Thanks! I can't believe I'm actually doing it!!!

I just got a quote from a Junkyard down the road from here. A complete 302 from a 2001 Explorer with the transmission and computer/wiring would run $1850 if I do an exchange for my 2.5/A4OD.

 

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Sweet!

 

It looks like the Electronic Vacuum Regulator (EVR) which is part of the EGR system.

 

That's exactly right.

My Haynes manual calls it a vacuum regulator solenoid. It receives a signal from the PCM to operate the EGR valve.

I got the A/C system discharged, even though it gave me a tremendous headache. Literally...Freeon must not be good on the brain or something, because the few seconds I was exposed to the high-pressure gas I immediately got a headache and it continued for a good 4 hours despite taking some acetaminophen. I removed the exhaust manifold and disconnected the wiring to the starter. This really finished the passenger's side of the engine, as far as prep for removal goes. Now I need to get the power steering pump removed from the bracket and get the bracket out of the way. I'll have to hit O'Reilly's tomorrow for a spring-lock coupler disconnect tool...used on the fuel and A/C fittings.

I wonder if I'll have to remove the A/C accumulator to accomidate the 302???

 

Well I am exhausted...

I got everything done. The motor is resting on the mounts under it's own weight. It's supported by the transmission and motor mounts.

The wiring harness was the biggest octopus I have every seen!!! If I hadn't of labeled the connections, it would be like a puzzle putting it back on!!!



I had to remove a lot more than I had anticipated, as you can see. I still need to disconnect an A/C line (at the accumulator), and the power steering lines along with draining the power steering fluid. I got up in the attic momentarily to start bracing the ceiling joist, but was simply too worn out to bend over any longer.

Not bad for a day's worth of work, in my opinion. Especially since I shoveled the driveway and sidewalk, played with my daughter in the snow, and took many breaks to rest and eat.





As you can see, my Little Red Wagon-O-Parts
has all but disappeared beneath the parts pile now:

 

To get the engine disconnected from the bell housing, I will have to support the engine from the rear and let the tranny rest onto the tranny crossmember. Then once I get the motor pulled, it would leave me room to pull the catalytic converter and transmission.

I guess the best way to disconnect the transmission from the driveline would be to remove the driveshaft at the rear differential, then pull it out away from the transmission...right???

 

The rear driveshaft should just pull out if disconnected, it did when i was doing my rear end work when dropping my truck rather easy.

BTW with the 5.0 swap are you seriously going to run the 7.5 rearend?

 

I figured I'll face this monster when I get done with the swap, before connecting the driveshaft. I don't want to overly clutter my other garage bay with stuff like that until I get ready to do it, at which time I will have the bed sitting on the garage floor.

I know my current 7.5 with no maintenance performed in the whole life of the truck would not last long at all...plus there's no way I would put an open differential behind that kind of power.

What do the Explorer's have behind them? I defiantly want a Limited Slip!

I had trouble getting the top transmission bolt on the passenger's side removed. Does anyone know of a better way to get to this bolt???

 

Explorers have the 8.8 with the stronger 31 spline axles. They rear ends are also physically wider than the ranger rear end.

pre 95 they had drum brakes, post 95 they have disk brakes.

 

Sounds to me like I need to read up on the V-8 swap pages and figure out the best axle to look for. I figured I could just grab the one off the same explorer I'm getting the motor and tranny from!

I've got plenty of time to do the research, as I'm looking at the whole day today to get the motor pulled, tranny dropped, and engine bay cleaned up!

 

I know the 7.5 will last a little bit behind the 5.0 if you dont abuse it, but once you start ragging on it say goodbye.

 

Exactly what I wanted to hear, my friend....

I will run with it until it blows up on me. Then I'll have the reason to spend the money on an 8.8 LS.

 

Be careful what you wish for, I just got rid of a 1998 tacoma 4x4. The frame had rusted out so bad that the truck was unfixable, this is toyotas dirty little secret. The frame tech that tried to fix mine said this problem is common to toyotas cause they use recycled steel for their frames, melted down with rust particles in the mix- they rot from the inside out!! The word will be out soon and people stuck with toyota trucks will be screwed.

 

SUCCESS!!!

......well kindof.......

I got the engine and transmission pulled out!

However, it wasn't an easy job, since I was alone and had no help whatsoever...

Once I got the tranny x-member pulled I STILL could not remove the flywheel-to-torque converter bolts. This made me decide to pull both the engine and tranny out together.

Once I drained most of the tranny fluid out into a bucket, I started lifting the engine by the factory supplied bracket. However this caused the tranny to dip backwards, and ended up DUMPING my bucket of a good half-gallon of tranny fluid onto my nice, clean garage floor.

"Oh well...I'll ice-skate around the garage to finish the engine removal!"

Now that it's all out, I could see my nice new torque converter hanging there...Who would have thought it would be FULL of MORE fluid!
Thank goodness I had a mess already, because removing the torque converter made a bigger mess!!! On a side note, the torque converter was flawless, and had a manufacture date sticker that said 7/5/06!

Now, after 10 full-size towels, 3 days worth of newspaper, a half-gallon of gasoline, and a whole hot-water heater worth of steaming hot water, I got the floor drying under a super-fan, hoping my ice rink will all but disappear!

Here's a tip...

If ANYONE ever decides to lift an engine by the factory-supplied lift bracket, DON'T DO IT! This thing was cheap, weak, and I truly feared my life every time I stuck a finger underneath that engine while it was still lifted.

As you can see...the combined weight of the engine and transmission caused this bracket to bend


Keep in mind, I was doing this totally ALONE in my 2-bay garage....it was quite an effort to work that engine/tranny out, without hitting the ceiling of the garage or the core support of the truck!

Here are the results:

 

uhhh, haha, that bracket is designed to lift the weight of the engine only lol, but atleast you didn't find out the hard way.

good job though, that 302 will be in there before too long right?

Oh, kitty litter is great for absorbing oil/tranny spills!!!!!!

 

congrats on getting it out, great pics

 

Re-looking at the pictures I see only one of the hooks were used, answering the reason why it was bent for sure.

 

since u have everthing out, i would pressure wash the engine bay just to clean things up

 

Thanks guys for all the advice and kind replies. I wire-brushed the extra greasy surfaces in the engine bay earlier, and will pressure wash it as soon as my water hose thaws out! While I'm at it I'm going to pressure wash the garage floor after spreading an acidic concrete cleaner solution on it and letting it soak.

The 302 swap will begin after I find a rolled Explorer. I'm unemployed at the moment, and only have 2 classes a day Monday through Thursday, so I'll have every afternoon after 3pm and nice long weekends to work on it. I'll be driving the fastest Ford Ranger in Arkansas before my birthday in March!!!

I only had one hook. Is there supposed to be another??? I had a chain with me, and thought about going to the trouble to bolt it up to the block, but after I started lifting the motor/tranny out, it appeared to withstand the weight okay once it bent into position.

 

my 94 had one on the exhaust as well, yours didnt? I knew a few things changed over the years, but were basically the same under hood. I wouldn't imagine Ford getting rid of one of the engine lift brackets !?

 

The only brackets mounted to the head or block on the exhaust side were the Alternator/ignition bracket, and the EGR transducer brackets. However, after I removed the EGR bracket, I didn't think to put it back on before lifting the engine. You can actually see it laying on top of the exhaust manifold in my "parts pile" picture.

 

GOOD JOB maybe someday I will do this but for now my 4.0 is keeping me happy for the most part.

 

LOL, the circled bracket is the bracket you should have put back on to use as a second place to attatch the cherry picker. Oh well, its out and everything went fine for you though.