I want to swap the 2.9 for a 4.0.

What are the recommended years and models of donor vehicles for engine and 5 speed manual trans?

Can the engine and trans be out of the same vehicle, or do you have to get seperate ones?

I have a manual shift transfer case. Any special tricks regarding this? Can I keep the existing driveshafts without mods?

Should I get the radiator from the donor vehicle, along with the engine computer and wiring?

Finally, any other tips or websites for more info? Oh, yeah, what is a fair price for a good used 4.0 and a 5 speed manual trans?

Thanks a bunch,

Reid W. Vaught

 

My friend if you have the money to spend to go to a 4.0 go right to a 5.0 there is not much of a price difference if their is one at all. There is so much info on the net on how to do it you will freak when you see how easy it is. That truck will do things that you would of never thought. Also if you do go to 5.0 get any where from 87 to 92 Mustang motor go to a junk yard and pick up the hole caruse what you can and sell the rest of the parts you will get your money back plus some. Seats alone for that car are worth $400.00 a piece ( No ##### ). Hope I helped you out.

 

Howdy,

I'm new and this the top I am looking for

What type of transmission will fit on that 87-92 Mustang 5.0 ?

Cheers, Bill

 

Go To advance adaptors on the web and they will tell you how and what tranny will fit a 302

 

I picked up a 84 with a rough body last year.. the new 302 was half in it.. the heads and intake were off, the motor was from a 86 big bro, the efi setup was off a 88 lincoln(same as a stang) It has a jacobs ing, four caore rad, and a mazda 5 speed with the correct adaptor.. lots of big $$ parts.. I slapped everything together that night, and fired it up.. the wiring is a mess, and I cant get it too worth a damn.. its soon going to be carbed.. I only paid $500 for the whole works. so Im not sure if I got a deal or not. The efi is the way to go, but its a real pain to trouble shoot..
Jared.

 

if your gonna go to the 5.0 here are the tranny's




well for a manual tranny u got the BW T5(most used), the TREMEC 3550(very strong for built motors), and TREMEC 6-speed($2000) not too many people use that one, i just know it works.

for auto, u got the AOD, AOD-E, and the C4(3 speed..can u say no gas mileage, well on the open highway at least). u can put a C5 or C6 but the C5 is just an electric ver. of the C4, and the C6 is too big to fit under there unless you have a body lift. AOD is your best choice, IMO.

 

Okay, almost everything I have heard here is useful and helpful info. However, the last one about the AOD being your best bet, probably not. You will still only get 17-22 MPG with the overdrive and you will have to replace it ever so often. The C4 is more than enough and will give you the same milage.

 

Well, I never made the swap but I investigated it. GO to the web and find the James Duff website, I think its JamesDuff.com, but I'm not sure. James Duff sells a ton of bolt on's for Bronco's and Bronco 2's. They describe the engine swap in detail for the 5.0 swap, which requires changing the tranny too. If you want to go to a 4.0, a 4.0 out of a Ranger pick-up for the same year as your Bronco2 will more than likely bolt up to the existing Bronco2 tranny and be OK, but the 5.0 has too much torque for the Bronco2 tranny. Junkyard is the best bet, for the 5.0 so you can buy a tranny and motor combined, that way you have all the parts. The 5.0 requires some mods of the existing engine space and motor mounts, the 4.0 avoids this.

If you make the switch, get rid of the pulley driven fan and go all electic, you won't have space for the pulley fan, and you'll pick up extra horsepower. Some of the other people on this site have made the switch to 4.0 and 5.0 so I'd read their posts. I use my Bronco2 for hunting, and I spent money on a high flow exhaust system which solved my horsepower needs, but many times, I've yearned for that 4.0 extra torgue. Wish Ford had made the 4.0 an option on the Bronco2.
Short wheelbase, and narrowness of the Bronco2 is ideal for backroads. Consider the Doestch Tech 10 stage valve shocks, or the James Duff shocks too, really improves the offroad manners and eliminates the body rolls. If you go to the 5.0 engine you'll need new shocks,and maybe springs cause of the extra engine weight. James Duff's site has pictures of some of the converted V-8 Bronco 2's.
I met a guy who kept his 2.9L but did all the springs, shocks, suspension parts and did a James Duff lift kit so he could use 31" tires, this was a fine vehicle.

 

I dropped a 4.0L in mine and I only got around $600 in it. I used my 5 spd mitsu trany that was already in the truck and did no mods other then swaping th fly wheel, making an exhaust and some wireing. this motor is a wake up call compaired to the 2.9L. in my oppion it is way worth it! also my motor was cheeper then getting another 2.9L. you just have to look.

 

So Bronco2 Chopped, you DID Install the 4.0, COOL !

Like I said in my post, I checked into it. The 2.9 has some horses, but too much of it is at the top end. Like I said in my post, I felt the 4.0 was the way to go.

What I did instead was install a high flow exhaust system and intake.
That means, a high flow catalytic converter, high flow tubing, and high flow muffler. My GOD, it unleased the Dragon! A real screamer, unfortunately, I couldn't hear inside the truck, so I put a resonator on it to quite it down. I used a K&N filter set on my standard air intake box. The extra air flow, dropped be 1-2 miles a gallon but gave me better horsepower. I'd say 20 horses. I could hit redline on the tach as my auto trans shifted through the gears. When I put the resonater and restrict the exhaust airflow for noise control, it dropped 700 rpm off the tach. Well, made it quieter anyway.
I figured I'd let the 2.9 go a while longer than make the swap and marry it to my high flow system and really have something.
Cost me $600! I bet I would have been happier with the complete swap.
NO torgue in the 2.9 engine. Why didn't Ford have a 4.0 option on the B2?

You said only $600 in it? Did you grab a 4.0 out of a junkyard and drop it in ? Did you use the existing B2 electronic ignition set, or did you install, a rebuilt engine on an exhange ?

Thanks,

1989 B2.

 

I started this post back in July. I now have completed the 4.0 into my 88 B2.

The 4.0 is out of a 91 Explorer. I kept the original FM 146 trans.

I used a 4.0 flywheel, clutch, starter, radiator, throttle cable, power steering pump, AC compressor, and condensor. About everything is is from the B2.

I kept the engine wiring from the 91 Explorer intact, then pulled the B2 computer harness, peeled back the tape, and spliced in the needed wires, tested it, then taped it back up. I made a couple dozen splices, two had to be changed after startup.

The engine did fire up the first time, but ran weak as I left off the wire going to pin 58 of the computer, which means half the injectors weren't firing.

Now that it is running, it kicks butt and looks like factory. It's way more fun to drive and I love it. It wasn't a bad swap at all.

Reid

 

Since I swapped the 4.0 into the B2, I now have a good running 2.9 to sell.

rwvaught@direcway.com

Reid

 

sorry I haven't been on here in a while.
when I did my swap I pulled mine out of a 93 areostar!
I have an 86 BII wth a mitsu manual trany and it holds great!
the wirering was not that hard but I had to study the wirering diagrams for a while.
some things I ran into:
4.0 came from an auto so I had to use the 2.9 flywheel. didn't want to but I didn't have the cash to go find another one. one thing you must use with this flywheel is an automatic trany starter which cost$$$. the 4.0 flywheel is bigger so it handles the torque better.
motor mounts form the 2.9 worked with a little cutting. I also had to make a new y pipe for the exhaust but all in all it was a dead bolt in!
if you need any help just get a hold of me. the best way is to email I have full time school plus work so its hard to find time for any thing! good luck!

 

 

Let me know If I can help. I swapped mine, and cut NO wires. (But mine is an 89)