explorer 5.0 engine swap

[Unit 5302]

I think he got side-tracked a little.

The Explorer engine is a direct swap, for the most part. I believe you can use the stock 5.0 headers with the GT-40P heads on late 96+ Explorer 5.0's, but it's a really tight squeeze. You can also use the Explorer headers. The best thing to do is use GT-40P specific headers to maximize the performance gain. Another problem is the camshaft.

I don't know about the flywheel vs ring gear, and whether or not you'll need to drill anything out there. Also, the Exploder engine has no smog pump connections to the back of the heads. You'll probably need to mess around with the throttle body too. Since you have a 88 (I assume non California model) you'll also need to convert to a mass airflow setup because of the camshaft differences between the 5.0HO and the 5.0 Exploder GT-40P engine.

[andy669]

You'll also need to swap everything from the timing cover, forward. Including the balancer and the distributor. IMO its not really worth all the trouble.

Andy

[tmoss]

Originally Posted by Unit 5302

Since you have a 88 (I assume non California model) you'll also need to convert to a mass airflow setup because of the camshaft differences between the 5.0HO and the 5.0 Exploder GT-40P engine.

Easily addressed by swapping in the 5.0 cam. The 85-88 SD cams are known to have faster ramps and better durations than the later cams. The only way to know exactly what you have is to take off the valve events and lobe centers/seperation. My 88 SD cam has 219*I/212.5* duration @ .050" lift with a 112.5 lsa (113*I/112*E lobe centers).

If you have to stay emissions, the Explorer intakes from the 96-early 97 Explorers have the internal EGR passages just like the stock intake,have the bosses in them for drilling/tapping the ACT and EGR coolant lines and will bolt right on. The later 97+ intakes do not have internal EGR passages or the ECT/EGR bosses.

[andy669]

Oh yeah. Oil pan and pump pick-up as well.

Andy

[Unit 5302]

Originally Posted by tmoss

Easily addressed by swapping in the 5.0 cam. The 85-88 SD cams are known to have faster ramps and better durations than the later cams. The only way to know exactly what you have is to take off the valve events and lobe centers/seperation. My 88 SD cam has 219*I/212.5* duration @ .050" lift with a 112.5 lsa (113*I/112*E lobe centers).

If you have to stay emissions, the Explorer intakes from the 96-early 97 Explorers have the internal EGR passages just like the stock intake,have the bosses in them for drilling/tapping the ACT and EGR coolant lines and will bolt right on. The later 97+ intakes do not have internal EGR passages or the ECT/EGR bosses.

I would hope that with GT-40 heads you wouldn't be swapping in the HO cam. Technically, if you wanted to take the time and tune it, you could swap the cams, but it doesn't sound like that's his idea of fun.

The early 96's had smog pump passages in the heads because they didn't have GT-40P heads. They came equipped with GT-40 Irons.

[tmoss]

The stock HO cam is better than the Explorer cam that's for sure. I'm at 277RWHP and 330RWTQ with mine at this stage.

If he doesn't want to swap cams, timing cover and the other things that need to be done, then he shouldn't even be thinking of doing this.

[Coupe50h]

Originally Posted by tmoss

The stock HO cam is better than the Explorer cam that's for sure. I'm at 277RWHP and 330RWTQ with mine at this stage.

If he doesn't want to swap cams, timing cover and the other things that need to be done, then he shouldn't even be thinking of doing this.

Good point, and also i might add, with a exploder cam, and stock valvesprings, he'll be pulling hard to a whopping 4k rpm vs the 5.0, or at least a cobra cam would pull alot further, especially with some roller rockers.