Why a v8

[CheapThrillB2]

See it all the time guys pulling the 4.0 out of rangers/explorers and even after a swap puling them from B2's. And i see the same thing all the time, i want more power. The 4.0 just can't turn the 35's and it lacks blah blah blah. Really crunch the numbers. A stock 5.0L from most donor years esc carbed really isn't that better then a 4.0L power for power. Is it the cool thing? Hey i got a V8 in my ranger/explorer.

Its called gears, rings and pinions. Upgrade your truck with them. I'll take a 4.0L Distirbutorless engine any day over a distributor v8. i run 4.88s and a 4.0L on 36's and i get asked all the time at large events what kind a v8 i have in my truck. Everybody assumes v8 cause i usually make the guys running moderate v8s with 35's look like asshats with their 3.73 gears. I'll just do the v8 swap instead of a gear swap which is what is really needed.

I have always said if i ever put a V8 in any of my RBV's, it'll only be one motor to ever grace my truck and that'll be a Explorer 5.0L cause it distributorless.



just tossing out $.02

i think the one thing i read the most in all the posts thus far in this thread defending a v8 swap is warmed over engines not what i said in the first post. Yeah a built engine is different then a stock engine.

I DID NOT build my truck for pavement pounding, and i am not referencing pavement use AT ALL. But fwiw my B2 on its 36s fawking flys 0-60 mph

 

[mhughes165]

and idk why anyone would put a bone stock 302 into a ranger

i read what u said, and i addressed it in a later post

 

[CheapThrillB2]

i read what u said, and i addressed it in a later post

actually you addressed it while i was typing out my reply so i didn't get to read yours till after i posted mine and i wasn't addressing you personally it was a blanket statement

 

[mhughes165]

actually you addressed it while i was typing out my reply so i didn't get to read yours till after i posted mine

lol, alright i agree with u, on the fact of people puttin in bone stock 302's its never made any sense to me, if it was a turd in the vehicle it came from, what makes anyone think itll be a rocket in the ranger i will never know......

stock 302's especially from the 80's are turds, luckily im running a older non emissions block, which is very easy to obtain those 350 hp numbers from, what do u think the muscle car guys used todo in a weekend and on a budget.

not directed at u, but im just stating it

 

[AllanD]

Yes, it's easy to build a 350hp 302.

The problem is that the average joker swapping a uunkyard 302 into their Ranger
doesn't.

And even if they did that 350hp engine would be a peaky SOB that would be UTTERLY USELESS in an offroad truck.

Though it'd be a laugh riot in a 2wd street truck.

AS I said WHERE the torque occours is actually more important than
how much torque there is. and what torque a STOCK 5.0 produces is
very "3.0 like", in point of fact the poster child for a "peaky engine" in
a Ranger is the 3.0 and in reality an EFI5.0HO is actually MORE of a "peaky" engine than the 3.0 is... The 3.0 makes it's peak torque at 3000rpm. the 5.0HO makes it's peak torque at 3450! and the only reason the torque peak is that LOW is because of the tuned runners of the EFI manifold, a carb engine producing the SAME power and torque would be making it's peak torque at 4200rpm!

You start talking 300hp engines and unless you are talking high compression race engines running on a steady diet of CAM2 race fuel the rpm is going to be even higher

Those semi-mythical 350hp 302's make their peak torque at >5000rpm!

The thing is that a given displacement engine can only make so much torque.
On a 302 engine even with the most radical porting job is only going to make 325-340ft/lb, what determines the power is what rpm you can maintain the torque to.

Power is useless if it doesn't happen where you can use it.

Turbocharged engines? great.
2.3Turbo? amusingly they make their peak torque and power
at a lower rpm than the 5.0 does.

But there is no way to put an 11" clutch on a 2.3Turbo.
so a 2.3Tis great for a street truck lousy for an offroad truck.

 

[CheapThrillB2]

Its amazing how over read first post is, then how far away from a statement a converstaion leads.....

I give ya cliff notes

4.0L vs STOCK 5.0L
Swapping a 4.0L for a STOCK 5.0L WITHOUT DOING gears
off-Road use not street use.
swapping a 2.9L-2.3L-2.8L for a v8 isn't what i said, swaping a 4.0L for a v8...........
IT was comments for guy stating the 4.0L made no power and they need a 5.0L IS what i was ranting about

Some of the reactions are funny....you think i called somebody out (not referencing any one inparticular) in a personal manner instead of the blanket statement i made.

 

[mhughes165]

i know what ya mean, sotck 302 into a ranger offroad with stock gears= massive turd, i know first hand becuase i see it all the time, if they want a hafl decent truck they need todo what is needed as far as gears/motor work


and alan, this motor makes its peak torque of 373 ftlbs at a measly 2780, so u dont need to have a revvy motor to make good power with a 302, like i said, the motor was built for low end grunt, nigh comp pistons, cam for lower rpm power, head work done for lower rpm power. one day me and jacob(blankstar85) will ahve to cruise ur way with the truck....oh ya, i forgot, its actually a 306....

