383k5

Pismo dunes, Barstow, or Lucerne. Pismo is close but gets old quick. I like Barstow the best.

txredxj

ford headers can be used if you swap the flanges. i dont know if swap header are readily available or if they will clear the same on a ls engine.

Josh40601

iTrader: (9)

there are no "swap kits" for the Ranger, but the stock manifolds or block hugger headers will work with some frame trimming.

On a different note, Howell called me yesterday, they told me they could make a harness that will plug directly into my factory harness and the LS motor as well. It would cost about 100 bucks on top of the original 650, but at least everything would be a plug and play package

Transamthunder

I was searching for a thread like this several months back. Glad I just happened to find it. Got some funny noises coming outta my 2.3 and I have a 5.3 sitting in the garage looking a home. That and I am tired of trying to get on the highway and not having the beans to get upto speed. Be nice not to to have to floor the dumb thing everytime I go over an overpass to keep up with traffic. By the way good luck I wanna follow along with this build.

Josh40601

iTrader: (9)

well, the 2wd is not going to happen. Had a kind come up and offer to buy it, and i wont be home for another year, so I told my mom to go ahead and sell it to him. The LS series motor will most definitely be going in my 4wd though.

1CAMWNDR

iTrader: (21)

The 4X4 will be awesome. What will it be used for?

Josh40601

iTrader: (9)

daily driver, trail pig, boat hauler, work horse, just about everything. Just so you guys know, this is NOT a normal Ranger we are talking about here....

Here is a pic of the truck as it sits now. Still has a ways to go, but getting there.

1CAMWNDR

iTrader: (21)

No, not a "normal" Ranger. Killer idea.

383k5

Normal

Josh40601

iTrader: (9)

for so cal

Hi Volume

iTrader: (3)

this is how we do it in california! NO MUDDIN *** hillbilly mud boggin ****, haha.

I should have my Ranger Chevy powered shortly. Via a 5.3 or Ls1. I have both in the garage waiting for it.

Josh40601

iTrader: (9)

are you running fenderwell headers or no? Can you post up your build here? I'm REALLY interested in seeing this done.

I decided to stick with the 5.3 for the 4 by. I sold my 2wd, so that one is gone.

Hi Volume

iTrader: (3)

I will be building my own custom longtube headers for it. Truck is a 2wd, which provides a lot of extra room. The trick is going to be if i am able to keep the AC or not. Based off measurements the passenger side cylinder head is going to be really close to the AC core/box deal on the passenger side firewall. I want to keep AC because the truck is black and you know how that goes in california summers!

Josh40601

iTrader: (9)

is the truck a prerunner or street truck?

Well, if you build a set for your truck, ill pay ya to build ones for mine I'm going to add a 1" body lift to help with making everything clear. I also want to keep A/C in mine because the KY summers make Cali summers feel like paradise. I also plan on running an after market radiator with dual fans (Same setup i put on my 68 when we did the LS Swap). There were really only two areas that i was worried about when it came to putting the motor in, fitting the accesories on the front, and clearing the header/manifolds. These were the only two places we had problems with during the first swap.

Hi Volume

iTrader: (3)

street truck of course

It would be hard to try and build a set for you off of my truck and hope they fit on yours. PLus i see yours is a beamed ranger, mine is A-arm. Too many variables unfortunatly for me to feel confident in doing something like that. I built the turbo headers on my car, check out my album i have pics of it. I have my accessories rearranged, i used the truck PS pump mount. Which raised it high enough to clear the power steering gearbox on the ranger. Except i hacked off the provision for the alternator and relocated it to the left of the throttle body eliminating the spring tensioner. The truck alternator/PS mounting bracket is a bulky aluminum piece, totally different from that of an F-body. Il post a pic tomorrow of how i did it. I will be using a dual pass thick alum radiator with dual fans to cool it.

Josh40601

iTrader: (9)

well, actually, my Ranger has been SAS'd. I'd really like to see all the pictures of the swap. Any info that would be helpful for me. I'm not going to get upset like some do if you pic ***** the thread up, thats why i created it. I will be performing the swap, just want to get everything lined up and in order before i kick it off.

did you keep your truck smog legal?

Josh40601

iTrader: (9)

Here is the truck the 5-3 is going in.

Hi Volume, did you keep the 4L60e? Is yours 2wd or 4?

ranger#1

bump for an old thread this is getting a 5.3 soon

the_merv

iTrader: (88)

Thats great..looks like a turtle is sitting there in the dirt..

Lsranger406

i personally have a running driving 6.2 fro. A 10 Escalade in my 99 ranger. No firewall cutting. And my exhaust fits in between the frame rails. I used factory 2007 trailblazer ss manifolds. I cut the y pipe mounts off and cut an inch or two out of each manifold and rotated the flange 180. Built a ypipe and the rest of the exhaust from stainless 2.5 inch for the y into 4 inch all the way back. Truck gets drove every day. I use the stock 3.0 v6 radiator to cool it. Works fine with dual fans mounted to it. Also with a 4l60e the factory Ford trans cross member works if you drill two new holes. Easiest engine swap ever. Use a painless gen 3 5.3 harness with a lingenfelter signal converter. Fabricated upper engine mount that bolts to factory Ford engine lower be mount that way you keep the rubber mount. Engine fits so good I can pull it in and out in about 15 minutes. I'm one of those people that can't leave stuff alone so I'm always pulling it out to change this or that. Any questions feel free to ask.