2000 4L Ford Explorer engine into S2
Discussion
As far as I know, you are breaking new ground with that.
Are you intending to fit the Explorer gearbox and drive train? Is it 4WD?
Nothing is impossible, but there could be a few innovative 'engineering solutions' required along the way.
Alan W is nearing completion of his project, fitting a 4.0 litre Lexus twin turbo into a S1
and DamienS3 has fitted a Jag S-Type engine into his S3.
I don't know if they would have any advice to give?
I guess at the very least you will need the Explorer ecu and ancillary sensors, you will need to fabricate suitable engine & gearbox mounts, a custom propshaft and a load of other stuff.
Will the sump clear the front ARB? Will you need to modify the chassis to accommodate the new lump?
Happy pioneering!
Are you intending to fit the Explorer gearbox and drive train? Is it 4WD?
Nothing is impossible, but there could be a few innovative 'engineering solutions' required along the way.
Alan W is nearing completion of his project, fitting a 4.0 litre Lexus twin turbo into a S1
and DamienS3 has fitted a Jag S-Type engine into his S3.
I don't know if they would have any advice to give?
I guess at the very least you will need the Explorer ecu and ancillary sensors, you will need to fabricate suitable engine & gearbox mounts, a custom propshaft and a load of other stuff.
Will the sump clear the front ARB? Will you need to modify the chassis to accommodate the new lump?
Happy pioneering!
Have you done engine transplants before? If so, and of you can't find anyone who's done this particular swap, I guess the first step would be to put the current and proposed new engine side by side and see whether engine mounts and bell housing look interchangeable and whether the new one physically fits in the engine bay.
From bits 'n pieces I've read in the past i think I recall mention of some differences at the back end of the crankshaft?
Possibly flywheel bolt PCD or spigot bearing diameter? Guess its come out of an auto?
Don't have any figures to hand but don't think you'll gain a vast amount of power but possibly a good "lump" of torque?
Is it the single overhead cam (per bank) variant?
Possibly flywheel bolt PCD or spigot bearing diameter? Guess its come out of an auto?
Don't have any figures to hand but don't think you'll gain a vast amount of power but possibly a good "lump" of torque?
Is it the single overhead cam (per bank) variant?
Edited by phillpot on Sunday 11th June 15:43
Hello
The internet leads me to believe the bell housing pattern is the same so keep the existing box (not sure how long it will last) engine mounts should be there or there abouts ? If you are not confident making some somewhere like Track v road (who did mine) will be able to make some for you.
I would measure and see what's what if it looks viable then if brave take the 2.9 out and offer the 4.0 up to see if it will fit.. make mounts bolt in the sort.. exhaust, cooling, inlet, ECU don't need to go silky here the explorer one should work if not aftermarket. Having the donner car helps as you can use as much as possible m, i.e. ECU engine loom (will need to have surpluss bits removed.)
This could be straight forward Swap but don't know if the bell housing is the same that helps. I have a cologne to T5 bellhoising if it helps or when your T9 explodes with the 4,0 torque.
Don't forget brakes
Good luck proceed with caution
Damian S3 Duratec
The internet leads me to believe the bell housing pattern is the same so keep the existing box (not sure how long it will last) engine mounts should be there or there abouts ? If you are not confident making some somewhere like Track v road (who did mine) will be able to make some for you.
I would measure and see what's what if it looks viable then if brave take the 2.9 out and offer the 4.0 up to see if it will fit.. make mounts bolt in the sort.. exhaust, cooling, inlet, ECU don't need to go silky here the explorer one should work if not aftermarket. Having the donner car helps as you can use as much as possible m, i.e. ECU engine loom (will need to have surpluss bits removed.)
This could be straight forward Swap but don't know if the bell housing is the same that helps. I have a cologne to T5 bellhoising if it helps or when your T9 explodes with the 4,0 torque.
Don't forget brakes
Good luck proceed with caution
Damian S3 Duratec
I had two Ford Exploders back in the day.
201 bhp was all they made on leaving the factory, and i do remember the service guy swearing as he tried to change the plugs.
Torque - well, it was only rated to tow 2.5 tonnes (all LandRovers except the Freaklander are rated at 3.5 tonnes, as is my Exploder's successor, a 2.7 diesel Merc ML), and it really struggled with my horse trailer with two up - 2.4 tonnes.
In a two tonne + Exploder it made 17 mpg on a good day - I ran mine on LPG.
They were actually nice cars, but you are only talking about the engine, and that, IMHO, was not much cop. Apart from being reliable.
The Lexus 4 litre, on the other hand, even without the turbos, made 240 bhp (mark 1) and more from later cars. My 2 tonne Lexus LS 400 was good for 150 mph (yes, i did test it) and was silky smooth. And it returned 25-28 mpg all day long.
My favourite Lexus party trick was to balance a pound coin on its edge on top of the plenum.
Start the engine, rev to 6000 rpm, switch off, and the pound coin was still there, standing on its edge
201 bhp was all they made on leaving the factory, and i do remember the service guy swearing as he tried to change the plugs.
Torque - well, it was only rated to tow 2.5 tonnes (all LandRovers except the Freaklander are rated at 3.5 tonnes, as is my Exploder's successor, a 2.7 diesel Merc ML), and it really struggled with my horse trailer with two up - 2.4 tonnes.
In a two tonne + Exploder it made 17 mpg on a good day - I ran mine on LPG.
They were actually nice cars, but you are only talking about the engine, and that, IMHO, was not much cop. Apart from being reliable.
The Lexus 4 litre, on the other hand, even without the turbos, made 240 bhp (mark 1) and more from later cars. My 2 tonne Lexus LS 400 was good for 150 mph (yes, i did test it) and was silky smooth. And it returned 25-28 mpg all day long.
