If you are truly interested in increasing the performance of your truck and spending some cash to do it, either go with an Explorer 302 swap or with a new modular swap (4.6L3V or 5.0L).

I did one of the first Explorer 302 swaps on my 1999 Ranger back in 2002. It was a really easy swap as swaps go. For you, you will be a little more involved with the later electronics of the 2004+ trucks. One way around that is to swap the entire truck harness and modules (including cluster) to that of an older truck.

Doing a Modular engine has been done now several times before. Much more involved, but benefits support the added work. Look at the power you can get out of a 4.6L 3V these days with simple mods or a supercharger. Takes a ton more performance parts and rougher running engine to get that from a 302!

No point in dickin' around with a 3.0L or a 4.0L. Once you get bored with the supercharged engine, you are done and will need to swap to a V8 anyhow. I know this first hand, as I got bored of the mildly modified Explorer V8 and swapped a Kenne Bell on it. I then got bored of that after 20K miles and pulled the engine to swap in a Blown / Intercooled 351W. (Then kids, house, life got in the way and now it ust sits in the driveway...)

Good Luck.

 

Thinking about what I said in one of the earlier posts I made. I still agree with what I said. Plus your reply was great...To tell you the truth, I'd tell your friends who cares if it's slow. If you want something fast then go get another play toy that's already quick or build something to be fast. Use the ranger as your nice newer daily driver and a fast car as your toy. You have the money to make something pretty quick instead of cutting up your truck/or dealing with smog. Example...My buddies mr2. 92 hardtop base model. 3rd gen 3sgte swap with a comp triple ball bearing 56 trim turbo at 17psi (stock is 13psi) on a factory clutch with drag radials on 93+ wheels...Best time to date. 11.6 at 119mph...total cost with purchase of the car. About 7-8 grand. DONE. Pretty quick for not much done. My car is the same deal. 91 hardtop base model. I picked mine up for 1400 bucks with a blown n/a motor. Only thing I'm gonna do different is run a 48 trim. Less lag and hopefully run a better time? We will see. I'd say get another car/truck to be your project vehicle.

P.S. tmsoko, your truck sounds pretty sick. Plus quick I bet. lol

 

What about an ecoboost swap?

 

Brand new motors...A lot of money to buy one I bet. I'm sure wiring would be a nightmare too, this early in the game. Plus the wire harness would be a lot. then you would also need a tranny and all the fab work...Just not worth it.

 

Ecoboost would be fun, but spendy at this point as PSIJOE said. Tranny though would not be an issue - use the auto 6-speed from the F150 V6 Ecoboost.

 

Yea of course. Even is 4wd ready. lol I was just saying that the tranny would also be another expense.

 

Alrighty. I'm due back to the States in about 3 weeks. Time to start really digging to find out any possible holds on this.
I am concerned about emissions. I know California requires you to have an engine year equal to or newer than the year of your vehicle with engine swaps. That basically means being a cheap bastard and buying a 98 Mountaineer and swapping everything is out of the question?
With an '08, that leaves me with trying to find a recently totalled 08+ mustang (probably really easy since kids crash them left and right) and try getting the motor/tranny/harness out of the junkyard for cheap?
I know I said I have money to spend... but that doesn't mean I need to spend it all if I don't have to, right? ;P

 

then your stuck with a 4.6...or the 5.4. to tell you the truth I wouldn't want either. that's just me though...the 4.6 only puts out about 40hp more than 4.0 and about 30tq more. not worth the effort. so that leaves you with the 5.4. which doesnt come out of a car, so your stuck finding an 08 up f150 or 08 up f250. (money) I also think trucks can go with older (car) motors for emissions to bar them. don't quote me on that. If you wanted a 5.0 out of a car though you would have to go to 95 mustang or prior to do that. Then you running obd1. I'm sure you wont allow that. I'd do some research for a while and see what you are aloud to do. 08 is tuff to start extreme modding if you only have a little cash and no real place lined up that is cheap and still do good work. like I said though. just rock the ranger the way it is (motor wise) maybe with some bolt ons and a tune then buy another car and make that you fast car and fun car.

 

Screw any of the modular engines.

Screw California.

I'd get an older Ranger and go wild.

