5.0L or 4.0L rebuild?

[93 Exploder]

one of my 93's has a HEAVY knock in the motor, and is brutally sluggish. its been off the road for well over a year before i bought it to get back into off roading. i was going to do a straight out 4.0L swap just to get it running again but im not really interested in all that work for nothing special. my first alternative was to rebuild the motor and replace as many parts as needed and upgrade what i can. my OTHER option, is a carb'd '86 HO roller motor that is sitting in my "DOA" '85 GT HO mustang. it has had major wrench work done to it and was mutually BELIEVED to be pushing over 300hp(never dyno'd) when i originally got the car. i would love to put the 5.0L in it but am not sure what kind of trouble im getting myself into as i have heard many horror stories about the work involved in fitting an 8 into an early explorer. what should i do, and what can i expect in doing so?

 

[cculter]

That would definatly be a worth while swap. There is tons of info on this website about putting a 5.0 in the first generation. 410 fortune has a very lengthy thread with many pictures, however he put the 5.0 into his Bronco II. Many other guys here have succesfully transplanted the 5.0. New motor mounts, headers, trans are some things to think about.

 

[93 Exploder]

ok... i think i know where im going with my trucks. im wingin this. i want a first gen 4x4 sport. im looking into getting one even as i type lol. i am tossing up some ideas to maximize my resources. i am junking my mustang, an 85 GT with an 86 HO motor, stock 86 5 speed, and an 8.8 posi rear end. i want to keep the motor trans and rear, but dont want too many costly projects at once. i am curently looking to lift my green 93 xlt, buy a (93) sport, and get another foxbody mustang. ill pass on the mustang if i get the sport. now what i want to do is put the 5.0L into the sport, rebuild the 4.0L in the xlt, and sell the other xlt. but heres the new question..and it may be a stupid one but i dont know much about part swapping: will my stock mustang trans fit in the sport, and will the 8.8 posi fit in there as well without too much rigging? will i need anything special to make it work well?

btw, for anyone who is interested, this is what set me off on commiting to the sport. http://www.explorer4x4.com/todd.html

 

[91exploreron37]

Why do you want the sport? Because you think it looks better or because its a manual? The easiest and most cheapest route would be to rebuild the 4.0 and add a cam, port the head and headers if you want more power.

I'm not sure but the rear axle on the mustang might be narrower than the explorer's and also its coil sprung and the drivehaft flange might be different so that would probably take some work.
If the tailhousing is removable on the stang tranny then you would have to get a 4WD tailshaft and tailhousing to replace the 2wd parts which means completely dissasembling the transmission.

As far as the v8 swap check out advanceadapters.com but you will need v8 motor mounts, either AA custom headers or junkyard 2gen V8 explorer manifolds, new radiator, dual sump oil pan(that stang engine should have that kind of oil pan), Oil filter relocation kit, and tranfercase adapter so you can mount your transfer on the v8 tranny, you will also need a fuel pressure regulator for the carb. There's probably a few more items I've forgot.

 

[91exploreron37]

I was considering a v8 swap but I found a good deal on a rebuilt(with cam, dual valve springs, head port, and headers) 4.0 and manual tranny from a ford ranger. So I went that route and converted my auto to manual as well. Took only two days, one day out, one day in. Im pretty pleased with it.

 

[93 Exploder]

i want the sport for both reasons actually, and then some. i want a small 2 door for when im offroading with minimal or no passengers, and the 4 door for when im touring people around (simply for ease of exit in emergency situations). i have a decent handfull of people who seem to love my adventures as a "wheelman" so i have thought this thru a bit. i got the 4 doors because of this, but have always, always wanted a sport. ive never lifted or really modified my X's so this is mildly new to me. i have had minimal experience with other things kind of like this before, and i know a good deal of my way around mechanics. anyway, thank you 91/37, by the sound of your post it doesnt seem as difficult as i was told to make this happen. ill double check the mustang parts and see what kind of problems the posi may cause. if i cant find a home for these parts they'll most likely land in a scrap yard, since my yard needs to be cleared. 4 unregistered vehicles is over NH law by 3...


heres a thought.... anyone wanna buy a parts mustang with a ballsy 302 and posi 8.8? also has 2.5" outlaws on it to make it sound absolutely sexy. or come buy my '94 chevy blazer, im replacing the spider injector this week! lol

 

[91exploreron37]

No its not difficult at all especially since its gonna be carb'd but what discouraged me from doing the V8 swap was the total price of all the conversion parts plus trying to find the correct 4-wheel drive V8 tranny.

