Body Swap

[scoarch]

:exp:

Hello all.
I have started a body swap this last week on my explorer. i am putting my good body (auto) onto my good frame(standard).

the reasons for this are my auto tranny is going, has 3.27 gears and the engine sounds like it is tap dancing.
oh and i have beat the suspension out of it for the last 70,000 km

the donor frame was primarily highway driven , has 3.73 LS gears, 140,000 on motor and is a standard.

my question is is there any thing i have to really watch for. any tips or tricks that might be useful ?


thanks to all

 

[Rick]

Kris Guilbeaux is the one to answer this... He has swapped more Explorer bodies and components than anyone I know!

 

[rkalb]

I've done a body swap and there really isnt much to watch for the only thing i have to be a pain was undoing the ebrake cable. How do you plan on doing the body swap ? on a lift?

 

[scoarch]

lol. no lift. a 2 ton chain hoist and a real big tree branch. real big.

 

[rkalb]

HAHA Nice Gotta Love Trees. The only thing else i can think ok is make sure to locktite the body bolts after you swap i forgot to and they came a little loose but nothin some red locktite wont fix

 

[Roadrunner777]

Adding a clutch, not a big deal? I guess you need a hole for the shifter... not really idle questions, when my auto dies, I'll probably change over to a manual if it is not a massive headache.

 

[mr cribb]

Adding a clutch, not a big deal? I guess you need a hole for the shifter... not really idle questions, when my auto dies, I'll probably change over to a manual if it is not a massive headache.

The only hole you need is in the carpet which is already perforated. The floor plate is already there as well. Just don't cut too much. ( I did that, and had to modify the excess I cut.)

As far as being a massive headache, it doesn't sound like one seeing as I've read more than one swap on here.

 

[scoarch]

I have the plate for the standard tranny so no big deal.

but i am doing a lot more than i planed to.
i am swapping out the steering box cause the one in new chassis leaks.
i am swapping the front end from the knuckles out due to the fact that it was rebuilt a couple months ago.
drag link, tie rods , ball joints, radius arm bushings, and front springs were all new in other truck. so i have both face to face and am swapping parts now.
was hoping to be farther along but has been raining here pretty steady for the last 4 days.

 

[scoarch]

Well it was a interesting last two days. i got the front end all swapped out and every thing is real nice and tight.
the body is sitting on my frame now. but now comes the crappy part.
seems ford had a different wiring harness from one year to the next. almost all the connectors for the wiring harness are different from one truck to the next.
so i am in the process of swapping out the engine bay wiring harness . not fun
was hoping to have it fired up today.