My plan a prostreet drag truck help?

[Mac]

Actually the Explorer and the F-series are completely different. The intake, heads, cam, firing order are all different. The explorer motor is actually a 5.0 "HO" and has a lot more in common with the mustang 5.0 than the truck version.

Actually the Explorer and the F-150 share the same F4TE cam. The only Mustang that shares the intake and heads of the Explorer would be the Cobra. Lots of people running the 28 spline 8.8 with lots of power, just becareful using sticky tires. The T-5 will go away before that rear end.
Dave in the snowy Nord

 

[AlwaysOnKill]

Would have posted this with my last reply, but wanted to verify what I was thinking.



Actually the Explorer and the F-series are completely different. The intake, heads, cam, firing order are all different. The explorer motor is actually a 5.0 "HO" and has a lot more in common with the mustang 5.0 than the truck version. The truck engines have more in common with the full size car engines.

Back to axles


That's why I'd rather install the LS Explorer 8.8 I have in my 86 along with the Explorer V8. I'm just worried that it'll be too wide so I'll probably end up doing a gear swap and putting it into my 99 Ranger 4x4, and using it's 28 spline non LS in my 86. It's a less than ideal solution, but since I'm leaving the 180K mile engine (even the manifolds if they fit ) stock for now it aught to be enough to handle the power. Once I build the engine and decide how I want to set up the rear suspension I can pick up a different axle.

So let me get this straight . I should be able to swap a 5.0 H.0 Distrubtor from a say 89-93 to my 96 5.0 explorer motor correct ? The firing order is the same ?

 

[Mac]

So let me get this straight . I should be able to swap a 5.0 H.0 Distrubtor from a say 89-93 to my 96 5.0 explorer motor correct ? The firing order is the same ?

Quite a few people have done just that, convert all back to the Mustang computer and ignition system. Some people just didn't want the hastle of dealing with the Explorer system.
Dave of the Nord

 

[JoshT]

Actually the Explorer and the F-150 share the same F4TE cam. The only Mustang that shares the intake and heads of the Explorer would be the Cobra. Lots of people running the 28 spline 8.8 with lots of power, just becareful using sticky tires. The T-5 will go away before that rear end.
Dave in the snowy Nord

Ok so I was wrong about the cam, thought that since the firing order was different that the cam would also have to be different. That about the heads and intake bay be true stock, but just come take a look at the 5.0L Mustangs, you'll find about as many running the explorer intake and heads as you will find running aftermarket stuff. That said I wasn't trying to say that the Explorer motor was the same as the Mustang ones, just that it was closer related to it than to the truck motor. Not that there's a whole hell of a lot of differences in any of them. If you have the block you can build it how ever you want.

 

[RangerRyan]

So are all the blocks the same. Like say I want to put an old intake on it. Can I or will it not line up?

 

[Mac]

So are all the blocks the same. Like say I want to put an old intake on it. Can I or will it not line up?

Thankfully all the blocks are basically the same back to the 221. You could swap the intake off a 221 and put on the Explorer intake and vise versa. When you buy heads, they don't ask what intake system you are going to use.
Dave of the Nord

 

[--weezl--]

If I remember correctly virtually all of the small block heads are interchangeable... Be it 289, 302, or 351... I don't know for sure about all 3 of Windsor, Cleveland, and custom 351's though...

I know of several people running 289 heads on their mustangs, because they have a smaller combustion area, and will result in higher compression

 

[v-8power]

If I remember correctly virtually all of the small block heads are interchangeable... Be it 289, 302, or 351... I don't know for sure about all 3 of Windsor, Cleveland, and custom 351's though...

I know of several people running 289 heads on their mustangs, because they have a smaller combustion area, and will result in higher compression

The 351W takes a 1/2 in. head bolt where the 302 is 7/16. No biggie though because you can get step down bolts or bushings. Neither is actually needed though.

I believe the 351c takes some machining to get it to work on a 302 block. That would be a Boss 302 clone.

 

[RangerRyan]

So my plan is to get the engine, take it apart, rebuild it(since i have it out already), maybe some paint, new heads? or keep the same, new intake, new carb., distributor, and what ever else I need.

 

[--weezl--]

sounds like a plan!

 

[RangerRyan]

So back to the rear end if I am going to lower it then all I will have to do with the explorer 8.8 is weld the shock mount in the right place right? Since it will already be flipped.

 

[--weezl--]

Brake plumbing might be "interesting" but shouldn't be too hard...

But yeah that's it... Provided your drive shaft is the same pattern, I forget whatnyou said you have in the truck

 

[RangerRyan]

7.5 I'm pretty sure, it's a 1988 4 banger.

 

[--weezl--]

I don't remember the years and models, but I seem to remember some of the older 7.5's have a different flange/ujoint on them, that is different than the 8.8's, if that's the case your driveshaft will NOT bolt up to an 8.8... Someone will pipe up the difference for sure

 

[Snoranger]

So back to the rear end if I am going to lower it then all I will have to do with the explorer 8.8 is weld the shock mount in the right place right? Since it will already be flipped.

By my calculations:
If you just bolt the Ex axle in, you will get around 5" of drop, maybe a little more. If you swap in Ex springs at the same time, it will only be about 3.5" of drop. (Rear Ex springs give a Ranger about 1.5" of lift.)

If you use 2 driver side Ex U-bolt plates (the shocks attach to them on the Ex), you can just bolt stock shocks onto them in the factory Ranger upper mounts.