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  #1  
Old 09-18-2019, 01:33 PM
bamaranger13 bamaranger13 is offline
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Default My 5.0 Swap summary and 10,000 mile update

I have owned a 2000 Ford Ranger 4x4 3.0 V6 Flex-Fuel since 2009. It was my first vehicle and I (thankfully) never let it get away from me. The truck has gone through many changes over the years. I’ve had step bars, mud tires, even a brush guard with KCs on it at one point. It has been a reliable vehicle over the years, with no major repair work ever being required.

This truck was perfect for me, except in one area: it was underpowered. I had read many stories on this forum of other’s 5.0 swapped Rangers and wanted to do this myself, but it seemed like quite a daunting task. I gathered information for quite a while before biting the bullet and purchasing a 5.0 Explorer donor vehicle. Up unit this point, the most I had ever torn into an engine was replacing head gaskets on a vehicle with another (more knowledgeable) mechanic friend. Previously, the most in depth work I had done was replace the water pump on my Ranger. As with most projects, this took more time (and more $$$) than originally anticipated.

The donor vehicle:
2000 Ford Explorer XLT 5.0 AWD. To me, it was a priority to find an Explorer similar in year to my Ranger for more plug-and-play capability (2000 to 2000). I purchased it in very rough condition (180,000+ miles, slightly less than what I had on my truck at the time). Yes, it did run and drive, but smoked very badly and seemed to be misfiring. I picked it up cheap, but in hindsight, I still overpaid.
Once getting the engine pulled and on an engine stand, I quickly realized why it had been smoking. Someone had installed a helicoil in the head for one of the spark plug threads and broke a chunk off the inside of the cylinder head. This piece had rolled around in the cylinder, knocking half-dime sized hole in the piston. It’s amazing it ran as well as it did! Realizing I would need a complete rebuild of the engine, I called around to some local engine shops for price quotes. After receiving these quotes (all in the $1,800-$2,000 range), I decided to try to rebuild the engine myself. Keep in mind that I am not a professional mechanic (went to school for electrical engineering) and this was a very intimidating project before I got into it.

The rebuild:
I took the block to a local engine shop to be checked, cleaned, and honed. In the meantime, I went parts shopping (mostly at Summitracing.com). Since I was building this truck to still be a functional daily driver, I wanted a little more power but nothing too crazy. I purchased a rebuild kit with hypereutectic pistons, new hydraulic lifters, and a mild .480 lift Lunati EFI-compatible cam. I went by the book (and a few YouTube videos, thanks Thunderhead289) on everything with the engine. I also swapped the GT40P heads out for a refurbished set at a local cylinder head service shop.


Drivetrain:
In addition to the cam, I also added the following:
• Torque Monster headers
• 24# injectors
• SCT X4 Tuner with tunes from 5 Star Tuning
• 4R70W transmission from the donor vehicle
• BW4406 manual t-case and front driveshaft from a junkyard F150
• EGR Delete
• Cats and rear 02 sensors deleted

Here are other components related to the swap:
• Motor mounts: used the OEM Explorer motor mounts
• Transmission crossmember: factory crossmember location was the same for the new 5.0 and 4R70W combo.
• PCM: I used the Explorer PCM and main harness, which plugged directly to the body harness of my Ranger.
• PATS (security system): since both vehicles have the same security system, I was able to swap the PATS module from the Explorer directly to my Ranger. I had my key re-programmed with a Snap-on vehicle scanner to make it compatible with the Explorer PCM and PATS module.
• Fuel system: Both vehicles use the same “returnless” style fuel system
• Rear Driveshaft: shortened and re-balanced by local driveline shop
• Rear Diff: Kept stock Ranger 8.8 rear end with 4.10 gearing (explorer stock gearing was 3.73)
• Tach: I modified my Ranger tach to properly read engine RPMs. This involved unpinning one wire (a ground wire, if I remember correctly) and moving it to another empty connector in one of the harnesses behind the dash. There’s a link to this somewhere deep in the V8 swap threads – if I find it, I’ll post the link here.
• AC: in my case, there were no modifications of the Ranger’s AC components required. The factory locations for the condenser, drier, connectors, etc. was a direct fit with the Explorer’s AC lines and compressor.
• Exhaust: Local exhaust shop welded in Flowmaster 40 dual-in dual-out muffler, with 2.5” pipe and exhaust exiting the rear corners behind the mudflaps.


A year and a half later and I now have approximately 10,000 miles on my “new” Ranger. Everything about my build looks factory, and if you didn’t know better, you would think this Ranger came from the factory with a 5.0. Everything works as it should and it runs great. I would trust driving it anywhere. Many thanks to the forum members who have very detailed write-ups on their 5.0 swap. These really helped me out.

