4.0 to 4.0 swap 2000 extended cab - Member's Projects Showcase - Tech Section

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JAMMAN

Owns A Torsen

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I figure it deserves a thread, I have put more miles on this truck than any I have owned. At better than 225,000 miles the truck I simply call G2 started losing water with no trace. I took it apart and it was really grimy on the inside. It burned a substantial amount of oil so instead of heads and head gaskets on top of leaky rings I started actively searching for an engine to drop in. Why not a 5.0? Well it will end up being my 16 year olds first vehicle.

It's the one being jumped on the left. The battery quit on me and will have to be replaced, this is minutes before I pulled it in to the driveway to begin the parallel swap... 4.0 to 4.0.

Decent 4.0 pushrod engines are becoming increasingly rare, usually if they are iany good they are in a truck being driven. Last pushrod 4.0 for Ford was made in 2000.

My search took me all the way to West Virginia where I found what ALLEGEDLY is a 129,000 mile 4.0 from a 99 with a good story. He bought it to put in his kids gen 1 then discovered the flywheel only had 6 holes and the replacement engine he took out of a friends truck with rusted frame had 8 bolts on the crank. Project froze and engine was kept in doors, full wiring harness and all.

This was the engine when I picked it up, what of it you can see under the noodles:

A picture from the back after I brought it home.

It's going to get some fresh valve cover gaskets along with a rear main seal, oil pan gasket AND I just happen to have a fresh timing chain and gears so that is going on. Probably a water pump if I can find a good one.

The thread happened today because I did get the old 4.0 out finally. Wasn't hard just needed the ambition.

For anyone else pulling a 4.0 make sure you get the bracket that holds the transmission fluid lines before you lift it out. Yes it stumped me for 5 minutes or so.

Before:

And the always smiling 16 year old that got his hands very dirty. I threatened him in to helping LOL he's normally a computer gamer but I told him if he wants to drive it he has to help work on it.

It's out and I have confirmed you can pull a 4.0 without taking the AC pump out too. The AC works fine on this truck I didn't want to drain it and refill what a pain.

Done for today, more to come next week I might take tomorrow off.

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Posted: Sun Jun 21st, 2020 10:08 am

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Idahome

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make sure you replace the 3 O rings in the oil filter mount and the big green EGR O ring
WELL DONE! Great way to get them off the PC and build some real finger/hand strength

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Posted: Sun Jun 21st, 2020 04:06 pm

3^rd Post

JAMMAN

Owns A Torsen

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I can't wait to pull the heads off the old 4.0, if they aren't cracked and are straight they will bring a few pennies being they were new like 40,000 miles ago. Actually if they are not cracked they are going in plastic for a future 4.0 that might need them. Not for sale changed my mind LOL. Having Ranger parts laying around has saved me TONS in the past, why stop now lol.

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Posted: Mon Jun 22nd, 2020 11:10 am

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VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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*cough* hoarder *cough cough* lol no that's good thinkin though. Next thing you know you'll be able to build a ranger from scratch with parts you've got layin around!

Last edited on Mon Jun 22nd, 2020 11:10 am by VelociRanger

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1983 Ranger, reluctantly taking apart. Donor/project vehicle.

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Posted: Thu Jun 25th, 2020 02:13 pm

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JAMMAN

Owns A Torsen

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Wow looks like the story was good, this is about what it is supposed to look like right around 130,000 miles if you change the oil and don't abuse it:

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Posted: Sat Jun 27th, 2020 09:45 am

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JAMMAN

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Some will hate for this but I ran out of time. I didn't want to order a bunch of gaskets and half rebuild an engine if I couldn't get the bolts out or tried to get the bolts out of the manifold at the head and snap one off in the head making it so I needed to remove the head and take it to a shop to drill it out, maybe wrecking the head even though I have spares.

With the used torch I bought I was able to get the bolts out of the manifold at the exhaust flange. I took the valve covers off and saw that it looks in good shape as advertised when I bought it. My single cab ranger that is running has extreme ball joint problems, the new job I start monday has a 1000 foot driveway that might as well be an off road trail, I need this thing to run before monday. I'm buying valve cover gaskets, buttoning it up and planting it. Today. I'll drive it around tomorrow if nothing pops I'll take it monday. If it still works the short cab is coming apart and the Mevotech TTX stuff is going on.

So no oil pan gasket, no rear main seal, no o rings sorry. I stalled on buying a torch but came across this one on marketplace for 250 and the tanks were over half full. The O tank ends up being almost full. Thing looks barely used. Couldn't make a decision till I knew if the bolts were coming off and didn't factor in a job starting Monday.

