Need info on a engine swap please!

[Timandsheila]

I have a 98 Explorer Sport with the 4.0 EFI. The head gasket is blown. I have a 4.0 SOHC from a '00 and was just going to swap the motors. I've noticed that the fuel line connectors are different on the '00 engine. Is there a conversion kit available? or a known fix for this? Is there any other problems that I should be made aware of? Everything else seems to bolt up the same on both engines. I'm just trying to decide if it may just be easier to fix the blown head gasket instead of swapping the engines and making whatever modifications may be necessary.
Another problem I'll need to solve is that the old motor has a 5 speed manual tranny...this 00 motor had a automatic tranny...will this cause problems with the computer as well? I think i'm about ready to pull my hair out...lol
Please feel free to chime in with any help you may have! Thank you VERY much!
Tim

 

[wangmauler]

I too just just found out that my head gasket is possibly becoming blown....I would love some info on how to replace this, or if its easyer to just junk my 98 explorer sport 4.0..?

For anyone that cares, I posted another thread with a simmilar problem with MY 98 sport in a different thread section.

 

[BIGHVM]

I would have thought it would be easier to do a head overhaul than replace the engine and gearbox-- If you do the head yourself be shure to have it skimmed as it may well be warped, otherwise, replacing the gaskit alone will lead to a repeat failure. Never done a head on this engine, but remember doing one on a mk1 escort, with engineers blue ink and a thick sheet of glass and loads of wet and dry, placing the wet and dry from course to fine on the glass and moving the head on it in a circular motion after painting the flat surface with blue to reveal after rubbing where it was warped- it takes ages and is something I would pay to get done now in a machine shop- but back then I was 20 and a broke student who loved doing that sort of thing for the sense of satisfaction.
Good luck and tell me what you decide please.