My favourite Lexus party trick was to balance a pound coin on its edge on top of the plenum.
Start the engine, rev to 6000 rpm, switch off, and the pound coin was still there, standing on its edge
Edited by QBee on Monday 12th June 08:46
One thing to note the Lexus engine only came as automatic, if you want to retain the auto box you have to cut the bottom chassis rails and make wider to get the box in.
Best option is to go manual, lots of bits out there for these conversions, most are now using the 6 speed BMW manual gearboxes and there is a lot of kits out there, some better than others but the cost is about £1200 ish for a full bolt on kit + the cost of the box.
Next problem is the exhausts they angle right to the top rail so you will have to cut and lower this by 100mm, easy done without altering the top wishbone mountings as the exhausts are quite well back on the engine so you will have to cut and re glass the tub to get the exhausts in.
Anti roll bar has to be relocated to the front of the chassis but this has been done by a few others.
You will have to get your prop re made and an adaptor to fit the output for which gearbox you use. The engine is as steady as a rock, if you get the pre 94 they are built with the stronger rods and forged pistons will run all day at 500bhp, the later engines have the thinner rods but produce another 20 bhp and are VVTi.
You will have to look at brakes as well as I don’t think the S disc and drums will last long or be good enough to cope with the extra horse power but you can disagree with me on that if you want.
Would I do it again knowing what I now know, I don’t thin I would but that’s not to say I would not have tried to put another V8 in. I have some pictures if you want to do this.
Alan
Best option is to go manual, lots of bits out there for these conversions, most are now using the 6 speed BMW manual gearboxes and there is a lot of kits out there, some better than others but the cost is about £1200 ish for a full bolt on kit + the cost of the box.
Next problem is the exhausts they angle right to the top rail so you will have to cut and lower this by 100mm, easy done without altering the top wishbone mountings as the exhausts are quite well back on the engine so you will have to cut and re glass the tub to get the exhausts in.
Anti roll bar has to be relocated to the front of the chassis but this has been done by a few others.
You will have to get your prop re made and an adaptor to fit the output for which gearbox you use. The engine is as steady as a rock, if you get the pre 94 they are built with the stronger rods and forged pistons will run all day at 500bhp, the later engines have the thinner rods but produce another 20 bhp and are VVTi.
You will have to look at brakes as well as I don’t think the S disc and drums will last long or be good enough to cope with the extra horse power but you can disagree with me on that if you want.
Would I do it again knowing what I now know, I don’t thin I would but that’s not to say I would not have tried to put another V8 in. I have some pictures if you want to do this.
Alan
cb500t said:
Just came by an explorer from a friend that has been side swiped and is a write off,what do I need from it? what parts need 'custom' fabricating? any advice/pointers greatfully accepted.
TIA...
Can't help you directly. But the 4.0 came in OHV and SOHC. The latter was more powerful in stock form. Not sure what we got in the UK. Latter Explorers should be the SOHC variant. TIA...
As for power. The same engine made 240hp in the S197 Mustangs and should be good for a little shy of 300hp with some bolt ons and a cams.
I've often wondered if it would be possible to use the 24v Cosworth heads from the 2.9 on a SOHC 4.0 block.
Suspect the engine has lots of potential.
The explorer engine conversion has already been done on an S so it is possible. It was well over 10 years ago now I was in email correspondence with a guy who had one in an S running an emerald ecu .. think it went to emerald for mapping in the end .. not sure what became of the car though, never heard about it since.
Just not sure why you would do it when a 4 litre Range Rover engine is readily available, as are the parts etc to fit it, and the knowledge, and it will make 240 bhp all day long - just get the entire kit from a Chimaera, including all peripherals, exhaust, induction, ECU etc. Yes, i am sure it will need some mods to make it fit, but this has already been done and called the V8S. Just saying.
if you had your mitts on a much more powerful engine, then i would understand, but the Explorer engine is nothing special as far as i remember it, and they were all automatics too as far as i remember.
if you had your mitts on a much more powerful engine, then i would understand, but the Explorer engine is nothing special as far as i remember it, and they were all automatics too as far as i remember.
QBee said:
Just not sure why you would do it when a 4 litre Range Rover engine is readily available, as are the parts etc to fit it, and the knowledge, and it will make 240 bhp all day long - just get the entire kit from a Chimaera, including all peripherals, exhaust, induction, ECU etc. Yes, i am sure it will need some mods to make it fit, but this has already been done and called the V8S. Just saying.
if you had your mitts on a much more powerful engine, then i would understand, but the Explorer engine is nothing special as far as i remember it, and they were all automatics too as far as i remember.
100% on that, mind you I am no fan of the Rover V8 but still would be better than the Explorer V6if you had your mitts on a much more powerful engine, then i would understand, but the Explorer engine is nothing special as far as i remember it, and they were all automatics too as far as i remember.
Hi, a while back I completed a 4l ohv explorer build into an S2.
Mainly is was an engineering excersise but with a goal to give v8's a challenge ( and it did ).
No chassis mods, same exhaust manifold. T5 box with a custom bellhousing, emerald ecu ( and a little time on the dyno ).
The engine is still in place, but now getting ready for another transplant.
It is a heavy lump, but bags of torque!
Mainly is was an engineering excersise but with a goal to give v8's a challenge ( and it did ).
No chassis mods, same exhaust manifold. T5 box with a custom bellhousing, emerald ecu ( and a little time on the dyno ).
The engine is still in place, but now getting ready for another transplant.
It is a heavy lump, but bags of torque!
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