A little more info about what it is you are trying to accomplish would be helpful. If all you want is a v8, id suggest just using the donor motor and then sourcing a 2wd tranny that will bolt up to it. If your truck is currently manual, it would be easy to source a t5 from a mustang to give yourself a 2wd trans.Plus it also makes a difference if you are swapping in an EFI engine or if you are going for a carbbed motor

 

Welcome to the forum

You have to change drive shaft in any case

Many of the V8 Explorers are 4WD or AWD

They used the 4R70W automatic trans, it comes in 2WD or 4WD versions, you want the 2WD model from a 5.0l engine
The computer you use from the Explorer V8 will have the software to operate the 4R70W transmission and only that model, as far as the computer is concerned 2WD or 4WD doesn't matter

The 1998 to 2003 Ford F-150s came with a 4.2L V6 engine, and the 4.2l V6 uses the same Bell housing as the 5.0l V8, so a trans from a 4.2l bolts to the 5.0l engine
So you can use a 2WD 4R70W from a 1998-2003 F-150 with 4.2l V6
You do need to reem out/enlarge the bellhousing bolt holes, 5.0l uses SAE size bolts, 4.2l uses metric size bolts which were slightly smaller, 1/16" so not much

You can sell the 4R70W with transfer case that comes with Explorer to offset cost of 2WD version, like you have found most Explorer V8s are 4WD so there IS a market for the 4WD trans and transfer case

And if you do want manual trans 2WD then 1998 to 2003 F-150 4.2l 2wd manual trans will be the ticket, it an M5OD-R2 transmission, beefier version of the M5OD-R1 used in Rangers, and sifter is in the same place so matches up well in a Ranger V8 conversion