Any tips for an engine swap from a 1996 Explorer V8 4wd to a 1997 V8 Explorer 2wd?
10 Answers
Tool and life wise, do you have everything you need to do this? This is not an outside in the driveway job.
oopse, tool and lift wise.
I was thinking, "Life wise?, Jesus these Gurus get personal. Anyways. Short answer : sort of. I had a knowledgeable mech who started. Thus far, parts (radiator etc) are out of the donor 96. Due to unforeseen circumstance Mech #1 is unable to complete this task. Mech #2 Very knowledgeable (30+ yrs Pro Mech) signed on to complete but the majority of his background are 60's, 70's and 80's vehicles. Things were not as complex as even this 97. (mabey complex is not the word maybe "different") Also he is now gone for 2 weeks on a vacation. The bolts to remove this engine are brutal in terms of accessibility and amount of force required. I broke a Snap On doing one of them for gawds sakes. I have all the bolts removed on the passenger side. Now I have to contend 2-3 more on the driver side, with one that is in an area I can just barely even get my hand. Going back to your question about tools. Mech #2 has every hand tool. They just happen to be in his storage unit that as he described would require a full day to retrieve. That bolt that I can barely get my hand near is 13mm and will require a long extension (or two). As if the V8 itself wasn't packed in tight enough, it also has the front differential blocking it even further. I've had a few bolts that with the aid of liquid wrench and patience and torquing that I eventually get loose but after a spin or 2 seez up again. I want to at the very least have the engine ready to be pulled when he gets back. I don't have an issue buying the right part I need to do it. As for a cherry picker. There's a local rental place that has a 2 ton capacity ($30. per 24hr). Lastly I have the vehicle in my 2 car garage. That minus the vehicle is virtually empty.Obviously I do not have an extensive history of working on cars. I am learning.
Like your mechanic on vacation, my experience is also in the 50' 60's & 70's area. Front wheel drive/4 wheel drive vehicles can be a problem removing the engine from the bay while attached to the tranny. Which bolts on the drivers side are you trying to remove. Is there something else you can remove first to make more room.
JFT. I suggest you stop where you are at. This is not a one person job, especially if you are trying to remove the last couple of bolts. I hope you have securred the transmission with a jack from the floor. If not using a tranny jack, place a piece between the jack and bottom of the tranny to prevent damage. NOTE: When sliding the engine forwarded, after dosconnect, do it slowly to separate it from the tranny. Clamp the torque converter in place so it remains inside the tranny.. Also. You'll have to place some bolts in the tranny/engine mounting holes then use a piece of pipe to keep the tranny up. It will come down once the tranny lift is lowered. And when reinstalling, do not use the engine to tranny bolts to pull the two together.
Safety first. Holding off till mech returns later this week.To answer your 1st question OJ, the drivers side bolts are the 13mm connecting the motor to the motor mounts. I'll get a picture of them and post it a little later today. Again, thanks for your insight.
I may be showing my age, and I do not have a photo of your particular configuration, but is is possible to remove the bolt holding the mount to the chassie then remove the mount once out of the vehicle.
Its even difficult to get a proper picture of the last bolts underneath connecting the engine to the motor mount. OJ that may be the way we have to go. I'll bring that up when the mech gets back & tomorrow try a smaller camera.
Mechanic #2 returned and promptly said he'd rather not do it after all. On the hunt for a new mechanic.
