99 Ranger V8 swap and manual to auto conversion

[stretchstick]

Hello, and thank you for any assistance you may be able to provide.

I have researched the snot out of the V8 swap, reading as many threads on here (and elsewhere), as I could find. I also purchased the online V8 swap manual from Harwood Performance, but it appears to be geared more toward earlier models and 2 wheel drive versions. The '99 4X4 seems to be straight forward, but there are some questions I have that I have not come across as of yet, and a couple of questions just for reassurance.

For starters, this is what I have to work with -

The recipient -
1999 Ford Ranger XLT 4X4, extended cab, 4.0 OHV, M5R1 5 speed manual, BW1354 t-case, approx. 141k miles

The donor -
1999 Mercury Mountaineer AWD, 5.0 (302), 4R70W automatic, approx. 220k miles

I spent the better part of a year searching for the most appropriate donor for this swap. The Mountaineer is high mileage, but the engine and transmission will both be sent out for thorough inspection and rebuild. No work has been started on either vehicle. I plan on disassembling the Mountaineer later this month and following through with the transplant in July.

I will be retaining the Rangers BW1354 t-case and have already acquired the adapter from Advance. The 1354 vs. 4406 was a major area of debate between me and myself, but I don't intend on off roading the Ranger. It will be a daily driver and the only time it will see 4 wheel drive is in the snow. From the research I have done, the 1354 seems to be capable of standing up to a mild 302.

Converting from manual to automatic, needing a shifter, I plan on swapping the steering column and ignition lockset from the Mountaineer along with the pats module for simplicity. The door locks eventually to keep it down to one key.

My questions -

With the Ranger currently being a manual transmission, the clutch pedal must be depressed to start the truck, I assume this is akin to a neutral safety switch. How will this play out when converting from manual to auto?

The Ranger does not currently have cruise control where the Mountaineer does. This is something that I would like to eventually have in the Ranger. The Mountaineer cruise controls are on the steering wheel, and the Ranger has no wheel controls whatsoever. I really don't want to reuse the Mountaineer steering wheel (it's in pretty bad shape) so is there a Ranger/Explorer wheel out there that would be compatible? And how is the wiring going to work out here?

Can the Mountaineer fluid lines from the 4r70w to the radiator be used in the Ranger?

I could not help but notice the power brake booster on the Mountaineer is tagged with '5.0'. Is the booster something that needs to/should be swapped over?

The battery tray in the Ranger is pretty small. Will the Mountaineer tray fit in place of the Rangers? I have some decent welding abilities and could tack it back in place, or would it be easier to just fab up a new tray altogether?

It appears as though I am on my own with the exhaust manifold situation. I've attempted to contact Torque Monster, but from what I've read they are not easy to get ahold of and the production delay does not fit into my schedule. Will the factory Mountaineer tubular headers fit without issue, at least long enough for the rebuilt engine break in and to get it to the exhaust shop for a custom set?

Will the air intake filter box from the Mountaineer fit in place of the Rangers? Or at least will the intake tube match up to the Ranger filter box?

Will everything fit under there without a body lift?

Off topic now, will the e-brake cables in the Ranger match up to the Mountaineer e-brakes when swapping the rear end?


Just some reassurance here -

From what I understand, the heater box was re-located sometime in the '94 models and should not need to be 'modified'?

Will the oil pan from the Mountaineer in fact, fit with no clearance issues on the steering rack/steering cooler, crossmember and front diff?


...And a bonus question - How hard would it be to adapt the power sunroof from the Mountaineer into the Ranger?


Thanks for reading through my hodge podge of ramblings. I appreciate any and all assistance and advice.

David

 

[franklin2]

With the Ranger currently being a manual transmission, the clutch pedal must be depressed to start the truck, I assume this is akin to a neutral safety switch. How will this play out when converting from manual to auto?

You will need to find these two wires and tie them together. You are correct, it is just like a neutral safety. Depending on what shifter you use, you might need to run these wires to your shifter.

