5.0L HO V8 EFI Engine Swap Information
Time & Cost:
The average conversion time on most vehicles is 50-70 hours. The cost varies depending on what parts you use. The actual conversion parts to install a C-4 can cost $600-$800. Then you have to factor in the cost of the engine, remote oil filter, electric fuel pump (If using a carburator), electric fan and a new or rebuilt radiator. James Duff does a good job breaking down the price on his web site. Read this whole section for more tips and email me or contact Advance Adapters if you have any questions.
Engine's 302 - 351W - 4.6L:
It is recommended that you use the 5.0 (302) V-8 for your conversion. It is possible to install the 5.7 (351W) especially with a body lift, but the 5.7 is taller and a little wider than a 5.0 (302). If using a 351W you will have clearance problems with the heater box. There is also a potential clearance problems with the 351W exhaust manifold and steering linkage. You can choose between the fuel injected and carburated engines. The 302 is only about one hundred pounds heavier than the four cylinder engines installed in Rangers from the factory. This is important because as engine weight is increased, the ride height lowers in the front and this produces extreme negative camber at the front wheels.
Some people have asked about using 4.6L V-8's. The 4.6L is much wider and taller than a 302 or 351W. See the chart below for width comparisons.
Engine Length Height Width
302 27-1/2 Inches 20-3/4 Inches 18-3/4 Inches
351W 27-1/2 Inches 23-3/4 Inches 21 Inches
4.6L SOHC 28 Inches 26 Inches 28-5/8 Inches
4.6L DOHC 28 Inches 29-7/8 Inches 30 Inches
351C - 429 - 460 Engines:
The 429 and 460 can be installed in a Ranger, although this is not a very practical swap. The big blocks length complicates installation and makes clearance in certain areas very tight. The stock Ranger/Bronco II chassis isn't capable of handling the torque of the large displacement motor and this adds to problems. We don't recommend the big block installation for any but the most serious race applications and never in a four-wheel drive.
Motor Mounts:
Motor mounts can be obtained thru Advance Adapters, James Duff Enterprises and Jegs. Advance Adapters offers Parts NO.713018 for 4WD and NO.713015 for 2WD. The 2WD mounts work with the factory Ford rubber V8 mounts Part NO. E4TZ-6038G or Advance Adapters Part NO. 713017. James Duff only offers 1 mount Part NO. 3641. Jegs offers part# 969-9716 (mounting brackets) and part # 969-9717 (mounting pads). You will have to drill two new holes in your cross member for the new motor mounts. Motor mounts from a 1985 Mustang GT swapped from side to side are said to be the same mounts offered by James Duff.
Motor mounts are simple to build for this swap. Ranger motor mounts consist of a rubber pad with a stud sticking out of each side. One stud goes through the frame and has a nut which screws on the back to attach it to the frame. The other stud sticks straight up and attaches to a motor bracket. Four cylinder motor mounts are usually hydraulically filled and are weaker than the V6 mounts, which are a solid rubber mount. Whenever possible, use the V6 mounts. These are used on 3.0L and 4.0L Rangers.
Fabricate two new brackets from 1/4-inch plate steel to bolt onto the side of the V8 motor at the motor mount bosses. This isn't as difficult as it might sound. These brackets are just pieces of 1/4 inch steel with two holes drilled through them so that they can bolt to the block, and then two more holes, one for the motor mount stud, the other for the alignment pin which also sticks up from the motor mount. Trial fit everything once and when the motor is in the position you want, take a few measurements and make the motor mount plates. They're flat pieces of steel with no bends or curves. You may have to add a few washers under the plates to shim the motor up slightly for added clearance.
Now it's time to situate the motor into the chassis. Were assuming your transmission is already installed. There are several points during engine installation where clearance will be rather tight and modifications will be necessary. If the engine isn't bolted to the transmission, bolt it up now. Assuming the transmission is located properly, let it locate the motor, forward to rearward, in the chassis. Now locate the engine properly, left and right. At this point no accessories should be on the front of the motor, and installation will be easier without the water pump attached. Leaving the water pump off while installing the engine will allow it to go in more smoothly and may save several dents in the radiator support. Don't install the radiator yet or you'll be sending it out to have several holes repaired.
