The 6.6L v8

[baddad457]

i only have access to a 6.6 though, remember this.... I dont have much money, nor to I wish to save up for anything but a 6.6

Then why are you asking for our input ? It's your money, your truck. And it'll be your mess to sort thru once you get into it. Good Luck with your project.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

i only have access to a 6.6 though, remember this.... I dont have much money, nor to I wish to save up for anything but a 6.6

Then sell it and buy something that will fit easier.

Also remember, nothing about a V8 swap is cheap.

 

[cody93]

yea, V8s are like very flexible hookers, they'll mystify you, then rape your wallet.

 

[skx762]

Looking back at your original post makes me remember a post by somebody else that said the first swap they did was a small block into a ranger with exactly what he had on hand and he made it work. It wasn't pretty but it did the job.

Maybe with the right cast iron manifolds, a cutting torch and a welder you could get a 400 in a 2 WD Ranger but it's not going to be pretty. The parts you are going to need off the top of my head are going to be a big enough radiator and the remote oil filter and an electric fuel pump. I would scrap the side fuel tank and run a fuel cell or (I've read) an F350 rear fuel tank so I could run duals straight back to the rear tires.

Might be able to carefully notch/grind the passenger side frame a scoshe to clear the passenger side manifold and my steering box was pushed outward an inch or two to clear the drivers side manifold and fuel pum/oil filter area.

Weld up plate motor mounts, solid tranny mounts to match. fit a driveshaft, swap the rear for an 8.8. Use a cable shifter....

Yep, doable. LOL

 

[Ozwynn]

the problem with a 400 in a Ranger is it will run out of breath early. they don't breath well at high RPMs, pulling like a freight train is a good description because thats what it does. It will pull a building all day long at idle and not breah a sweat....... you would need to run 31"+ tires with 3.08 gears with an E4OD or a ZF to get a decent cruising RPM for a daily driver.


if you want a big block .... 390 would be a better choice..........

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

yea, V8s are like very flexible hookers, they'll mystify you, then rape your wallet.

I think that is an old truck thing in general... I have no regrets at all dumping my V6 for a V8.

the problem with a 400 in a Ranger is it will run out of breath early. they don't breath well at high RPMs, pulling like a freight train is a good description because thats what it does. It will pull a building all day long at idle and not breah a sweat....... you would need to run 31"+ tires with 3.08 gears with an E4OD or a ZF to get a decent cruising RPM for a daily driver.

With a T18, 4.10's and 235/85-16's dad's runs down the road at about 3k @ 55mph... it is nowhere near falling on its face. A 5 speed would be really nice to get the RPM down but anything running in direct with that gearing and tire size would be in the same boat. But towing a load it probably wouldn't use OD much anyway and back then 55 was the highest speed limit in the country so it probably wasn't a big deal anyway.

 

[baddad457]

The 400 doesn't have to breathe well at high rpms. It does the job well before that point is reached. They're great engines, they just not suitable to a V8 Ranger swap. A friend had one in a 71 LTD back in high school. It was no slouch. I had one in a 77 F100 short bed, it had a 204/214 .484/.512 cam in it, topped with the stock 2 bbl iron intake and a Holley 500 carb. Also had long tube headers. Great runner too. It's just not something you want to transplant into a Ranger.

 

[Ozwynn]

I think that is an old truck thing in general... I have no regrets at all dumping my V6 for a V8.



With a T18, 4.10's and 235/85-16's dad's runs down the road at about 3k @ 55mph... it is nowhere near falling on its face. A 5 speed would be really nice to get the RPM down but anything running in direct with that gearing and tire size would be in the same boat. But towing a load it probably wouldn't use OD much anyway and back then 55 was the highest speed limit in the country so it probably wasn't a big deal anyway.

Good for your dad's truck. I had one in a 76 F100 with a C6 235/75/15 and 3.08s and it was straining its guts to go 70 ...... no tach so I could not tell you what it was spinning..... 77 was the top speed with an all stock engine stripped of any emission controls........ but at 50 mph the engine would pull more than the frame could handle, and it would do it all day..... and get about 7mpg on a good day.

The 400 doesn't have to breathe well at high rpms. It does the job well before that point is reached. They're great engines, they just not suitable to a V8 Ranger swap. A friend had one in a 71 LTD back in high school. It was no slouch. I had one in a 77 F100 short bed, it had a 204/214 .484/.512 cam in it, topped with the stock 2 bbl iron intake and a Holley 500 carb. Also had long tube headers. Great runner too. It's just not something you want to transplant into a Ranger.

again, we are in agreement. I know well what a 400 is and does, I have had a few of them. they do their best work in diesel territory (rpm range).

just not practical for a daily driven ranger........

 

[baddad457]

Good for your dad's truck. I had one in a 76 F100 with a C6 235/75/15 and 3.08s and it was straining its guts to go 70 ...... no tach so I could not tell you what it was spinning..... 77 was the top speed with an all stock engine stripped of any emission controls........ but at 50 mph the engine would pull more than the frame could handle, and it would do it all day..... and get about 7mpg on a good day.

A couple things here: One, the 400 wasn't put into 76's. If it had one, someone translanted it into that truck. And two, it sounds to me it was more likely a 351M in there. We bought a brand new 77 Highboy with a 351M, it's best mileage was 9 mpg. And that was with a 4 speed and 4.11's on the stock tires. It would top in at around 80.

 

[Ozwynn]

nope, it was a 400. It was my first rebuild...... later it was replaced with a 390/c6.