Ranger LS-Swap Build

[lsxRanger94]

Were you able to put the engine and trans in at the same time when you installed it?

 

[LSX_Marshall]

Yeah I think you are correct about connectors being the same and I did initially install the motor and trans together. That is the hard way trust me, separate is much easier. Learned by experience

 

[LSX_Marshall]

Got the temp sensor in for a 98 LS1, works pretty good, seems accurate. Figured out I had a bad O2 sensor on the driver side giving me trouble and flooding the plugs. Got a new one in just need to swap out those plugs for new ones this week. Progress is slow at the moment due to a work shift change. Should be back to normal next month though!

 

[LSX_Marshall]

New plugs in and some bad news, when I pulled the old ones they were wet with a distinct smell of antifreeze on it. So probably a head gasket on the driver side is what I have been fighting for over a month now. Anyone want an LS Ranger on 6 cylinders? Tired of fooling with it, another project demands time and money.. Seriously..

 

[bobbywalter]

bummer

 

[bobbywalter]

pop the heads and fix it.

 

[lsxRanger94]

If its got 706 heads, get new ones because they are probably cracked. That was the issue with the castech head. The others didn't have that issue.

 

[gsp]

GM LS Junk, would never own one

 

[LSX_Marshall]

Well I have it priced to sell but if I don't get any interest I'll just cover it up for a month or two until I can get more time to work on it. Maybe I'll run across a good deal on a 6.0 in the time being.

 

[6.2]

Lol. Did you not have the motor running right before you put it in?

Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk

 

[LSX_Marshall]

It ran in my last project fine the only thing I can think of that might have happened is it may have overheated due to no temp gauge because it had a digital dash in the Lincoln or since I had the steam cross-over blocked off at that time it could have developed a hot spot the last time I drove it and blew something. I'm not 100% sure really, but it's not fuel, fire or compression and it is getting water on the plugs, bought gotta be a head gasket..

 

[bobbywalter]

GM LS Junk, would never own one

i cant see that being any sort of logical conclusion, especially if you build ford engines.


having a 5.3 stripped and next to a 302....the 5.3 block is everything i wish i could make the 302 for strength.


but there are things that kick ya in the berries, and fawking up the steam port system or running a mds engine will be a good spot of weakness for the ls platform and worthy notes.

these issues are also operator error in general when failure occurs. just like with the little fords. if a guy wants a 100k mile trouble free 500 hp daily driver with a stock block junkyard ford 302 that is affordable to operate....he is in error.

 

[gsp]

i cant see that being any sort of logical conclusion, especially if you build ford engines.


having a 5.3 stripped and next to a 302....the 5.3 block is everything i wish i could make the 302 for strength.


but there are things that kick ya in the berries, and fawking up the steam port system or running a mds engine will be a good spot of weakness for the ls platform and worthy notes.

these issues are also operator error in general when failure occurs. just like with the little fords. if a guy wants a 100k mile trouble free 500 hp daily driver with a stock block junkyard ford 302 that is affordable to operate....he is in error.

In 2006 I spent almost $50K on a Obama Motors SSR with the LS2/automatic,,, My first GM vehicle in nearly 40 years, at 40K miles, exhaust valve spring broke,,, blew head gasket,, sucked water,,, then threw the rod out the side of the engine block,,, at the time Obongo motors was bankrupt, and at 40K miles, out of warranty and GM refused to do anything about it,,

GM LS motors are antiquated JUNK.....

My ford racing 4 bolt main bock was cast in 2009,,, plenty strong

These 500HP 363s will go 100K miles easy

http://www.fordracingparts.com/crateengine/Main.asp#smb

 

[bobbywalter]

damn the bad luck!!!! .

i can see where a guy could get a bad attitude towards a ls if that were the situation. though i work on more popped 5.4 then anything as far as the modern powertrains so my experience is far the other way.


i will give the ford the nod on expected longevity....stock to stock ford pickup engine to ls platform pickup over the long haul even given the spark plug issues....all things being equal.


the engine you refer to is 10 grand with a half ass decent induction system, and wont make a 100k normal driver carefree miles without a properly performing and tuned fuel injection system....and just might blow through a few sets of valve springs itself. but at that performance level for a sbf, that is a routine maintenance item over a given set of hours. and this is with top shelf aftermarket parts....not mass production.

it sure is fawk is not going to be found as a stock production 800-1500 dollar pullout from anything. that block goes 1600-2500 bux and is far from cheap or mass produced stock casting.

not too many guys put 10 thousand dollar engines in the typical rbv swap that is intended to be for a daily driver application, but it does get done cause i have installed a few that were worth 10 times the vehicle they went in...and one engine cost more then a new ranger. i never thought about such things at the time but looking back it gets fairly silly.


if the bottom line is 400 reliable hp in a low buck swap for an rbv with maximum mpg and cost effective all around....i am not looking for a junkyard 302 these days.

a cheap and easy v8 swap...yeah the 302 is a great idea.

 

[LSX_Marshall]

An update....well not really. I have decided to take a different direction with the truck from a mainly street truck to a full prostreet machine. So with this being mainly a race truck I have decided the best way to go about it is to abandon the LS and fuel injection and move to a simpler, more powerful engine (and more comfortable for me to work with). I'm going to see if a big block chevy will fit in it over the next few weeks. I have an old complete core I can use for mock-up and from the measurements I have taken it will be tight but will fit without crazy modification to the firewall and frame though a little may be required.

So in turn I would like to sell all of the parts for the swap if anyone would be interested, (mounts, headers, wiring, ECM, intake, fuel rails, fuel pump, engine and accessories) Let me know if you have some interest in these.