5.0 Explorer Engine Replacement and Rebuild

[crunchie_frog]

Hi all,

I would like to ask you share your thoughts and comments about what you think I should do in this situation:

I have a 5.0 L 1997 (GT-40P heads) that was running at 185K miles in my garage.

I love driving and owning two 2000 5.0 (with GT-40P heads) AWD Explorers (actually one is a Mountaineer)

I am considering rebuilding the one in my garage to have as a spare for the two vehicles above.

I am considering buying a 1997 to 2001 that needs a 5.0 engine and putting it in and either selling it or keeping it.

So what would you do, rebuild it and keep it as a spare or try to make a few bucks by putting it something that is not running and getting it running and then reselling it.

Thanks for your thoughts and comments.

 

[CDW6212R]

I'd build it for a spare. There are lots of deals out there to buy a vehicle cheap to build, but how much do you need to worry about your two trucks breaking down? If you had two low mileage trucks, then maybe look harder for a different use for the spare 302.

I've run out of storage space, and I keep reading about good project vehicles. I need to get my vehicles finished as best I can before starting something new. How are you on being caught up with current projects?

 

[crunchie_frog]

Hi Don,

Good thoughts, the mileage on them is 110K and 160K so I may be needing one in the next few years. As far as projects, I seem to find more new ones than I can complete, another good point you make. Sounds like a quick rebuild and keeping as a spare is the way we are thinking on this. One contrary point is that the 302s seem to be extremely reliable and there are not a whole lot of threads where they are going bad, even at 200K+ so I may not ever see the day where I need the spare.

Any suggestions on brand or kind of rebuild kit I should look for? A friend suggested I not replace the pistons, just the rings and other wear parts/gaskets/seals.

Thanks for your comments! I used to live in Kingsport by the way, I see you are in Knoxville. Have fun!

 

[CDW6212R]

The 302's are very reliable, I haven't rebuilt any except for my 91 from my first Lincoln.

If it were mine I would plan ahead and budget for a new program for the PCM, which means a flasher and paying the tuner man. That's a few hundred dollars, and worth it if you went the route I'd take.

The stock engine has a truck cam in it and low compression for 87 octane. The heads and intake are decent for a 302, I'd just rebuild the heads well. I'd get an HO cam from any 87-93 302 HO, they are cheap to find, and last forever.

I would raise the compression with special new pistons, that would provide more power and fuel economy, if tuned properly. Don't go away from the stock compression unless you actually have the PCM tuned for the new compression. That means a tuner will need a wide band O2 run in it and have the information data-logged, which is possible for you to do without the tuner there. James here has done that many times. A compression of say 9.5:1 would help a lot, but the fuel would likely have to be 89 or higher. The cost of the higher octane is less than the mileage saved in most instances.

You don't need fancy roller rockers, but just high quality rebuilt head. If used TFS Twisted Wedge heads could be found and rebuilt instead, that would be good(if planned for(different piston shape to match, and the older Explorer GT40 header would be needed).

There's lots of ways to do it, so take your time and set a budget. Start adding up what things cost, the machine work etc, and then decide how fa you might go. Night,

 

[shadowless127]

Whatever route you go, don't cheap out on gaskets and seals.