4.0 Replacement Thread

[96firephoenix]

Sooo... found a pair of 4.0 longblocks with assorted random loose accessories on craigslist. for the same price as one longblock at a junkyard, and I don't have to pull it off a wreck.

The plan is to do a complete teardown and rebuild, while cobbling together a good engine out of the two. Hope is that I can rebuild this engine while mine is still driving, then pull/swap at my leisure.

Parts I'll still need to get:

• Injector rails/intake - Junkyard less than $50.
• water pump - just on GPs
• Need a clutch kit while I've got it apart.
• rebuild kit, obviously - some include pistons, will make that call

Parts I'll transfer over:

• Alternator
• T-stat housing are brand new.
• intake and injectors if I have to.

Feel free to drop some wisdom nuggets on me, tell me I'm an idiot, etc...

Also, would anyone be willing to loan/rent/sell their timing chain tools to me?

 

[2000StreetRod]

26 spline clutch?

. . . Parts I'll still need to get:

• Injector rails/intake - Junkyard less than $50.
• water pump - just on GPs
• Need a clutch kit while I've got it apart.
• rebuild kit, obviously - some include pistons, will make that call

. . .

26 or 23 spline clutch?

 

[96firephoenix]

26 or 23 spline clutch?

I will know when I crack it open, unless there's a way to tell from the VIN that I don't know about, like VINs ending in x..-YYY have the 26, the rest have the 23.

 

[VCOSH28]

You're not crazy

Any progress? I had this same idea in my head for a while now. Build the motor as you get time. No rush. Better than waiting for something to happen to the motor in the truck.

 

[96firephoenix]

You're not crazy

Any progress? I had this same idea in my head for a while now. Build the motor as you get time. No rush. Better than waiting for something to happen to the motor in the truck.

Yikes... so my life has been a bit crazy since this thread started... turns out my wife was like 5 days pregnant when I started this thread back in December and then ghosted... the pregnancy did not go smoothly. The baby is fine, he's actually 3 months old today. If you'll notice, that doesn't add up. He was 11 weeks premature. Basically my wife's water broke at 20 weeks, and she went into labor at 29 weeks, ending with an emergency C-section and 11 weeks in the NICU.

Thank God for insurance, because the pre-insurance bills for the whole ordeal are pretty close to $0.75M.

Anywho... back to Operation Insanity Wolf. Something happened to the motor in the truck, round about January... there was a combustion chamber-to-coolant-passage head gasket leak on at least one cylinder, apparently, as it blew out the thermostat housing seal after flooring it, and the coolant smelled of gas. Also, it won't catch, even on starting fluid, so I know there's poor compression... consistent with a bad head gasket leak.

Thanks to the wonderful design of the head, and the previous owner breaking one of the 3 bolts that secure the t-stat housing, I wasn't able to get a good seal back, and it would just puke coolant as soon as it got up to temp.

As with any project, the hidden costs crept in, as parts didn't disassemble properly, and fluctuations in the rebuild part prices vs. the price of a reman engine brought the costs closer together.

• The harmonic balancer completely refused to leave the crank. I broke my DIY HB puller, took the crank/HB with the Timing Cover captive into a shop, where it broke a professional grade puller, and then refused to move off on the 10T press. So there's a crank, HB and TC that I would have to buy.
• The previous user of the craigslist engine used garden hose water, not distilled water, to dilute his coolant. The cooling jacket is full of mineral deposits, warranting an acid bath which.

I'm at the point now where the reman engines are only about $500 more than the parts that I'd need to rebuild the engine, and on top of not having to do the rebuild of this thing, a 3-year/100K mile warranty is worth $500 to me.

I think at this point, Operation Insanity Wolf is dead.

 

[96firephoenix]

As all things automotive, plans have changed. I've changed the thread title to reflect that.

I just ordered a crate reman engine and other parts from RockAuto (thanks RockAuto Ashley for the EF discount code, btw).

Crate Reman Engine: 2087 (after return of core)
Additional items:
E-fan conversion kit off of ebay: 290 (will do product review in separate thread)
New water pump, plugs and wires: 82

Parts I'll still need to get:

• Might as well get a clutch kit while I've got it apart. Don't know yet if I've got the 23 or 26 spline clutch...

Parts I'll transfer over:

• Pretty much all accessories, injectors, intake manifold, valve covers, etc...

 

[96firephoenix]

Progress Report 10/26/16:

Have all accessories removed from the engine in-situ.

