I'm doing an 01 explorer 5.0 swap into my body lifted 00 ranger. I would like to make the engine look a little better before I install it and was thinking about replacing my rusted and starting to rot valve covers.

I've noticed that most valve covers are not efi friendly, an intake spacer is needed. Has anyone else ran a spacer or had experience with doing this on these engines? I'm pretty sure it has the cobra intakes? Not exactly sure, still new in the v8 scene. I'm not worried about hood clearance because of the body lift on the truck.

I found this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=300542096960

I was thinking that would be what I need to run a nice set of taller valve covers at a reasonable price. Any comments or suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

 

5.0 Explorers use the GT40 staggered port pattern between the upper and lower intake manifolds, so a 93~95 Cobra Mustang spacer fits. You can get a 1/2" tall spacer like I have but taller covers will probably need the 1" version for clearance. Either way longer bolts will be needed and the long bolts that come in some Mustang kits will likely be too short for the Ex upper manifold. A specialty bolt store can get you what you need.

With a spacer, use care when tightening the upper to the lower. The phenolic spacer does not give the same level of support as the metal/gasket/metal contact in the factory setup. The 2 manifold tabs held by the short bolts are vulnerable and can break off in use, especially the one toward the front. IMO, it's best to torque all of the long bolts to factory spec but just snug up the 2 shorter ones.

Pay close attention to the oil fill location/style because most aftermarket covers are different from the way the Ex is setup. Some of the Ford Racing covers that are labeled for EFI should be adaptable.

The 5.0 Ex engine has a low profile so there should be no issue with your Ranger's hood clearance, even if you were using a manifold spacer and no body lift.

 

Excellent information yet again. I think I will just do the 1 inch and not worry about it.

What covers are you running and where did you buy your spacer? I see A LOT of spacers for 86-93 but not many for the cobra.

 

My current valve covers are FRPP "Cobra/Powered by Ford". My engine is set up different so these might not fit a stock Explorer 5.0L.

FRPP sells 1/2" and 1" phenolic spacers. Other companies also sell the spacers, especially the 1" size. Try Summit Racing for alternatives. Look for "GT-40".

 

when i had my mustang years ago i ran a 1 inch space no problems

 

So if my shopping is correct, this:
http://www.fordracingparts.com/parts...tKeyField=1599

or this:
http://www.fordracingparts.com/parts...tKeyField=1598

or this:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TFS-51520020/

Should work.

Wonder if a .5 spacer would be enough to run the taller covers, should probably just get the 1 inch to be sure. The oil fill has to be on the front of the passenger side cover if I'm remembering correctly.

 

Any of those 3 spacers should fit the Ex 5.0 manifolds. Check the length of the longer bolts in the kit. The bolts that came with mine were meant for the Mustang or some other app and were too short for the Explorer upper. IIRC, the Ex upper with a 1/2" spacer needs 6 1/2" bolts and the 1" needs 7" bolts. The Ex upper takes 4 of the long bolts and the thread is 5/16-18. The shorter bolts in the kit will probably work as is. I bought the longer bolts/washers in stainless from Fastenal but any bolt supply house or a really good hardware store should be able to set you up.

Any covers that are listed as "tall" may have interference with the 2 elbows on the bottom of the Explorer upper. For those, you'd probably need a 1" spacer.

Yes, stock covers have the oil neck on the passenger side front. There may possibly be room to run the neck on the passenger side rear but you'd need to check that out to be sure. The driver side is out because it is covered by the upper.

Speaking of which, you wouldn't be able to show off those fancy new covers that much because the upper intake, throttle body and elbow block the view from most angles. If you need them for valve train clearance, that's a good reason to cough up the cash but the esthetic improvement would be less than on some other applications.

 

I'll have to go with the 1 inch spacer, not sure which tho. Never bought from FRPP. May give them the business over Summit.

I have a few hardware places here in town that should be able to set me up.

The main reason I'm getting new covers is because the stock ones actually rotted out around the "lip". So instead of fighting a used stock pair at the junk yard and ending up with the same problem, I figured I'd get a new set. Maybe I would be farther ahead to find a used set but the new ones sound so much better to me.

 

just get a set of Mustang covers and have them polished...the old finned Powered by Ford Mustang GT covers look great when cleaned up and fit right under your intake w/o special bolts or a spacer lol

even the trick flow covers are efi "ok" and look good


its a lot of work and wasted money on something that makes no difference in how well your truck runs lol no one is ever gonna see it anyway

 

Well, got my "efi" covers on. The vacume tube under the front drivers side of the upper intake hits the cover, which isn't a huge problem since I bought no spacer. But on top of that, my throttle body is directly over my oil fill. So either I screwed up my research or ordering, or summit has some explaining to do... Not a happy camper here.
I'm not sure even what to do about the oil fill. Small spacer will take care of the vacume problem I'm sure. Ideas?

