Robobots' Coyote Swap Build Thread

[robobots]

Hi all, I've been lurking on these forums for ages, and I'm finally starting to do some stuff with my own Ranger that I'd like to post, so here's my build thread!

I bought my '96 4x4 Ranger at auction, and for a year just enjoyed it in what I've fondly called its 'shitty truck era'. I had a V8 swap in mind when I was shopping for a Ranger, but first enjoyed it as a nice reliable truck before I got into it. Eventually I managed to talk myself into a Coyote swap because I wanted something truly bonkers and the challenge sounded like fun. These swaps are getting less rare, in that there are now a few on Youtube and Insta, vs maybe two when I first started looking at them a few years back, but I've found they still aren't super well documented. My hope is to try and capture the whole journey in this thread and I'll probably also be linking to a blog when I have more detail than fits in a forum post. Besides begin an amateur mechanic, I'm professionally a robotics engineer that works on large autonomous construction equipment, so I'll be trying to bring some of my systems engineering experience to this - mostly that'll be in rooting out and documenting interface problems I run into.

So here's the truck when I bought it:

https://imgur.com/a/8NQhdoO

And here it is next to the donor, a 2016 F-150 XL:

https://imgur.com/a/ryDuXhD

More to come as I get my notes together - for now this project is still in research stages and looking for where I can get parts.

Stay tuned!

 

[bobbywalter]

use over rail steering box.

send ecm into mars or a tuner to stand alone the unit.


enjoy.

 

[robobots]

use over rail steering box.

send ecm into mars or a tuner to stand alone the unit.


enjoy.

I saw Mars' full control pack before, but I didn't see how affordable their PATS delete is, that's going in my notes, for sure.
What's an over rail steering box?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I saw Mars' full control pack before, but I didn't see how affordable their PATS delete is, that's going in my notes, for sure.
What's an over rail steering box?

Steering gearbox goes on the outside of the frame rail rather than inside like what you have now.

The enemy with a mod motor swap (especially a DOHC mod motor) will be width.

 

[robobots]

Steering gearbox goes on the outside of the frame rail rather than inside like what you have now.

The enemy with a mod motor swap (especially a DOHC mod motor) will be width.

Gotcha, I do remember this thread, which was a 4.6L, and he describes a custom steering shaft setup, but the pics seems to be missing on it. I'll definitely look into options, there.

I'm also considering a SAS at the same time, and that's partly to work on upgraded front brakes, and partly to have a stronger axle. I'm considering keeping the rear axle from the F-150 and having a shop cut it to the Ranger's width, and if I do that the rear brakes will be bigger than the stock front brakes - so I'm looking at upgrading the front brakes and maybe adding a proportioning valve to dial that in.

 

[Robert Mangrum]

Oh I'm following this. Haha. Sounds like this gonna be a super cool build man.