hi fellas. Just purchased a 94 ranger XLT. the original 3.0L threw a rod so i wanted to replace it. Easier to find the 5.0 302 than the 4.0L. I know its motor, transmission, computer, and harness. is there anything else i may need? or should just purchase everything from James duff? what can i get from the donor truck?

Your not gonna find a V8 in a ranger.

Explorer is where you need to get the engine from. check car-part.com you can search all salvage yards in your state

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what else may i need? im sure i can find that particular motor and transmission....

and what year explorer? and if i cant find the explorer, is there another motor that will fit?

with some knowledge you can make many motors fit, 302 is cheaper and easier, you can get a 5.0 cobra, one from a 5.0 explorer(Get the rad from the 5.0 explorer) or a regular carb'd 302. Just got to get the motor mounts, wire it up, and as far as tranny's, you can make it easy with a c4 auto 3spd, its tough and simple, my 85 ranger had a 289 bored to 302 connected to a c4 and it was pretty fast.

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SOLD:'05 2wd Ranger xl with the 3.0
MODS-Alpine head unit, throttle cable mod, Black Rock wheels, FX4 lvl II axle swap, pooleo's camo painted bezel and mustang dome, painted/aftermarket headlights/tails fold-a-cover and over 100 hp in stickers

'86 AMC Eagle and '01 Grand Prix GTP

so what cars can i look for to find a motor and tranny? It looks like it may be difficult for me to find an explorer. i defitnely want power and towing ability.

look for f150's with a 302. You need to look for the years of 1980 to 1996, you can pick up both an engine and trans, but you might need to rebuild the engine and trans if its really worn out, and with a 302 you can punch it out to a 347 stroker. The rad out of a 5.0 explorer works perfectly because it will bolt right in and work, but if you cant find one of those you can try a mustang rad or a 4.0 v6 rad from a ranger.
If you really want power you can do a 460 swap.

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SOLD:'05 2wd Ranger xl with the 3.0
MODS-Alpine head unit, throttle cable mod, Black Rock wheels, FX4 lvl II axle swap, pooleo's camo painted bezel and mustang dome, painted/aftermarket headlights/tails fold-a-cover and over 100 hp in stickers

'86 AMC Eagle and '01 Grand Prix GTP

i'll see what i can find. theres plenty of junkyards here. hopefully i can find something. I just got the truck yesterday so im doing the teardown right now...

and can anyone tell whats the advantages of a carb. vs fi....ive been able to find a both in the same price range and im not sure whats best?

http://dtcc.cz28.com/history/vs.htm

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SOLD:'05 2wd Ranger xl with the 3.0
MODS-Alpine head unit, throttle cable mod, Black Rock wheels, FX4 lvl II axle swap, pooleo's camo painted bezel and mustang dome, painted/aftermarket headlights/tails fold-a-cover and over 100 hp in stickers

'86 AMC Eagle and '01 Grand Prix GTP

excellent read!! thanx for the help..