Was somewhat pleasantly surprised to see that the Power Steering pump had a "Reman" label on it. Was somewhat upset to see that when they replaced it, they mis-routed the hose so that the bracket was captive to the hoses, instead of removable as shown in the manual...
This was a PITA, especially the AC compressor. Threaded studs with nuts on the end will be replaced with bolts on re-install. Trying to slide the compressor off of 4 inch studs with 2 inches of frame clearance doesn't work too well.​

My hope is to keep the Power Steering and AC systems closed and in place so that I don't have to go through all the recovery processes and mess.

Have wiring and vacuum harnesses pulled back to the point where I can remove the Intake. planning to accomplish this tonight. Edit: got it done.

 

[96firephoenix]

Progress report 12-5-16:

Having issues with getting the exhaust off... on Pass. Side, the o2 sensor has to come off to get to one of the flange bolts. On the Driver's side, you can't get a socket on there EVEN AFTER THE O2 SENSOR IS OFF!!!! So I've got 2 bolts off on the Pass. Side, one broken but removable on the driver's side, one rounded and needing to be cut out...

Also I'm seeing that the 4x4 front differential needs to be dropped in order to replace the motor mounts. I'm really hoping that I can finagle it without having to do the sway bar too...

 

[96firephoenix]

Progress Report 2-8-17:

Got the new engine painted! been kinda difficult to work on the car with the lack of good weather and free time, but I was able to get a coat of duplicolor engine paint with ceramic bonding on the engine.

Life is getting a little less hectic though.

 

[96firephoenix]

progress report 2/13/17:

Got the y-pipe disconnected, and the 4wd front axle dropped out of the way to get at the engine mounts.

All I have left to do is remove the starter and unbolt the transmission from the engine, and that bad **** can come out!

 

[96firephoenix]

Progress report 2/18/17:

Engine is out.

26 spline clutch. AUGH...

 

[96firephoenix]

Progress Report 2/24/17:

Turns out that I've already got one of the Southland Clutch conversion kits on this explorer. Just ordering the clutch pack and pilot bearing, scheduled delivery in a week. Shout out to Dan at Southland Clutch 1.800.310.2588/ info@southlandclutch.com / www.southlandclutch.com.

 

[2000StreetRod]

You're a lucky man! As I recall those kits were expensive.

 

[96firephoenix]

You're a lucky man! As I recall those kits were expensive.

Yea, almost $1000 after shipping. without the flywheel, it's only (only!) $650 shipped.

Progress Report 2/25/17:
Got a few odds and ends taken care of... broke the oil dipstick tube on the way out of the old engine, so I've got to get a new one...

 

[GingeRed11]

Yea, almost $1000 after shipping. without the flywheel, it's only (only!) $650 shipped.

Progress Report 2/25/17:
Got a few odds and ends taken care of... broke the oil dipstick tube on the way out of the old engine, so I've got to get a new one...

Pictures? Just curious, sounds like your having fun! keep it up!

 

[96firephoenix]

Update 3/15/17: got the injector seals replaced, the fuel rails installed, and the fuel injector harness connected... mostly just little odds and ends for now. Weather has not been my friend lately.

Pictures? Just curious, sounds like your having fun! keep it up!

working on getting pictures.

 

[GingeRed11]

Update 3/15/17: got the injector seals replaced, the fuel rails installed, and the fuel injector harness connected... mostly just little odds and ends for now. Weather has not been my friend lately.


working on getting pictures.

Sweet, I'm debating weather to do a 4.0 rebuild or 5.0 swap(maybe rebuild) for my school senior project

 

[96firephoenix]

Sweet, I'm debating weather to do a 4.0 rebuild or 5.0 swap(maybe rebuild) for my school senior project

I'd avoid the 4.0 SOHC rebuild like the plague. If you have the 4.0 OHV, that isn't such a bad engine to rebuild.

 

[GingeRed11]

I'd avoid the 4.0 SOHC rebuild like the plague. If you have the 4.0 OHV, that isn't such a bad engine to rebuild.

OHV

 

[96firephoenix]

Update 3/27/17: Had a productive weekend

Got one of the two broken exhaust bolts cut out... another one to go. These were off the header to the flange on the y-pipe... Also got the radiator out (was a pain point in the way of the engine), put the new motor mounts in and re-attached the 4wd so that I could put the truck back on it's tires. The lower height will make install a little easier.

I also wire brushed and painted a couple of rusty brackets that I didn't have clean spares for.

Still no pictures.