Newbie Here, Engine Swap Questions

[jswiftsr]

Hello All,

New here to the forum. I have a question on an engine swap......is it possible, maybe not a reconstruction to swap a 4.0 SOHC out to a 3.0 Vulcan in? I am contemplating buying a 2002 explorer sport trac 4.0 / 5 speed automatic, with a bad engine. I have a 2004 Ranger single cab short bed 3.0 / 5 speed manual transmission. I am not fond of all the nightmare stories of the timing system on the 4.0 SOHC engines.

I had a ranger with a 3.0 vulcan 179k when bought 425k when totalled. Never had any real problems with the engine, and used no oil the whole time I owned it.

Just dont want a problematic engine doomed for expensive repairs because of engineer design.

All input welcome. Hopefully, it can be done without too much trouble.

 

[RangerX]

Welcome to the forum!
There’s been all sorts of engine swaps on this site, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone swapping IN a 3.0!
I’m sure it can be done, and you may end up with an underpowered truck, but I get it, you have the engine already.
I’m going to invite @410Fortune here to see if he has thoughts.

 

[jswiftsr]

Welcome to the forum!
There’s been all sorts of engine swaps on this site, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone swapping IN a 3.0!
I’m sure it can be done, and you may end up with an underpowered truck, but I get it, you have the engine already.
I’m going to invite @410Fortune here to see if he has thoughts.

Main reason for doing so is I have found the 3.0's very reliable.

 

[410Fortune]

Sohc 4.0 is also very reliable by 2002
3.0 is waaay underpowered for heavy sport trac
3.0 uses completely different transmission bellhousing
You would have to swap everything engine trans all wiring plumbing exhaust computer etc

Can it be done? Yes
Should you? No
Why? Because the sohc 4.0 and trans can also reach 300-450k miles like your 3.0 did and the better option if you are going to swap things is the pushrod 5.0 v8:.. the 5.0 takes less work to swap in and it is more reliable then both of those engines combined

Sport tracs are the best of all these vehicles imo. Comforts of an explorer with a small bed to be useful like a ranger without the truck like ride
Power down back window and composite body parts (less rust)
Most comfortable seats, if you can deal with the way the sport trac looks (I can) then putting a v8 into one can be very rewarding… imo far superior to a 3.0 trac is a 5.0 trac. 5.0 is a 3/4 ton drivetrain

I love my 5.0 sport tracs
Yes I have built several 4 cyl and 3.0 rangers… the little 3.0 is a decent engine but I would not swap one into anything

 

[jswiftsr]

Well, I am not interested in jerking an engine every other year for a timing job. I dont have a clue what shape the one I have been looking at online is in. He says it needs a motor. It has 232K miles, I dont know if its timing related, bent valves or locked up. He says he put a radiator in it and it wouldnt start after that. He could have burnt it up, who knows. But I offered him less than scrap price, because I will have to drag it 2 hours home.

Probably not even worth the aggrivation to get it home......Then the agony of all is involved with getting it running. What a poor timing setup ford came up with on this engine.

Reman is about $3600. If I go used what is the best sohc ford upgrade wise?

 

[jswiftsr]

Well, I am not interested in jerking an engine every other year for a timing job. I dont have a clue what shape the one I have been looking at online is in. He says it needs a motor. It has 232K miles, I dont know if its timing related, bent valves or locked up. He says he put a radiator in it and it wouldnt start after that. He could have burnt it up, who knows. But I offered him less than scrap price, because I will have to drag it 2 hours home.

Probably not even worth the aggrivation to get it home......Then the agony of all is involved with getting it running. What a poor timing setup ford came up with on this engine.

Reman is about $3600. If I go used what is the best sohc ford upgrade wise?

And, I guess it would be a bad decision to try and turn it over with the starter, without first pulling the valve covers.....or maybe trying to turn the crank with a pull bar, and if it wont turn, go backwards...and if it wont go either way, guess we know what that means.

 

[410Fortune]

That’s alot of money for a reman 4.0 should be about half that
The engine was made until 2011 97-11, the 04-11 version of the sohc is very tough

These are interference engines (of course) so when they jump time the piston slams the valves = fubar

It is lack of oil changes that give them a bad wrap, these engines need fresh clean synthetic oil every 3000-5000 miles and then they can last like your 3.0

I sell complete 5.0’drivetrains for $1500-1800 (used but good shape) that’s way cheaper then a $3700
Reman engine not even prepped or installed

Chances are good that if you charge the sohc engine at 250k miles the trans will fail shortly after so good idea to change both

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Being fully honest I agree w/ Jamie. The manual trans is good, but youll find the 3.0 underpowered for your use. At this point, I'd either drop another SOHC in (You can pull a SOHC at the JY & change timing components for decently cheap imo) & hope the trans holds up, or go V8. The V8 lacks the timing issues of the SOHC, more power than the OHV or the Vulcan, and has a much stouter auto trans. With the amoutn of work to drop Vulcan in, you can probably put a 5.0 in.

