What My Plans For The V8 Swap!
 

Hey everyone, I've been doing some good research on RPS about swapping a V8 into my truck. It will hopefully be this summer if I can get someone to buy all of my 4.0, tranny, & all that good stuff.

Ok, so I'll be doing a 302 swap from a 2001 Mercury Mountaineer. The motor is gonna sit for about 2 months or so, that way I can go ahead & mod it or what not. I'm gonna be doing a head swap, nitrous, & maybe a bore to like a 331/347 or something. I'm not too sure yet about the bore part yet, but we'll see.

With swapping heads, a stock 302 non-H.O pushes like 220 h.p & 274 t.. The heads should give me around 300+ h.p & then the nitrous, I'll be running like a 50-100 shot.

Now the questions is, will my 8.8 w. l/s & 3.73's handle this?

Brenton

B....this takes lot of work...and time..you better sit down and think this over before you start hackin away..and lemme know ill come down for weekends at a time

thats gonna be sweet when ur done, and dont explorers with the V8's have the rears as are truck?

The explorers have a 31 spline 8.8" axle. Rangers have a 28 spline. The 31 is about 55% stronger than a 28 if I remember correctly. I think a 3.73 8.8 with LS would be perfect for you Brenton.

you should be fine on the 8.8 if you dont go over like 370 to the wheels.

also just to let you know this Boreing and stuff your talking about i am going threw it right now your looking at an easy $3500 on mechining work and parts. my motor when done will be an easy $3000 with out blinking...

just the 347 stroker kit is $1200. not including mechining. bigger cam and roller rocker set is like $300 easy new intake would be smart thats and easy $300 it just keeps building... this isnt a just hell do it in a weekend. now just a stock rebuild $260ish mechine out about $300 and reinstall and your good to go

did you hear that brenton with Limited Slip..:afro: oh yea..just lemme know and it can be done

Gentlemen.. Torque breaks things. A stock 8.8 L/S Rearend is good for about 400lb/ft. Anything over that level your going to want to move to a good set of hardened axles.

I'm interested on how much you have to bore to get an extra ~30 cubic inches lol. You mean bore and stroke I'm guessing.

Yea, sorry Jey! ha ha

Brenton

ha i just got that...strokin makes a long piston which makes it more CU IN

boring just makes it like .030 over or somethin makin it like 1 or 2 CU INs

yoiu realize i am going 30 over and its going to be around a 327ish lol...if your asking me if a 5.4L is a 351 on another thread you need to do more schooling on engines LOL OMG...

First to answer Jey's Question
Without going to a longer stroke:
1)To get a 331 you would have to bore .18" over.
2)To get a 347 you would have to bore .28" over.
Unless I am mistaken (probably am as I haven't researched it much) the max over bore is .2" with an aftermarket block made by World.

Now to answer correct Evan.
1) You can bore some 302 blocks more than .030 over.
2) Boring a 302 to .030" over adds 4 CI, it makes a 306, which I think may have ben a factory motor at one time.

And Brenton I wish you luck on your swap. Take notes while your at it, I may call on you experience when I do mine on the 84'.

im thinkn of rhis project too Brenton.. i thought it was just a huuge pain in the ass on my 02, but if i get a car here soon like i want to, i will be able to have my truck sit during the summer and work it out.

cause im not having the 3.0 any longer than i have too lol, was there any info on newer trucks like my 02, i suppose the 01-02 isnt much of a change, so i'll have to keep an eye on what yer doing. keep us posted :)

A bone stock 351w 4v from 71 produced 290 hp and 385 ft# of torque. Undoubtedly it would have to be bored and rebuilt yielding a few more inches ponies /ft#'s , but would be ever so much cheaper than a stroked 5.0. But I applaud you , and it is your money. bob

Why do you say it would be a huge pain in the ass on your '02? Probably the easiest V8 ranger swap there is.

Probably just wishes that the explorers still had v8's in 02. I do too. bob

werd .

edit .. wait a min .. doesnt the 351 have tighter clearances with the heads though ??

Marginally. The deck of the 351w is 4/10th's of an inch taller so the engine is less than an inch wider over all. A very little extra fitting may be required , but you gain so much . The head bolts are larger and stronger. the main bolts are too. Rod bolts are 3/8 inch stock. The 351w can use the same early model and aftermarket short valve covers, as the 5.0. Both engines can use the same cams. If it is a 5.0 cam , just change the firing order . Ford overbuilt the 351w the mains are the same size as a 460. A lot of people say go big or stay home. I'd be perfectly happy with a healthy stock 5.0 in my truck. I'm not racing .The 351w would be fine too. Talk about an engine never being stressed. With either one , I'd have to have traction bars. I couldn't help myself sometimes , I'm sure. lol. Some people build stroker 5.0's because it isn't easy, they have the skill, the $, and they want to be different; not because they can't fit an engine that is 4/10th's of an inch taller and half an inch wider.

Ok, I have a 2001 4.0. Which vehicle should I get a 351 out of? And what about wiring it?

Brenton

It depends. 90's model ford f-250's would be a good bet for fuel injection , and the 69 to 74 engines had the larger valves, and some already had adjustable valve train,but would probably be best as carbed engines.

You'd be better off S/cing it brenton.

That is NOT correct information. The 351W deck hieght is 9.5" for standard production and 9.2" for NASCAR/racing engines. The stock 302 is 8.2" deck hieght. So, production / production height difference is 1.3". This equates to nearly 2" wider overall.

I am in the process of putting a 351W from a 95 F150 into my 1999 Ranger right now. It is alot tighter, but still have plenty of room to fit. For the late model EEC-V, you can use all of the explorer 302 wiring, but these are the parts you need to make/modify:

1) Re-balance engine assembly to use the 50oz imbalance damper assembly from a 302 Explorer. This gives you the crank trigger exciter you need. Otherwise, you could have a special adaptor made to mount the exciter to a 351W28oz damper.

2) Modify the cam position sensor to use a 5/16" hex oil pump drive. I did this by cutting up a 351W distributor and grafting the lower drive section in place of the 1/4" drive section of the 302 explorer sensor module.

3) Oil pan - larger rear main. Are you 4x4? If so, you are now using a custom oil pan. If you are 4x2, you can get away with the 351W FRPP mustang swap double hump pan.

4) Custom headers, as no other will work. FRPP explorer MAY be close, but not sure. I had to make mine from a box of bends and custom flanges.

5) New A/C lines, as there is greater spread accross block and compressor is in new location.

6) New P/S lines, as pump is higher / further from rack.

Alot of work, as you can see, but worth it. I have prodution block and crank and will be comfortable running 500+ RWHP/TQ from this engine with new pistons and rods only. Same cannot be said from a 302. Plus, I could always stroke this out to over 400ci with no other major mods than rotating assy.

Those are the main points.

.030 overbore and 5.4inch rods will stroke you to about 330cid.

"3) Oil pan - larger rear main. Are you 4x4? If so, you are now using a custom oil pan. If you are 4x2, you can get away with the 351W FRPP mustang swap double hump pan.
"

I actually used a 86 crown vic double hump oil pan.

I think that I'm just gonna stick w. the 302 swap. Many more people have done it & I can find a LOT more info on it. I hope to get the motor sometime this summer!

Brenton