• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

4.0 sohc into an 85


Jimmyrig

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2016
Messages
78
Reaction score
1
Points
8
Location
Northwest oregon
Vehicle Year
1985
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
2.8
Transmission
Manual
My credo
It ain't stuck till it don't move
Any thoughts on putting the sohc into my ranger? I'm planning on picking up a 91 or so explorer and a later model explorer for parts, the front end and dash out of the earlier one and the rear end out of the later model, it's getting a 4.0 one way or another so if you had both sitting there getting parted out why not do the sohc? It's my understanding it will bolt in, and emissions equipment is optional for this project so any extra space taken up by that isn't of much concern. I'm going for as much modern convenience as I can get inside, and in drive ability and naturally the increase in hp and decrease in noise of the sohc would help. So I guess the main questions would be how big of a pain is it to adapt the earlier dash, unless a later dash would fit, and is it worth the extra effort?
 


RonD

Official TRS AI
TRS Technical Advisor
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
25,291
Reaction score
8,296
Points
113
Location
canada
Vehicle Year
1994
Make / Model
Ford
Transmission
Manual
Same work as a V8 swap so.......................why do a 4.0l when you can do 5.0l

4.0l sohc and 5.0l do NOT have the same torque or horse power regardless of what you might read, there is "no replacement for displacement" :)

1997 to 2004 4.0l SOHC do need timing chains and tensioners changed, a must do, when engine is out.

Even if you got 4.0l SOHC for free I would sell it and use that money for 5.0l swap
 

adsm08

Senior Master Grease Monkey
Supporting Member
Article Contributor
Ford Technician
TRS 20th Anniversary
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
34,623
Reaction score
3,613
Points
113
Location
Dillsburg PA
Vehicle Year
1987
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
It's too wide at the valve covers. You loose most of your heater box.
 

Jimmyrig

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2016
Messages
78
Reaction score
1
Points
8
Location
Northwest oregon
Vehicle Year
1985
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
2.8
Transmission
Manual
My credo
It ain't stuck till it don't move
It's too wide at the valve covers. You loose most of your heater box.
I knew there had to be a good reason, otherwise it would be a more common swap. It's true a v8 would give me more power, but you can only make one so efficient, and with an average commute of 100 miles a day, often more, I need every ounce of efficiency I can get. This pretty much reaffirms my original idea that an ohv 4.0 with a turbo set up to kick in during midrange rpm, but not a big enough one to risk the reliability of a stock engine would be ideal for my needs. Which are enough fuel mileage and reliability to be a daily driver and enough power to handle the occasional load and tow my 14' fiberglass boat or my 12' trailer for camping gear when I go hunting out of town while still having enough power to pull hills and get better mileage than a full size.
 

fastpakr

Forum Staff Member
TRS Event Staff
TRS Forum Moderator
Supporting Member
Article Contributor
U.S. Military - Veteran
V8 Engine Swap
TRS 20th Anniversary
TRS Event Participant
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
7,991
Reaction score
2,792
Points
113
Location
Roanoke, VA
Vehicle Year
1999
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
5.0
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
285/75-16
Honestly I think you'd save quite a bit doing the 5.0 swap compared to a turbocharged 4.0 and have far better reliability to boot (some improvement on the engine side, dramatic improvement on transmission reliability). The extra cost of a turbo 4.0 swap would never be offset by any fuel mileage difference. Now, if you wanted to do a stock OHV 4.0 swap I think you'd still see a tremendous improvement over your 2.8.
 

BlackBII

Ranger Custom
Article Contributor
OTOTM Winner
TRS Banner 2010-2011
Truck of Month
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
Messages
7,895
Reaction score
982
Points
113
Location
UT
Vehicle Year
1989
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
5
Tire Size
33
Another option is doing a 4.0 OHV with a top mounted M112 supercharger. Morana makes a mounting plate for it. Some people have reported that running 5psi or so is safe on stock internals, provided you have a good tune. Getting an OBDII 4.0 OHV will make tuning it much easier.

