I've got some engine noise... what is involved in pulling the pan?

[Timmy390]

Removing the word cheapest from the equation. A reman small block or long block.

True.....I like upgrading to a roller block. Just better than the older blocks but that's just me.

I bought a van and pulled the motor, rebuilt it love it....

Tim

 

[clintonvillian]

Removing the word cheapest from the equation. A reman small block or long block.

I considered it, but a lot of these are bored out...I want something I can rebuild down the road.

 

[clintonvillian]

I would not just replace one piston. I'm of the opinion that if you have to go that deep into an engine, a full rebuild is best. Can you just replace one? Sure but it will never be right. All that metal in the oil had done damage to everything.

I would say junk yard Explorer 5.0 or find one for sale local with a bad trans. You need the complete harness and all EFI parts to go EFI.

Your engine is 28oz and the new 5.0's are 50oz. You can't just bolt on the front of the old engine to the new. I think the old balancer is 3 bolt and the new is 4 and there is that pesky balance issue. Use the Explorer font dress. It cools better than any other tested. Flywheel/Flex plate is also an issue due to the balance. You will have to figure out the radiator as the inlet/outlet is different due to the reverse rotation WP. Stock can be used but requires some special hoses. I use the stock upper hose and I made a lower that works.

Stock manifolds fit the P heads with some grinding/clearancing.

Then you have the EFI harness work and the ECM needs a flash/chip

Quickest way to be back on the road.....Find a good Explorer 5.0 and run your intake/carb.

Tim

I agree the serpentine setup is the best. BUT will all of my front dress switch over, water pump and all just to get it on the road?

Is there an option out there to keep the hoses in the correct spot? Maybe a car water pump or something???

 

[gr8scott]

Removing the word cheapest from the equation. A reman small block or long block.

20 years ago tomorrow, my reman 302 short block fired up. Still running strong. Can't believe it's been 20 years...time sure flies.

 

[Timmy390]

I agree the serpentine setup is the best. BUT will all of my front dress switch over, water pump and all just to get it on the road?

Is there an option out there to keep the hoses in the correct spot? Maybe a car water pump or something???

As I recall...Not done this swap myself, it's the balancer that's the issue. The old one will not bolt up to the crank and is the wrong balance. Can't use the new one due to it being serp and the others being V

Hoping someone will chime in and have more details. I used the dress off the van I bought. It was a fight.....should have gone Explorer but As Frank sang, "I did it my way".

Tim

 

[DirtDonk]

No. When using an Explorer front accessory drive, you must use ALL of the Explorer stuff. From the removal of the old fuel pump eccentric from the cam gear, to the front timing cover, to all the stuff that bolts on to it.
Part of what makes the Explorer stuff so compact is the unique parts to the Explorer and maybe one or two other vehicles. The water pump, alternator and power steering pump are only going to be Explorer, except in the case of adapting the Delphi/Saginaw power steering pumps to the Explorer brackets.

So while the old stuff will in fact bolt right on to the front of an Explorer engine, you'd be using it all, right up to the old pulleys and v-belts.
If doing that, you'd then need to have your harmonic damper re-balanced to 50oz in order to be compatible with the rest of the engine when using v-belts. As well as using a compatible flywheel/flexplate setup.
And if using a mechanical fuel pump (can't do that with the Explorer front stuff) you'd need to add the eccentric to the front of the cam gear, if that's possible?

Paul

 

[Timmy390]

you'd then need to have your harmonic damper re-balanced to 50oz in order to be compatible with the rest of the engine when using v-belts.

Paul, I thought there was a bolt up issue with the balancer? 3 bolts vs 4?

Tim

 

[clintonvillian]

Paul, I thought there was a bolt up issue with the balancer? 3 bolts vs 4?

Tim

There are options for this. Professional Products makes a universal one.

So it sounds like the limiting factory would be retaining the stock fuel pump, du to the eccentric lobe...

 

[clintonvillian]

20 years ago tomorrow, my reman 302 short block fired up. Still running strong. Can't believe it's been 20 years...time sure flies.

Yeah man I'm not knocking them for just plug and play, I just don't want to take my chances on buying a block I plan to have cleaned up, and a performance build done on, and then have no room left to true up the cylinders because it has already been bored to the max.

 

[DirtDonk]

Paul, I thought there was a bolt up issue with the balancer? 3 bolts vs 4?

My example was if all of the original 302/Bronco accessories were bolted to the front of an Explorer engine. So the original damper would just work with the original pulleys.
The only remaining hurdle then would be the imbalance factory being wrong.

Paul