The motor should be close to centered, left to right, between the frame rails. It may be necessary to locate the motor slightly to the passenger side for oil filter adapter to steering sector clearance, and steering to exhaust manifold clearance.
Ignition:
I recommend using an early to mid 1970's Duraspark II ignition with a carburated V-8. Try to find a V-8 from this era with the distributor and ignition still intact. It has a wiring harness that goes from the module on the wheel well to the distributor, and the original power harness from the Ranger should plug right into it. I use an MSD ignition with my DurasparkII distributer. It hooks up easily following thedirections that come with the new ignition module. I keep the original DurasparkII ignition module installed on the fender liner so that I can hook it up if the MSD should fail. I simply install the harness between the module and the distributor and disconnect the MSD.
MSD makes one that is simply "plug-n-play". These are ready to run complete w/cap,rotor,control
module and vacuum advance all self contained in the distibutor. JEG'S offers these at this time for $285.99. JEG'S part #121-8352 for 302's, and part #121-8354 for 351W's.
Fuel Injection Computer, Harness, And Swaps:
If you choose to use a fuel injected 5.0 you'll need the computer and harness for the engine. You'll need a computer and harness for the engine/transmission combination that your going to use. If you use a manual transmission then you'll need to use a computer and harness from a manual transmission set up. The best thig you could do is go to a salvage yard and get an engine transmission combination and buy the whloe setup computer, harness and all. Mark the conections with masking tapewith either letters or numbers so that you can match up the connections later. It also helps to go to a parts store and get the Haynes manual for the vehicle the engine came out of. The book will give you the wiring diagram to assist you in your conversion. Ford Motorsports offers wiring harnesses for fuel injected engine swaps. Contact them at 1-810-468-1356 for more information.
For more help on swapping fuel injection I highly recommend Windsor-Fox at www.windsor-fox.com. They can help you swap a whole fuel injected Ford engine or convert a carburated Ford V-8 to fuel injection.
Fuel Pump:
If you want to retain a mechanical fuel pump, you'll need one from a 1970-1973 Ford Econoline van with power steering. It's a Carter pump that's made upside down to clear the steering box. Otherwise, a mechanical fuel pump will need to be replaced by an electric unit to clear the steering box. The fuel pump will need to deliver 5-7 psi. If your Ranger has an electric pump in the gas tank it has a 40-psi rating. You will have to either replace it or add a fuel regulator to reduce it to 5-7 psi.. When adding an electric fuel pump you should install a switch in the cab so that you can shut the fuel off in an emergency. I would also recommend going to a salvage yard and obtain an inertia switch from the trunk of a newer vehicle and wiring it in with the fuel pump. This will shut the pump of during a collision.
Your stock pump in the tank on fuel injected models will work with the 5.0 fuel injection.
Oil Filter:
You will have to use an adapter and move the oil filter for clearance. The adapter will have to point down instead of out for clearance. This adapter can be obtained through Jegs part No. 771-2791. You will also need the filter mount part No. 771-1211 and hoses. They offer the kit as part# 969-1113.
Oil Pan:
The first consideration is the oil pan on your engine. Ford engines of the 1960's and 1970's generally used front sump oil pans. These will not fit the Ranger/Bronco II chassis properly. Instead, a rear sump or dual sump oil pan must be used. Rear sump oil pans are originally used on full-sized trucks and econoline vans and hold 6 quarts of oil. They are the preferred oil pan as the extra quart of oil is of somewhat of an advantage for performance and off-road applications.
