Is an 97/ 98 explorer engine a good replacement engine for my dying 5.0? If so, is there anything that has to be swapped or will not work. Are the motor mounts in the same place? Can I use the same computer? Am I better off looking for a 5.0 out of a mustang?
Explorer Engine
- Thread starter fox-gt
- Start date
JBeezy53
Member
The long block and intake is an upgrade over your stock stuff but you will have to use the accessories and oil pan you already have. I would change the cam before you drop it in.
795.0pacecar
lover of pudgy polygamists
You will have to use the distributer from your current engine also because the explorer engine has a DIS ignition.
TC93
Well-Known Member
Just put one in a 90GT for a guy. Pretty much swap balancer, oil pan, pick up tube, timing chain cover, water pump, and add mustang distributor. The explorer cam will work, but should swap out for a better cam. Also depending on which heads you get,(GT-40's or the GT-40P's) different headers might be needed. The intake is basically a cobra intake, and can be used with a little mods. Nothing major, plugging a few holes, swapping the elbow for a mustang throttle body and spacer, and cutting the front vacuum pipe for the charcoal canister.
bubba-dough
Active Member
To answer the main question.....yes, it is a good replacement. If you are not wanting a modified motor go with the Explorer and you will get a few more horses over a stock 5.0 out of a Mustang.
TC93
Well-Known Member
Foxfan88 said:
The explorer TB can be made to work. Have to modify where the throttle cable attaches. What I did was take a stock TB shaft and modified it so the 65mm butterfly fit and swapped it place of the explorer shaft.
Is this basically what I would need? I would like to do as much to the engine as possible then do a direct swap only replacing the distributor and headers.
I thought about replacing the head gaskets also since the engine was out of the car also
- 98 Explorer 5.0L Engine 75k miles
- Used 5.0 mustang oil pan off ebay
- New oil pump / oil pan gasket
- New balancer
- New pickup tube
- New throttle body / use my current one
- New exhaust gaskets
- New water pump / gasket
- Used Timing chain cover off ebay.
I thought about replacing the head gaskets also since the engine was out of the car also
millhouse
Founding Member
66mustang93 said:
The explorer pump is the same as the 5.0 pump. The pickup is the only difference...and they are re-usable. I suppose though it's cheap insurance to just replace it anyways. Same goes with the waterpump.
I'm not sure what reason you would have to replace the oil pan or timing chain cover.
The exporer timing chain is a single roller unit. I assume it's not nearly as strong as the double rollers found on the mustangs. If you swap cam's I'd go ahead and replace it with a better unit. You can pick up a cloyes true roller for a bit over $40 on summit.
If your using a 98, the sparkpugs are goin to be a Bitch! You'll have problems tightening a couple of plugs I believe on the drivers side. A plug socket wont fit with the stock 5.0 headers, so many chop up their plug sockets to fit. Also keep in mind you'll have issues with the stock plug wire boots touching the headers. You can get away temporarily by swapping the 90* boot end which goes to the distributer...but ultimatly they will still end up melting.
That's about all I can think of off the top of my head. Good luck.
millhouse said:The explorer pump is the same as the 5.0 pump. The pickup is the only difference...and they are re-usable. I suppose though it's cheap insurance to just replace it anyways. Same goes with the waterpump.
I'm not sure what reason you would have to replace the oil pan or timing chain cover.
The exporer timing chain is a single roller unit. I assume it's not nearly as strong as the double rollers found on the mustangs. If you swap cam's I'd go ahead and replace it with a better unit. You can pick up a cloyes true roller for a bit over $40 on summit.
If your using a 98, the sparkpugs are goin to be a Bitch! You'll have problems tightening a couple of plugs I believe on the drivers side. A plug socket wont fit with the stock 5.0 headers, so many chop up their plug sockets to fit. Also keep in mind you'll have issues with the stock plug wire boots touching the headers. You can get away temporarily by swapping the 90* boot end which goes to the distributer...but ultimatly they will still end up melting.
That's about all I can think of off the top of my head. Good luck.
I have BBK 1 5/8" unequal headers, they have been a nightmare on my current engine, so it might be worse. I figured I would just replace the oil pump and water pump since they are cheap. Is another year better than the 98?
millhouse
Founding Member
Technically speaking...the gt40p's flow marginally better than the gt40's, albeit small. I'm unsure if the bbk's will help with plug clearance or not. You may want to do a search on the topic as a thread seems to pop up atleast once a week on the subject.
If you dont want to mess with the "p" heads, look for mid-late 96 and earlier explorers/mountaineer's. They will have the gt-40 heads with the standard plug angles. Beware though there are some late 96 explorer/mountaineer's which came with gt40p's.
If you dont want to mess with the "p" heads, look for mid-late 96 and earlier explorers/mountaineer's. They will have the gt-40 heads with the standard plug angles. Beware though there are some late 96 explorer/mountaineer's which came with gt40p's.
VG30DE
Founding Member
The actual production dates are 7/95 to 12/96 on the regular GT40 heads... anything newer is going to be a P motor....
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