Explorer EFI and pickup EFI

[broncochevy]

Hello all, been watching mostly and using search a lot but now I need some help. I purchased a 96 explorer with 5.0L and awd several months back from a member here and I’m just now tearing it down. Got the engine, trans and tcase out as a unit and separated the engine off the rest. My plans are to eventually use the 4R70W and EFI starting out with the explorer long block with a carb until I get time/funds to make all the fuel injection electronics work. The explorer had 246K on it and that seems like a lot to me. The day I went to get it my BIL told me, “ you should have told me you needed an engine, I have one in a truck I’ll give you...” It is a 93 with 5.0L, believe that is a roller not positive. If it is in fact a roller, it does have way less miles and was well cared for, etc. planning on using short block from this pickup, explorer gt40 heads and front dress, and eventually explorer efi and auto trans.
So, if there is any faults in what I stated above, please enlighten me.
Also, if I can get all I want from this pickup with 5.0L, what else should I grab? I do know that the pickup was parked a while back due to a bad tranny, so that is out of the picture and it is a one tire fire 2x. Plus, I have already cloned a 77 bronco rear 9” with a pickup rear end, had Torino ends installed and used the explorer rear discs with it. Still collecting parts to do the Chevy disc swap up front, ford drone disc 44s around here are scarce so decided to go the Chevy route.
Oh, I know this doesn’t matter much, but all this is going in a 67 bronco.

 

[broncochevy]

Man, I thought after 10 hours this thread would be overwhelmed with responses...ttt

 

[DirtDonk]

Middle of the night was a slow time around here this time. Not always maybe, but it is a weeknight after all.

I'm sure swap experts will chime in with any gory details you need to worry about, but I don't see any real difficulty swapping the Explorer EFI setup to the pickup's '93 block.
You won't be able to use any of the pickup's intake system as you probably know, including the lower intake. So you'll have to keep all the Explorer stuff for that. It's probably the best for a Bronco anyway.

Exhaust is not an issue either way, and I do believe you're correct that in '93 even the Speed Density pickup engines were roller by then. Only pretty sure though, not positive. The 351's were the longest delayed before converting to roller cams I believe.

Along with the truck transmission, forget about the transfer case too. Keep the Dana 20 from the Bronco or use whatever you want, but anything else will need more modifications. Including the Explorer transfer case.
The Explorer was presumably all-wheel drive? If so you're pretty good to go with that transmission, with fewer changes than would be necessary with a 2wd donor.

What fuel setup do you intend to eventually install with the EFI? You won't need it for the carb of course, and can run that from your stock setup. But if you run the Explorer serpentine accessory drive you will lose your mechanical fuel pump right off the bat, so will still need to plumb in an electric pump.

I'm sure others more versed in this stuff will add or subtract to all that.

Good luck.

Paul

 

[SteveL]

The 96 explorer heads give you better or more exhaust options. The spark plug angle changes on the later years and only bronco hut and maybe bc headers fit well on em. With that said I think guys look for the 98 and up explorer efi stuff. The 96 works but theres something better about the later. I'm still running a carb but slowly collecting parts for if I want to switch over.

 

[wizard12]

Similar

I did a very similar swap. I took a 93 F150 and took the motor (5.0 roller) and transmission as I wanted the 5 speed. Then took a 96 Explorer and scavenged the cam, GT40 heads, and complete front dress. Only difference is that I decided to go mustang EFI. Truck engine will already have distributor and I believe heads are e7 so they are almost as good as GT40 so could leave as is and have a runner really easy.

 

[broncochevy]

All good points, thank you guys for that.
Paul, I hadn’t even thought of that about the fuel pump and carb issue with the explorer front dress. These are reasons that I am a member here. Paul I hope you or no one took me first response in a negative light. I was so excited to hear what anyone said, sometimes I am the only one that gets my dry sense of humor.
SteveL, as for the later explorer being better, I’m sure there are more reasons than the trans is supposed to be better in a 98. Something about diodes?? I read a few posts by Vioerwolf1 about it, but cannot fully understand other than better is better. I was looking for a newer one, but the price was right on this one.
Wizard12, thanks for the heads up on the dizzy and the e7 heads. I do plan on keeping all the engine parts, just not sure if the computer, fuel pumps, etc are good to scavenge.