If anyone is reading this and considering a 5.0 swap, DO IT! The difference between the “3.SLOW” V6 and the 5.0 is unbelievable, and definitely a head-turner when people hear you pull up! My swap was probably relatively easy compared to some others, but I’ll be happy to answer any questions about my experience, provide additional details, take additional pics, etc. See my 5.0 Swap picture album for pics related to this swap - link here http://www.fordrangerforum.com/membe...swap-pics.html
__________________
2000 XLT 4x4 5.0 (formerly 3.0 Flex-fuel)
Always looking to improve but here’s all I’ve got for now….
Rebuilt 302 with Lunati EFI-compatible Cam | Explorer ECU | Torque Monster Headers | EGR Delete | 24# injectors | 4R70W with BW4406 T-Case | SCT X4 Tuner with custom tunes | Flowmaster 40 Dual-In Dual-Out exhaust | Ultra 15x8s with 31x10.50 General Grabber AT2s | Kenwood radio, door speakers, and amp

Last edited by bamaranger13; 09-18-2019 at 04:30 PM. Reason: Added link to picture album.
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  #2  
Old 09-18-2019, 07:31 PM
ford4thot ford4thot is offline
2019 SSVT Ford 'Maro
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 14,636
Default Re: My 5.0 Swap summary and 10,000 mile update

That's awesome, I would really like to do a 5.0 swap in my 92 Ranger someday.
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  #3  
Old 09-20-2019, 07:44 PM
bamaranger13 bamaranger13 is offline
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Posts: 11
Default Re: My 5.0 Swap summary and 10,000 mile update

Quote:
Originally Posted by ford4thot View Post
That's awesome, I would really like to do a 5.0 swap in my 92 Ranger someday.
Thanks!
__________________
2000 XLT 4x4 5.0 (formerly 3.0 Flex-fuel)
Always looking to improve but here’s all I’ve got for now….
Rebuilt 302 with Lunati EFI-compatible Cam | Explorer ECU | Torque Monster Headers | EGR Delete | 24# injectors | 4R70W with BW4406 T-Case | SCT X4 Tuner with custom tunes | Flowmaster 40 Dual-In Dual-Out exhaust | Ultra 15x8s with 31x10.50 General Grabber AT2s | Kenwood radio, door speakers, and amp
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  #4  
Old 09-22-2019, 08:10 AM
danger_ranger_2011 danger_ranger_2011 is offline
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Posts: 10
Default Re: My 5.0 Swap summary and 10,000 mile update

That is pretty neat! Good Job! How is your fuel mileage with the 5.0?
__________________
11' Ford Ranger Sport 4wd 5 Speed Manual

- Flowmaster 44, Cobra 25 LTD mounted in ceiling, Mustang Dome light mod, Led Bulbs all around, Cargo light connected, Under Hood light mod, Amber Raptor lights installed in the grill, updated headlights with black background, and a few small things here and there. In search of more ideas.
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  #5  
Old 09-22-2019, 04:38 PM
bamaranger13 bamaranger13 is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 11
Default Re: My 5.0 Swap summary and 10,000 mile update

Quote:
Originally Posted by danger_ranger_2011 View Post
That is pretty neat! Good Job! How is your fuel mileage with the 5.0?
So with 4.10 gears, I've been just under 15mpg (mix of highway and city driving). However, I only very recently had my cats removed and they were pretty clogged. So I should see a good jump in mpg... I've definitely seen a good boost in power. I'll log it this week and update with some numbers.

Even with the old 3.0 and 31s, I never saw better than 17 mpg believe it or not

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
__________________
2000 XLT 4x4 5.0 (formerly 3.0 Flex-fuel)
Always looking to improve but here’s all I’ve got for now….
Rebuilt 302 with Lunati EFI-compatible Cam | Explorer ECU | Torque Monster Headers | EGR Delete | 24# injectors | 4R70W with BW4406 T-Case | SCT X4 Tuner with custom tunes | Flowmaster 40 Dual-In Dual-Out exhaust | Ultra 15x8s with 31x10.50 General Grabber AT2s | Kenwood radio, door speakers, and amp
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  #6  
Old 10-02-2019, 12:58 PM
bamaranger13 bamaranger13 is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 11
Default Re: My 5.0 Swap summary and 10,000 mile update

Quote:
Originally Posted by danger_ranger_2011 View Post
That is pretty neat! Good Job! How is your fuel mileage with the 5.0?
After getting some more driving time this past week, I've averaged 16mpg. Again, with a good mix of highway, city, and sitting in traffic. Getting essentially the same mileage with 100+ more hp is definitely satisfying
__________________
2000 XLT 4x4 5.0 (formerly 3.0 Flex-fuel)
Always looking to improve but here’s all I’ve got for now….
Rebuilt 302 with Lunati EFI-compatible Cam | Explorer ECU | Torque Monster Headers | EGR Delete | 24# injectors | 4R70W with BW4406 T-Case | SCT X4 Tuner with custom tunes | Flowmaster 40 Dual-In Dual-Out exhaust | Ultra 15x8s with 31x10.50 General Grabber AT2s | Kenwood radio, door speakers, and amp
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  #7  
Old 10-02-2019, 01:01 PM
danger_ranger_2011 danger_ranger_2011 is offline
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Posts: 10
Default Re: My 5.0 Swap summary and 10,000 mile update

That's Awesome!! Definitely worth it to get way more power with the same fuel mileage!
__________________
11' Ford Ranger Sport 4wd 5 Speed Manual

- Flowmaster 44, Cobra 25 LTD mounted in ceiling, Mustang Dome light mod, Led Bulbs all around, Cargo light connected, Under Hood light mod, Amber Raptor lights installed in the grill, updated headlights with black background, and a few small things here and there. In search of more ideas.
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