98 ranger 5.0 swap

Figured Id start this thread and document my 5.0 swap on here. Here are the details. Its a 1998 ranger 3.0 auto. This is its second 3.0 motor and I did a 5 speed swap while I was at it. The truck is my DD and I see alot of hills that I use 3rd gear in and Im sick of it. Since this motor is on its last leg I am doing the 5.0 swap. I plan on keeping it stock and using all stock explorer stuff for the first go around as they are all meant to work together. So I found myself a good junk yard motor. Pulled it and cleaned it up (had it running before I pulled it)



Got a deal on a 4r70w with low miles. Picked it up tonight and drained the fluid. Perfect fluid and the magnet in the pan is clean. I am going to do a valve body and a good cooler. Next will be getting an AWD t case. I know its junk and wont hold in park with my manual hubs. Well everywhere I park is flat and my parking brake works. So until I want to swap to a 4406 in. As of right now I am waiting on being able to get my 99 and up fuel rails, a transfer case, and the exhaust parts. I will keep up with this as progress is made.

 

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sounds good keep us posted with pics along the way !!

 

sounds awesome. i look forward to watching this build

 

To update this lol, I ordered a PA street strip valve body for the trans. Figured id make it a tire chirping little monster

 

Kinda post whoring this but I am in debate weather to go to school tomorrow or make a junk yard day out of it and gather up the last 3 things I need for this swap. I still gotta get a transfer case (still debating the awd bolt in t case or the 4406 and shorten the rear shaft), gotta get 99 and up fuel rails, and gotta get exhaust stuff. Also a transmission harness but thats a simple grab

 

If you can find the 4407, it would be ideal as they're fixed yoke front/rear.

 

If I found a 4407 it would land in my diesel. I may use a 1356 just cause I've got a few of them and use a fullsize driveshaft and a conversion joint

 

Good luck. You'd have to clock it to make it fit properly between the frame rails of your ranger.

 

the 4406 fits if you trim an ear off the housing. But the idea of dropping the transfer case to change a fuel filter bothers me. So for now I am just going to run the AWD case until such times as I get sick of not having park then worry about it

 

School me.. You won't have park? So I take it you would just park in neutral and then apply parking brake?

 

AWD transfer case delivers 65% power to rear wheels and 35% power to the front wheels. Well without the front wheels being connected due to either me not using a front drive shaft OR my manual hubs, it will coast in park since there is nothing to hold the viscous coupling in the transfer case

 

Dude...this rocks! This may be the forums first 5.0 swap build thread....so whore away my friend!!

 

Ah that makes sense then.. Good thing you've got a parking brake lol..

 

Good luck on your swap! I just noticed you post in my build thread. I havent been on in a while! I guess you're about to find out how it fits. lol But it fits nice, the ranger and explorer have the same size engine bay.

 

Yeah, I posted before I really took a look at the engine bay. Its a tight fit but oh well. I am going to go to harrys u pull it tomorrow and scavenge up my automatic column, my fuel rails, and with any luck find some non molested exhaust parts. But odds are I will be buying new exhaust parts

 

All I have on mine is the manifolds and the cats. Havent got around to finishing the rest. lol I wish mine was 4wd though...

 

I dont even have the cats. I have manifolds and about 5 inches of the pipes. Im really thinking about buying new pipes and just dropping it off at the exhaust shop.

Im sure you can swap to 4 wheel?

 

I already have a dana 44 and 9" rear end for it, i just need to get them mounted and find a different tranny and transfer case and all the linkages. But my truck has the coil spring front end so its not as easy to mount the axles...not sure if im going to even attempt it, might just get a new truck.

 

You sir are so far ahead of the game you dont even realize it. With the coil buckets factory just run stock 70s radius arms and fab up some mounts. Its so much easier than with torsion bars. Id have to cut my brackets off and start from a bare frame if I were to do that

Side note: got my t case, column, trans wiring, auto brake pedal, and another upper intake today at the junk yard. All I really need now is throttle cable, shifter cable, and a transmission range sensor and I can put it in and send if off to the exhaust shop for a custom exhaust

 

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You also need to plate your frame and add a steering box mount. Be it external (78/79) or internal (80-96 F-series or 97 and down ranger), it needs done. Grab yourself a set of James duff Coil buckets or EB coil buckets and bolt them babies on there along w/ F250 shock towers. THEN grab a set of 78/79 F150 radius arm brackets and crossmember. You will also need to fab up an upper track bar bracket and weld it on the frame. Then it basically falls into place :thumbup:

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