I would start by swapping in a 4.0 OHV and getting it running well, and then adding forced induction.

adsm08 put a SOHC in his Gen 1. It can be seen here -> http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70897&page=36

 
Last edited:

adsm08

Senior Master Grease Monkey
Supporting Member
Article Contributor
Ford Technician
TRS 20th Anniversary
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
34,623
Reaction score
3,613
Points
113
Location
Dillsburg PA
Vehicle Year
1987
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
The 5.0 is actually pretty efficient in a Ranger. I manage 17.5 with my 4.0. I have heard of low to mid 20s in 5.0 Rangers when driven sensibly.
 

Jimmyrig

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2016
Messages
78
Reaction score
1
Points
8
Location
Northwest oregon
Vehicle Year
1985
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
2.8
Transmission
Manual
My credo
It ain't stuck till it don't move
You guys are doing a good job of selling the 5.0 but that's not what I want. 17.5 is pretty good for any v8, but with the 2.8 I have, with 3.73 gears and 32x11.5x15's if I drive it right on the highway after the proper utterances at midnight on a full moon while sacrificing a virgin it has repeated just over 24 mpg enough times to not be a fluke. Too bad virgins are in such short supply. Of course it's also repeated 12 mpg in town when traffics bad, so there is a trade off. This is partly due to a lack of power. I do use it like a truck too, hauling lumber and extra rear home from work, scrap metal and firewood, my boat and a utility trailer so an increase in torque is an obvious desire. But I'm thinking that a 4.0 with a mild cam and good exhaust will do the job nicely. And I'm keeping my eye out for a turbo car to rob pieces off of to put together a bypass turbo setup. Nothing huge, maybe 3 or 4 psi with a bypass on the exhaust operated in cab so I can run naturally aspirated most of the time but have the extra power there when I need it. Like I said small turbo and low boost so I'm not putting any vital parts in danger, with two exhaust cut outs, set up to either run all the exhaust to the turbo or just enough to compensate for the air restrictions with most of the gasses going straight out. That's way in the future though.
 

adsm08

Senior Master Grease Monkey
Supporting Member
Article Contributor
Ford Technician
TRS 20th Anniversary
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
34,623
Reaction score
3,613
Points
113
Location
Dillsburg PA
Vehicle Year
1987
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15

BlackBII

Ranger Custom
Article Contributor
OTOTM Winner
TRS Banner 2010-2011
Truck of Month
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
Messages
7,895
Reaction score
982
Points
113
Location
UT
Vehicle Year
1989
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
5
Tire Size
33
Yeah, I did. And I should point out that while I had it there and running I could never get it to stop shooting flames out the tail pipe.
I'm looking forward to seeing your truck in the next Fast and Furious movie.
 

85_Ranger4x4

Forum Staff Member
TRS Event Staff
TRS Forum Moderator
Article Contributor
V8 Engine Swap
OTOTM Winner
TRS Banner 2010-2011
TRS 20th Anniversary
VAGABOND
TRS Event Participant
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
32,207
Reaction score
17,520
Points
113
Location
SW Iowa
Vehicle Year
1985
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
5.0
Transmission
Manual
You guys are doing a good job of selling the 5.0 but that's not what I want. 17.5 is pretty good for any v8, but with the 2.8 I have, with 3.73 gears and 32x11.5x15's if I drive it right on the highway after the proper utterances at midnight on a full moon while sacrificing a virgin it has repeated just over 24 mpg enough times to not be a fluke. Too bad virgins are in such short supply. Of course it's also repeated 12 mpg in town when traffics bad, so there is a trade off. This is partly due to a lack of power. I do use it like a truck too, hauling lumber and extra rear home from work, scrap metal and firewood, my boat and a utility trailer so an increase in torque is an obvious desire. But I'm thinking that a 4.0 with a mild cam and good exhaust will do the job nicely. And I'm keeping my eye out for a turbo car to rob pieces off of to put together a bypass turbo setup. Nothing huge, maybe 3 or 4 psi with a bypass on the exhaust operated in cab so I can run naturally aspirated most of the time but have the extra power there when I need it. Like I said small turbo and low boost so I'm not putting any vital parts in danger, with two exhaust cut outs, set up to either run all the exhaust to the turbo or just enough to compensate for the air restrictions with most of the gasses going straight out. That's way in the future though.
31" MT's, 500cfm 4bbl carb, 3.73 gear, 3 speed automatic, 3" of lift and I get 12mpg turning 2800rpm at 60mph. I am about wide open on the primaries, not far to go before I start dipping into the secondaries just cruising. I am really curious what swapping in an overdrive trans will get me.

