i have an 84 b2. i have a chance to buy a complete 96 explorer with a jasper engine and trans. they were both put in at the same time and have 20,000 on them. the explorer has been wrecked and is totaled. engine and trans are still good. i want to switch my 2.8 for the 4.0. engine and trans. the are both automatics. i know several people have done the earlier model swap. has anyone done the newer model? i need as much advice and instruction as can be given. by the way i am only paying 800 for the complete explorer so i can't justify the 5.0 swap for this kind of money.

 

You'll want to swap both engine and transmission and the entire engine / trans. wiring harness at the very least. The '84 probably has a C5 transmission unless it has overdrive. You can probably use the in-floor shifter on the '84, but you won't be able to drop the 'new' trans. into L1. You could probably keep the C5, but you'd need a computer from a manual trans. equipped 4.0 Ranger/Explorer and you'd have to modify the wiring harnesses accordingly, if I am not mistaken. Not sure if the alternator from the '96 will be a direct plug-in, so you may have to use your existing one and use the serpentine pulley from the donor. Trying to think of what issues to address on this - there are two different write-ups for 4.0 swaps over on The Ranger Station that might be of more help, but if I recall correctly, they both use the '91-'94 donor parts and not the '96. Maybe others will chime in with more info.

 

You'll also need to either figure out how to use the fuel pump/system from the '96, or get the fuel pump, etc. from a 2.9 L BII. The fuel system on your 2.8 isn't designed for the higher pressures needed for the fuel injected engine.

 

I almost forgot about that, mrshorty

 

i knew about the fuel system that is not a problem. i have also read both of the 4.0 swaps on the ranger station. you are right they are for the older ones. he makes it seem pretty cut and dry but i am sure there is more to it then he talks about especially since it is a 96 model.

 

Well, if you label everything that's coming out with the 2.9 and label everything when you pull the 4.0 and tranny from the donor and compare wiring and all so you hook the power up to the computer, etc. properly, should be fairly straight forward. Painful, but.