Matt's '92/'99 4X4 V8/4R70W swap!

Vehicle: 1992 forest green Ford Explorer 4X4

(<Frikin Sweet)

Drivetrain: '99 GT-40P 5.0(4.9)L 302----4R70W Automatic

Well i got my engine so i guess its time to start a project thread! The timeline on this is pretty loose. but as soon as possible cause the ole 4.0 is making wierd noises.

EDIT: DO NOT be STUPID like me! Don't get a 2wd drivetrain to go into a 4wd vehicle! The transmission output shaft length is different and will require a full trans teardown to retrofit. Luckily one of the other awesome members of the forum has the parts I need to convert. But you may not be so lucky. I doubt most junkyards would sell you Just the shaft and housing. Would rather you buy the whole transmission.

Plans:
Full teardown and rebuild
Keeping the gt-40's
New gaskets,pistons,cam,bearings,lifters, the works.
Maybe new crank
maybe strokin it
build for future forced induction
Transfer case: Hhhhhhmmmmmmm... maybe bw1354(dont wanna) or 4406 if i can fit it between the frame rails
plans will definitely evolve as we go along

here the pics

cant wait to get this thing runnin!

 

[Spdrcer34]

Congratulations are in order...YOU BEAT ME. And you even started a couple weeks AFTER I did...

I am nursing an injury at the moment. I was moving my spare Explorer frame and as I was setting it down, it rolled forward and cut my ankle @ the archilles. 6 stitches later, I'm rolling around work in an Electric Mart-Cart for a while. So I can't do much of anything.

The motor sounds nice!...mine won't be TOO far behind.

Ryan

 

[seth247]

Friendly competitions are the best.

But you're doing way more than I am! Firewall and interior and all.

Man that sucks about your ankle I know that's a bad place to get cut. Is your tendon intact?

 

[CDW6212R]

Congratulations Matt, good work. Take your time getting the fluids and exhaust done, find the leaks early.

Ryan, sorry to hear of that pain, it's better than the thumb though yes? I'm about to swap the rear window regulators in my trucks, I'll try to do it without blood.

 

[Jakee]

Good deal man.

 

[seth247]

Figured out the fuel pump problem.

Got the new PS hose on and the water pump pulley and the belt.

No water leaks noticed yet.

I'm gonna have to find a new spot for my dual oil filters. There in the way of the ac fitting and too close to the ac compressor pulley for
my liking.

The engine died on my last test start and wouldn't start agin until it sat for awhile.

I'm hoping it's just running way rich cause I have no O2 sensors hooked up yet.

The female connetor on my trans that controls all the shift solenoids insde the transmission got broke sometime or other. So it still plugs in but the male connector on the harness has nothing to clip too or to seal against water.

I'm thinking of gluing the connector on once I have determined that all is well with the transmission. To keep it connected and keep out water.

I cannot describe to you guys how sexy this thing sounds in person. I'll have to borrow a decent quality video camera from someone.

I'll work on the temporary exhaust tonight. And maybe be driving tomorrow.

 

[CDW6212R]

Do you mean the external trans connector? Is that trans connector white, before 1998 it should be? After 97 it is black, and the wiring is different.

 

[seth247]

The male part on the harness is white and the female part on the trans that broke is black.

It's the one that passes through the case and then hooks to the circuit board harness thing inside the pan area.

 

[CDW6212R]

Okay, so refresh my memory, which year parts do you have, the trans, PCM, and trans harness? Those internal trans harnesses are easy to come by, about $20 at most new.

 

[seth247]

I don't know for sure what year the engine and trans and harnesses are(I don't trust the junkyard when they said '99) but they all came off the same car. Only thing new is the PCM which is a 96 according to the guy I bought it from.(ped5stang I think)

it's not the circuit board that's busted it the pass-thru connector that connects it and the trans harness, through the case.

I'll try and get ahold of another one and replace it at my next fluid change(pretty soon)

I'm most worried about the engine dying earlier. It been buggin me all day.

