Ive always been a huge ranger fan, shortly after i parted out my last truck though, i went with the rotary scene and fell in with the wankel engine...

I have a burning sensation to stick a 4.0L v6 from a ranger/aerostar/explorer into an rx7. It should be a relatively easy swap, as long as theres clearance up top.

from the factory its 220ft/lbs @ 2200rpm's and 160hp at i think 4200 rpm's,

either way, those motors are INDESTRUCTABLE! my brother was handed down my dads explorer, and now has 300k on the engine and he drives the **** out of it still. I hydrolocked two different 4.0's, the first time i even dragged it around on pavement trying to get the bitch to start( i was 16 dumb dumb dumb) finally read up, pulled the plugs out, turned it over, put them back in, and kept driving. that engine is still in someone elses truck right now, i see him still driving. the other one also was fine. i couldnt think of a single time where i had a problem with the car besides the pump and alternator going out. that engine was a bulletproof design. I pulled stumps, pulled out 1/2 ton trucks, dropped chains, dropped the clutch, revved past redline, i couldnt even name all the abuse that motor saw without an ounce of whimpering.

The current Ranger in the driveway is an auto 4x4 extended cab with 31" mickey thompson baja claws, and it gets a reasonable 20mpg interstate, sits around 1500 at about 70.

Not only that but i've always liked the sound...I just may buy a N/A seven and drop one in just to try it out, as long as i keep my turbo rotary.

Anyone ever thought of this or craved a large v6 with endless amounts of reliability in there 7? or just me...

http://video.google.com/videosearch?...8&sa=N&tab=wv#

 

the problem with these swaps(and indead anyswap) is you could need an ECU and f you ever want power make it aftermarket. you might spend around $3000 getting this done right for 160hp thats not worth it man if you are going V-series motor go V8 or turbo V6(GN-7 anyone).

i've looked at everything from the unbreakable powerful Volvo B230FT al the way to the BMW M70 .0L V12 as ptentail swaps for my 87 base but none (minus the V12) make much since to try.

 

I would say yes to that, in fact i would prefer to go with 4.0 v8 from a land rover, but honestly i would not be suprised to be able to do this for under a $1000. Its not so much i would be looking for something with a ton of power, i got my power, its sitting in the garage, being reassembled here shortly(turbo rotary).

im saying i would like something for a non race application, still light, still decent, that i never ever ever have to tinker with. some of the newer motors are pushing i think closer to 200hp, but i dont need that, just saying reliability, and im willing to bet with the ranger mazda M50D-R1 tranny in place, regearing the rearend to something closer to 3.73's i am willing to be it would get over 25mpg on the interstate.

Im also willing to bet the weight distribution is not to far off either, the 4.0 is actually a 2.8L v6 block bored out all the way.

 

If you're going to put a V6 in, put a Mazda KLZE in it. It will be more work, but it will produce a powerband more suited to a sports car. The Ford 4.0L will be quick in the first gear or two, but fall flat on its face higher gears.

 

if you do actually think you will do this for $1000 good luck. you would need to go carb cause i can guarantee a EFI swap will cost over $1000

 

The OP has no idea what a swap involves.

There are people who would swap a GOOD, PERFORMANCE oriented V6 in your car. Not a scrapyard engine.

 

I took a 2.3 4cyl out of the first ranger i had, bought a 2wd explorer, changed the motor mounts, dropped the engine in, pulled apart the two transmissions because the output shaft and tailhousing was different for a 4wd and 2wd, camcraft camshaft, hedman headers, centerforce clutch, rebuilt, spec'd the motor, and it cost about $1400 in the end.

I might not know as much as some of you folks out there, but im going to drop it anyway, i said RELIABILITY not RACING. someting that i can see over 200,000miles on without touching anything but the oil and filters on the engine.

 

I wanted to take the 4.0l V6 out of my xterra and put in the rx7 since it has variable valve timing and 300hp/300ftlbs with an aftermarket intake, also stillen makes a S/C for it.

In the end... LS1's are the best bang for the buck. Best aftermarket support.

 

Swapping engines from two similar Ford vehicles that use relatively all the same parts is WAAY different than cramming some boat anchor into a RX7...and making it run.

 

Ford's 4.0 isn't that great of a motor and their aftermarket support is lacking. There are ways to modify anything to bring the torque down and the HP up. That said, if you like the motor, have at it and keep us posted.

You have no idea what you're talking about. What 'relatively all the same parts' are you talking about?

 

A Ranger and a Explorer would not use any of the same parts?

 

2.3 chassis vs 4.0? realitively none that are engine related. I've swapped chevy v8s (mostly LS1s) into 7 RX7s. I've also swapped them into 3rd gen Camaros and Astros. I can tell you FROM EXPERIENCE that swapping a Chevy V8 into a Japanese car is easier than swapping it into a Chevy.

What 'realitively all the same parts' did my Astro share with my V8? .... transmission, fuel pump, cat back, battery.... that's about it.

 

Another virgin swapper chiming in... Hey bro, I you're a good guy and I like you and all, but please stay out of it if you don't know what you're talking about. If the engine began its life as EFI, it is ALWAYS cheeper to keep it efi. You could either rework your harness yourself for FREE, or you could buy a carburated intake mani (~$300), carb (~$300), hat and filter ($50) and when you relize that it won't fit under your stock hood, then you need a hood scoop ($50 and up) and then have it painted to match (~$250). So you can keep it EFI for free, or spend almost $1000 on converting it to carb. Looks like you have your figures backwards.

 

A couple years back on the V8Rx7.com forum, there was a pretty cool thread where someone did this swap with the GM 3.8 V6 for his daily driver FC. From what I remember, he said it performed well (ran mid 14's) and got upper 20's mpg. It was quick and cheap, too. The torque made it more fun to drive than the rotary, too.

My 5.0 swap cost $4k and I did all the fabbing myself. It would have cost $1000 if I had started with a free 5.0 powered car and kept the motor stock. Most of the expense in these swaps is the price of the motor, its aftermarket parts, and the engine mounting parts which you can make easily yourself.

 

^^ ya, i think his name was tinman. I'm working on a 4.3l V6 FC now. Check the build threads for Chris_4.3FC on the v8 board.