The other choice is a dual sump oil pan. These are easy to spot because they literally have two sumps, one at the front and another at the rear with a drain plug on each. The front sump is for clearance to the oil pump and the rear sump is the reservoir for the oil. The biggest advantage to the dual sump pans is that the engine may be situated about half an inch lower in the chassis. Dual sump pans were originally installed on vehicles like 1979 and newer Mustangs, 1980's Crown Victorias and Grand Marquis, and a few others.
Please note, 1980's Crown Victoria police cars are the only vehicles with a 351W that use the dual sump oil pan. If you need the dual sump pan for a 351W, you'll have to find one from a police car or order one for that application.
Ford Motorsport is currently offering a dual sump oil pan kit for the 351W which contains the oil pan, pick up tube, attaching main stud, dipstick and tube. You can get it from Jegs part N0. 397-M6675-A58
Exhaust
Early to mid 70's exhaust manifolds will have to be used. They're short and provide room to clear the frame rail. Jegs offers a Hooker header part N0. 520-6802 and Hedman header part No. 500-89500 that is a shorty header for this swap. Advance Adapters offers Part NO. 717044 which is a shorty header. Several manufacturers make swap headers for the Ranger and Bronco II. Hooker Headers manufacturers a swap header for 1983 to 1994 two-wheel drive Ranger and Bronco II's with 289-302's, part # HOK-6802. James Duff Enterprises offers headers for use in a Ranger or Bronco II when equipped with a C4 and 302. They're available in black, part number 3635, for $239.00 and also in chrome, part number 3636, for $279.00. L&L offers several different headers for Rangers and Bronco II's equipped with a 302. The four-wheel drive header is part # 797304 and retails for $458.56. The two-wheel drive header is part # 797302 and retails for $458.56.
Accessories
You can use a factory V6 Ranger alternator with a V8 bracket and adjuster. The alternator-mounting bracket is part # E7TZ-10A313-B and the adjusting bracket is E6AZ-2888-A. The stock power steering pump can be used on a V8 with the correct brackets found on many Ford passenger cars. The power steering bracket is part number E7TZ-3C511-A. You can use your original temperature and pressure gauge but will have to re-calibrate your factory tachometer. Contact Specmo Enterprises (810-398-9103) about recalibrations. You can use your air conditioning with the proper V-8 brackets. The wiring will need to be extended and the condenser will have to be relocated to the front side of the radiator
Cooling
You will have to upgrade to a larger radiator. Most Ranger radiators are 2-core. You should swap in a radiator from an Explorer 5.0 Explorer or purchase a 4-core radiator from Advance Adapters Part NO. 716683 or James Duff Part NO. 3630. I use a Griffin aluminum radiator that measures 27-1/2x19 inches and is about 2 inches deep. I had to cut away a great deal of the radiator support and fabricate new mounts/supports. You may be able to use a mechanical fan and still have 1 to 1-1/2 inches of space between the fan and radiator. If you get the radiator tucked in under the radiator core support you will have a few more inches for fan clearance. If you choose to use an electric fan you should use the biggest one that will fit on the radiator. Mount it on the engine side if there is enough room and use it as a puller fan. I would recommend two 12-inch fans so that the electric fan motor will not be directly in front of the water pump. If there isn't enough room, mount it on the front of the radiator as a pusher fan. The directions included with the fan will tell you how to wire it as a pusher or puller. You should use a fan rated at least 1200 CFM. Advance Adapters suggests a minimum of 950 CFM. The stock water pump places the pulley close to the radiator. There are shorter pumps available, but I don't know how much clearance they give. You might want to use one and still use an electric fan for plenty of clearance. Remember that everything flexes while off-road.
