347 swap on 96?

I've been rethinking selling the explorer in a year, I might just make it more custom
so...
Is it possible to swap a 347 into my 1996 ohv?
4wd xlt if that matters...

 

[Alec]

The donor vehicle can be any X with the 5.0, I think 96-2001?

 

[jssong]

asp84 on this board is selling his 98 5.0 engine. i believe someone 98svt is interested right now, but email asp84 for details. you could just keep your x, and swap this motor in.

 

[seanthenerd]

I have also started considering stuffing a 347 Stroker into my 97 SOHC Sport! Nothing like 390-450 hp in a two door! Anyway I have done alot of research in this rather intensive project and have discovered the following.

It will take ALOT of TIME unless you have some hot shot mechanic that can do it for you! This will not be any weekend project, it will take several weeks if you do it yoursrelf. And pay the extra money if needed to get it done right, and professionally the first time, a sloppy engine swap is a waste of motor and truck not to mention the money.

From what I can gather the best way to accomplish this swap is to purchase a donor X, 96-2000 5.0. You will literaly have to swap out the entire drivetrain! you can't just pull the motor and drop the new 5.0 in you have to use the 5.0 accesories, computer, wire harness, radiator trnny cooler lines all of it! The driveshafts on the 2dr shouldn't be a problem if there is a fitting problem an off-road shop can make you one for less than $150

For the persona asking about wrecked x prices in Michigan I have found them in the Auto-RV for $2500-5000 which is a good deal for a donor plus parts if you need them.

I don't plan to attempt this swap until after my 4.0L takes a crap!

 

[DocVijay]

Originally posted by Alec
The donor vehicle can be any X with the 5.0, I think 96-2001?

Alec is right, you should be able to use any Explorer 302 from 96-01. The only thing is to make sure you also swap the tranny along with it. The computer controls the tranny as well as the engine, so if you have the wrong tranny the computer will throw a fit. As long as the computer mathces the engine and tranny you'll be fine.

This is why I'm going to get a 99-01 donor V8 X to use. I'm going to use the engine, wiring harness, and tranny. Since I'll be replacing the whole computer system and all the things it controls, the swap should be relatively simple.

I'm also going to be stripping the donor of it's front drivetrain to make mine a 4WD, so there is a bit more for me to get out of the salvaged X.

Just make sure you get the wiring harness along with any engine you use. It'll make life much easier for you.

When my current tranny craps out like the first on did, I'll do the swap then rather than rebuilding the POS tranny that's in there. Good way to offset the cost (sorta).

I'll just keep that for a while and then do the real work later (347, SC, NOS, etc.).

 

[DocVijay]

Originally posted by seanthenerd
The driveshafts on the 2dr shouldn't be a problem if there is a fitting problem an off-road shop can make you one for less than $150

Yep. For my 4WD conversion, the stock front driveshaft from the donor X should fit perfectly (maybe alittle short from the lift). The rear is already a little short now from the SOA, so I'm going to have one made. I may have a front driveshaft made at the same time. Depends on price and time.

 

[xondubz]

A 96+ donor should cost about $3,000 - $5,000, but even if you have to spend a little more.....it would still be the best thing to do. The cost of the other parts will become amazingly high.

I got my motor/harness/computer/tranny/t-case from a 2000 XLT with 30,000 for $2,300. Which was a good deal becuse i know the guy at the junkyard..........but the drawback was i has no bolts and other little stuff.

The tranny cooler lines were very difficult to get and install. The lines came striaght, and had to be bended manually. If you do not have the tools it's really easy to put a kink in the line. The dealer has a hard time finding small lines, hoses and especially little nuts and bolts.............it can be really annoying.

if you are doing most of the work yourself, you won't really have to pay much more then that and you might beable to salvage some other stuff from it too.

 

[DocVijay]

Originally posted by xondubz
if you are doing most of the work yourself, you won't really have to pay much more then that and you might beable to salvage some other stuff from it too.

That's right, after you get what you need, you may be able to get some other stuff from it (seats, console, etc...) which you can sell. Then you can take the left over body to a scrap yard and get some $ for the metal.

 

[blk mk8]

once again it is a pretty easy swap and you can get all the parts u need for under two grand if you look around carefully.

 

[espnfreak]

So the best way would be to get a complete donor vehicle? I would like to get a newer explorer, but selling mine i will take a huge hit, with the poor used car sales, i was looking into this once again. I would hope I could finish this project up within a couple of weeks, but this was a good thread for me to start on.

 

[psychotic]

When I looked into it... it seems it would cost less if you sell yours, and get a good used 5.0 explorer and start from there. You're right about the used car value... explorers aren't going for much here, but then again neither are 5.0 explorers. It probably would have set me back 2-3k, but then again you wouldn't have to do the transfer, and all the parts would probably add up to that much in the long run.

 

[maresca]

hmm so all id have to do is swap the engine, tranny, ecu, and wiring harness in my 96 sport /sport trac (4WD)? Do the driveshafts have to be replaced?

 

[Big Duke]

Well, All this talk about v8's; I had to chime in. I am a V8 AWD. I had posted awhile back about possibly putting the 347 in or just boring the v8 out. Or maybe a crate engine? If you all already had the v8 5.0 as I do, what would you recommend?

Also, with the AWD. Will I be losing power? I think any of these engine conversions would be better suited for an optional 4wd system.

 

[blk mk8]

i would think that a nice 347 with nitrous would work the best. awd will give a even better hole shot. it will only take another 5%drive train loss any ways. i think that for 1700 you can get a donor explorer motor and harnes and be done with in one or two weekends depending on how good you are.

 

[EBInterceptor]

I know that my dreams are now shattered. I'm so poor though that it would be a long ways off no matter what I decided to do. I hope to someday tackle a big project like this but don't see myself having the time nor money in the next couple years.