Might check into a turbo 4, not as simple to round up parts for but might get better mileage yet.

Otherwise the OHV 4.0 is a much more common and easier swap than a SOHC 4.0. SOHC 4.0's had timing chain issues for awhile earlier on too (went for quite a while really) so watch out for that.

Yeah, I did. And I should point out that while I had it there and running I could never get it to stop shooting flames out the tail pipe.
You say that like it is a bad thing, a lot of people pay extra for that. :icon_thumby:
 

adsm08

Senior Master Grease Monkey
Supporting Member
Article Contributor
Ford Technician
TRS 20th Anniversary
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
34,623
Reaction score
3,613
Points
113
Location
Dillsburg PA
Vehicle Year
1987
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
I'm looking forward to seeing your truck in the next Fast and Furious movie.
Haha, the only thing I am looking forward to seeing my truck in is a paint booth. I am so far not happy with the way my paint job is holding up.

I think my ultimate problem was not a failing of the engine, I think it was that the computer and ignition control system I was using was not correct enough to the engine. If I had been using an adjustable ICM or running OBDII I think I could have made it work.

As of right now I am trying to decide if I keep the 4.0 long-term and get a blower, or if I look into the 5.0 swap in a few years, and supercharge that.
 

Jimmyrig

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2016
Messages
78
Reaction score
1
Points
8
Location
Northwest oregon
Vehicle Year
1985
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
2.8
Transmission
Manual
My credo
It ain't stuck till it don't move
Lol no way it's going all fast and furious, I work construction and get to feal with turbos a lot with the diesels in equipment and am impressed with how well they work and effect reliability less than blowers do. I can get the power I'm looking for naturally aspirated but at a full time loss of mileage, with the setup I have in mind I can run the engine mostly stock and with the turbo barely doing anything most of the time by restricting the amount of exhaust flow it gets, then open it up when I actually need the extra power, it will take some tuning to get it right but when it's working right I think it'll be what I'm after. I'm looking to get an extra 30 or 40 horsepower out of a stock-ish engine, not an extra 200 out of a glorified Briggs and straton.
 

85_Ranger4x4

Forum Staff Member
TRS Event Staff
TRS Forum Moderator
Article Contributor
V8 Engine Swap
OTOTM Winner
TRS Banner 2010-2011
TRS 20th Anniversary
VAGABOND
TRS Event Participant
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
32,207
Reaction score
17,520
Points
113
Location
SW Iowa
Vehicle Year
1985
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
5.0
Transmission
Manual
The engine tune is a huge thing with boost, restricting your boost in a way that makes no sense to your engine (it won't know why all the sudden it has no boost) could cause complications with the tune.

I used to have a 1990 Plymouth RS Laser (same as an Eclipse or Talon) with a turbo. Out of the box it did what you are proposing without monkeying with the exhaust flow. For most things it got around fine without boost, if you wanted it it was there. Set the cruise and watch the boost needle dance on hills, I never had to downshift. I think the NA version was around 140hp and the turbo was around 190hp. That is why I proposed a turbo 4cyl, V8 power with 4cyl economy when you don't need the power.

4cyl

A 4.0 gets about the same mileage as a V8 so I don't think you are really gaining much by starting out with one of those. Heck, in 2005 one of the reasons I bought an F-150 is because a much larger and heaver F-150 with a 5.4 V8 got about the same mileage as a 4.0 Ranger.
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Staff online

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Truck of The Month


Kirby N.
March Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Top