93 xlt rebuild. Need some help | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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93 xlt rebuild. Need some help

Peter-D

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June 10, 2016
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City, State
Kamloops bc
Year, Model & Trim Level
93 explorer 4.0l pushrod
So long story short. I got a steal of a deal on my explorer. Ended up paying $260. I took a bit of a risk.
And it payed off for awhile.
Through my travels i acquired a newish block from a friend of mine. And the time has come to make the swap. The motor in the suv has come to the end of its life.

What I cant seem to find is the info on what will be needed to make the swap in terms of parts and gaskets . I have my haynes guide so when it comes to the actual work i have the info.

I will also be changing the gasket between the engine and transmission. I have had a leak for a month but have kept on top of the fluids.

Thank you for taking the time to read though this
 



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You didn't say if you are swapping in the same engine, or something different.

No gasket between the engine and transmission. If there is an oil leak it's probably from the rear main seal of the engine. The pan has to come off to replace that. If it's tranny fluid that's leaking between them, it's the front pump seal on the transmission.

Welcome to the forum:chug;
 






Thanks for the reply Rick.
I have to either call the last owner of the other block. Or get a chance to head to where it is stored to check codes.
But lt is either a 4.0 pushrod or a 4.0dohc block from an explorer.
 






There are threads here about swapping from an OHV to a SOHC. It's definitely more complicated than swapping the same style engine.

The biggest difference is the engine management systems. The SOHC engines use OBDII and a different computer than the OHV motors. For a successful swap you need to match the engine sensors, with the harness,and computer that's in your vehicle, or do a complete harness, computer swap.

First step... Find out exactly what you have to work with.
 






BTW, I see your profile says you have a '93 with an SOHC... That's only possible if it has already been swapped in there as all first gen Explorers came with the OHV V6 as the only engine option.
 






I checked my haynes guide. And according to the Vin it has the Sohc. Just checked the plate inside the door. Turns out it was built in 93. So I guess it is a 94 my bad

Edit. I guess my memory sucks today.
It is a 4.0l pushrod motor. Not sure if that is the same as the ohv
 






ford vin #; 8th digit = engine (X= 4.0L 242 CID V6), 10TH digit = year (m/91, n/92, p/93, r/94)
 












All 1991-1994 have the 4.0 pushrod OHV. Only exception is what Rick mentioned, if someone swapped it out before. Also as Rick said, there's no gasket between the engine and trans. There looks like one but it's just an aluminum sheet. There's a special name for it but I can't remember. Basically it acts as a buffer to prevent the trans and engine from rubbing on each other. A leak there is serious business and you should hope for an oil leak rather than an ATF leak. If it's oil, it will be gone when you swap the engine.

Also, word of advice, the Haynes should be taken as a basic guide. It should not be used as 100% absolute truth for serious repairs. I have both the Chilton and Haynes but primarily rely on the Ford Factory Service Manual. It's nice to cross-reference to the Chilton and Haynes manuals. They word things different and have different pictures but if there's different information, I stick to the FSM. If you plan on keeping the vehicle a while, grab the FSM. The first one you should get is the Explorer Supplement Manual. It's the cheapest and usually found on eBay. The other two books are Volume 1 & 2 for the Ranger/Aerostar/Bronco. The Explorer Supplement Manual has stuff specific for the Explorer whereas shared components like the axles, frame and other items are in the other books.
 






I would replace the oil pan gasket, rear main seal, timing cover and harmonic balancer seal at a minimum. Freeze plugs as well with sealer on them.

All of these are easy when the engine is out. The oil pan requires the engine to be lifted and the freeze plugs are almost impossible with the engine in place.

Transfer all your old sensors, accessories, etc from the old engine to the new. If you want to replace sensors, do it after you get the new engine running, it makes diagnostics easier. I've seen lots of parts and a tune up done at one time and the car not start afterwards, makes it hard to figure out which one is bad or what was forgotten.

If you are reusing the old heads have them checked for cracks, cheap insurance for a known problem. Take particular care installing the lower intake manifold. It is known for water and vacuum leaks, later model gaskets are an improvement.
Install the injectors into the manifold THEN install the fuel rail. Lubing the injector o-rings with Vaseline is a great idea to keep them from damage when installing.

Best of Luck
 






Awesome. Thanks for all the help so far everyone. I will be starting to tear into it hopefully this weekend.
Just have to wait for payday. It will be nice to have her back on the road.

Hoping i will have the money to attack the radial arm bushings too. Get rid of that terrible noise.
 






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