 

[Flashflood]

Well, I am not interested in jerking an engine every other year for a timing job. I dont have a clue what shape the one I have been looking at online is in. He says it needs a motor. It has 232K miles, I dont know if its timing related, bent valves or locked up. He says he put a radiator in it and it wouldnt start after that. He could have burnt it up, who knows. But I offered him less than scrap price, because I will have to drag it 2 hours home.

Probably not even worth the aggrivation to get it home......Then the agony of all is involved with getting it running. What a poor timing setup ford came up with on this engine.

Reman is about $3600. If I go used what is the best sohc ford upgrade wise?

Honestly if you replace the tensioners to manual ones and upgrade some of the other parts you most likely will get all the life out of that sport trac that you can. Honestly I would like to see a sport trac or a 2nd-4th gen explorer with a 3.5/7 in there like a mustang motor not internal water pump madness. If you can get a donner for cheap though do the 5.0. My sohc in my 2000 lasted over 200k until both engine and trans said we give up.

 

[jswiftsr]

That’s alot of money for a reman 4.0 should be about half that
The engine was made until 2011 97-11, the 04-11 version of the sohc is very tough

These are interference engines (of course) so when they jump time the piston slams the valves = fubar

It is lack of oil changes that give them a bad wrap, these engines need fresh clean synthetic oil every 3000-5000 miles and then they can last like your 3.0

I sell complete 5.0’drivetrains for $1500-1800 (used but good shape) that’s way cheaper then a $3700
Reman engine not even prepped or installed

Chances are good that if you charge the sohc engine at 250k miles the trans will fail shortly after so good idea to change both

That’s alot of money for a reman 4.0 should be about half that
The engine was made until 2011 97-11, the 04-11 version of the sohc is very tough

These are interference engines (of course) so when they jump time the piston slams the valves = fubar

It is lack of oil changes that give them a bad wrap, these engines need fresh clean synthetic oil every 3000-5000 miles and then they can last like your 3.0

I sell complete 5.0’drivetrains for $1500-1800 (used but good shape) that’s way cheaper then a $3700
Reman engine not even prepped or installed

Chances are good that if you charge the sohc engine at 250k miles the trans will fail shortly after so good idea to change both

I guess it would be a bad decision to try and turn the engine (that is in there) over with the starter, without first pulling the valve covers? Or maybe try to turn the crank with a pull bar, and see if it will turn a full revolution, and if not, go backwards till it stops in case a piston is hitting a valve? And if it wont go either way, guess we know what that means.

 

[Turdle]

I guess it would be a bad decision to try and turn the engine (that is in there) over with the starter, without first pulling the valve covers? Or maybe try to turn the crank with a pull bar, and see if it will turn a full revolution, and if not, go backwards till it stops in case a piston is hitting a valve? And if it wont go either way, guess we know what that means.

Yeah
Remove plugs, try rotating engine with breaker bar,

If that goes smooth, check compression on every cylinder, report back with numbers.

Good compression means savable engine. Imo

 

[410Fortune]

Do not turn it backwards
Clockwise only
The timing and cassettes are designed to rotate one direction

Not a huge deal on a
Blown engine but it’s good practice to never turn crank ccw

 

[jswiftsr]

Do not turn it backwards
Clockwise only
The timing and cassettes are designed to rotate one direction

Not a huge deal on a
Blown engine but it’s good practice to never turn crank ccw

I think I found a 2008 explorer with 150k, bad trans.

 

[jswiftsr]

I think I found a 2008 explorer with 150k, bad trans.

SOLD, gone

 

[410Fortune]

I often take sohc engines from 05-10 explorers and put them in earlier trucks

Couple of things to know
There is a bellhousing bolt Top center on the gen iii trucks very hard ti see and if you didn’t know it was there… well the engine won’t come out until that bolt does. The earlier trucks did not have a bolt here so it can be tricky your first time

You will be using your earlier intakes accessories and all plumbing. Plenty of thing changed on the sohc engine after 04 the intakes and pcv plumbing is all different. You will be using all the stuff from your earlier engine, basically you are just after the donor block and heads (longblock)

While the engine is out and still “in time” it is super easy and cheap to upgrade refresh the timing components