I can get the valve cover gaskets locally. If the new job works out I can rebuild the old 4.0 for the next project :) Or buy that Dart 5.0 block laying on the floor and one of the billet cranks laying around... :) Or do that 1100 HP BT4.

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Posted: Sat Jun 27th, 2020 11:00 am

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Idahome

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1100 hp bt4 please
what transmission?

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Posted: Sat Jun 27th, 2020 11:19 am

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JAMMAN

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I would have to consult on the tranny but there is one bolted to the 6 cyl drag motor for the mustang at the new place that isn't any bigger than a C6.

I know the BT4 with a P pump and a H5 will do the 1100 easily. I doubt if I would go that far, would still do the P pump because I understand them but would back down to a HX60 on the turbo.

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Posted: Sat Jun 27th, 2020 06:40 pm

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JAMMAN

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Ready to come off the stand, torque the flex plate on then drop her in.

I caved and bought the felpro gaskets they were the only quality gasket sold locally and in stock:

Cleaned all surfaces then poured some new synthetic oil over the rocker assembly. It had been draining for 2 years.

Put a bead of silicone in that galley where the intake never quite matched the head surface. Then torqued the bolts 150 inch pounds.

No job is done in my garage without a little blood mixed in:

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Posted: Sun Jun 28th, 2020 10:39 am

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Idahome

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oooooh you gotta smear a little blood over the rocker on cylinders 3 and 6 it helps with the pre oiling on start up!!!
The 4.0 will run forever with genuine human blood in the crankcase!

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Posted: Sun Jun 28th, 2020 12:24 pm

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Tsquare
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What is the note "12 FT LB" under the blood in reference to?

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Posted: Sun Jun 28th, 2020 05:18 pm

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JAMMAN

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Valve covers. I just did 150 inch pounds very close. Didn't have a scratch pad handy.

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Posted: Sun Jun 28th, 2020 09:02 pm

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JAMMAN

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Couldn't stab it in today. Been on it since noon till now no matter how hard I shook it the thing would not line up with the torque converter. It was so bad I thought there might be a difference if the engine was out of a standard, maybe the spacer was special. So I took it out again, both spacers I had were .750 so it should have went in. I twisted the trans, lifted it up and down, shook it.

Owning a Ranger forum I'm supposed to be able to do these things!

A question... I have several different lengths of trans bolts. I know the 2 shorties with the locator stubs go on top, the 2 longest probably go to the aluminum pan on the bottom... does anyone know which ones go where? If I could get one in it might become obvious but till then...

And does any of you gurus have any tricks like perhaps unbolting the plates from the engine or anything I'm missing? It's not like I've never dropped an engine in I just can't get this one to line up and I'm sure it was close.

The bolts:

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Posted: Sun Jun 28th, 2020 10:42 pm

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Tsquare
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I missed it, but is this a manual or an automatic?

If manual make sure you have the correct pilot bearing. I had that problem where the pilot bearing opening was 1/8" smaller than the shaft. It was a mid year change. I screwed with it for two weeks before I figured it out.

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Posted: Mon Jun 29th, 2020 04:07 am

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chris

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Tsquare wrote:
I missed it, but is this a manual or an automatic?
Lol - clue is in the mention of torque converter.

Just a guess based on UK auto setups - is there access to get at the torque converter to flex plate / flywheel bolts??

If so then I would put the tc onto the gearbox shafts before bolting up the box and then insert the flex plate / flywheel to tc bolts once it is together.

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Posted: Mon Jun 29th, 2020 10:28 am

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Idahome

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Allright here it goes, stop fighting it! A little trick I learned after trying to stab these engines back onto auto trans in the truck....this makes it so much easier:

REMOVE THE ENGINE MOUNT PLATES from the side of the engine block

With the engine hanging from the hoist you can now line it up perfectly to the trans bellhousing and stab them together. Getting the proper height and angles is so much better with the engine hanging.

I am sure you know how to stab an auto trans and converter by now on a Ford? The TC studs must be lined up with the holes in the flexplate before you pull the bellhousing to the engine
Once the studs are lined up and the BH is bolted to the engine you can now raise it back up, install your engine side plates, lower it back down on the mounts and remove the hoist
After the BH is bolted to the engine When you install the first TC nut the converter should pull forward 3/8"

MAKE sure the locating dowels are in their proper positions, sometimes a new trans will have two dowels in it and so will the engine = stopping you from bolting them up.....so check your dowels, I have seen that enough times to actually stop and check them before I hoist the engine......

