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kramdua

Member
Ford Technician
V8 Engine Swap
ASE Certified Tech
Joined
Apr 10, 2021
Messages
18
Age
62
City
fredericksburg va.
Vehicle Year
1997
Engine
Transmission
Automatic
Total Lift
0
Total Drop
2 front, 3 rear
Tire Size
225/75-15, 275/60-15
My credo
none
about a six month 350 chevy engine swap in a 1997 ford ranger. for the people that said the p/s and a/c wouldn't work. i say go back to school. chevy p/s pump with ford gear box. chevy a/c compressor adapted to a ford system. all gauges work even speedo but that is another story. turbo 350 trans with 8.8 lsd rear with new bearings and clutches. i had put ford mustang wheels on it but they just didn't look right to me. i bought a set of weld wheels and tires and i think they do it for me.
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i haven't posted for a while because i didn't want to put my foot in my mouth about the a/c and p/s. runs good, looks good, and pretty fast.
thanks,
 
Looks like a very nice clean install.
 
Looks good!

What are you doing for a cooling fan - is there a pusher tucked up front?
 
there is a flex fan on front of engine but it wasn't running cool enough for me so i put a 17" pusher fan in it also.
 
I'm not surprised you could use the GM p/s pump and compressor. As long as the p/s pressure is close to the same it will steer fine, in fact, a lot of the street rods guys use Mustang or T Bird racks with Saginaw pumps. 71-73 Mustangs used Saginaw pumps and 70's LTD's and T Birds used GM swash plate a/c compressors. You did a nice professional looking install of my least favorite engine.
 
There's a fella on here who undoubtedly owns the fastest ranger on the site @Maritime Drag Racing and he is chebbie 350 powered.

Dollar for dollar I honestly think the 350 is a cheaper engine to build than a 302. I reluctantantly work as a pit crew for a sportsman crate class. The only engine allowed is a 602 model 350. Ford people argue about this class but the idea of this class is to keep expenses down. Everyone buys a cheap motor. Ford cannot put out a motor that cheap.... Don't get me wrong Ford engines DOMINATE in open classes on dirt track but they can't offer a cheap crate engine so it's mostly Chevy.

Ford engines win probably 70% of dirt track outside of the crate classes that is just owned by chevy.
 
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Are the rims Centerline Qualifiers?

Cool looking ride man! Bet it turns a lot of heads, Rumbling Ranger.

Was at a car show one day, and heard and felt a vehicle with a nice engine in it come rumbling in. It was a fairly beat up Ranger with a 302 in it. Sleeper. But you can't call it a sleeper when it rattles windows and sets car alarms off.
 
Honestly if you put a set of cheap Ford 14" steel rims on that truck, it would be quite possibly the best sleeper I have seen in a long, long time.

I might occasionally bust chops of friends of mine when they mismatch engines to cars (chevy engine in a ford), but as long as it is done tastefully, properly, and safely, that is what matters. Getting everything to work as it should is fantastic. There is nothing worse than no ac, or no gauges.

I wish my old 92 explorer had a saginaw pump. Then it would not have sounded like I was driving a supercharged explorer. My friends always used to ask "What's that noise?"

Excellent work my friend.
 
they are weld pro star rims. i had the original 14" on there but i wanted wider wheels and tires. even with the wider wheels traction is very low.
 
they are weld pro star rims. i had the original 14" on there but i wanted wider wheels and tires. even with the wider wheels traction is very low.

I know the feeling. I have 12.5 rims on the back of my 04 Lightning, with 345/35-18 M & H Racemasters on them. Even with a set of long bars under the truck, still spins them if I mash the pedal at a standstill.
 

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about a six month 350 chevy engine swap in a 1997 ford ranger. for the people that said the p/s and a/c wouldn't work. i say go back to school. chevy p/s pump with ford gear box. chevy a/c compressor adapted to a ford system. all gauges work even speedo but that is another story. turbo 350 trans with 8.8 lsd rear with new bearings and clutches. i had put ford mustang wheels on it but they just didn't look right to me. i bought a set of weld wheels and tires and i think they do it for me.View attachment 64463View attachment 64464View attachment 64465 i haven't posted for a while because i didn't want to put my foot in my mouth about the a/c and p/s. runs good, looks good, and pretty fast.
thanks,
Nice build!
 
i put under drive pulleys and a programmer on a late model lightning. i usually wouldn't run a customers car hard. i figure i had to rest my work. pulled over on a paved side of road. in 1st smoking tires, in 2nd smoking tires, hit 3rd and it wanted to get sideways. i was good after that.
 

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