- Joined
- Jan 26, 2010
- Messages
- 50
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 6
- Location
- Johnston County, NC
- Vehicle Year
- 1995
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 5.0L
- Transmission
- Automatic
Just wanted to show off my progress so far. Basically I have a 95 Ranger STX and a 97 Explorer Limited. I bought the Explorer mainly for the 5.0L, but with all the nice luxuries it had, I figured I'd swap over all the upgrades I could. Still a long way from done, but check it out.
First, I had to get rid of the 4.0L and transmission.
Next I removed the Explorer's powertrain.
Tore down the engine and sent it to the machine shop.
Tore down the transmission for overhaul and Advance Adapter to transfer case.
After that, it was off with the bed and cab.
Painted the rusty frame at this point.
Got the engine and transmission put back together and installed. I used Ford Racing headers and modified the stock motor mounts.
Found a clearance issue with the rear drain plug, and a temporary solution. Wish I knew about this going into this project.
I had to sit the cab and bed back down on a 3 inch body lift due to clearance issues. Time for Explorer interior upgrades. Gutted out Ranger stuff in cab and modified Explorer harness. (This has probably been the worst part of this entire swap.)
Ever seen a fully functional keyless entry pad wired into a Ranger before? You have now. I gotta admit I was a bit nervous drilling into my door.
Gutted the mirrors because Explorer mirrors are not a bolt on swap. Hopefully they will defrost like they should.
Redid the headliner, it was looking crappy. Upgraded sun visors, mirror, and overhead console.
Installed Ford factory coil spacers to lift the front a little.
I'll have to get more pics later but I also have the nice center console with message center installed, Explorer Limited seats and the memory seat buttons wired in and working. Still a long way from done but eager to show off the progress made. BTW, if anyone has a spare one piece steel driveshaft they want to get rid of, let me know. Also, I want to give a huge thank you to my employer, Kenly Ford for letting me use the shop since Feb 2017. They have been incredibly patient with me. Also my co workers have been very helpful along with you guys here at TRS. Ever since I first saw the 5.0 swap in the tech articles, I wanted to do this. The amount of info on this site is incredible.
First, I had to get rid of the 4.0L and transmission.
Next I removed the Explorer's powertrain.
Tore down the engine and sent it to the machine shop.
Tore down the transmission for overhaul and Advance Adapter to transfer case.
After that, it was off with the bed and cab.
Painted the rusty frame at this point.
Got the engine and transmission put back together and installed. I used Ford Racing headers and modified the stock motor mounts.
Found a clearance issue with the rear drain plug, and a temporary solution. Wish I knew about this going into this project.
I had to sit the cab and bed back down on a 3 inch body lift due to clearance issues. Time for Explorer interior upgrades. Gutted out Ranger stuff in cab and modified Explorer harness. (This has probably been the worst part of this entire swap.)
Ever seen a fully functional keyless entry pad wired into a Ranger before? You have now. I gotta admit I was a bit nervous drilling into my door.
Gutted the mirrors because Explorer mirrors are not a bolt on swap. Hopefully they will defrost like they should.
Redid the headliner, it was looking crappy. Upgraded sun visors, mirror, and overhead console.
Installed Ford factory coil spacers to lift the front a little.
I'll have to get more pics later but I also have the nice center console with message center installed, Explorer Limited seats and the memory seat buttons wired in and working. Still a long way from done but eager to show off the progress made. BTW, if anyone has a spare one piece steel driveshaft they want to get rid of, let me know. Also, I want to give a huge thank you to my employer, Kenly Ford for letting me use the shop since Feb 2017. They have been incredibly patient with me. Also my co workers have been very helpful along with you guys here at TRS. Ever since I first saw the 5.0 swap in the tech articles, I wanted to do this. The amount of info on this site is incredible.
Last edited: