LS Swap in a second gen Explorer

[DemonMudder]

Search on YouTube for some 7.3 videos. There are people who have made 750hp and more, much more with boost and better valvetrain parts.

The best part of the 7.3 is that it's a modern design, it has variable valve timing, VVT. So the power curve is huge and flat. It is still a new engine, so long term lifespan is a little unknown. It can be bored to gain a good 25ci, and stroked to get 30ci or more, so imagine a 480 with VVT.

Man, and I thought a few 383s I looked at earlier with over 400 hp and torque were nice! Dang that kind of power would be so nice! Man I need to save my cash and get some power upgrades done!
Really hope someone here genuinely has the cash and time to try and 7.3 swap an X, that would be crazy! Especially with a few mods fone.

 

[CDW6212R]

Man, and I thought a few 383s I looked at earlier with over 400 hp and torque were nice! Dang that kind of power would be so nice! Man I need to save my cash and get some power upgrades done!
Really hope someone here genuinely has the cash and time to try and 7.3 swap an X, that would be crazy! Especially with a few mods fone.

Those will probably require the same kind of PCM "control pack" that people are using for the Coyote engines. The late model cars have several other systems(modules) inter connected with the stock PCM, so operating one stand alone isn't practical or easy. The Coyote Control Pack I have seen posts suggesting it can be $3k alone. That's a big deal and a huge expense to add to a budget for a swap project.

 

[DemonMudder]

Those will probably require the same kind of PCM "control pack" that people are using for the Coyote engines. The late model cars have several other systems(modules) inter connected with the stock PCM, so operating one stand alone isn't practical or easy. The Coyote Control Pack I have seen posts suggesting it can be $3k alone. That's a big deal and a huge expense to add to a budget for a swap project.

Yeah, just a tad expensive, that's not even including the crate engine itself

 

[Josh P]

Eventually there will be enough out there for the price to drop some. Some people can take the factory pcm and delete all the modules so you can swap it into anything and it will work. The LS has the market covered as far as ease of swap, and aftermarket support. Once enough 7.3 swaps happen, the support will grow.

 

[DemonMudder]

Eventually there will be enough out there for the price to drop some. Some people can take the factory pcm and delete all the modules so you can swap it into anything and it will work. The LS has the market covered as far as ease of swap, and aftermarket support. Once enough 7.3 swaps happen, the support will grow.

Eventually, yeah, going to be a good bit though. A lot of people do the ls swaps, so definitely plenty of writeups for that on many kinds of vehicles. Shall be interesting to see what all swaps end up occurring

 

[Josh P]

Eventually, yeah, going to be a good bit though. A lot of people do the ls swaps, so definitely plenty of writeups for that on many kinds of vehicles. Shall be interesting to see what all swaps end up occurring

4pointslow should have taken the offer for that 1st gen. Great vehicle to practice an LS swap on, then place it for sale here for one of us to roast the tires off it.

 

[DemonMudder]

4pointslow should have taken the offer for that 1st gen. Great vehicle to practice an LS swap on, then place it for sale here for one of us to roast the tires off it.

True, not a bad idea!

 

[4pointslow]

I would love to see the Ford gas 7.3 swap become more common than the LS Swap.

 

[97Sandbox]

The more I read about the Godzilla, the more I want to see what it takes to get one into a 2nd gen Ex. From a cost and aftermarket support standpoint, it'll take a couple decades to catch up to the LS though.

Still, for someone with serious fab skills and/or swap experience, one of the E-250 take-out setups these guys are offering would be enticing. $8200 for engine and ECU, then slap a $2800 Tremec TKX behind it and you've got yourself a heck of a swap.

How much does a decent LQ4/LQ9 go for these days?

 

[joney]

@4pointslow If you weren't so far away, I would sell you my solid, salt free, southern 1997 4.0 SOHC powered Explorer. The engine and transmission are tired, but they still work. In our state of Alabama, road salt is rarely, if ever used here. It snows maybe 2 inches a year for 2 or 3 hours total. We don't get snow like Texas does. It would be great for your conversion without taking apart your other race truck. I see now that you are looking for a 2 door. Mine is 4 dr. Let me know if you need someone to help you search for a solid, salt free 2 dr. They are around but get crushed if they sit too long.

