which powerplant?

[seth247]

Yeah those headers are for the bronco/ranger conversions.

Oh ok. I think I'm gonna stay with my selectable 4x4 borg warner.

Is all this stuff goin in your 98'?

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes, it's just a lot of parts and labor. I'm headed out very shortly again.

 

[seth247]

Headed out?

 

[seth247]

so how would I go about getting a custom ground camshaft?
I agree they are one of the best bang for you buck performance mods.

Any brand suggestions?
Deciding on Cams for the five-oh is like looking for a needle in a needle stack

 

[CDW6212R]

There are a lot of cam grinders, I'd suggest trying to deal with the guys who specialize in Ford pushrod V8's. I think I know of only two, but there surely are a bunch more. Try Jay Allen or Ed Curtis, they are the top two names I heard on the Corral site. My cam came from Jay Allen, as well as Canfield heads etc. I sent messages to both of those, along with head questions. My choice was based on the first call where I learned a lot about the latest heads, design etc. Jay knows a great deal about the whole subject, and I felt very comfortable with him and his suggestions. They deal with all kinds of combinations, it takes a pro to be able to build a cam to get the most out of the engine's head, intake etc. Here is a link to his website, browse through it.
http://www.camshaftinnovations.com/

 

[seth247]

I checked out jay's site. Seems like a good deal.

Although I can't seem to remember if the 5.0 is a hydraulic flat tappet or roller cam engine.

Oh yeah I remember hydraulic roller.

 

[seth247]

So when I do get around to dropin it in. How will I hookup the factory dash cluster to the fancy new computer?

 

[CDW6212R]

Contact Jamie here about his few conversions. He has merged the wiring from the later vehicles/harness into his older 1st gen. dash and cluster. Connecting the main wiring will be the hardest part. I might assume that using the later model harness under the hood would be better. Doing that will make the stuff forward of the dash a matter of component locations, extending wires etc. Then the dash wiring is a matter of merging those main harnesses, and cluster wiring. Let's see what Jamie did, I don't recall reading any of those details before.

 

[seth247]

Ok. Well I called a few places and found a 99 motor that has a fried wiring harness cause of a fire. For 450$. Too much for me since I'll have buy a harness and possibly deal with unforseen fire issues.

Another place with one for 550$ still too high.

I'll keep looking. I'd pay the 450$ For one with under a 100k and intact wiring harness. Hope fully I'll find one.

Oh and what did you new By headed out?

 

[CDW6212R]

Those prices aren't that bad, the value of just the heads and intake has kept the prices in that range. The heads often sell for $250 or more, and the intake brings near to $150. I was going outside the other day to work, just a so long then. I sent Jamie a message, maybe he'll have lots of good ideas. Regards,

 

[seth247]

oh ok. I thought baybe you meant you were shipping out or something.

Yeah I sent him a message(I assume you meant 410fortune). But I was thinkin about it and most of the gauges don't have anything to do with the PCM. Fuel,watertemp,oilpress,voltmeter, all run off their own sensors.

The only problem I see is adjusting the tach for the new engine and I wonder how I'll convert the stock speedo, which uses a gear on the transmission I think, to the electronic speedo signal used with the new computer.

I keep reading that the durability of 347 strokers is unsure. Wondering if I should downgrade to a 331.

 

[CDW6212R]

For the speedometer you can find a rear trans cover which has the speedometer signal generator in it. That is OEM on the 96/97 Explorer, and many other truck models. I assume that you will be using a 4WD trans, the only difference is that rear cover and the output shaft.

You will need to merge a lot of power and ground wires, the main stuff feeding the vehicle. The alternator of the later trucks is a little different than your OHV unit, one wire connected to the dash gauge needs work.

The 347 of most builders should be very reliable, I think that those oiling issues are done. There used to be issues with that, hopefully that is rare or never happens now. Stick with the big name builders, they should know how to do it right. I plan to run the hell out of my 347, I drive everything hard. Just take good care of it.

 

[410Fortune]

tach is simple, open your tach, replace the tach guts with tach from v8 truck, done
I have not done this yet even though I have the parts

Some 92 tach's may even have a v8 option, you can look when you have yours apart, if this is the case you move 1 wire.
my 88 tach is using a jumper wire so it is closer to the V8 then it would be, but still not accurate. My plan is to go aftermarket gages, so it does not matter to me.

I have been in contact about the wiring now via email, I hope that helps

Alot of the questions you have were addressed in my V8 conversion thread... I kinow its long and there is alot of chit chat in there but there is also alot of information you need, I have even read my own thread for another conversion and taken notes LOL

Good you are planning this now
budget and timeline
then double them both

every conversion has things that jump out and need to be addressed, every single conversion is different, it never fails there will be something that stops your progress until you get more parts (okay so 99.8% of the time, some go smooth like glass but its RARE)

 

[seth247]

thanks guys.

Don, your confusing me when you say builder.

I thought I had mentioned, I'm building the engine myself. Only machine work to be outsourced.

 

[CDW6212R]

Sorry, I mean the source of the stroker parts/kits. They come from just a few sources, the pistons/rods/crank are unusual enough that people don't generally buy them separately. So just look at the place where you get the reciprocating assembly, and choose from among the most respected. That should keep a 347 from having oiling or cylinder wear issues.

 

[seth247]

ah, ok.

Yeah I was looking at an eagle forged crank, some forged h-beam rods, and I haven't decided on pistons yet.

Is forged Alluminum any good? Or should I look for steel?

 

[CDW6212R]

The pistons you want forged, don't mess with cast aluminum or hypereutectic. Check out complete assemblies, that will give you the best total pricing, plus being a matched set. Check to see if they are balanced, and what balance weight they are made for. I think that the strokers will all be 28oz, and you will have to deal with a machinist who can do work with a special balancer that you will have to create. I have one that I had custom made, and my engine builder/machinist had some issues balancing the assembly.

The machine work for this balancer likely makes the 28oz. balancer a little off. I found Total Performance to do that, a notch is cut in the backside edge of it to press the Explorer trigger wheel onto. This will work for me, that is a stock old Ford 28oz unit, they are only about $75 new. The total for this was about $330, but knowing this it may be good to look into some aftermarket crank pickup system. If any aftermarket system could be added to a 28oz. balancer, the cost may be less. I didn't go that route, preferring to try to keep the OEM crank trigger parts. So do look around to see if the crank signal can be duplicated with an aftermarket part. If it can, then the choices for balancers would be very large, and balancing the engine would be relatively easy for a machinist. Regards,

 

[seth247]

well I've been lookin at eagle assemblies and I foundone that say it is internaly ballanced. And the balance is listed as neutral.

How would it be internally ballanced?

 

[CDW6212R]

That means that there is no counterweight material on the balancer or flexplate. That is more ideal, usually more expensive, but you have to match the balancer and flexplate. The flexplates are easy to get in the needed weight and tooth count.

The balancer is what you have to worry about much more. That must match, and remember that the 96+ Explorer engines have to have the crank trigger signal for the OBDII PCM. I don't know if there is a zero balanced dampner(balancer) which can have the trigger wheel added onto. Do the searching for a balancer and trigger signal before settling on the crankshaft etc.

 

[seth247]

ok so how does the crank trigger signal work. Is it a magnet pressed into the balancer or what.