The Ranger does not currently have cruise control where the Mountaineer does. This is something that I would like to eventually have in the Ranger. The Mountaineer cruise controls are on the steering wheel, and the Ranger has no wheel controls whatsoever. I really don't want to reuse the Mountaineer steering wheel (it's in pretty bad shape) so is there a Ranger/Explorer wheel out there that would be compatible? And how is the wiring going to work out here?

The cruise wiring can be complex and really embedded in the wiring harness. The more features you want, the more I would lean toward using the mountaineer wiring harness complete. If the steering wheel is in bad shape, just get another good used one. The wiring and trying to modify it can be a real pain. But if you use the complete harness and dash, it's just unbolt and plug everything in.

 

[Ranger850]

Hello, and thank you for any assistance you may be able to provide.

I have researched the snot out of the V8 swap, reading as many threads on here (and elsewhere), as I could find. I also purchased the online V8 swap manual from Harwood Performance, but it appears to be geared more toward earlier models and 2 wheel drive versions. The '99 4X4 seems to be straight forward, but there are some questions I have that I have not come across as of yet, and a couple of questions just for reassurance.

For starters, this is what I have to work with -

The recipient -
1999 Ford Ranger XLT 4X4, extended cab, 4.0 OHV, M5R1 5 speed manual, BW1354 t-case, approx. 141k miles

The donor -
1999 Mercury Mountaineer AWD, 5.0 (302), 4R70W automatic, approx. 220k miles

I spent the better part of a year searching for the most appropriate donor for this swap. The Mountaineer is high mileage, but the engine and transmission will both be sent out for thorough inspection and rebuild. No work has been started on either vehicle. I plan on disassembling the Mountaineer later this month and following through with the transplant in July.

I will be retaining the Rangers BW1354 t-case and have already acquired the adapter from Advance. The 1354 vs. 4406 was a major area of debate between me and myself, but I don't intend on off roading the Ranger. It will be a daily driver and the only time it will see 4 wheel drive is in the snow. From the research I have done, the 1354 seems to be capable of standing up to a mild 302.

Converting from manual to automatic, needing a shifter, I plan on swapping the steering column and ignition lockset from the Mountaineer along with the pats module for simplicity. The door locks eventually to keep it down to one key.

My questions -

With the Ranger currently being a manual transmission, the clutch pedal must be depressed to start the truck, I assume this is akin to a neutral safety switch. How will this play out when converting from manual to auto?

The Ranger does not currently have cruise control where the Mountaineer does. This is something that I would like to eventually have in the Ranger. The Mountaineer cruise controls are on the steering wheel, and the Ranger has no wheel controls whatsoever. I really don't want to reuse the Mountaineer steering wheel (it's in pretty bad shape) so is there a Ranger/Explorer wheel out there that would be compatible? And how is the wiring going to work out here?

Can the Mountaineer fluid lines from the 4r70w to the radiator be used in the Ranger?

I could not help but notice the power brake booster on the Mountaineer is tagged with '5.0'. Is the booster something that needs to/should be swapped over?

The battery tray in the Ranger is pretty small. Will the Mountaineer tray fit in place of the Rangers? I have some decent welding abilities and could tack it back in place, or would it be easier to just fab up a new tray altogether?

It appears as though I am on my own with the exhaust manifold situation. I've attempted to contact Torque Monster, but from what I've read they are not easy to get ahold of and the production delay does not fit into my schedule. Will the factory Mountaineer tubular headers fit without issue, at least long enough for the rebuilt engine break in and to get it to the exhaust shop for a custom set?

Will the air intake filter box from the Mountaineer fit in place of the Rangers? Or at least will the intake tube match up to the Ranger filter box?

Will everything fit under there without a body lift?

Off topic now, will the e-brake cables in the Ranger match up to the Mountaineer e-brakes when swapping the rear end?


Just some reassurance here -

From what I understand, the heater box was re-located sometime in the '94 models and should not need to be 'modified'?

Will the oil pan from the Mountaineer in fact, fit with no clearance issues on the steering rack/steering cooler, crossmember and front diff?


...And a bonus question - How hard would it be to adapt the power sunroof from the Mountaineer into the Ranger?


