93 4.0 Engine build help

[Jakx13]

I'm looking to rebuild my 93 Explore motor. Since I'm going to open it up i might as well upgrade it. I'm looking at a set of mt95/98 heads (OEM+), a CompCam 422 cam, 12 Derges Noth valve springs, and a high flow oil pump. I know my rocker arms are worn out. i have looked around at what some people do with there's. Does anyone know what how changing the ratio effect these motors?

 

[410Fortune]

With that cam you are gonna want to run upgraded valve springs and measure for pushrod length for sure

I’m sure you have seen the upgrade valve train setups for a hot 4.0 big $$$$$

For the amount of money you are about to spend consider this
You might be stressing your old 93 transmission with the new power upgrades

For the same amount of money and similar amount of work you could have a v8
Or even a sohc engine

I have seen many people go down this path over the years
Ohv performance parts are $$$
Lots of custom work involved to get it right and tuning
Sohc pistons, sohc bottom and and double oil pan setup, race gas, the sky is the limit when looking to build a pushrod 4.0’

Still won’t make sohc power or v8 reliability and you may still need to update or upgrade your transmission and cooling

So you should consider a sohc conversion
Or better yet a 5.0
Back in 05 I went v8 instead of supercharged 4.0…. Best move I ever made still driving the bii TWENTY years later… let’s see a cammed high compression 4.0 pushrod do that

 

[Jakx13]

I already considered it. I don't want to do that. Im looking for a bit of a bump in power. So a rebuild is perfect. The heads are a must soon. Cams is for power. And I read that 302 rocker arms can fit.

 

[410Fortune]

Cool! Is this a 5 speed or auto?
Research is your best friend
Don’t believe everything you read without some sort of backup proof experience etc

What about a turbo? Might be cheaper just to keep the engine stock ish and run a small
Amount of boost

With a cam and some headers the 4.0
Can really scream that 422 cam is pretty wild sounding

 

[Jakx13]

Im putting a 4R70-W behind it. Working on it right now. If I go low compression I can go with two HHR turbos. And that's why I'm asking for more information about rocker arms. 12 Degrees North has a spring kit for the 4.0 I'm already asking them for more information.

 

[410Fortune]

Should do the 302 both turbos will be same amount of $$$ in the end … sorry to beat a dead horse I’ve just seen this done so many times

Adapting the 60 degree v6 to the 4r70w is interesting, the 5.0 just bolts up to it

 

[Jakx13]

That's what I pulled the 4R70-W out of, it's a small block windsor.

Rebuilding the 4.0 is cheaper to do then build and swap in a 302. Is looking closer to the cost of a set of 302 heads from Edelbrock to target the same RPMs. Both heads for the 4.0l will cost me $600, cam is $450, the spring are $400, and the piston are $150. Vrs the 302 Edelbrock RPM heads for a pair is $1900.

 

[Josh P]

Promaxx heads flow over 300 cfm and are cheaper than edelbrock. Everything you can do to the 4.0 you can do to the 5.0 and make more power. A 351W also fits and you could put twins on it.

 

[410Fortune]

How are you adapting the 4.0 to the 4r? How
Much is that gonna cost?

Will be cool! The ohv bottom end can handle some boost that’s for sure especially if you run the sohc girdle and oil pan setup

$600 heads… you better plan to go through them… the valve seats in the cheap heads are well … cheap. New seats and stem seals for sure… felpro or mahle are good

 

[Jakx13]

The plan is to go through them heads. If I boost I'm not going with 95 head, I'll do 90 heads with 95 pistons.

I going to sang a second bell hosing from the junk yard and braze it to the case of the 4R. I'm about $2k into it with a custom ECM. I got a stock flex plate and torque converter from the 5.0 I got the transmission from(96 explorer).

 

[410Fortune]

Custom ecm to control the 4r? This truck must be rwd
Sounds great we are going to want to see pictures!!

 

[Jakx13]

4x4. It's red 4-door with a two in lift. When I get further along with the project I'll get pictures don't worry.

 

[410Fortune]

So your gonna run a 4406 t case?
This is getting good

 

[Jakx13]

Not sure. The stock case looks like it should work. Well see though. Still looking at racker arms through. I'm looking at parts to rebuild the motor and need time to get parts.

 

[410Fortune]

The stock transfer case is a bw1354 and it will not bolt to the 4r70w
The aod/ aode/ 4r70w is a 30 spline 6 bolt ford t case
Your bw1354 is 27 or 28 spline and 5 bolts

You can get an adapter and output shaft to mate your 1354 t case to the 4r… they run about $600-800 and the 4r needs to be completely dismantled in order to install the output shaft. I have one of those adapters in my v8 bronco 2

There are 3ea 4wd options that bolt up and fit between your frame rails the bw4406, the ford np205 and the ford Dana20 all three will require custom mount and drivelines
The 4406 will likely require a small frame notch on the drivers rail

The 1356 transfer case is too wide for a 93
The other options are from 3/4 or 1 ton trucks and are way too big for your frame

Also your 93 dash and computer is looking for a speedometer cable and speed sensor mounted in the transfer case

You are getting very close to just doing a v8 conversion and turbo that sob
The power loss through the large 4r trans will be significant and it is a computer controlled transmission that works with obd2 computers… like I said this is getting very interesting very quickly

Your pcm will not operate the 4r70w even with a tune and a stand alone 4r controller is $1000+

Keeping the 4.0 is getting more and more expensive
The 302 at the end of the day ends up making similar power and can be done cheaper… just sayin

 

[Nedwreck]

@410Fortune with all this dead horse beating (heh), I'm wondering about the viability of a 3.5 Ecoboost in a 1st gen expo... has it been done?

 

[Josh P]

@410Fortune with all this dead horse beating (heh), I'm wondering about the viability of a 3.5 Ecoboost in a 1st gen expo... has it been done?

I'm itching to do one

 

[Nedwreck]

I'm itching to do one

Can't say I was initially a fan of the 3.5 eco, after servicing a few with 200k+ miles on them, I think I'm becoming a believer lol. Our guys pull boats and all manner of things fairly well, these guys drag butt on oil changes, and are generally not nice to them.

 

[Josh P]

Can't say I was initially a fan of the 3.5 eco, after servicing a few with 200k+ miles on them, I think I'm becoming a believer lol. Our guys pull boats and all manner of things fairly well, these guys drag butt on oil changes, and are generally not nice to them.

There's plenty of abused high mile units out there doing dependable, faithful service.

 

[410Fortune]

3.5 eco has been done yes
YouTube

If ford comes out with it somebody finds a way to shoehorn it into a ranger

However there are several reasons why I stick with the pushrod 302 (or 306 331 347)
It fits like factory and is serviceable with very few custom parts
Reliable and tough, basically a 3/4 ton Ranger
Your looking to make power? Okay add some boost supercharger turbo nitrous…
If you are looking for a 8 speed or 10 speed trans then I would start to look at mod engines or the eco
Not sure what kind of 4wd t case can go behind the Ecoboost…
The coyote and eco have become quite popular, restomod rangers!
Big budget builds compared to my 5.0 swaps
I did my bronco ii 20 years ago now… still runs great. Not sure Ecoboost guys can or will be able to say that