Ford Motorsports offers two(2) short water pump kits. The first is a short pump for "V" belt drives. Will fit 289/302/351W
drivers side outlet and provides approx. 1 1/2" of additional clearance(Part# FOR-M-8501-E351).Must use 3 piece steel pulley kit (Part#FOR-M-8509-N) or 3 piece aluminum pulley kit(Part#FOR-M-8509-P) for proper belt alignment.The second is a short pump for serpentine belt drives.Will fit 289/302/351W drivers side outlet and provides approx.1 3/4" of additional clearance(Part#FOR-M-8501-A50).Kit includes special timing chain cover pump and gaskets. Must use electric fuel pump and 3 piece steel pulley kit (Part#FOR-M-8509L) or 3 Piece aluminum pulley
kit (Part#FOR-M-8509-M) for proper belt alignment. (This paragraph submitted by Marc)
Automatic Transmissions
A4LD
Most Rangers use an A4LD automatic overdrive transmission. If you have an overdrive automatic in a Ranger or Bronco II it's an A4LD. There is no bell housing available to install a V8 to this transmission, and even if you could, these transmissions had durability concerns with the torque from a V6, so a V8 would probably destroy an A4LD in a short period of time.
C4-C5
I strongly recommend using a C-4 automatic transmission and getting rid of the manual. Advanced Adapters offers a tail housing and output shaft to mate a C-4 to your current transfer case. You will have to measure the length of your current transmission and provide the transmission code to order the proper kit. If you have a C-5 transmission you will have to install the bell housing, torque converter, flywheel and valve body from a C-4. It is cheaper to take the output shaft and tail housing off of the C-5 and install them in the C-4. The C-5 was only offered on the Ranger in 1983-85. There are no special modifications required when installing a C-4 into a 2-wheel drive Ranger. An adapter is also available for the AOD transmission.
The C-4 adapters can be obtained from Advance Adapters and James Duff Enterprises.
On some transmissions, such as the C4, Ford has used a variety of bellhousings, flywheels, and starters over the years. Whenever you have a choice, use the smallest diameter flywheel and bellhousing available to you to install the V8 into your Ranger. The bellhousing bolts are all ready extremely tight to the firewall. You do need to use the correct starter and flywheel for the bellhousing your using, regardless of which transmission you choose to install. Worth mentioning, 1975-78 Mustang II's with a 302-C4 combination had a special small diameter bellhousing, flywheel, and starter assembly, which fit the Ranger and Bronco II chassis nicely.
J.W. Performance Transmissions makes a ULTRA-BELL bellhousing for the C-4 tranny. It fits 157 tooth flywheel mated to
a small block Ford. I purchased one of these for my V-8 conversion. This is a nice heavy duty piece although it is not SFI approved for racing. In my area the factory 157 tooth bellhousings are rare and hard to find. JEG'S offers these at this time for $149.99. JEG'S part #564-92480. (This paragraph submitted by Marc)
If your Ranger was originally equipped with a 4 speed manual transmission and is a 2-wheel drive, a C4 will bolt right into the chassis with the 4-speed transmission mount and cross member. The existing drive shaft will be the correct length as well, but will require a different yoke for a C4 or C5 to install it in your new transmission. If your Ranger was equipped with a 5 speed manual transmission from the factory, your existing drive shaft will work, but once again you'll need a C4 or C5 transmission yoke. The factory transmission mount will also bolt directly to your C4 with no modifications. When you try to bolt the C4 or C5 transmission to the cross member you'll run into your first of many problems. The cross member is further rearward on the chassis on a vehicle originally equipped with a 5 speed. You have two choices for the cross member. You can build a bracket with slots for the transmission mount to bolt onto to and weld it onto the cross member. This bracket is welded to the factory cross member to allow the transmission mount to be moved a few inches forward from where it originally was located. The other choice is to remove the frame brackets for the transmission cross member and relocate them a few inches forward of where they were located.
AOD Transmissions
The AOD is 20-1/2 inches long. Use the adapter to match your current total length. This kit comes with a new 25-spline output shaft, adapter housing and necessary hardware. Modifications will be necessary for the linkage.
