5.0 swap into a 97 ranger...street legal?

[WowixD]

ok i have been told by different people if i swap a 5.0 into my truck it can be done legally if i take it to a referee and they do an emissions test and it passes that it is relativly clean. another person told me i can only put a motor in my truck that was once offered with the year of my truck? which one is true? http://www.race-dezert.com/vb3/attachments/old/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[orvacian]

I typed "engine swap smog laws" in my browser and this was the first site listed. It is very informative.
http://www.customconversion.com/Pages/Chevrolet_S-10_V-8_Smog.html

[WowixD]

that was extremely helpful orvacian. so basically i could throw a 5 liter in my truck as long as i put some gnarly catalytic converters on it http://www.race-dezert.com/vb3/attachments/old/images/graemlins/smile.gif cause visual inspection isnt an issue.

[Marshall]

You can only put a motor of the same year or newer in and be legal. So I think the last year the 5.0 was made was 96 ( could be wrong) in that case your out off luck http://www.race-dezert.com/vb3/attachments/old/images/graemlins/frown.gif Havent heard of anyone doing a 4.6? I would do a new OHC 4 liter, ok HP, good torq. and a easy fit. oh ya and it would be smog OK.

[drtdevil93]

i second that. the sohc 4.0 is an awesome motor.

erik

[V8Ranger]

Your right, it has to be the same year or newer. Ford still sold the 5.0 block past '95 so I'm sure you could figure out a way to get your hands on one. As for the 4.6 I have been told by people that do the 5.0 swap that the 4.6's are too wide. Hope that helps.

[CRAIG_HALL]

Explorer's came with the 5.0 till 2000 rated at 215 hp and 288 ftlb torque. I've got one one and am in the process of swapping it into my 97 ex cab. If its a late motor be sure to get the manifolds as the last motors had "P" heads and the only thing that fits is the stock manifold.

[SpareChangeRacng]

Yes the motor going in has to be the same year or newer then the vehicle it is being swapped in to. You do have to pass a visual inspection and an NASTY one at that. BAR Referees are the most evil of all smog nazi's and will nail you on whatever they can. I had to take my truck (90 supercharged 3.8L out of a T-bird into my 89 ranger) back 7 times to pass the VISUAL inspection after it passed the sniffer test the 1st time! I made sure to ask the guy every time "are you sure this is all I need to pass?". He would always reply with "yes" but find something new the next time. It got as bad as replacing a vacuum solenoid I had put on (had a bosch one lying around) with the $13 ford one, just because it had the ford logo on it. F--king bastards they are! Steve

[ntsqd]

So the lesson here is to get the WHOLE donor car or truck and transplant everything engine related. There are some guidelines out there for engine swaps, dig them up.

One that could trip you up is that you can not put an engine out of the heavy duty truck into a light duty truck or passenger car. So a 5.0 out of a 3/4t truck into a Ranger isn't going to pass inspection. You can go the other way though. You can put the Exploder 5.0 in a 3/4t truck. HD's have less stringent emissions requirements and they don't want you 'regressing'.

[SpareChangeRacng]

I got pretty much the whole front half of the car on mine - took the radiator, intercooler, tranny wiring harness, computer, etc. and put um in the truck with ALL smog BS hooked up. They still were anal bastards about it, and tried to get me on everything they could. I believe they just didn't want a kid (I was 19 at the time) to have a pickup w/ a sports car motor in it. I think they finally realized I was NOT gonna give up (it was my DD at the time) after I made an appointment to get tested every other day until I passed. I think they figured that I was not giving up, and if they wanted to get rid of me they'd have to let me pass some time. Steve

[klaus]

Our own Gabe has done it legaly in his ranger.
PM him.