Engine swaps Explorer direct fit? V-6 Current to Ranger 4 cylinder for MPG

[James W Moore]

2003 Ford Explorer sport (2dr hardtop) 5 speed 4.0 with abt 130,000 miles. It has no issues as of right now. I have looked into the engine swaps (most folks go for power and bigger) I know most of these swaps are either a direct Explorer (or explorer equivalent Mountaineer/Aviator or Ranger) So easy swap would be the 4.0 sohc for same motor or possibly 4.0 OHV older style motor. Or something bigger like a 5.0 v-8 or 4.6 v-8 out of a similar year. Has anyone gone for MPG and taken a smaller Ranger 4 cylinder and dropped it into an Explorer? I have a buddy with 3 totaled ford Rangers (muddy runners now) 2002-2006 all 4 cylinder 5 speeds only rwd. He has a 4th Ranger 4x4 his favorite he modded with a 5.0 and 5 speed (which is his favorite). He told me if I wanted any of the 4 cylinders I could have them with tranny attached. So my question is with computer and wiring harness, could I stick the Ford Ranger 4 cylinder with 5 speed tranny bolt right into the 2003 Explorer SPORT. Considering it is a smaller more many of the parts and frame mounting areas are the same. The weight difference between a Ford Ranger and the Explorer sport is close. I also thought about a major refit of the Ford straight 6 and manual 4 speed cause I have a 1974 F-150 (no computer crap to deal with but same poor MPG) with this and a broken rusted out frame but it ran when parked...I have the parts, I'll do the work. I do not want to have to go buy stuff, If I don't have to. Anyone ever done either?

 

[Tech By Trade]

The days of the engine swap ended with the dawn of the computer. Enough money and you can get anything done, but if your spending that kind of cash, you might as well buy new.

 

[James W Moore]

I cannot honestly say I would ever buy any NEW crap they sell now unless it was a Toyota. I need things I can see were proven to run. That said an engine replacement is not really all that hard apples for apples. It is when you start swapping other motors around. At 53 I have done two motor swaps. 66 Ford Galaxie 352 pulled out for a 428 HO That I burned up in a short and swapped the 352 back in. took tow days of my time both swaps on the Galaixe. The other was a Ford 95 Ranger I think it was a while back, it had the 8 spark plugs, I bought it blown up and swapped out the motor for another 4 cylinder motor it then got like 30 mpg on the freeway with an OD 5 speed. A guy saw it and offered me twice what I had in it, so I sold it and bought an Escape hybrid even up. I wish I had kept it now. I know the Ford Explorer 'sport' 2 dr SUV (not sport trac 4 dr pickup) v-6 is a decent engine when it runs, but when it goes it gets expensive to repair. This is why I already am acquiring parts, so far I got two motors and drive trains FREE. While they are free and I know were running, they are not direct replacements for the 2003 Explorer. The inline/ standard 4 cyl is a decent motor that gets good MPG and I have the complete drivetrain and rear end with computers and wire harness(ok I have the whole wrecked truck). Also the same with the broken down 74 with the bullet proof inline 6 and a standard 4. frame/cab/bed all rusted out. both rwd. I was hoping I could get someone who had down one of these engine swaps to chime it.

 

[Tech By Trade]

I mean, you pretty much need an entire donor, the computer talks to 1 engine system, 1 transmission system and 1 gauge cluster, if that's it. Unless you can code, or pay someone to code for you, bolting any old engine up to any old transmission is impossible. You pretty much need to swap the entire powertrain, emissions, and cluster, and then go in and disable all the other alarms in the code. Check out the second gen sport trac section. There was a fellow who put a coyote in a sport trac, and got it to work, after a small fortune. Another fellow managed to cram a standard in a newer ex, the third gen section I do believe. V8s into first gen sport trac is posible, because the ex of the same vintage had a V8 so the cluster, transimission and engine are a simple swap. The right amount of money anything is possible.
On a side note, isnt the newer inline a transverse mount? Most of the new "cars" front wheel drive with rear wheel assist.