 

Hey hey hey. easy with the California stuff. haha

 

I despise cars. I had a truck from 15-19 then 2 cars from 19-20 and hated my life. So I went back to a truck and loving life again.
It's a 3.0 engine, not the 4.0. I was unfortunate enough to get a "Vulcan". All I did was get 35's and 3" lift all around with spacers (which I plan on replacing in the near future) and the thing is a slug, not to say that it was much better before those additions. Had the dealership adjust my ECU for the changes. Can't even shift into 5th at 4k rpms (drops to like 2.7) going uphill. That's just pathetic for a "Sport" model anything.
I don't see how I'm limited to 4.6 or 5.4. It seems like there are a lot of wrecked 'stangs for me to try to pull parts of out. I have read through the emissions laws for engine "changes" on the California Bureau of Automotive Repair website and that seems perfectly valid. I was kind of hoping a completely rebuilt engine to the specifications of that engine in '08 would count as being from that year... but I can find no information to support this.

 

It sound's like your being a dick in that post. In which case I was gonna tell you "Go ahead and do what you want then. Post pics when your done." I'm gonna tell myself that you were being nice though. I know you have the 3.0, ...We started off great in the convo going threw what you hand and what you wanted. Go threw the last few pages. I said you can do the 5.0 back then. Just depends on the laws of your state and what you want. I said look it up. Yes there are a lot of wrecked cars all over that you can get motors out of. 5.0, 4.6, 5.4, or any of the new ford motors that you want that a 4x4 tranny will bolt up to. Hell throw a 350 in their if you want. I just tried to help you and give you encouragement. Do whatever you want bro. I don't care.

 

The "sport" model ranger has nothing to do with the motor. It is a trim package, that is why there is no difference in the motor between yours and the non sport ranger.

And also if you regear you will see you power come back. You can't run 35's on 3.73 or 4.10 gears and expect it to be stock. Those gears are used for the stock 235 tires. Regear and you will see your power come back. You don't need to waste your money on a new motor.

 

I'm sorry you feel that way. I had no intentions of coming off rude or "being a dick". I thought it was a friendly argument. Bear with me a little bit, it's been a rough last couple of days out here, so it might just be my general disposition and in any case, I apologize. I think I was a little confused by your previous post.

 

Good god what happens when someone is actually being a dick to you?

Anyway, that whole motor year thing is a pile of bs, they will not ask you what year motor you put in your vehicle..

 

Hmm.. I never really considered the gear ratios being an issue but it definitely makes sense. Nice catch.
I want to replace the motor, though. The more roadblocks that jump in front of me, the more I want to do it. I plan on keeping this truck for a very long time, so getting the motor I want in it sooner rather than later seems like the best bet. Money isn't really the issue, but I don't want to spend more than I need to accomplish the task.
I know there are a lot of things I could do to it without changing the motor to get a lot more power, some more expensive and difficult than others. But putting the new motor in it right at the begining of performance modding starts me off in the next echelon above the 3.0 and even 4.0.

 

If it were me and I didn't care about 4wd I would look for a 3v 4.6l, plenty of potential and they can be found easily for kinda cheap

 

I might add that considering the 2005-2010 mustang v6 motor is the same as a ranger 4.0, you might be able to use the motor mounts from an 05'-10' gt to more or less bolt it right in with some trimming

 

See, I read this in a few articles from guys who have swapped motors in Tacoma PreRunners. This was not in Cali, though New Mexico has "adopted" Cali's emissions standards.
At this point, I think I need to anonymously contact a "referee station", i.e. the one I'll be going to, and see how they really do business.

 

I love the postings by the under-informed. Why all the hate on the modulars? Sometimes evolution is not a bad thing. The 4.6L 3V in my sport trac adrenalin is 292HP and 315LBFT. The power is abundant and smooth. Put a simple Saleen supercharger on it and you are at 475HP / 450FTLB. Way easier to achieve massive HP/TQ on these than the old 302s.

Also, no reason to ditch 4wd to go to a 3V. They are in the 2006-2010 explorers also in 2005-2010 F150s.

Do some research before spreading bad information.

BTW, the 3V engines have tighter heads, so fitting should be easier than the 2V and certainly 4V engines.

 

His truck IS 2wd.. And nobody said they won't fit, we've already seen a few 4v's in rangers

I agree though, saying modular's suck is an ignorant redneck statement for sure

 

It's cool bro. I never mind a good debate. As long as it stays mature I'm perfectly content. I'll try and help anybody that I can if I have the knowledge to do so. If not I site back and listen.

That's pretty much the extent I go on the internet. There is no need to go further on someone I am never going to meet. If I am over it I'll just leave the post most likely.

Man if anything is 2wd you could put anything you want in their. :-D As long as it's fast your good to go. Oh and if the truck is safe enough for those speeds that's kind of a plus.

 

Holy old thread revived. Time to man up!

 

Nope. He wont go for it...As clean as it is he doesn't want a car. :-(