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stock 283 into B4000?

AndyF

Active Member
Joined
March 8, 2006
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City, State
Ontario,Canada
Year, Model & Trim Level
Ranger 2006
I was thinking of buying a used B4000(or Ranger) 4X4 auto with good frame and TC.
One way to make up for the gas guzzling would be to use a small stock 8. It would make up for that little bit of power it should have got out of the 4ltr, and offer 8 -10 additional HP for that extra whoomp. A 350 I think would be overkill, sides the 283 is compact. The 350 would be awesome for street use, but the drive train would need spruicing up. (I doubt if the 55 or 44 tran can take it, even with cooling.)

Off the top of my head, I'm pushing for all mods to be done from the tran spline and the bellhousing forward, with a bellhousing template converter plate and a spline converter machine made(unless there's a kit out there.

The steering column may present the worst problem and tell me if the project is do-able, cause I'm not touching the steering. The firewall,exhaust,manifold and everything else I can home shop build. AC I can do without. Everything is stock with a properly tunes original carb, and maybe slightly heavier springs, but they tell me 150lbs is all it adds.

Any ideas would be welcome.
 






As with nearly all V8 swaps into the Rangers, the exhaust is always the challenge. It's worse for the wider SBC than with the narrower SBF.

Between the frame and upper control arm mounts, there's precious little room for the exhaust manifolds and pipes. On the drivers side, the steering shaft only compounds the problem and on the passengers, the air box is very much an issue.

There are plenty of V8 Rangers, but nearly all use the Ford 302/5.0 with Explorer/Mountaineer bits, parts and pieces. Makes for a factory looking install and can be done with nearly all OEM parts.

In the 302/5.0 V8 Explorer/Mountaineers, Ford put a huge dent in the oil pan to make room for a very very tight exhaust.

But yes, makes for a very nice drive! Only problem, it's unlikely you'll see an gains in fuel economy unless you do a lot of steady highway driving.

Even raising the gear ratio from 3.73:1 to 3.27:1, my Ranger lost over 10% in fuel economy with daily driving. But, the long legs upped highway mileage by about 20%.
 






KICK STARTING an old thread, but what the heck!

My Son's 93 XLT was my first build, 355 SBC, T350 built, 3.73 L/S 7.5 out of 87 Bronco II:
93Scooped82061.jpg

AthensCruise-In7-21-078750pix.jpg

AthensCruise-In7-21-0710750pix.jpg


My TOY is a 94 XLT, 360 SBC, T350 kitted, 99 Expo 8.8 3.73 L/S narrowed 3", and rear suspension moved to under frame using stock Expo front spring mounts, Welds 15x5 fronts & 15x12 rears, NON-tubbed running 28x15.50 Pro Street type tires:
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edited94ProStreetRanger7-4-107.jpg

R-FKnoxvilleMeetAug13-1520102.jpg

And this is my DD, 98 XLT with 00 Expo 5.0L 4x4, 3.73 L/S and will be AWD come this summer as the PVH's are junk!
Yb1cRzU.png

Nothin against 283's by no means (have 62 model wrapped up in my garage), punch out to 302 cubes and will wind up to 10K in a heartbeat! Just 350's are so CHEAP to build, had to go that way.
 






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