I found a possible donor car in Miami I wanna check out. I have to talk my gf into letting me buy it if its worth if. Its a 1981 Mazda RX7 with a 347 stroker. I was thinking that I could pull everything out of it and set it up in the Ranger. Any opinions?

So unfortunately due to price and overall labor/ parts that are involved im pretty sure im going to switch over to Automatic. I was in traffic the other night downtown for about n hour and that just about sealed the deal, ive been shifting for 8 years im over it.

So im not going to switch out columns and i want to stay 2wd. so im thinking 2wd trans outta a mountaineer with a floor shifter?

I am fairly sure that the 2WD version of the 5.0 was Explorer only, not Mountaineer.

ill have to check. I could always just pull a 4x4 and not hook it up

plus sense i am disableing PATS, I can get a better alarm/remote start eiser with the auto

do that then sas it later down the road

honestly that was something i was debating...way down the road but it wsa be much easier to just find a 4x4 4r70w than a 2wd. I need to go to the JY soon and start pullin parts..but i need some money first lol.

I still havent even sat down and made a complete parts list. hopin to do that this week. also hopin to have all the top end and accesory parts washed and cleaned up. Now that Mal's skirts are finally done i got some time to do other stuff. Hoping to have engine completed by end of JAN. Gotta wait for Christmas for money and parts (gifts). Ill do my best to have some updated pics this week too.

As far as washing parts, i bought a big ass tupaware bin and put alot of the parts in there. Im figureing a cuncoction of Easy Off Oven cleaner, simple green, and water. Let em soak and then scrub and pressure was.. should do the trick. Just gotta remove all the sensors, vac hoses, etc. Getting dark at 630 now blows.

^^^ the getting dark part does suck but i think you should just set it up for 4wd for now be easier and cheaper in the long run if you do a sas. is your truck an edge?

yea its an edge....runing into some questions on switchin to Auto since im manual now. IM not going thru all the trouble of swapping out columns. so hopefully a floor shifter will work out, long as it has the back up light switch and nuetral saftey switch. also need to install trans cooler and lines.. is that optional?

Leaning more towards a 2wd cuz I can always add the transfer case later cuz an SAS is waaayyy down the road if at all, if i get a 2wd then my drive shaft should match up. a 4wd id pull one from the JY.
4wd i would have to use a manual shifter not an electric one since i highly doubt my truck is prewired for electronic 4wd transfer case.

also benefit is not haveing to rewire the trans wiring harnes for the manual. im just adding up all the pros and cons. coming out with way more pros.

The reverse lights switch and the park/neutral safety switch are part of the Digital Transmission Range Sensor down on the 4R70W. If you want a floor shifter, that's understandable but it's not easier than swapping columns IMO.

For trans temp control, the Explorer 5.0 has both a radiator heat exchanger and an aux transmission cooler in series. Your Ranger manual radiator does not have the heat exchanger.

Your 2WD truck is not wired for an electric t-case.

you could swap your truck to 4wd pretty easy since its an edge too maybe 2 projects in one?

no def one project. thanks bob i though i was right on most of that stuff.

i have a chiltons manual for the exp 5.0 and the auto column has that brake pressure shift lock thing built in. i dunno if my truck would be wired for that. ill have to look into it a bit more but im def goin with auto.
im sure i could grab a reg console shifter out of a taurus/stang or something and mod that to fit.

im going to be switching to the exp radiator also.. like i said lots of JY shopping. summit has trans coolers for cheap too

I left it out of the system on mine. I hate those things.

hmmm well if u can leave it out maybe switching the columns wouldnt be too bad. other than changing out the key tumblar anything else crazy involved?

yeah it really sucks here when its dark at 4:30 in the winter. so I leave for work in the dark and get home in the dark, and I have no windows at work...fun.


Be sure when using simple green on aluminum you rinse with plenty of clean water. that stuff can start breaking the aluminum down if not. They do make some special aircraft simple green cleaner thats not harsh on aluminum parts etc.

A complete column swap from manual to auto is much easier than taking it all apart like I did. Swapping the ignition lock is simple - insert the key, turn it and press a release button on the bottom. Pops right out.

IIRC, the brake/shift interlock just unbolts and unplugs.

Be sure to take the columns out with the front wheels pointed straight ahead and install the same way. Don't rotate the steering wheel relative to the column or the clockspring could be out of "time" with the steering on reassembly and break.

Its not that easy on the IFS trucks. The non 4wd trucks are missing a front diff mount.

hmm. i might just swap out the column after all. i know what you mean about turning the wheel. i broke my clockspring when i put my body lift on.. still havent fixed it lol. Today im finally going to sit down and make a complete parts list when i get home.

hey Bob. i remember talkin before and you mentioned something about upgrading my fuel pump..... should i now that you know more of what im planning?

ok cool appriciate it. Prolly just use a heavy duty degreaser cleaner than and not chance it ya know.

When my 5.0 had Torque Monster headers but was otherwise stock, the factory Ranger pump was enough. After I added the supercharger and upped the injector size, it eventually could no longer maintain full pressure on some of the longer pulls. If your engine has anything more than simple bolt ons, I'd recommend a higher volume pump. I'll be installing a 155 liter/hr Trick Flow 25000 (reboxed Walbro). A seriously built engine (which mine is not and never will be) would need more than that and there are lots of companies that sell 190's, 255's and dual pump setups.

I think either of these will work but don't know for sure:
Trick Flow Specialties TFS-25000
Walbro 5CA249-2

yea simple bolt on's for me really.. so i think my pump will be fine.

forgive my ignorance but with the 4r70w/ AODE that is an Electronic shifting transmission not a cable shift correct? and the column just sends the signal.

def turning Auto not manual. 250 for complete auto setup from JY between. trans, torque converter (flexplate i already have), steering column. VS. manual is gonna be waay more by the time i add up flywheel clutch slave trans, wiring etc.

Wouldnt be a too expensive swap really without those damn torque monsters! but IMO its pointless to swap without them. killing all performance with the stockers

Yup, PCM electronic control, just a simple shift cable from the column to the Transmission Range Sensor.