Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and fordwheelinman
Member
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2007
- Messages
- 543
- Reaction score
- 11
- Points
- 18
- Vehicle Year
- 1994
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 4.0L
- Transmission
- Manual
Even as I type this I can feel glaring and hear scoffing, but here goes anyway:
I recently purchased a 2000 windstar to replace my wifes ailing 92 explorer that needs major work and with a second child on the way, more space for a second car seat is needed. I picked it up stupid cheap with an engine noise and thought a top end rebuild would do the trick. Got under it and found a tiny hole in the pan from the inside pushing out. Bottom line is it needs an engine. A direct replacement is gonna run me $700-900 with 125k plus miles. I did some looking and found a 4.2 from a freestar with 89k miles and a 3 yr warranty for $350. Did some research and found the main 3.8/4.2 differences to be intakes, crank, and rods. Cylinder heads are the exact same, so my intake will bolt on and work. The transmission behind each is the same with the 4.2 having updated internals and being sequential. The 2003 3.8 shares the same flexplate with the 4.2 and I found a site where someone described their use of a 2003 3.8 in a 1999 windstar. Theory says that if this works, and 03 3.8 shares 4.2 flexplate, then 4.2 flexplate SHOULD bolt to my torque conver. Exhaust manifolds are the exact same, so my factory exhaust should bolt right up.
If I take the 4.2 down to a longblock and use my 3.8 upper and lower intakes (heads are the same) and use my original wiring harness, then the swap should work. The only question is whether or not the flexplate and torque converter mate up. Does this sound like it will work to anyone else or am I way out in left field?
To make the warranty good I need to replace water pump, thermostat, intake gaskets and front and rear seals anyway, so I'm not adding much work by swapping intakes. It would have to be done with a direct replacement as well for warranty, so I'm not adding any cost there other than difference in parts which should be minimal. Halving my initial cost with three times the warranty and half or less miles seems like the way to go with increased torque and horsepower to boot.
Keep in mind I am Ford certified with almost 10 yrs professional experience, and 10 more prior to that of private experience. I've done a lot of research and can not find where this has been done, but I can't find anything saying it is impossible either. Looking for some help and more brains examining and researching because I'm about to go nuts. The van is clean, with all the options and nice touches that the explorer lacks. Has a third row seat, leather, rear heat and air, and it's not been wrecked as far as I can tell. Paint and body are in better overall shape than the explorer, and selling the explorer would pay off my 7.3 Excursion. I need some thoughts, I'll stop rambling now....
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I recently purchased a 2000 windstar to replace my wifes ailing 92 explorer that needs major work and with a second child on the way, more space for a second car seat is needed. I picked it up stupid cheap with an engine noise and thought a top end rebuild would do the trick. Got under it and found a tiny hole in the pan from the inside pushing out. Bottom line is it needs an engine. A direct replacement is gonna run me $700-900 with 125k plus miles. I did some looking and found a 4.2 from a freestar with 89k miles and a 3 yr warranty for $350. Did some research and found the main 3.8/4.2 differences to be intakes, crank, and rods. Cylinder heads are the exact same, so my intake will bolt on and work. The transmission behind each is the same with the 4.2 having updated internals and being sequential. The 2003 3.8 shares the same flexplate with the 4.2 and I found a site where someone described their use of a 2003 3.8 in a 1999 windstar. Theory says that if this works, and 03 3.8 shares 4.2 flexplate, then 4.2 flexplate SHOULD bolt to my torque conver. Exhaust manifolds are the exact same, so my factory exhaust should bolt right up.
If I take the 4.2 down to a longblock and use my 3.8 upper and lower intakes (heads are the same) and use my original wiring harness, then the swap should work. The only question is whether or not the flexplate and torque converter mate up. Does this sound like it will work to anyone else or am I way out in left field?
To make the warranty good I need to replace water pump, thermostat, intake gaskets and front and rear seals anyway, so I'm not adding much work by swapping intakes. It would have to be done with a direct replacement as well for warranty, so I'm not adding any cost there other than difference in parts which should be minimal. Halving my initial cost with three times the warranty and half or less miles seems like the way to go with increased torque and horsepower to boot.
Keep in mind I am Ford certified with almost 10 yrs professional experience, and 10 more prior to that of private experience. I've done a lot of research and can not find where this has been done, but I can't find anything saying it is impossible either. Looking for some help and more brains examining and researching because I'm about to go nuts. The van is clean, with all the options and nice touches that the explorer lacks. Has a third row seat, leather, rear heat and air, and it's not been wrecked as far as I can tell. Paint and body are in better overall shape than the explorer, and selling the explorer would pay off my 7.3 Excursion. I need some thoughts, I'll stop rambling now....
Sent from my D6708 using Tapatalk