Thanks for reading through my hodge podge of ramblings. I appreciate any and all assistance and advice.

David

Since you have BOTh vehicles, You may want to use as much of the Mountaineer stuff as possible. The engine bays and fire walls are pretty much the same between the two, so almost everything should swap right over. Basically take out the Ranger parts and place the Mounty stuff in. ( wires, seats, console, steering column, ect.)
As far as putting the Moon roof into the Ranger, that's a can of worms you might not want to open, depending on your fabrication skills, BUT the wiring and every thing you need is in the Mounty. I've seen it done over in a Nissan forum, a guy put a Honda Accord power sunroof into his Nissan D21

 

[00t444e]

Why do you want to switch to an auto? Way more fun with a manual and you don't have to worry about the auto going out on you.

 

[fastpakr]

Why do you want to switch to an auto? Way more fun with a manual and you don't have to worry about the auto going out on you.

Yes, because the R2 is SO much better than the 4R70W.

Both transmissions break. Do you have any answers for his questions?

 

[mhash67]

I'm going to be working on a similar project swapping from a 99 Moutaineer into a 99 ranger xlt. I just picked up the Moutaineer today and I noticed that the cruise controls are different than what I have in my ranger. I'm going to swap the entire steering column because I like the Mounty controls better and it also has the radio and climate controls, also I want everything to be as plug and play as I can get.

I was also going to go with the Torque Monsters but, after finding out about the delays in production and needing to cut cost anyway, I'm going to stick with the stock manifolds. From what I've been told there should not be any issues.

It sounds like you will be starting your build before me, I'm still source parts, but I'd like to keep up with. I will let you know if I get started earlier if I run to any of the other questions you asked and have a better answer.

 

[stretchstick]

Right on, it sounds like swapping the Mountaineer cab harness is the new (and better) plan, thank you.

I will be stripping the Mountaineer next weekend and will tear into the dash to see what all is entailed.

Two questions arise off the bat -

- The lack of transfer case controls in the Mountaineer. I plan to keep the Rangers 1354, I know it may not be ideal, but considering my Wife and Father will be driving this as well, it keeps things the way they were.

- And the Mountaineer HVAC controls are all digital with what appears to be vacuum lines behind them. The Ranger just has the three knobs and I'm not sure whether it's vacuum or electric behind there. I'm thinking the entire blower box may need to be swapped over as well?

I have an engine builder, a tranny shop and possibly a custom header/exhaust shop lined up. If not, stock manifolds it will be. I've attempted contact with Torque Monster twice with no response.

The Mountaineer battery tray appears to be plastic where the Rangers is steel. Not sure if that will work, may just have to fab up a new one.

After more research, it seems a remote oil filter is not neccesary in this application? I already picked one up, but maybe it would be easier to keep the stock Mountaineer adapter?

As far as the manual to auto goes, I'm just lazy and want to slurp my soda without interruption. And as a truck driver by trade, it's nice to get away from the 18 speed manual for a while.

Yeah, the moonroof is a pipe dream for another date and time.

Thanks for all the info, support and ideas. Seems like a great community here and I am eternally grateful.

Thanks again,

David.

I will post my findings, issues, pictures, and (hopefully) progress along the way.

 

[rubydist]

It is possible to swap the auto climate control into the Ranger - you need the actuators for the various doors to be swapped as those are different between the atc and the manual temperature control systems. The Ranger actuators are also electric, but they function differently. There is a thread here on this site detailing that.

The oil pan from the mounty will work just fine in the Ranger. I would use new engine mounts. The mounty exhaust manifolds will fit fine in the Ranger, they just are restrictive in flow.

There is no Ranger steering wheel with radio controls, so if you want that you will need to find a decent mounty/explorer wheel.

 

[fastpakr]

Is your reasoning behind maintaining the 1354 to keep the controls the way they are in the current Ranger setup? If so, my understanding is that a part time 4406 from an F150 can plug directly into the shift motor connector you already have. @RonD can confirm that I believe.