 

put the oil fill cover on the drivers side instead...

plug the lower vac source and use another

 

Here's how it has to be setup.

Passenger side cover can have oil fill, but it must be in the front.
Driver's side needs to be blank.
And you will need a spacer more than likely.

Like this:


Got em on Ebay. $110 shipped.
Had to get longer bolts. 1/4-20 1" long With a flat washer.

 

I got it figured out, pretty happy with how it came out. Still figuring out the wiring, got fuel, no crank. Gotta figure that out as well as the EVAP solenoid thing on the drivers side inner fender. The plugs and wires are differnt so I'm not exactly sure how to wire it, I don't have a wiring diagram for either vehicle. Got my rear drive shaft made the other day to use with the 4406 manual transfer. Gotta figure out if I wanna get a tuner to do away with egr or get a new tube and valve (mine needs replaced). Its comin along.

 

Hurry Up!!!!

 

The expression "no crank" can mean different things to different people. Are you saying that the starter doesn't spin the engine or that it will not fire up when the starter does spin the engine?

 

knowing him he means it wont spin over

 

Did you have the pats system matched up? If not that thing will spin all day and never crank. You either need the pats system that was in the explorer, or you need a tuner to do away with pats all together.

If you still need an EGR, I'll send you mine for $10 plus the shipping. It's everything you will need. Just paint it, since I started to, but never finished once I decided I didn't even want to use it.

On the wiring, are you talking about the battery harness? You need to make a hybrid rander/explorer harness. Just find what plugs don't fit, cut and splice in the ranger ones that will fit. Pretty simple.

And if something isn't plugged up, it is probably in the battery harness, and that is why it won't spin over for you.

 

Its not the evap, but thats where the wiring connector is. The wires are not the same and the connectors are different. I went to the junkyard this morning and got another connector off another v8 explorer, looks like it will plug into the ranger plug. Never read much about this connector and dont have a wiring diagram. I guess I'll just splice it together using some common sense and see what happens. I'm guessing that this is causing my no crank issue.

No crank meaning when I turn the key, it primes the fuel and then nothing, no starter activity what so ever.

I swapped the PATS from the explorer into the ranger. Just plugged it in but I did notice the wiring in the ranger connector for the component behind the air bag is pinned differently than the explorer was. I read that the PATS will shut off fuel but will still allow it to crank or spin over. I have fuel, so the PATS must be right and working correctly.

Oh, and is it necessary to change the in tank fuel regulator with my swap? I'm pretty sure the 3.0 00 ranger is regulated the same as the 5.0 01 explorer, I wanna say 65. I have the explorer regulator so I may just swap it to be safe.

JRacer, what are you doing with the egr on your truck?

 

Used Ford Wiring Manuals are available for cheap on eBay. Having one each for the Ranger and Explorer would really help.

Are you running the Explorer 4R70W tranmission or something else?

The Type B PATS used in the 5.0 Ex and the 99~00 Ranger allows the starter to operate with the key even if the key is not recognized by PATS. When you say that you have fuel does that mean fuel pressure at the rail or actual fuel being delivered to the cylinders?

1999~2000 3.0L Flex Fuel Rangers run at 55 PSI nominal.
99+ 5.0 Explorers and other 98+ Rangers run at about 65.

 

[QUOTE=rwenzing;1875292]
Are you running the Explorer 4R70W tranmission or something else?

5 Speed from a 4.2 f1, I believe its called an modr2. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The Type B PATS used in the 5.0 Ex and the 99~00 Ranger allows the starter to operate with the key even if the key is not recognized by PATS. When you say that you have fuel does that mean fuel pressure at the rail or actual fuel being delivered to the cylinders?

Whatever it's doing, it fired up tonight after I got the plug repinned I was having trouble with. I think I may even have got my A/C to work as well.

1999~2000 3.0L Flex Fuel Rangers run at 55 PSI nominal.
99+ 5.0 Explorers and other 98+ Rangers run at about 65.

I guess I better change the regulator, mine was flex fuel.

I'm still not sure what to do with the egr, block it off and get a tuner or try and rig it together.
[/QUOTE

 

[QUOTE=BB2;1875382]To make the starter work with the M5ODR2, you'd need to jump the park/neutral switch wires in the Ex harness together somewhere. In the Ex harness, they are pink and tan/red. The PK originally went through the engine harness into the transmission harness and down to the Transmission Range Sensor on the DS of the automatic tranny and then back to the starter on the TN/RD.

 

Already got it figured out. I fired it up last night, need to figure out what to do with egr and tie up the loose ends.