Motor swap

[SUPERHAWK996]

hey guys new to this forum and i figured that someone has already posted all about this but i just had a few questions and i figured i would add what i wanted. I currently have a 1994 ford ranger extended cab that has a 4inch suspenion lift and 33inch tires. The truck has a 4.0L manual trans. I was either thinking about putting a 302 or 351 in it depending on which route i want to take. I know that i want under the hood to look and be close to very high performance. I know that i want to stroke whatever i do and that i want something to stick out of the hood. Im definatly going to build this motor and put a very large cam in it for sure and have nice heads. I want to try to have it fuel injected but if i have to carburate and make it drive by wire thats fine I also know that i want an automatic trans mission with a floor shifter. The truck is a 4x4 and im a little confused on what i should use as far as a transfercase and transmission. I have a pretty good parts list in my head but some things still get me. Im just wondering if there is a complete list of everything that i would need somewhere? I guess my real question is everything i want actually possible?

 

[doorgunner]

Welcome.......I drive a street truck so all I can give you is a short cut to click on:

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=11

 

[JoshT]

For starters, you posted in the wrong section. On top of that your post sounds like you are a 17 year old kid, one who's buddies were give muscle cars and now you want to try to fit in with your 4wd truck. Slow down and think about about a few things. First what do you really want from this truck, and would something else would be a better starting point for you? Second what you can afford to build (a good stroker can be $$$$$), and more importantly what can mom and dad can afford to fix when you break it?





Now if you are still reading, are not 17 years old, and/or are not ready to throw a 17 year old tantrum, then I apologize for insulting you. The key thing is to ask yourself what you want to use the truck for, that'll be the driving factor in how you build the motor. You don't really want a high performance engine that makes all of it's power in the mid to upper RPM range, if you do that you'll be revving it to 10 grand just to get it to move at 5 mpg (exaggerated but you get my point right?). You need to build your motor to make it's power in the lower to mid rpm range to be useful in a 4wd truck running large tires like that, that means you need to be careful on how large of a cam you run and make sure it's designed for the right power band (RPM range). Do you want it to look like performance under the hood or be performance under the hood? I can make I 400K motor straight from the junkyard look like it was freshly built with all the look good performance goodies from Summit, that's not going to make it run any better than a 400K junkyard motor but will help lighten the load on your wallet. On the other hand I could build a high performance motor that almost looks like it just came out of the junkyard. It might not look as good but that money certainly went a lot further inside the motor than it did outside. Last but not least there's alot of ways to make something stick out of the hood, my favorite is the piston with half a connecting rod still attached to it, but the person it happens to doesn't seem to appreciate it much. It sounds like you can't make up your mind between carbed or fuel injected. The stuff sticking through the hood usually was the result of high rise intakes, tunnel rams, or blowers with carbs sitting on top that wouldn't fit under the hood. As a result the took to cutting holes in the hood and putting ram air scoops on top of the hood. This is stuff that isn't necessary with EFI, no tunnel rams, no high rise intakes, and you can run a blower and still keep everything under the hood.

DG gave you the best link that can be given. Read and learn man it's all been done before (except maybe the drive by wire thing). Everything you want is possible, but that doesn't mean that it is feasible or should be done.

 

[AgPete139]

 

[SUPERHAWK996]

Yea i figured it was in the wrong spot. And actually im only 15, and i plenty of my own money to build, fix, rebuild a motor. I decided i want a 351 in the truck and for it to also be fuel injected. Probobly gonna just through a cowl hood on it for now. Eventually i would like to supercharge it but for right now its fine. If someone could please tell me everything that would be needed.. like does it matter on what year block i get? I also would like to know what i need to do as far as transmission and transfercase. I figured i need a new computer/wiring harness so i have no clue!

 

[PanamaExpat]

Why don't you just find a 79 Bronco and rip all the running gear and engine out of it? Seems like you are trying to make a Ranger into something it was never designed to be. 351 is mighty big motor in very small space but hey what do I know. Why not go out of this world and jam a 460 out of a Lincoln in it?

I forgot to mention... are you aware that the modern day SOHC V6 makes more ponies than the older V8s?

I think I was 15 once. I might have been just as silly.

 

[Jraymer360]

Keep the 4 liter....351s are boring!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I forgot to mention... are you aware that the modern day SOHC V6 makes more ponies than the older V8s?

And comes up short on torque vs most stock 302s let alone 351Ws... with similar milage. A V8 is a MUCH easier swap into an older truck as well.