It all started with a lowball offer on an eBay engine...

Well, actually it started much earlier when I had my 2000 Trailhead and wanted to do a V8 swap. That never happened but the the 03 Level II will have one in the next few weeks!

Here is the 5.0L Explorer engine in all of its junkyard glory:



And here's a mock up of the progress. There's more to do but it's almost ready for final reassembly:

 

The parts list … so far

New parts:

Manual transfer case linkage
Conversion U-joint
Radiator
Radiator hoses, heater hoses, bypass hose
Gatorback serpentine belt
Power steering pressure hose
Magnaflow dual in/dual out muffler
Melling M68 oil pump
FRPP oil pump drive
FRPP GT40 intake manifold insulator/spacer
Ranger PRNDL display
Transmission shift cable
Throttle cable
Rear main seal
Valve guide seals
Gaskets
Lots of nuts, bolts, washers, paint, fluids


New Explorer 5.0L engine take-off parts:

Timing cover and front main crank seal
Water pump
Crank pulley
Crankshaft Position Sensor
Coil packs
Ignition Wires
Synchronizer/Camshaft Position Sensor
Injectors and fuel rails
EGR, EVR and DPFE


Used parts:

99 Explorer 5.0L Engine/PCM/harness
99 Explorer 5.0L exhaust pipes and cats
99 Explorer 5.0L 4R70W transmission
99 Explorer 5.0L A/C manifold and hoses
96 Explorer 5.0L engine oil cooler
97 Explorer aux transmission cooler
99 Exolorer PATS Module and transceiver
98 Explorer column shift parts
99 Explorer 5.0L speed control cable
97 Mountaineer center console
98 Explorer Message Center/trip computer
03 F150 BW4406 manual transfer case
03 F150 front driveshaft
03 Expedition/Navigator slip yoke
96 F150 transmission mount

 

Wow, thats going to be amazing when it is finished! i wish i had the skill to do all that, just reading the parts list i felt like i was reading spanish haha... What are you doing with your old perfectly good parts!

 

Tooo bad Michigan is so far away. I'd love to line 'em up with you once we both finish!

 

Your 2WD reg cab would devastate my portly 4x4 S/C.

 

For sale in the Classifieds.

 

nice, im going to have to stop by and check it out sometime.

 

i just started thinking...
hrm, why doesn't he go with a b&m floor shifter?

 

Sweet Bob.



PLEASE! In the next week make a thread asking for wiring diagrams help. It'll make my day.

 

Looks like you got that motor cleaned up real nice, good work. I'd be interested in how much you have into this project as a whole.

Will you be rebuilding the motor or transmission?

Looks great man, keep up the good work!

 

This is the modified F150 shift linkage mounted to the Explorer transmission extension housing. To get some extra clearance, I reversed and rewelded a pin in the linkage and cut almost 3/4" off the factory mounting bosses on the extension housing. Then I drilled the holes deeper and retapped the 14mm threaded holes for 5/8" x 1 1/4" NC bolts. This mod will improve the clearance from the F150 T-case linkage to the smaller Ranger transmission tunnel.

 

is the t-case still gonna be manual and the tranny auto?

 

Yes, I don't like T-case shift motors.

 

Does the auto tranny require any inputs from the Ranger's computer? Or will there be any wiring difficulties for the transmission? And why did you choose an automatic over a manual transmission?

 

The 4R70W transmission and the 5.0 engine require the Explorer PCM. A 6 cylinder/manual Ranger computer could not even be reflashed to run the Ex calibration.

The overall wiring is not bad. Besides some minor pinning differences, there are just a couple of funnies with the speed sensor and the A/C WOT cutout. At least, that's all I know about going into the project....

I would have preferred a manual but there are not many possibilities that will work easily with a late model Ranger 4x4 swap. Each of those manuals has a problem or two, so I decided to use the auto instead. The Explorer 4R70W is a decent trans, it bolts direct to the 5.0L engine and the F150 t-case and it works perfectly with the stock Ex 5.0L calibration.

 

were you running with a bama tune?

can you use the same equipment( bama tuner) with new programs on the new set-up?

 

Bob, do you foresee any issues using the '99 Explorer PCM with your Ranger '03 GEM and PATS system? Are all the components in the so-called "Module Communications Network" going to be compatible?

 

PATS will have to be set up using a dealer tool. Otherwise, I don't see any issues.

 

No, I've never used an aftermarket calibration.

The flash tuner hardware would be the same but a completely different calibration would be needed for the Explorer vs the Ranger. I believe that Doug does cals for the Explorer PCMs too.

 

Wholey cow batman! I figured I'd see a thread like this someday. That's pretty bad-*** Bob..

I only echo the manual vs auto comments. 'Tis a damned shame you can't stick w/ a manual. But then IIRC the Ex was never packaged w/ both the V8 and a manual trans, was it? And I imagine that V8 would probably make short work of the factory manual trans our trucks come w/... or more likely the clutch.

At any rate, very cool.

Waaait a second. You are fitting a BW4406 from an F150?! Isn't that a full-time/AWD t-case? Does this mean you'll have both full (AWD) and part-time (locked) 4x4 operation when done. Now I'm seriously jealous!!!

 

No, my BW4406 is a manually shifted, part time box, very similar in operation to the BW1354M in your LII. It is not a BW "Torque on Demand" t-case.

 

Ah. A quick google suggested that it might be.. but didn't have any definitive info.

..in that case you're a fruit for throwing out a perfectly good Mazda 5-speed manual trans w/ its nearly indestructible clutch and slave cylinder throw-out bearing assembly for that half baked slush box!

 

There are at least 3 versions of the BW4406, maybe more:

• Manual like mine
• Electric Shift-on-the-Fly
• Electric SHift-on-the-Fly with Torque-on-Demand

I suspect that you were talking about the last one.


What was I thinking?

 

are you planning on getting any kind of OBDII tuner?