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Posted: Mon Jun 29th, 2020 07:37 pm

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JAMMAN

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Thanks. Lining the TC with the flex plate is common sense, removing the mount plates is uncommon learned tricks but it makes so much sense I almost did it anyway, just thought I could line them up. I ended up knocking a burr on the TC pilot I'll have to take a file to it. Not a big one just noticeable what a difficult time I was having.

How about that bolt length? I know the 2 with locators go in the top, the longest ones are in the bottom, maybe I have the wrong other bolts? I've collected quite a few in the past few years. Those came out of the recent tub. Doesn't seem to be enough bolts LOL.

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Posted: Mon Jun 29th, 2020 07:39 pm

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JAMMAN

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Chris wrote:
Tsquare wrote:

I missed it, but is this a manual or an automatic?
Lol - clue is in the mention of torque converter.

Just a guess based on UK auto setups - is there access to get at the torque converter to flex plate / flywheel bolts??

If so then I would put the tc onto the gearbox shafts before bolting up the box and then insert the flex plate / flywheel to tc bolts once it is together.
Chris, on this particular 4.0 the TC nuts have to be accessed after the starter is removed. No access plate on a 4.0 push rod. I wouldn't own a SOHC so I have no idea on those.

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Posted: Tue Jun 30th, 2020 09:49 am

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Idahome

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there are 9 bellhousing bolts you can tell their lengths by the thickness of the trans in that area
This is one of those things I have never memorized and each time I do it I have to re learn where the diff length bolts go, but by looking at the thickness of the mounting flanges you can tell which goes where

I fought so many transmissions before it dawned on me to leave it hanging, remove the side plates, stab, and then drop the engine on its mounts....saves so much! Wish I knew that about 20 years ago.....

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Posted: Sun Jul 5th, 2020 05:17 pm

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JAMMAN

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Found 8. There were 9 holes but one went to nowhere.

Taking the mounts off was much easier, but I came up with a couple major back yard tricks to compliment the original suggested trick.

For the transmission, instead of a jack under the bell housing to hold it up.....

I used a ratchet strap around the transfer case hooked to the crossmember. Was painless to adjust the height and rotation of the front of the trans from the back, using the mount as the fulcrum point. Tighter the strap, higher the front of the trans. It moved easier and you can get under it easier without the jack.

Before attempting to "stab" the engine back in I countersinked the holes on the flex plate and softened the transition in to the hole using a rotary deburring tool.

Took a file to the pilot on the torque converter to soften that transition.

Next.. that pesky plate. Last episode it fell off like 19 times invoking foul language.

Only one hole for the dowels is a hole the other is a small slot. If you take a center punch and dent the plate 4 places on the round hole and top and bottom on the slot you can press it on with a socket and it stays put. Yay.

With the plate firmly in place, trans tilted up a little from the rear, front wheels off to access all kinds of things including installing mount plates, it was much easier than last time and actually went in.

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Posted: Sun Jul 5th, 2020 05:23 pm

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Mike69

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Nice work Jim, those engine block spacer plates are a pain when they keep falling off the dowels.

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Posted: Sun Jul 12th, 2020 09:57 pm

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JAMMAN

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Smooth as silk. When I first fired it up was getting a cam position sensor code. I cleared the code checked immediately and it was pending again.

I plugged in the cam synch and the code went away. Bound to forget something.

So it runs, runs smooth, no codes, no odd noises.
The idle was high after revving so I threw one of the other IAC valves laying around and the problem stopped.
Runs well but doesn't have the raw power the other engine did. I'm attributing that to the aftermarket heads the previous engine had. It isn't like it is weak it has power. The previous engine had a little more I'm thinking like 10HP or so. The ports are larger in the heads than the last stock set I saw off a 98.
So I'm calling it a success. If anything happens to it at this point it will be my fault for forgetting something lol.
Not as pretty as it should have been but I did what I had to and now I have a truck that runs. If it makes it 2 trips to work I'm going to check bolts for tightness and proceed to tear the front end off the short cab.

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Posted: Sun Jul 12th, 2020 11:27 pm

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VelociRanger
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Nice!!

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Posted: Mon Jul 13th, 2020 10:44 am

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JAMMAN

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Drove it to work today pulling a trailer. I think I won this one for once.

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Posted: Mon Jul 13th, 2020 11:13 pm

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JAMMAN

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Pulled another POS home with it this evening.

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