Explorer engine ??'s
New User
Joined: Dec 2010
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No... that is exactly what you don't want to try and do... that's a HUGH can-o-worms that is completely unnecessary to open.
An Explorer 5.0 that is stripped to the bare longblock and dressed with all the truck parts(intake, distributor, accessory brackets, etc) will work just fine in an F150, and it'll cooperate with the early SD EFI system too with no wiring changes except for routing the spark plug wires for the HO firing order. The cam used in the Explorer is the same one used in all '94+ truck motors so it's no real stretch at all for the truck EFI system, the only significant difference is the heads and the best way to deal with the spark plug issue they present is to simply use the Explorer exhaust manifolds and modify the truck exhaust(if necessary) to mate to them. All said and done this motor will have more jump than the one it replaces but it's still just a 5.0L in a heavy truck so it won't be a rocket ship.
An Explorer 5.0 that is stripped to the bare longblock and dressed with all the truck parts(intake, distributor, accessory brackets, etc) will work just fine in an F150, and it'll cooperate with the early SD EFI system too with no wiring changes except for routing the spark plug wires for the HO firing order. The cam used in the Explorer is the same one used in all '94+ truck motors so it's no real stretch at all for the truck EFI system, the only significant difference is the heads and the best way to deal with the spark plug issue they present is to simply use the Explorer exhaust manifolds and modify the truck exhaust(if necessary) to mate to them. All said and done this motor will have more jump than the one it replaces but it's still just a 5.0L in a heavy truck so it won't be a rocket ship.
Thanks,
Mica
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
You don't need to worry about the injector firing order. On Ford trucks of this vintage the injectors are wired exactly the same way for both the 5.0 and 5.8 motors.. which have different firing orders of course, so in the end it doesn't impact engine operation.
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2011
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Im planning on putting the same heads on my 5.0 when i get home from Iraq they are sitting in my shop floor now. With a cam(the biggest limitation in a stock set up) yes. From what Conanski has told me it will aslo bump my compression up about a half number not sure on the 5.8 though. But yes with a cam free flowing exhaust and heads you should feel a noticeable difference. And with the cam he recommended it will still run on speed density
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2010
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From: Ocean County, NJ
i'm not doing cam yet, but may go for 1.7 rr. I have a blown head gasket, an financially not ready for a rebuild yet, but jy heads with a little machine work wont kill me
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Junior User
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If you put a new top end (especially with a smaller combustion chamber on it) on and old bottom end its not going to be very kind to your bottom end. If it were mine i would fix the head gasket and start accumulating parts and storing them for a rebuild. Its a little easier on the wallet that way. You miss say 100 bucks a month vs 1500 all at once its a little more economical to buy them as you get a little extra money or in my situation any how.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2010
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From: Ocean County, NJ
i could probably save 1k w/o a forged rotating assy, but if i ever wanted to add a turbo, i wont have to rebuild a second time. I like some of the numbers lightning guys are makin with turbos, but i dont know if its practical for a gas hauler/DD
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
One additional note here. I should have said.. "it doesn't impact the batch fired SD system". This would have an impact on a sequential MAF vehicle if for example you swapped in a motor with the older firing order.. then those 4 injectors would have to be swapped around, but that's a pretty rare case and it doesn't apply here.
FTE Legend
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 31,930
Likes: 1,499
From: Ottawa, Ontario