Matt's '92/'99 4X4 V8/4R70W swap!

Vehicle: 1992 forest green Ford Explorer 4X4

(<Frikin Sweet)

Drivetrain: '99 GT-40P 5.0(4.9)L 302----4R70W Automatic

Well i got my engine so i guess its time to start a project thread! The timeline on this is pretty loose. but as soon as possible cause the ole 4.0 is making wierd noises.

EDIT: DO NOT be STUPID like me! Don't get a 2wd drivetrain to go into a 4wd vehicle! The transmission output shaft length is different and will require a full trans teardown to retrofit. Luckily one of the other awesome members of the forum has the parts I need to convert. But you may not be so lucky. I doubt most junkyards would sell you Just the shaft and housing. Would rather you buy the whole transmission.

Plans:
Full teardown and rebuild
Keeping the gt-40's
New gaskets,pistons,cam,bearings,lifters, the works.
Maybe new crank
maybe strokin it
build for future forced induction
Transfer case: Hhhhhhmmmmmmm... maybe bw1354(dont wanna) or 4406 if i can fit it between the frame rails
plans will definitely evolve as we go along

here the pics

cant wait to get this thing runnin!

 

[seth247]

More Progress Pics

did some more work and made some disturbing discoveries...

heres as far as i got tonight, spent the first couple hours after work washing and detailing the truck.

whoever had this engine before did NOT know how to take care of it!

the pictures speak for themselves...

And here is the piston that matches that combustion chamber

Do these look like honing marks to anyone else? perhaps this engine has been rebuilt?

Just out of curiosity, does this look overly varnished to anyone? im not sure.

Damn intake bolts! ill just leave it at this, these two bolts are SUPPOSED to be the same length! and the rest of its still in the engine.

Any way im gonna get some sleep.

 

[seth247]

Love your truck! So good looking!

Thanks! thats the best the truck has ever looked. took that just after waxing it.

spent some time tonight trying to make it look like that again. almost got it there! need to wax again now that winters coming.


Burns: i think its something like 100 pounds more... but i'm no expert.

 

[Willard]

Gee, someone is up late, huh? I'm waking up just now...

Those marks are more than likely the factory cross-hatching. That's a good sign if that's still intact.

 

[seth247]

that's what I'm hoping. Don't want it to be rebuilt.

Can't wait to get this thing vated and cleaned.

Any body know a good machinest near Tulsa?

 

[Turdle]

There's damm good one near here-but it's about 3 hours for you.

Where is the broken bolt in relation to the rusty head chamber?

 

[seth247]

now that you ask I think that bolt was the closest one to the front left cylinder(the rusty one).


Must have been a water jacket gasket failure.

 

[R.J.]

subscribing. i've been curious about this swap.

Good job so far

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Good to see man, I like the fact you're taking lots of pictures, let's us other "thinking about a v8 swap" guys see what's up with it.

 

[seth247]

Yep! That's why I'm takin em.

Don't anybody stay up late tonight waiting for pics, I'm not Workin on the engine tonight.

 

[seth247]

well i always wanted to see a video of the valve train in action, soooooooooooo

i made one!!

Valve train in motion!

sorry im a dummy and i have no idea how to imbed the file.

the best part is near the end when i hold the camera looking down the right bank.

and i love the popping noise that its making!

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Dude, that's awesome! If you could get it clear enough and loud enough, it'd be a funny ringtone to have.

Who was cranking it around?

I see what you mean, those noises sound totally weird/cool at the same time.

Any idea at the current moment when you might be done with it? Looks like you're making pretty good jumps in progress

 

[seth247]

hopefully before the new year but I don't know.

 

[CDW6212R]

That's interesting. Now try it once more after the plugs are back in it LOL.

 

[seth247]

tcha! If I want to break my back.

Doubt my dad would volunteer to turn it again.

 

[CDW6212R]

It's all good experience, concentrate on cleaning and painting. That is the most time consuming, that and finding parts. You will have to use a lot of the OEM so try to keep them organized.

 

[seth247]

I has more of teh pixturez for u!

heres as far as i got tonight.

my "workbench" (half a door layn(sp?) over some other crap) is becoming slightly "crowded".

this is what the water jacket insidse the block looks like. the heads look the same!!!!!

Idiot must have run straight water through this thing! WTF?!?

stupid people are everywhere.











and they're BREEDING.

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Dude, just use the sonic cup to keep the nuts and bolts in. lol. That's how I do it in the junkyard, stop by sonic on the way, finish the drink as you're walking in, instant container.

 

[seth247]

Got my window replaced finally, by the way.

 

[CDW6212R]

Very good. Find a box of zip lock bags, those work great to keep all of the various bolts apart but together. Check over the bolts you have and keep track of what needs to be replaced. The water pump bolts are easily worn out or broken when they come out of a used engine. Don't reuse any of the exhaust manifold bolts, they don't last long before being too corroded. The lower intake bolts are sometimes like that also. You can tell the good bolts from the bad, just work on replacing the worst of them. Regards,

 

[seth247]

Good advice.

how should i remove the pistons? My dad says to remove the crank and then pull the pistons out through the bottom of the block.

Edit: nevermind you can't pull the pistons out through the bottom.