an explorer is a bit of an adventure and you gotta add in money for shipping it from god knows where texas to bumbletown delaware... so what im looking at is headaches vs walletaches and seeing as how the new kid on the block (4.6) is internet accessible vs scrounging through good old ebay (which i cannot stand) or driving to hellen gones junk yard thats just 150 miles over the border id just like to do the newer motor

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Wiring is different between yours and his, but it should give you an idea.

http://281ranger.homestead.com/index~ns4.html

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2052265/1998-ford-ranger-regular-cab