 

[RonD]

+1 ^^^

Yes, Ford used the same shift motors on all electric shift transfer cases
And as far as I know the same wiring on the 8 pin connectors
So plug and play

 

[stretchstick]

Thank you for the confirmation on the oil pan and exhaust manifolds, along with the info on the HVAC controls situation, I will be delving into that and appreciate the info.

The t-case decision was the largest area of debate I've been having with myself. One minute, I would tell myself, 'This is the way to go', only to question the decision literally seconds later. Seriously, it's bad, even last night I was laying in bed questioning if I am making the right decision.

From what I've read, the 4406 shift motor can be swapped, making it a plug and play. Plus it bolts up to the 4r70w directly, thus eliminating the pricey adapter.

But, I've also read that there are some clearance issues on the frame and fuel neck. This can apparently be limited by shifting the drivetrain to the passenger side, but then you read about the header clearance issues. At what point is shifting one thing this way conflicting another component with another?

I really don't like the slip shaft tail housing of the 4406. I'm sure it's not an issue, just something I'm not fond of in a truck, thus another con in my book.


The thought of the 1354 case back there is a concern that will forever reside in my mind. But I've also read here that some run up to 37's with them and have had no issues. There's a lot of debate out there about the strength of the 1354, but no real confirmation that I could find. But, if there were serious issues of concern, would Advance even make an adapter to mate such a combination? Of course, their recommendation was just to throw an Atlas 2 back there!

Final decision came down to this -

I have no intention of ever wheeling this truck, it will just be a daily driver and will never see tires above 31's. I really need this swap to go smoothly and would like to keep the snags to a minimum.

As far as cost goes, between sourcing up a 4406 (with unknown mileage or issues) and the driveshaft modifications, the price of the adapter wasn't too far off (a full tranny rebuild was already planned, so changing the adapter won't cost anything more). I already have the 1354, I know it's history and it's never been abused.

I will have the tranny shop retain the stock adapter and output shaft for me. If I destroy the 1354, it will be costly, but I will have learned another thing of what not to do in a different aspect of life.

Still questioning myself,

David

 

[fastpakr]

I'm confused - don't you still need driveshaft changes with the 1354 adapter?

 

[stretchstick]

I've heard you do, and I've heard you don't. At least this way I know the shafts from the Ranger will have the same input/output patterns. It's one of those bridges I will have to cross when I get there. Driveshaft fitment will be the first thing I do once the drivetrain is in place, just in case they do need modification I can get them in asap.

 

[stretchstick]

Well, I got the drivetrain out last weekend. The engine is at the machine shop ($$$!!!), and the transmission is at the tranny shop (even more $$$!). I've been out of the loop for a while, prices are much higher than the last time I had an engine built. Kinda threw my budget out the window...

Anyway, I'm not sure about the battery tray. The Mountaineers is plastic and the Rangers is steel. It may work, but I won't get to that until the swap gets underway.

The Mountaineer oil filter adapter is so poorly placed, that filter removal will drain oil all over the crossmemeber, sway bar and wiring harness. I will be using the remote filter for sure. If I have to fab up a new battery tray, maybe incorporate a bracket under there.

It looks like the stock Ranger air filter box will work.

It also looks like the transmission lines and cooler will work in the Ranger.

Still not certain about the driveshafts. Won't know about that until the new drivetrain is in place.

Got the dash out today, what a PITA... I am beginning to think the engine/transmission will be the easy part of this, there's a ton of wires in there. So far I'm up .27 cents, 2 strawberry candies, a packet of Popeye's honey, half a box of Mike and Ike's and a mostly melted, still stuck to the carpet gummy bear.

Found this module behind the dash and have to wonder if this is the answer to the lack of transfer case controls. Maybe the Ranger has a module specifying 4x4 with control output?

Interesting, I found this in a carpet cutout under the center console. Two keyless entry remotes, still in factory sealed packaging...

...and here's a pic of the Ranger just waiting for the new 302...

David

 

[franklin2]

Taking the dash out is a pain, but no wiring diagrams and electrical theory to sort out. Just bolt it in, and plug it all up. A lot of work but the wiring diagrams for the explorer should be valid, all the wiring colors will be correct, etc.