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

i think the one thing i read the most in all the posts thus far in this thread defending a v8 swap is warmed over engines not what i said in the first post. Yeah a built engine is different then a stock engine.

Another V-8 advantage is they actually have aftermarket support. You can buy one 100% brand new peice by peice out of a catalog, or even just get a turn key one that is ready to go. Not many go that route, but it is nice to have more options than a rebuilt junkyard engine that is pretty much factory spec.

For people that think the 4.0 has more usuable torque than a 302, a used 351W can usually be had for about the same money and fit almost as well.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

i know what ya mean, sotck 302 into a ranger offroad with stock gears= massive turd, i know first hand becuase i see it all the time, if they want a half decent truck they need todo what is needed as far as gears/motor work.

Gearing goes for everything, my parents '94 Explorer with 3.27's and stock 235/75-15's is rediculous. I can't beleive Ford would let it out the door like that.

 

[Danger-Ranger96]

I used to want a v8 in mine...Until i regeared to 4.56s, now i love the 4.0L

 

[Twizzler09]

Well, heres my take on this.

For offroad purposes, a Re-Geared 4.0 will beat the snot out of a stock-geared and stock output 5.0. Stock 5.0 motors (especially from the 80's) don't generate numbers that are significantly greater than the 4.0 OHV motor... making them a useless swap, unless you build the 5.0. Something thing 302 has that the 4.0 doesn't.... is aftermarket support. A 302 that is built using the insanely huge aftermarket available for it, will generate some impressive numbers, and if built correctly, will generate it in the lower RPM range, making it extremely useable for offroad purposes.

Now, for Drag Strip/Street purposes. The 5.0 will nearly always beat the 4.0. Take my truck for example.

Its currently running a 4.0 OHV with a 3.08 ratio open Diff and consistently runs low 15's in the quarter mile. If I were to put in a stock 5.0 and keep the same differential... I'd be running mid-14's. Now build that 5.0, change the rear end and see what happens.

A 5.0 built MY way, should be churning out ~340rwhp and ~370 ft/lbs. (Edelbrock Performer RPM Intake/750cfm Carb, Edelbrock .534" lift cam RPM range 2000-6000, Edelbrock Performer RPM Heads, Hypereutectic pistons, etc). Then re-gear from a 3.08 8.8" Open, to a 3.73 8.8" Lock-Rite and bolt up a full-manual C6, and what do you get? A freakin MONSTER of a strip slut, and a badass street machine. *Should* be getting mid-12's in the quarter mile, hopefully quicker. Thats before I add the blower into the mix.

Getting the same street results out of a 4.0 is difficult. Re-gearing will help some, but its difficult to get the power increases nessecary for a serious strip monster without dumping HUGE amounts of cash into it.

At all breaks down like this:

Offroad:
4.0L V6 vs. Stock 5.0L V8 --> 4.0L wins
4.0L V6 vs. Built 5.0L V8 --> 5.0L wins

Street/Strip:
4.0L V6 vs. Stock 5.0L V8 --> 5.0L wins
Built 4.0L V6 vs. Built 5.0L V8 --> 5.0L wins

(btw this makes my "302"nd post....hahahaha)

 

[bottledgt]

its easy to build a 302 for under 1k to make 350hp, can u build a 2.3 turbo for under a grand do that sort of power reliably, now beleive me, i know u can get alot more power out of a 2.3t then most people realize, weve been building a race 2.3 turbo for my buddys ranger, his goals are 700 whp out of it, so far he has well over 4k tied up into engine management, and engine components.

and idk why anyone would put a bone stock 302 into a ranger, first thing i did was build this motor, high comp pistons, gt40 heads, decent cam, good matched intake and carb. i did that for under a grand, if u know where to shop its easy todo it, sure i gotta run premium in it, but so what. u have to build the motor to get power where u need it, mine is desinged for low end grunt, and with the 4spd in it its a animal in first in low gear for crawling. ill have to take some more pictures as im puttin it together.

if ur gonna do the v8 swap then atleast have it be a 302 with some work done to it

and yes, mine is a mild 302 in the world of small blocks, the performace shop near me has a 347 stroker puttin out 800whp in a foxbody

if thats what you have...you do not make 350 rwhp

 

[almostclueless]

This is a lovely free-for-all of apples and oranges.


A RBV with an INJECTED 302 is going to WASTE any N.A. stock ranger engine.


The owner of a RBV with a FORCED INDUCTION AND INJECTED 302 shouldn't even waste the air he breathes talking to some yipyap with a 2.3 or v6 ranger who thinks they're some leviathan.



And the only remaining arguement the yippie dogs here with turbo limas will try to use to make themselves feel better is "durrrrr.....the 5.0 will make it so nose heavy it'll be a pig.......durrrrrr". Which of course is complete crap.....a 5.0 weighs MAYBE 100 pounds more than a V6.

 

[lil red]

perspnally, i want to swap in a 302 because i have a 2.8
i dont know about you guys,but i have a close friend that has been building race engines since the 60s, so power is no prob for me

 

[mhughes165]

if thats what you have...you do not make 350 rwhp

i said those were the first things i did, there are many many other nickle and dime stuff im not gonna take the time out to type