what can I do to my 5.0?

[spcsam43]

took a 2001 mercury mountaineer 5.0 and the AWD drive diff and put it in my 2002 ranger.
I found out that the engine is a windsor 302, but is still hard to find performance parts for a mountaineer. What can I do to up the power. can I put mustang parts on it?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Depends on what parts, FWIW it is the same engine as an Explorer... should be tons of info out there about them.

 

[spcsam43]

So Boss engine parts will work? Or roush?

 

[baddad457]

So Boss engine parts will work? Or roush?

Not sure what you mean by Boss or Roush engine parts, you'd need to be more specific to get an honest answer. It's got a pretty decent cam in it, just a tad less duration and lift on the intake side compared to an 86-95 HO cam. Replacing the stock rockers with a set of 1.7 full roller pedestal rockers will give it 15 horses. Better headers will also improve the power output. A K&N drop in filter will do wonders too.

 

[spcsam43]

I'm not familiar with ford engines. In a Chevy family. So can I take the heads, upper and lower intake from a mustang on my engine or is there more to it than that.

 

[baddad457]

I'm not familiar with ford engines. In a Chevy family. So can I take the heads, upper and lower intake from a mustang on my engine or is there more to it than that.

That would be taking a step backwards. The Explorer motor has better heads than the Mustang HO motor, the upper/lower is also better. The Mustang engine had a slightly bigger cam, that's the only part in the Explorer motor that falls behind in comparison, but the difference is minimal, not enough to justify doing a cam swap.

 

[brinker88]

Do a search for GT40 and GT40P heads will give you a good idea the differences between the mustang HO and the explorer heads/intake.

I would definitely slap a set of headers, roller rockers, and a K&N Drop in filter on the beast.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

While not a EFI 5.0, I have ran K&N drop ins in two of my other vehicles... I can't tell a difference.

The first one I actually paid for (1990 Plymouth Laser RS Turbo), the second was a Christmas gift (2002 F-150 5.4), IMO neither justified anything through either hp or milage.

 

[shane96ranger]

To add to what baddad said, that is the motor Ford should have put in the 5.0 Mustang. It has better heads, intake, injectors, and bigger throttle body. Of course all of that is relative. You really don't say what your goal is, so without a benchmark given, it's hard to give advice. That setup is easily capable of 300hp with the right cam, springs, and rockers.

 

[baddad457]

Ford did put it in the Mustangs----------the 93-95 Cobra's. Essentially the same engine, abeit a different intake and cam specs.

 

[shane96ranger]

Ford did put it in the Mustangs----------the 93-95 Cobra's. Essentially the same engine, abeit a different intake and cam specs.

Guess I shoulda been more specific. I was meaning the LX's and GT's.