v-8 swap cheap??

[6jeff6]

I have a 92 ranger with extended cab, 4x4, 3 inch body lift, stick with a blown 3.0. Now can I do a v-8 swap cheap to get by for now or am I better staying slow with the v-6 to cut down on cost?? In the end I want 400-500rwhp and something that is just a blast in the mud but that's for down the road when I don't need it for 3-7 days a week driving.

The truck was pulled with rear wheels down and it popped into gear and threw a piston out the side. The tranny holds when put in gear so I hope tranny and back is good. Got it cheap and should pickup this weekend.
I don't mind going carbed so that should help.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Jeff

[Warpig Racing]

I dont care which method you go... if you want 400-500 RWHP than it aint going to be cheap. Everything has to be upgraded including your axles. Be prepared to shell out lots of benjamins.

[cgrey8]

The 4wd is where you'll get into the expense.

First, if you do V8 convert it, you'll most likely be automatic for the future HP numbers you are wanting. There just aren't that many manual 4wd trannys available, and of them, none that I'm aware of have the torque tolerance for 400hp. In fact, most are only meant for 250hp engines. So to get power out of a 4wd, you pretty much need to be automatic.

Next, there's a special 4wd V8 conversion oil pan that's required. L&L Products sells one, but they are pricey. I've heard there are other places that have them for cheaper. And of course you can modify a standard fox dual-sump, but that can be problematic if your welds aren't perfect...it will leak.

You'll most likely be looking at a custom/cut down rear driveshaft and possibly a custom front driveshaft as well. Whatever vehicle you pull the trans and Xfer case from, make sure you get the front driveshaft as well. You may find you need parts from it to make the custom shaft.

Also I believe I've heard that the front axle of Rangers isn't that stout. If memory serves, it's usually a Dana 28. But to hold up to serious HP, most recommend Dana 44? Search threads for numbers here. I'm REALLY fuzzy on this one.

This isn't the 1st time this has been discussed so a few searches should get you some of these answers. But like warpig said, 4wd Ranger swaps are rarely cheap.

[6jeff6]

Thanks
I was hoping I could do a cheap 302 carb for now just to get her running then upgrade after I build my motor?


Jeff

[cgrey8]

If you were willing to abandon the front axle, you could set it up to be a 2wd Ranger. That would allow you to maintain a manual tranny and avoid the front driveshaft issues. Then later, you could look at putting the automatic and transfer case in. That might be an option to explore. But if you are looking to do muddin', you may find the V6 with 4wd performs better than a V8 with only 2wd.

One of the things I always thought that would be neat is to do a V8 conversion on a 4wd Ranger, but set the V8 up to only drive the rear wheels using a T5 manual transmission. Then setup an electric motor to drive the front axle, basically creating myself a home-made plugin hybrid. Fill the bed with some batteries and use a motor controller to control the motor. I'd even get regenerative braking since a majority of your braking is always done with the front wheels anyway. And being a manual tranny, you could throw the tranny in neutral and drive the truck on batteries only until the bats ran dead. At that point,crank or dump-start the engine to keep going. For the same reasons you never tow an automatic by its rear wheels without pulling the driveshaft, you wouldn't couldn't use an automatic in this way since you should never run the output shaft of an automatic without the engine running to run the tranny pump which circulates fluid for both cooling and lubrication.

[6jeff6]

Holy cow that would be something!
So I can do a v-8 just no 4wd hmm. Just hate spending $$ on 4.0 then spend again for v-8 but no 4wd would suck in wi


jeff

[v8ranger]

why not use a AWD transmission/transfurcase and the v8 out of an older mountaineer? Will they work without a computer???

[6jeff6]

I doubt the tranny would work without a whole wiring swap.


So I'm really down to big swap for v-8 or stay 3.0 to keep it simple??

[cgrey8]

The transfer case would probably care less. But 4R70w would need some kind of electronic controller, whether that's the original EEC, a Baumann Controller, or some other similar piece of hardware.

[Dave]

Well, there are actually quite a few manuals that could take that power and came in 4x4's. Most of the 70's F series had them but down fall is no OD and usually a granny gear. Sure there were AOD's with the 4x4 also. You could alway go with a higher rear gear but you are really trying to do two different things with the same truck. Have to compromise somewhere. I have the trans and x-fer case info around here but came down with a case of "shingles" today, that's the chicken pox jsut recurring after 50 years. Couldn't even see to type at noon.
Did you just happen to say "Having no 4 wheel drive in WI would suck"? Spit it out where you at. I'm here in Stevens Point.
Dave

[6jeff6]

Man sucks to hear you have that!!!


Just moved to ladysmith. Was further upnorth now we moved to bear country LOL



Jeff

[gorgo]

i did a 93 4x4 with a 3.0 3" body lift to a exployer 5.0. i got the whole exployer (98) for 1500 and dumped another 2000 in to the swap. some of the cost was not needed in the end but figure 3-5 just for a stock 5.0 swap.

[Dave]

My old buddy/room mate down in Madison did the basically stock block carb'd 302 using the C-5/C-5 and the simple HEI wiring. That was into his '89' BII. He just loves it. Did find a bunch of info on 4x4 transmissions have to post later
Had a bear in the back yard but from the picture of the paw print (6" long) guys at work said it was just a small one.
Dave

[6jeff6]

I don't know if I should or not. Still on the fence .

On a bear note there's a buttload around here!!! We bait the deer/bear in the yard, opened 100lb bag, took out 2lbs to bait, set bag under the deck, in the morning the 98lb bag was carried half way across the yard(bag was open and it didn't spill a drop) and then dropped and emptied it . Have some pics on the cuddeback cam: that one is 300+ and there's a little one that's 100lbs. They haven't been in since they wrecked the oriole feeder . That's shotgun in the arse for that one . I swear they know that. Now that they stopped coming in have a buck with 2 inch nobbies coming in, doe, flying squirells, greys and a coon. It's fun.


Jeff

[v8ranger]

I have tons of pics of deer in my back yard. I love watching them, love there jerky too, lol. No bear hear. in the 20 years I have lived in this house, I have only ever seen 1 bear track.
If your Ranger was 2wd, you would be able to get out of it real cheap. But you should do it right so you dont have to keep taking it back out, and it dont brake down on you. You dont want to cob it up, it would look like hell....