I have a 95 ranger i picked up a few months ago and this is my second one. I liked my 4.0 SOHC from my 2004 more then the OHV 4.0. I have a stock manual trans in my 95 could i swap a SOHC motor and use the same trans?

 

Yes, OHV and SOHC used the same trans bolt pattern, and same manual trans, M5OD-R1.
SOHC got an extra bolt added for trans and the renamed the trans an M5OD-R1HD, but everything inside was exactly the same.

You do have to change computer and wiring, and finding one for a manual trans that doesn't have the PATS anti-theft system will be hard.

1997 Explorer got the 4.0l SOHC first, and it didn't have PATS that year, but 99% would be automatics, you can pay to have that deleted, but you can do that with PATS as well.

Outside of being able to use the existing transmission all the work to do this is the same as swapping in a 5.0l V8 from an explorer, which would be a better swap IMO.

 

Wiring pats isnt that hard. Just grab the computer, keys, key cylinder and the key reader from the steering column. It only has four wires. Hot, ground, 2 wires to the cylinder if I'm not mistaken. With a little wiring you have pats which I'd take over an annoying car alarm any day lol..