How hard would it be to shoehorn a small V8 engine into a 1998 Ford Ranger? I’m thinking about making myself a little hot rod Ranger lol. Thanks for any info you can give me!
It would be pretty tough. There's not a lot of working room in there and the truck isn't built for that kind of power. So realize you would also have to change out brakes, the transmission, rear differential, beef up the axle, and many other things. You'd have way more money in it than the truck is worth.
While I can appreciate the desire to make a hot rod out of a Ranger, between the V8 and the larger radiator required to cool it, bigger fans.....if you could make it fit, and that's a big if, you definitely wouldn't be able to maintain anything on that motor without pulling it out of the truck every time. Plus heat would be an issue.
I wouldn't recommend that project, though I can respect the vision you have.
I watched a YouTube video where someone had shoehorned an old Ford moduler 4.6l 4 valve into a Ranger, and it was tight but they still had working room for maintenance and weirdly enough even the hood had plenty of room to close. And they said, that the original 4cyl radiator was actually managing to keep the engine cool somehow. If I did the conversion, I was use the 4.6l 2 valve instead of the 4 valve. And the other stuff like the breaks and differential I know they will need to be replaced at some point. The reason I’m thinking about doing this project, is that I’m replacing the transmission anyway. And I’m replacing the bed and rear fenders. Since the body is already half off the frame why not temporarily take the cab off too and just have a rolling frame to work with. At least that’s my idea.
Like I said, if you can get it to fit in there then go ahead but realize there are headaches that come with doing a swap like that. I would not recommend using the same radiator that cools a 4 cylinder engine to cool a big V8, especially in an engine compartment that size. But I digress. The big question is whether or not you want to take on a massive project like that and whether or not you want to spend the money to see it through.
Money is the issue but I know some people who can give me deals. And I’m not afraid to tackle a huge project. In fact, that’s half the fun 🙂 thanks for your help!
This kinda reminds me of an iconic Chevy C10 Tiffany.
I think @mod_man will give assistance and more details on your question. Take my advice with a grain of salt. At least, you got a decent truck with little to no electronics. It may be bit of a challenge since it usually fits V6 engines. So hopefully mod_man will give you good amount of info.
Thanks
Your welcome but wait for mod_man's advice first before doing anything.
This mod is definitely doable, I've seen it done firsthand, but is probably a lot of work. Somebody lives near me with a 1999 or so Ranger that they dropped a 5.0 in with a standard transmission. I was on a country road sitting at a light and heard someone nail the throttle on a V8. I looked around, expecting to see a rocketing Mustang from the sound of the engine. A black Ford Ranger shot across the 4-way country intersection in front of me right before the light changed. I was confused for a moment. Haha. The owner had stuck Mustang GT badging on the fender of his truck, below the Ranger badge. That little truck sounded good. To do it right will take a lot of patience.
Personally, I wish Ford had kept that small truck and stuck the 3.7L Cyclone in a performance model. 300 horsepower in a compact truck and good fuel economy with no turbo or GDI. One can dream.
I hope I can bring that dream to realization lol. Your story is exactly why I want to do this. Besides restoring a truck that has a lot of sentimental value, I’ll also have one of the coolest sleepers around lol.