Kit No. 50-8403 AOD (Up to 1987) to BW1350 (Adapter length 9-inches)
Kit No. 50-8404 AOD (1988 & up) to BW1350 (Adapter length 9-inches)
Kit No. 50-8405 AOD (1988 & up) to BW1350 (Adapter length 5-inches)
Manual Transmissions:
Toyo Koygo 4 & 5 Speed & Mitsubishi 5 Speed
The Toyo Koygo 4 & 5 speed transmissons & the Mitsubishi 5 Speed have been used from 1983-1988. They are made in Japan and are very light duty. They only handle about 200 ft/lbs of torque and I don't recommend them. The input shaft on these transmissions have a metric spline count of 23. The diameter of the shaft is 1-inch, and it protrudes out from the face of the transmission approximately 9-inches and will require modification.
In 1988, Ford started using a 5 speed transmission with a one piece case and an intrical bellhousing. This means the case and bellhousing are all one piece. This transmission is NOT COMPATIBLE with Advance Adapters conversion pieces.
Full Size 4wd Transmissions
Ford fullsize 4wd trucks use the same bolt pattern for all their transmission to transfer cases. These transmissions had either a 28-31 spline output shaft. Advance Adapters offers 2 kits to connect these transmissions to your stock transfer case. These kits utilize a spud adapter to convert the transmission output shaft to 25-spline, an adapter housing and necessary hardware. Choose the appropriate kit based on the spline count of the 4wd transmission you choose:
Kit No. 50-4501 For 28-spline 4wd transmissions to Borg Warner 1350
Kit No. 50-4502 For 31-spline 4wd transmissions to Borg Warner 1350
You will need to modify your driveshafts, crossmember and linkage for these swaps since the transmission lengths vary.
Using Your Original Manual Transmission
Kit No. 712541 includes an adapter plate, bellhousing index retainer, pilot bushing & necessary hardware. This adapter plate bolts to the front of the stock manual transmission. This allows a standard Ford V-8 bellhousing to be mounted to your stock transmission. It is best to obtain a 1984-1987 F-150 bellhousing. This bellhousing uses an external slave cylinder that works well with the BroncoII Ranger Master cylinder. This bllhousing was only used with the 164 tooth flywheel. This will cause problems with tunnel clearance. A body lift is recommended. The 4 & 5 speed transmissions will need slight modifications to the input shaft pilot tip, clutch splines & stock release bearing retainer. These modifications are listed in your instruction sheet.
Ford F-150 Bellhousing part No. E4TZ-7505C
Ford Slave Cylinder part No. E4TZ-7A564A
Ford Slave Cylinder Bracket part No. E4TZ-7A544A
Ford Release Lever part No. E4TZ-7515C
Ford Dust Boot part No. E4TZ-7513A
Ford Bellhousing Cover Plate part No. E7TZ-7007A
Ford Release Bearing part No. N1714
Centerforce Explorer Disk part No. 381116
Ford Pressure Plate (5/16") part No. CF260000 (11" Pressure Plate)
Ford Pressure Plate (3/8") part No. CF360049 (11" Pressure Plate)
Modifications: Using a hacksaw blade in each groove, make sure the new clutch disk slides freely on the original transmission input shaft. The tip of the original input shaft will need to be shortened so that it is flush with the face of the bellhousing. The new pilot bearing that is supplied with Kit No. 712541 must be installed into the new V-8 engine crank. Make sure the seal in the new pilot bearing is facing outward towards the clutch. This will prevent the grease from entering the clutch area.
Borg Warner World Class T-5 Transmission
Advance Adapters offers 2 complete kits for the T-5 transmission. They can be obtained in 2 different overall lengths.