 

[93 Exploder]

i guess i could probably get a trans out of a wrecked sport, or something similar. a friend of mine scraps cars for an acceptable living, and in one week he junked 2 1st gen and 1 2nd gen 4 doors due to a rollover and 2 tbones. i wish i had thought about this then. but i didnt have my trucks at the time. i always knew id be getting more explorers because i really missed my first one. i just wish there were more junkable explorers kickin around for me to steal parts from. lol a 5 speed trans from a comparable year f 150 wouldnt work would it?

 

[CDW6212R]

Welcome to the site, and your ideas are good and have been tossed about before.

The 302 easily bolts into the 1st gen. Explorers, but radiator and fan clearance is a major issue. That problem is solved if you use an Explorer 302 front dress(accessories and brackets)(96-01).

The Mustang AOD also bolts right in, but to make it 4WD you would need a 4WD output shaft and tail housing, from a 4WD AOD(F150/Bronco).

The rear from the Mustang is not a good choice because the suspension mounts and length are all wrong. Find a 95-01 Explorer rear end, those are all 31 spline 8.8's with disc brakes. They bolt right in as well, with normal brake line and pressure issues.

I suggest that you sell the Mustang complete or all of the parts, and find a donor 96-01 302 engine/trans/harness etc. The actual Explorer 302 systems bolt right into the older trucks, and the fuel injection is far better than any older system. The cost if you get the whole set of parts together will be close to what you might sell the engine/trans from the Mustang for.

Hunt around this site with the search function and try to find the many threads where others have discussed swaps for the 1st gen. Explorers. Good luck,

 

[wolfnutts]

hey # 93 keep me updated on your parts listing stuff u arnt going to use im about 20 min away could use a 4.0 short block to build up how much for that mustang ??

 

[91exploreron37]

I think the 5-speed trans from an F-150 is different and won't fit without modifications, but a 5-speed from a 4.0 and I believe the 2.9 ranger (far easier to find than a 5-speed explorer) is the same trans(M5OD) thats in the explorer.

 

[bobthekatt7]

I was wondering if the 302 left so little clearance, would a 289 work? It's not much more room...if any (I don't know the exact measurements, just eyeball). Also, would a 289 work in an 1st gen X? My knowledge of 289s vastly outweighs that of the 302s, and it helps I happen to have a 289 laying around needing a home in case I don't get my rolling chassis Falcon or Foxbody.

 

[93 Exploder]

if im not mistaken, the 289 and the 302 are almost the same, with the exception of the stroke and camshaft. youll bump into the same issues either way. if you have the 289 to swap into it you might as well, but a 302 has better internal parts and will produce more power for less money.

 

[CDW6212R]

The 289 was great when it was new, but the only difference there is the crank and rods. All of the Explorer 302 parts are superior, they make more power more efficiently. Use a 289 for an old Mustang where the matching parts factor is important.

FYI, for the same reasoning, I won't be using a 351 Cleveland for my final engine in my 73 Ranchero. I loved my Cleveland engines, and I have the makings of a 351C 2V, and a 400C 4V. I will build them to run a short while, and then sell them. A 351 Windsor is far better because of the vast number of aftermarket parts available.

For a late model Ford any fuel injection system is a whole lot better than any carbureted engine. Find an entire Explorer 302 engine/trans complete, and make the swap. These parts fit well, and are readily available. Good luck,

 

[410Fortune]

the 289 and 302 will take some work to fit in your gen I explorer
The front dress on the earlier (non serpentine belt) 5.0L's is LONG, the solution is to hack up or mount your radiator under the core support to gain the needed clearance.

None of the transmissions discussed here will just bolt into your truck, transmission x member and mount modifications will be required, sometimes minor, sometimes major, no two swaps are the same.

Putting a stockish carbed 302 into a Gen I ex is alot of work for little to no gain. The OHV 4.0L makes 160HP and 235 ft lbs of torque, the carbed non modded HO motor is just a bit more then this...many people who have gone down this road were dissapointed with the results.

A carbed conversion is not as expensive or difficult to do, but it still will cost money and require fabrication. Choosing the transmission and t case is the most important step IMO.

The 5.0L conversion has been done into Rangers, BII's and Explorer's in every single possible way, and documented online.

this exact topic has been discussed on this forum many many many times.