Do you know of any of your JYs there, sell online? Wouldn't mind some original panels (inner rocker panel, etc) rubber fender well panels, etc. etc. to put on my 2nd gen. Although I suspect people cut them off themselves if allowed to. Rust free, only a wish up here.

 

[joney]

Super pumped to watch this build!

I too was searching for a '95 Sport to LS swap for over a year (same reason, emissions exemption). Eventually, I had to broaden my search because I just wasn't finding much and a lot of what I found was beat to death.

Steering clear of all the rust buckets in my area, I was searching across the country and expecting to buy one based off only pictures and have it shipped to me. Eventually I got lucky when an '00 from Texas popped up on Marketplace in Michigan four hours away from me -- that's the Sport I have now.

In Wisconsin, you can register cars that are 20+ years old as "Hobbyist" vehicles and you only have to pay registration and get emissions testing one time (at the time of the initial registration) and then there's never a follow-up. Only restriction is no driving in the month of January, of course you don't want to drive a hobby truck on our salty roads then anyway. Maybe NJ has a similar registration option?

Keep up the good work and keep the pictures coming! I know Eric's '99 deleted AC and you want to keep it (I do too), so I'm interested when you eventually get to that. Not to mention, given my recent oil in the cooling system, I may end up trading my 4.0 for a 6.0 and start building along with you...

Good news to me, thanks for the info! No emissions testing up here, No driving only in January? Of course we get salt several other months. It's my daily driver (98 XLT SOHC) but only 5k miles/year anyway. Cool!

 

[CDW6212R]

The more I read about the Godzilla, the more I want to see what it takes to get one into a 2nd gen Ex. From a cost and aftermarket support standpoint, it'll take a couple decades to catch up to the LS though.

Still, for someone with serious fab skills and/or swap experience, one of the E-250 take-out setups these guys are offering would be enticing. $8200 for engine and ECU, then slap a $2800 Tremec TKX behind it and you've got yourself a heck of a swap.

How much does a decent LQ4/LQ9 go for these days?

Skip the 7.3 idea for the early Explorers, it won't fit, it would require moving the engine back into and through the firewall(maybe 3"). That 7.3 will be about the same length as older big blocks(bore spacing is almost 1/2" more). The block length will be about two inches longer, plus the extra length of that water pump compared to a 302 Explorer WP. The stock 302 has no extra space between the WP and the radiator, the later thin radiator had about an inch of extra space. The 7.3 would require serious modifications that you woundn't want to make, to the firewall, AC box, and radiator support( to move it forward). That wouldn't be worth it.

 

[4pointslow]

The more I read about the Godzilla, the more I want to see what it takes to get one into a 2nd gen Ex. From a cost and aftermarket support standpoint, it'll take a couple decades to catch up to the LS though.

Still, for someone with serious fab skills and/or swap experience, one of the E-250 take-out setups these guys are offering would be enticing. $8200 for engine and ECU, then slap a $2800 Tremec TKX behind it and you've got yourself a heck of a swap.

How much does a decent LQ4/LQ9 go for these days?

I don't know at the moment but I bought my 5.3 with harness, PCM, 4L60e, and transfercase for 500.00. If I decide to buy a different setup I will post the cost here.

 

[4pointslow]

Do you know of any of your JYs there, sell online? Wouldn't mind some original panels (inner rocker panel, etc) rubber fender well panels, etc. etc. to put on my 2nd gen. Although I suspect people cut them off themselves if allowed to. Rust free, only a wish up here.

Everything is rusty here in NJ.

 

[4pointslow]

Maybe I should start a thread called what would you swap in your explorer, it seems like it would be a hit.

 

[donalds]

 

[DemonMudder]

Maybe I should start a thread called what would you swap in your explorer, it seems like it would be a hit.

Let's do it!

 

[Turdle]

What engine do you want?

What engine would you want in your X and why?

www.explorerforum.com

 

[DemonMudder]

What engine do you want?

What engine would you want in your X and why?

www.explorerforum.com

Oh well that works!

 

[joney]

Everything is rusty here in NJ.

Here too, but All My Exes is in Georgia!