96 5.0 tuning? where how who | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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96 5.0 tuning? where how who

matp232

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October 31, 2016
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City, State
Spotswood nj
Year, Model & Trim Level
96 ford explorer
Okay guys I'm going crazy here. I've been searching to the point of making my eyes burn so I make this thread and off to bed I go. I've been looking in the NJ PA area for anybody that would just give me a kind of "wake up" tune. All I've heard so far from shops Ive called is either that it's too old and they don't work at that software anymore (understandable)and not to bother, it's not worth. Maybe to them it's not worth it but I'm sure they didn't tell that to all the Mustang owners in the late 90s. I just want a little tune, maybe some timing adjusted and some shift points but I can't find a shop anywhere near me that's willing to do it and I can't find software to do it on my own. Does anybody know of a shop in the NJ area or maybe something and I can purchase on my own?? Any help would be incredibly appreciated. Getting the exhaust on right after Christmas along with the shift kit so I'd like to get this thing fine tuning
 



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if you want to tune yourself, you can get a proracer package from sct. you will also need to buy a hand held device as well (it will probably work out close to $1000) but be warned. it isnt easy by any means (i have one, and i cant understand it, i have to get a member here to do it for me, and lucky for me he's 20 mins from me),
or you can go the remote tune way, and thats where, once again, you get a hand held tuning device (sct again) and send the tuner (i recommend lasota racing http://www.lasotaracing.com/index.html) datalog files that you record, and he does the tuning, and emails you a file back and you would also need a wideband as well, or you can just get a out of the box tune for your truck.
its really not worth it if your truck is stock however. even if you just have a cold air intake or exhaust and header, but if you are going to do some major things to the truck, then yes you would want tuning.
contact don lasota racing. he is very easy to talk to, very smart at what he does and also mention that someone here on the forum recommend you that way he will know where you found him. myself and a few other members have dealt with him and have nothing but good to say about him. i am not sure if he is in NJ however.
 






yea Ive got buddies that probably know how to use that but i'm not looking to get that crazy with cash. i just figured somebody that could throw it on a dyno or drive it and just tweak some of the parameters.
 












I have a shop by me that can dyno tune but they only have a 2 wheel dyno.I am full time awd so i can't even dyno tune till i do the transfer case swap.I feel your pain with tuning nonsense.Then trying to find headers for the 5.0 is another story.Sometimes i think i picked the wrong vehicle to mod.LOL
 






pull the front drive shaft. as for picked the wrong vehicle? you should see the faces of mustang, camaro and a few vette owners when i hand them their ass
 






pull the front drive shaft. as for picked the wrong vehicle? you should see the faces of mustang, camaro and a few vette owners when i hand them their ass
I'm not at your level but I've surprised quite a few myself. It's fun...
 






pull the front drive shaft. as for picked the wrong vehicle? you should see the faces of mustang, camaro and a few vette owners when i hand them their ass


I was told the transfer case is a 60 40 split.If i pulled the shaft i think i would only be getting 60% power to the rear correct ? I think that would damage the transfer case in time running like that.
 






I have a buddy that said he could LS swap my mountaineer if i found him a donor and paid a few thousand.I am strongly thinking of going that route.The parts are much cheaper and much more power is made for cheap.Hell he could get 600 HP out of that engine with no sweat.Then all the fancy parts that are available with just the turn of a page in the Jeg's catalog or any catalog and headers are dirt cheap for a LS.
 






Good luck. It's wider than the 5.0 that's already a very tight fit. As for headers... They sure are. But they won't fit in an explorer. You'll be spending a few thousand for quality headers alone.

You'll be looking at 10k for a clean reliable swap.
 






I was told the transfer case is a 60 40 split.If i pulled the shaft i think i would only be getting 60% power to the rear correct ? I think that would damage the transfer case in time running like that.
i can not say yes or no to that. there has been people that have pulled the front drive shaft out, and other then it creeping a little in park have had no issues power wise. as for damaging the case, i would have to say no to that as well, but if your doing a 4406 swap, will it really matter?

