All Aluminum Explorer Engine Swap?

[tjm73]

Anyone swapped an Explorer engine in?

I found a place that has the all aluminum PI headed Explorer engines and shortblocks. Cost about $500 more than the PI parts to get an all new, all aluminum engine. It'd save some weight.

 

[98blackmagic]

I posted a thread about this a little while back and never got any responses, it is very interesting. I know the motor will drop about 90 pounds to the one that I have now, but I want input from somebody that has done the swap before I go and try to make this swap happen, sounds very good though.

 

[timeless2]

Would a new pcm be part of this swap, I wonder?

 

[UNVMATT]

Everything is the same (including the intake)..No ECU change or anything is necessary.

 

[timeless2]

so we can safely say that finding a totaled out late model exploder is a good find for a supplemental or replacement engine?

 

[ProCharger GT]

put in the navigator engine

 

[edbo]

put in the navigator engine

Or even an aluminum Mark 8 4.6 DOHC Motor! Not to dis the Nav's motor, that sucker would be awesomely sweet too! That's something worth considering. You could find an ol' Lincoln Mk 8 for pretty cheap these days, pull the motor and rebuild the aluminum block with forged internals, port the heads, install some good cams and get cobra intake manifold installed. Should be a real sweet setup with about a 9lb psi KB blower on it too!

 

[9646gt]

what is the cost of the explorer engine..I want pi heads but no use with the mileage on the bottom end of my motor..I would be much more intrested in doing a motor swap to tell you the truth at this many miles

 

[timeless2]

what is the cost of the explorer engine..I want pi heads but no use with the mileage on the bottom end of my motor..I would be much more intrested in doing a motor swap to tell you the truth at this many miles

at 170K and counting, you are thinking in the right mindset

 

[9646gt]

at 170K and counting, you are thinking in the right mindset

putting a brand new top end on a worn out bottom end is something a ricer does with a honda..I think i will jsut wait till I can swap the hole thing..besides ..I wont have compression issues this way so I can still be boosting without tearing into the motor to change the pistons

 

['01 Steed]

You will have to keep the front cover and FEAD parts from your Mustang. The problem here is that the power steering pump is high mounted on the driver's side in the Explorer, which will not package in the Mustang. Also the p/s reservoir is body mounted on the Explorer. The tensioner is also oriented a bit differently.

Now, this presents a problem. The front cover bolt that is just to the driver's side of the water pump is in a different location on the aluminum block. It is 14 mm lower and toward the center of the block. You'll either have to tap the block no more than 13mm deep (16 mm tap drill) or you'll have problems, OR you'll have to modify the front cover. Tapping the block is the easier of the two options. Some have said that they've just gobbed some RTV on it and called it a day, but I'm not down with that.
Aside from that, everythings a go.

I'm going thru this right now with my forged block build-up.

 

[tjm73]

what is the cost of the explorer engine..I want pi heads but no use with the mileage on the bottom end of my motor..I would be much more intrested in doing a motor swap to tell you the truth at this many miles

Just under $2000 at Kar Kraft. http://www.karkraft.com/engines.htm

Scroll down to the engine just below the DOHC 5.4 with dual 4 barrel carbs.

 

['01 Steed]

No flame intended, but it's interesting that the picture shown above does not include the power steering pump, yet shows all other FEAD (Front End Accessory Drive) components.

Oh also....the oil filter adaptor is different.

 

[Orions98GT]

putting a brand new top end on a worn out bottom end is something a ricer does with a honda..I think i will jsut wait till I can swap the hole thing..besides ..I wont have compression issues this way so I can still be boosting without tearing into the motor to change the pistons

compression was going to be a problem, untill I just decided to go with the dss promod, and mongoose kit from mph

 

[ForPointSex]

If you get MM&FF check out the 2 valve shoot out. The winner is running an explorer aluminum block.


This is his car. He posts at MD.

http://forums.modulardepot.com/flyshow.php?&s=&showid=156

 

['01 Steed]

Hey! I just found a front cover that will eliminate the need for any modifications to the block or front cover!

Use a 2001+ 4.6L Expedition front cover (1L1E-). The bolt hole I was refering to is in the correct location. You will need to keep the Expedition tensioner and idler, and get a belt of length 2500 mm (I worked it out at work, that's not just an estimated length. It actually worked out to that nice round number). The belt routing will change slightly, so if you need a pic of it, let me know. I'll post a .jpg .

YEEHAH!! I am stoked!!!

 

[squares98]

that extra weight loss is worth it imo, i have much better turn in now using the same suspension as before the sway. And it doesnt bother me anymore to have a 200+ lb. passenger in the car anymore.
I guess it was complicated, because it took a week instead of three days to do the swap like shop originally thought, (because they had only done iron blocked pi engine transplants previously.)

 

['01 Steed]

I apologize for the crappy quality. MS Paint SUCKS!!!

Anyhow, this is the new routing. Most of your auto parts stores sell belts at incremental lengths, so getting the right length belt shouldn't be tough at all.

Later!!

 

[Joel's98GT]

[QUOTE='01 Steed]No flame intended, but it's interesting that the picture shown above does not include the power steering pump, yet shows all other FEAD (Front End Accessory Drive) components.

Oh also....the oil filter adaptor is different.[/QUOTE]

no it doesn't show any of the components that arebolted to the engine, PS pump, altinator or a/c. The only one it shows is the water pump, all the othere pullies are just idler pullies.