 

[CDW6212R]

Try to find the pin out chart to compare the wire colors you have in the trans wiring harness. Pull that connector and right down the colors and locations if you can before driving it. The black trans connector in the trans is a 1998 up part, and the internal wires are different than the pre 98 trans harness, which matches the PCM. Meaning that you need to move wires around inside that trans harness connector, the part outside the trans. It is not hard at all, but the trans will not work properly until that is done.

You need the wiring chart I mentioned, it's really easy once you see what I'm talking about.

 

[seth247]

Well it looks like the stock cats are gonna have to go. Just not enough room down there.

As you would expect I am extremely broken up by this.


Honestly there could be tears.



Oh well. *sniff* Goodbye old cats.

Good times. good times.

 

[seth247]

What difference is there in the computer in a returnless fuel system versus a return style?

 

[CDW6212R]

The 98 up has PATS, another module to deal with, and a little more in the fuel system. The 99 up returnless also has an additional sensor or two for the fuel system to monitor the fuel tank pressure or something, more stuff you don't have to have before 1999. The different fuel pressure is the least of the changes, and the easiest to handle.

Can you find out which wiring harnesses you have for the engine, and transmission? The wiring for the trans changed in the harnesses, and inside the trans, after 1997. If you have the pre 98 wiring, which matches the PCM, then only the one connector at the trans needs re pinning. If you have the 98 or newer wiring, then the wiring change needs to be done in one of the other wiring connectors. I think that you can use the later wiring with the 96 PCM if that's what you have. It would just be different to find the wiring diagrams for the other connectors. Those will have more wires in them of course, which is why it's better to match the wiring from the same models as the PCM.

 

[jakebrake]

What do you do about the tank pressure sensor?

 

[seth247]

I've decided to ignore the crap out of the tank pressure transducer.

Also haven't hooked up the egr or evap.

I don't know any way of determining the year other than the sticker on the valve cover(missing) or the junkyard. When I bought it they said it was a '99. The return style fuel system makes me doubt this.

I don't remember the name of the junkyard. Nor the location. It was some place way north of town and it was 3/4's of a Year ago.

Also
I bought a computer out of a '98 today.

I'll try it out Tomorrow. Pats I can deal with. Pulling that harness back out to switch pins is not a prospect towards which I feel affectionate.

 

[CDW6212R]

You have an older 302, that's easy to see. The PCM is 1996, the trans is 98 up, so really the question is the wiring harnesses.

There is the engine harness, and I'm sure the trans harness plugs in to it doesn't it? I don't think the trans harness is part of the engine harness, is it? The point is that the change needed can be done at the wiring connectors. You don't have to add any, or cut out any, what is needed is there, just not in the right holes.

Did the trans come with its own harness, and you used that one? Did you use the engine harness that came with it? Those both plug in together, and to the trans, but the wires are mixed up between the 96/97 and 1998 up years. You will need to pull one of those connectors apart and pull a couple of wires(2-4) and move them around in that connector. All connectors have a tiny plastic lock, a piece which you can remove with a small pick or paperclip etc.

 

[CDW6212R]

You need to find wiring diagrams for the connector which you will swap the wires in, each is numbered. Find the diagram for a 96/97 302 Explorer, and the 98-01 302 Explorer. They will be different. You will need to find the trans connector wiring charts also, to know which wires(colors and function) to find in the other connector.

 

[seth247]

The trans harness merges with the engine harness via a big square connector on top of the bellhousing much like the one above the intake that connects the engine and firewall harness'.

 

[CDW6212R]

So what year is the engine and the engine harness again, you got them together?

 

[seth247]

Everything is origional from the truck I bought the powertrain out of, except the PCM.

When I bought the power train they said it was a '99

The return fuel system, and the fact that the cam sychronizer tool I required was listed for '96-'98s makes me thinknit is anywhere from a late '97 to a very early '99


The PCM I've Been using Is supposed to be a '96. When I read the codes today I got a bunch of shift solenoid circuit falures. So I assume my stuff was built after the wiring changes.