2001 Ranger 4x4 V8 swap with 97.5 drivetrain

[boominXplorer]

I picked up a 2001 Ranger extended cab 4x4 with a 3.0 with a missfire and a bad oil pan leak leak. Needless to say the gutless 3.0 needs to go. I have a late 97 Mountaineer parts truck I am using for the swap. I will be using the 97 computer so I have to swap the entire fuel system, no pats and shouldn't have too much of an issue with the speedo. I do realize most of the wiring is different from the 2 trucks so there will be a ton of re-pinning on the connectors.

I was set on leaving the truck stock height and doing the V8 swap but have decided its much easier to do a swap with a body lift. Since I did a body lift I realized I wanted more so also going with a 4" superlift kit with coil-over conversion. Will be running 4.88 gears with a lunchbox locker in the front and E-locker in the rear explorer 8.8.

I am a very busy person and will try to update this post more than once a year since this is a slow going project haha

How it started:

 

[Tbars4]

..This would be the go to guy in my opinion..
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=257842

..Follow the links in the bottom of that first post for more info..

 

[boominXplorer]

Year and a half update....... drive train is out the ranger. The front lift is done, complete frame has been cleaned and painted and I have a garage full of V8 parts ready to go. I'll hopefully be running by summer.

 

[delexploder]

Hot dam, its about time

 

[delexploder]

Bump!

 

[boominXplorer]

I have been busy the last few weeks. Got the truck fired up, rear driveshaft made and actually drove the truck down my street for the first time in 2 years so I'm stoked!! Still have a huge to do list to finish up the swap. The only issue I found with my wiring is to the a/c clutch since the Rangers are set up completely different in the wiring.

 

[delexploder]

Awesome cant wait to see it

 

[boominXplorer]

My poor man's deavers haha. Gained 4" of lift using 2 sets of stock explorer springs. Nice and soft still too, flexes great. Still need to swap out the rear axle and take out the factory blocks though.

 

[delexploder]

Are you gonna do manual hubs?

 

[boominXplorer]

Nope, just going with a torsen l/s in the front.

 

[boominXplorer]

Finished my rear shock setup and gave it a flex. Have 5" up travel and 6" down.

 

[delexploder]

Badass!

 

[boominXplorer]

Boy I need to update this thread. Here's some more recent pics.....

 

[gmanpaint]

What did you do for the fan shroud? Leave it off or modify it?

 

[boominXplorer]

I'm running an E-fan with the radiator in the stock position(not dropped like you normally would with a body lift). I'm using a 2010 ford fusion fan with pulse width mod control (gives 4 speeds)

 

[gmanpaint]

Nice! That's one way to git er done.

 

[4pointslow]

Very nice work!
How do you like driving it now?
That V8 power has to be awesome!

 

[boominXplorer]

I've actually been daily driving it the last 3 months because I like driving it so much. The low end of the v8 along with it screaming exhaust note to 5800 rpm make it very enjoyable to drive. I've done a ton more to it than what I've posted, time has me limited.

 

[boominXplorer]

75mm tb w/3.5" intake

 

[Centaurus5.0]

Very Nice!