Kit No. 50-1802 has an assembled length of 26.750 inches (For D-code 5 speed Mitsubishi)
Kit No. 50-1803 has an assembled length of 27.830 inches (For 5-code 5 speed Toyo Koygo)
You must measure the overall length of your transmission from the engine to the transfer case. Using the kit that matches your overall length will keep the tranfer case in the original location. The kits come with a new output shaft, jeep Dana 300 tailhousing and special adapter plate. The new shaft and adapter housings are compatible with your World Class transmission. The transmission shaft IS NOT COMPATIBLE with the regular T5 transmission. In order to bolt this 5 speed to the new 5.0 liter engine you must use the bellhousing from Mustang type vehicles. This bellhousing was only compatible with a mechanical type clutch control. You will need to use Advance Adapters internal hydraulic release bearing that will fit over the T5 bearing retainer. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE A BELLHOUSING THAT WAS NOT INTENDED FOR THE T5 TRANSMISSION. This particular bellhousing for the T5 has a special transmission index diameter and special length for exclusive use with the T5 transmission.
An adapter for the T5 can also be obtained from James Duff Enterprises.
T4/T5 Complete Packages
Advanced Adapters offers a complete transmission assembly package composing of a Tremac World Class T4/T5 transmission, bellhousing and adapter kit. The transmission offers a 3.95 :1 low gear and an optional 5th gear (17% overdrive)
Kit No. 27-1004 T4 to BW1350 with overall length 26-3/4 inches
Kit No. 27-1005 T4 to BW1350 with overall length 2-1/2 inches
add Part No. 20-0021 for overdrive.
These kits require a 157 tooth flywheel.
For more transmission information check out my Automatic and Manual transmission pages.
Below are some photos of parts needed for a V-8 conversion. Click on the image for an enlargement.
Body:
The seam at the firewall and floor pan will need bent back with a sledgehammer. The floor pan may need some slight modification with a sledge hammer for clearance. A body lift over comes this problem.
Heater Box:
The passenger side valve cover will interfere with the heater box. You will need to cut out part of the plastic box to make room. You may be able to flip the piece you cut out and mold it back in.
Consider This:
You should be able to find a good carburated 5.0 (302 for us older guys) used for $300.00. Try to get one with the mid to late 70's Duraspark II ignition and harness. Try to locate a complete engine with accessories. At least get the brackets for the alternator and power steering pump. You can re-use your stock accessories. Locate a good C-4 transmission for $75.00 - $100.00. Find a C-5 from an 84 or 85 Ranger or Bronco II for another $100.00. Have the output shaft removed (or get a Hayes or Chilton book and do it yourself) and install it and the tail housing on your C-4. I paid $100.00 to have my new output shaft installed in my C-4. Get a radiator from an Explorer or 4.0 Ranger for probably less than $100.00. Order an oil filter adapter from Jegs (part# 771-2791) for $18.00 and a remote filter mount (part# 771-1791) for $18.00. Buy hose fittings and clamps $20.00 and an electric engine fan $70.00 - $80.00. Motor mounts can be obtained from either
James Duff or Advanced Adapters for around $120.00. An electric fuel pump will run around $50.00. Depending on how well you wheel and deal you should find all this from $1,000.00 to $1,200.00. Not bad considering just the conversion kits which include adapter, motor mounts, and output shaft cost around $700.00 to $800.00. You could use the money you save somewhere else on the truck.
These Adapters May Not Be Needed:
The adapters from Advance Adapters are generally for mating the Rangers transfer case to the new V8 transmission in order to keep the transfercase in it's original position and to avoid driveshaft modifications. You may find that it would be better to swp in a transmission/transfer case combination that was already mated to a V8. A good example of this would be a C4 and a Dana20. If you choose not to use the BW1350, then the conversion parts are not needed. Instead you would have to have your driveshafts modified to accomodate the transfer cases new location. The Ranger would benefit from having a new (larger in diameter) driveshaft made to handle the power of the V8. Either way, you may find it more beneficial to have your driveshafts modified (lengthened-shortened) that to do all the conversion work. It may also be cheaper in the end.
Note: This is an overview of V-8 conversions. You should consult Advance Adapters for detailed instructions. You can contact them at 1-800-350-2223. Check your local emission laws before performing this swap.
Links for Swap Parts
James Duff V8 Swap Parts
Advance Adaptors
Email: davem@rrorc.com