Good luck. It's wider than the 5.0 that's already a very tight fit. As for headers... They sure are. But they won't fit in an explorer. You'll be spending a few thousand for quality headers alone.

You'll be looking at 10k for a clean reliable swap.

that.
 






Good luck. It's wider than the 5.0 that's already a very tight fit. As for headers... They sure are. But they won't fit in an explorer. You'll be spending a few thousand for quality headers alone.

You'll be looking at 10k for a clean reliable swap.



Not sure buddy if you know the real cost of having a 5.0 built by a engine shop ? I MEAN BUILT ! Hell the build i have now costed me $3,650 from a shop.Its still not a bullet proof build but its the next step down from it.If i were to have a shop bullet proof the 5.0 and supercharge it.That would be close to 7K.Try calling livernois and asking them how much for a Built supercharged 5.0 ! with tuning and hardened parts and headers.You think i care about 10K ?
 






Good luck. It's wider than the 5.0 that's already a very tight fit. As for headers... They sure are. But they won't fit in an explorer. You'll be spending a few thousand for quality headers alone.

You'll be looking at 10k for a clean reliable swap.



I also want to say that people have done LS swap's in the fox body mustangs all day long ! My buddy does that now with no fitment issues.Since the explorer 5.0 is almost the same thing in a fox body i find all of that fitment nonsense pretty hard to believe.He is also a fabricator so he would have no problems fitting LS headers.
 






.Since the explorer 5.0 is A L M O S T the same thing in a fox body

i highlighted your key word.

you need to remember something. they make swap kits for foxbody/LS swaps now. they dont make anything for a explorer. everything would be done from scratch. with that said, and if your getting your buddy to do it, i would have to think he would want more then a case of beer to do it.
 






I also want to say that people have done LS swap's in the fox body mustangs all day long ! My buddy does that now with no fitment issues.Since the explorer 5.0 is almost the same thing in a fox body i find all of that fitment nonsense pretty hard to believe.He is also a fabricator so he would have no problems fitting LS headers.
Fox has more room but by all means.... Go for it.

People also swap the 32v 4.6 in the fox. It's just slightly bigger than a 302
 






I want to see an LS in an explorer 2nd Gen. It would be super cool.

I say....get it done!
 






Not sure buddy if you know the real cost of having a 5.0 built by a engine shop ? I MEAN BUILT ! Hell the build i have now costed me $3,650 from a shop.Its still not a bullet proof build but its the next step down from it.If i were to have a shop bullet proof the 5.0 and supercharge it.That would be close to 7K.Try calling livernois and asking them how much for a Built supercharged 5.0 ! with tuning and hardened parts and headers.You think i care about 10K ?
I know what it costs to build a real 302. See my sig... You think I give 2 ***** about building a pushrod engine?

How built are you to spend nearly 4k? I've got over a grand in just my cam doing it myself. If I would have done it for a customer there would have been 2 grand in labor on top of that because if I'm being paid I don't cut corners or cheat. It's done by the book
 












I know what it costs to build a real 302. See my sig... You think I give 2 ***** about building a pushrod engine?

How built are you to spend nearly 4k? I've got over a grand in just my cam doing it myself. If I would have done it for a customer there would have been 2 grand in labor on top of that because if I'm being paid I don't cut corners or cheat. It's done by the book



I can't remember it all as its been 3 years.But just a few of the items are as follows.Aluminum roller rockers.H beam rods,Hyper pistons with racing rings,Double roller,Springs,Cast steel eagle crank.Bored .40 over.Much more but i can't recall.This was all done by a shop not by me in a backyard LOL.Next up was a forged build.No cam done at that time as shop had no tuner capabilities it was just a engine shop only.I have a cold air fender intake and straight pipe exhaust done.
 



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I want to see an LS in an explorer 2nd Gen. It would be super cool.

I say....get it done!


Thanks man ! My buddy is egging me on to come do it.LOL. I am trying to pay my house off early so that is holding me back from anymore mods at this time.But when i do go and consult with him i will make sure to keep people in the loop if its possible to do the swap.Only downside i see is loosing AC due to space and not being allowed into ford car shows as i wouldn't be a purist.
 






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