 

[broncochevy]

And to answer your question Paul, I plan on running the explorer pump to supply fuel, however not sure if I carb it prior to that. That’s another reason to just take my time and go efi in the beginning.

 

[broncochevy]

Wizard12, was your 93 motor a roller??

 

[TTownEP]

And to answer your question Paul, I plan on running the explorer pump to supply fuel, however not sure if I carb it prior to that. That’s another reason to just take my time and go efi in the beginning.

I am carbing my Explorer engine at first, since mine had similar mileage to your donor and I rebuilt it. I want to make sure the rebuild went well with a known good carb setup, then swap the EFI and trans in later.

I asked a similar question and got some good insight. Might be helpful for you.

I plan to run the Explorer pump with EFI, but I got a Carter electric pump and just slapped it inline with the old carb fuel lines where there was already a rubber hose broken in.

 

[broncochevy]

I knew I wasn’t alone, TTown, great help thank you!

 

[DirtDonk]

No problem. Didn't take it wrong at all (ok, well just slightly!) 'cause I figured you were half messing with the forum and half frustrated because you didn't have a definitive answer ready and waiting when you woke up the computer this morning.;D

Now worries though. Looks like we're on a roll now!

Paul

 

[sykanr0ng]

And to answer your question Paul, I plan on running the explorer pump to supply fuel, however not sure if I carb it prior to that. That’s another reason to just take my time and go efi in the beginning.

You will find that the Explorer fuel pump puts out 5 to 10 times the pressure that a carburetor can use, and it would take a heavy duty fuel pressure regulator to get it down to what that carb can survive.

 

[SteveL]

I do plan on keeping all the engine parts, just not sure if the computer, fuel pumps, etc are good to scavenge.

If you have the space keep everything till it's back up and running.theres always a clip, bracket or something you wish you grabbed from the donor.

 

[TTownEP]

If you have the space keep everything till it's back up and running.theres always a clip, bracket or something you wish you grabbed from the donor.

I wish I could have kept my donor. I moved AND the city was after me to get it out of my driveway. I tried to be thorough without being stupid and I know there will be something I missed.

 

[sykanr0ng]

If you have the space keep everything till it's back up and running.theres always a clip, bracket or something you wish you grabbed from the donor.

/\/\ This! +2
Been more than one on here said they grabbed everything they thought they needed and sent it to the junkyard, then had to go to the junkyard and pay for things they had and let get away.

 

[broncochevy]

Sykanr0ng and SteveL, I do plan on keeping everything, my wife says this is Jimmys Junkyard when she answers my phone, however I may as well admit that I do too plan on sending the body to the yard when I get all what I need; or believe I need. I do only want the power plant out of the pickup tho. I can totally see needing certain little things like the auto tranny shifter linkage, fuel tank and as much fuel line/connections an i can, even the fuel filler door, plus so many other things I cannot even remember right now.
Thanks for all the responses everyone.

 

[wizard12]

Yes it was

Wizard12, was your 93 motor a roller??

Yes it was a roller. Pretty sure that was the first year in the trucks. I used it for the same reason as you, lower miles ( km’s For us up north) and has the Transmission I wanted (5 speed). Good luck with yours

 

[broncochevy]

I am going to need it, thanks

 

[EFI Guy]

One thing I didn't see mentioned is the distributor gear. Make sure you put the correct gear for a roller cam on your distributor while you are running it carbed.

 

[broncochevy]

Check this out

EFI Guy, another tip from the pros, thank you sir!

Now hear this: tonight I took the intake off after putting two little boys to bed and found this...any thoughts?? I have taken apart a few engines so far in my existence and have never seen anything this nasty, well this plugged up as I have seen some pretty nasty things; dead rodents and chocolate chips if you are picking up what I am putting down. Add one more broken bolt to the tally sheet Johnny. This one looks the best, or um, worst. Not sure how I will get this one out, the others had plenty of meat to weld a nut onto, this one not so much.

Bonus, there’s a pic from work today, for that special hunter in all of you...