 

[410Fortune]

You can probably put the Ranger 4 banger into your 03 sport yes
I cannot say I have seen this conversion before but I do not see why it cannot be done. The ranger was built with a 4 cylinder engine until 2011 I believe and from 98-2011 they are very similar to your 03 sport.
Both vehicles came from the factory with the 4.0L SOHC V6 and the 5r55e transmission, or the Mazda M5od stick shift.
The 98+ rangers had a OHV 4.0L until 2000, a 3.0L V6, a 4 cylinder and the SOHC 4.0L with different versions of the 4r55e and 5r55e automatic as well as the M5Od 5 speed manual

So if you really want to convert your 03 sport to a 4 banger Ranger engine it can be done and getting it to talk to your trucks instrument cluster and work with the PATS security can all be done and you do not need to be a programmer of code to make it happen.

Rangers have been converted to anything from mild to wild, 4 cylinder turbo, 4 cylinder diesel, 5.0L pushrod V8, 4.6L ohc V8, small blocks, big blocks, Chevy engines...whatever it can be done
if I had the $$$ I would consider converting one to the new Cummins 2.8L re power pack as long as I could add some fuel and a larger turbo and make more then 190HP I think that new cummins would be a good fit! I just need about $30K to make it happen

 

[Lurch Church]

How about making my 2005 Explorer V6 RWD into a 396 big block chevy with 4WD? Possible? or just go buy a Raptor?

 

[imp]

@James W Moore One additional problem not mentioned is the ABS: if you retain the 2003 electronics, you might get it to work, but beware '03 and up the ABS has plenty of "control" over the eng. running; it can shut you down, completely. Happened to me, drove me up the wall for quite awhile until I found a used ABS module. If you do NOT keep the current electronics, nothing on your dashboard can be made to work. All the gauges, speedo/odo, almost everything there is no longer lightbulbs, but LEDs fed by digital signal called "CAN Bus".

Some guys have worked around all this, Forscan and what have you, but I could not. imp

 

[James W Moore]

How about making my 2005 Explorer V6 RWD into a 396 big block chevy with 4WD? Possible? or just go buy a Raptor?

I do not know about the Chevy Motor, this is a limited amount of room for this SUV in the engine compartment. Unfortunately you cannot stuff anything in there. You can hardly fit the 4.6 or 5.0 in there and it almost has to be pulled from another explorer to fit. Now unless you are MR WIZARD and can do all the electronic stuff, cut out the firewall. cut and reweld the cross supports and frame mounts... It will be a helleva lot of work. But it would be cool and unique. I just want a more bolt in easy fix. I have given up and the straight 6 because it is too long a block. Radiator would have to come out, cut out that mount and cut out firewall as well as re rig all the undersupports and mounts, new drive shaft and different rear end ( I do not believe the factory rear end would handle a more torque motor) I have looked and compared the 4 banger ranger motor I have with tranny unit and drive shaft is all exact down to the MM. Even the rear end has the proper bolt pattern. So I am looking at a direct bolt it. It is less power BUT all the new suspension parts I already have on the explorer will stay. I hope it will get about the same MPG as the rating for the Ranger. Imagine a Ford Explorer getting almost 30 mpg? The clutch system is identical, tranny has a few different hook ups. This set up is NOT for more power but strictly better MPG. curb weight 2003 Explorer 4095 (mine is a sport so it is shorter should be less) 2003 Ranger 3000-3700 (donor truck is a 2004) Ranger towing capacity 4 cyl is 2000 lbs. So I can easily haul a mower or motorcycle trailer with it.

 

[James W Moore]

I was also told by a guy who does engine swaps (he could do this) He may be able to keep the computer in the explorer cause it has the same numbers as the one in the donor ranger... I am not computer savay but he said he could flash the info (or copy it). He told me there have been changes made to the computer system, The manufacture is making it almost impossible to DIY engine swap now, or just take it to any mechanic. They want it all to go through a dealer. Engine swap will have to be a direct replacement for 2010 and up, or you have to customize everything.

 

[Argentimage]

just get a LS Chevy, the porsche guys do this ll the time, they come with gas pedal(wire) ppm and harness, then you'll blow the joke of a trans in these g3's which will start you on a different project.