OHV 4.0 Swap to 4.0 SOHC???

[410Fortune]

They are 60 degree Cologne engines, not 45 degree.

Just imagine what you would see if you had worked at a Chevy place!!!!

Yes the SOHC 4.0L have a plastic timing chain tensioner that is prone to failure. The SOHC is a "new" design and we all know what that means.

I have found the 2.9L and 4.0L to be VERY reliable and tough. My 4.0L is a screamer with only bolt on mods, it motivates my 88 BII just fine and instead of spending 5K$+ on a 302 conversion I dropped in the 4.0L and a new tranny, kept my 22 MPG and couldnt be happier.

Of course we all know Honda's and Toyota's gor forever, but you cant work on them, so all internal combustion engines have their strong and weak points, I think Ford has one of the best reputations of them all...

I'm a proud Cologne family engine man myself, well at least until I eventually drop in a 5.0L.........

 

[410Fortune]

Oh and dont forget the Ranger/BII/Explorer have always been the best selling trucks in their class, which means there are LOTS more of them on the road then any other truck, whats that mean? Tons of them in the junk yards, so of course you are going to see a bunch of engines in the junk yard, but just think for every one in the junk yard there are probably 2 on the road if not more........

 

[Speedfreak]

I am not dening the engine serves its purpose in a stock truck or even a truck that is lighter than the Explorer such as your BII, but once you go beyond that it seems to whizz a bit. I have done some mods to mine and never felt that there were worth the money.

As for there being 2 Explorer's on the road for every one wrecked, one needs the tranny and the other needs the engine out of the wrecked truck. And lets not start about the auto locking hubs.

I cant wait to have the 5.0L under the hood just for the added power. I knew that the engines were 60 degrees but for some reason typed 45. my bad.

 

[Jon_Herr]

I have to say...

'88 Ford Ranger 2.9L V6 w/ 180K miles no problems.
'93 Ford Explorer 4.0L 150K no problems.
'00 Ford Focus w/ 60K+ no problems.

'98 Ford Explorer SOHC w/ 44k no problems (updated timing chain cassettes)

prior to that:
'88 Ford Taurus > 100K no problems.
'92 Ford Taurus > 100K no problems.

and also, I forgot:
'94 Ford Ranger 4.0L > 100K no problems.

That's one hellava track record for many different Ford V6's.

I used to work on cars to support myself in college. I have never seen so many Chevy V6's in my life. Not one single Ford V6 with a cracked block or otherwise in 4 years. Only owner negligence.

Soapbox mode off.

 

[AZ Exployer]

Ford's V-6 Cologne motors are proven. Ford had used these motors for several years (back to late 60s early 70s). The motor is an excellent, durable design and was used in racing. It was used in the European Ford Granada, Capri,Granada Scorpio, Sierra among a few others I cant remember. (TVR used these motors in their sportcars) The motors proven history could hardly be debated by its track record unlike GM's 2.8 V-6. (which makes a good boat anchor by the way). Swapping out a SOHC V-6 into an earlier Explorer is just a matter of weighing the cost verses capabilty. The SOC may have some minor problems to resolve and I believe Fords trying to fix it. But on the other hand the transmissions behind the SOHC V-6, the 5R55E and the previous 4R55E and A4LD are one of the worst things Fords produced as most of us already know,and will probably lead to class action lawsuits from what Ive read on the internet. Maybe 5.0/ 4R70W conversion would be better in the long run. If you can get a deal on a SOHC V-6 from a donor vehicle and dont mind the wiring nightmare perhaps you should go for it. Just remember the weakest link. Good bye