Needing to vent

cee21 · Post by **cee21** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:28 am

Well bolted down the motor yesterday and took some of the pressure off (not all of it just about 2/3 of it) the lift (not all of it just about 2/3 of it)and found a clearance issue.

The oil pan comes in contact with the a corner that curves up on a bracket that holds the passanger side I beam. So now I will have to unbolt the drivers side mount and lift that side up so I can hopefully grind that down about 1/4" without pulling the motor back out. The F---ing holes for the mounts are so hard to line up. Now here is the sickening part, I have the hooker full length headers that are made for this conversion and they say they will worlk with 4wd. Now went to looking around and the drivers side header may or my not interfer with the front drive shaft.

So tommorrow I am going to hook the the tranny up to see it helps the oil pan out. I need more Emoticons to show how I really feel.

MalcolmV8 · Post by **MalcolmV8** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 11:12 am

Funny you mention the emoticons, I'll see if I can get more

I know exactly how you feel. Been there done that. Very frustrating.

Here's some advice. The motor has to sit lower. You will just be so high up that installing the tranny will SUCK. Passenger's side header will probably hit the firewall/tunnel area. When I closed the hood it was ever so slightly touching the top of the intake. I pulled the grill and radiator & a/c condensor to verify that. That's just way to high.

L&L offers an oil pan and pickup that will clear that corner bracket thing where the passenger's side i-beam connects. It runs around $300. I couldn't believe the price and thought that was crazy.

I then proceeded to cut up my own pan (a dual sump Mustang pan) and cut a bunch of pieces of metal and made a puzzle out of it. After much welding, leaking, and more welding I did finally clear that corner. I also took a grinder to that i-beam bracket and took a lot of the excess sharp corners and such off for added clearance. It was a major PITA and in the end it leaks anyway. As the motor torques under hard acceleration it hits the bracket and eventually developed a small leak. Very small it doesn't drop on my driveway or anything but still annoying because it gets messy under there. I've used JB Weld to clean it up but that doesn't seem to help either as it eventually breaks free.

When I look back at all the troubles of hacking up my pan, struggling with oil mess etc. doing it over I would gladly pay the $300 and have that pan in. Motor will sit lower and so much easier.

MalcolmV8 · Post by **MalcolmV8** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 11:14 am

I found these pics

cee21 · Post by **cee21** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 11:42 am

Well I am using the L&L mounts that say they are for 2wd but the bolt holes match mine unlike the 4wd ones and work out great. So I think it as low as it could possible go, but I will check. Got any pics of the headers in your truck?

MalcolmV8 · Post by **MalcolmV8** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 12:06 pm

I made my own motor mount adapters and used factory Explorer motor mounts if I remember correctly.

What I was meaning is you will probably need the L&L oil pan, not mounts, so the motor will clear that bracket holding the passenger's i-beam.

I don't think I have any header pics once installed in the truck that I can think of. I used the ford racing explorer headers.

You can see the headers here http://www.v8-ranger.com/blue/headers/headers.php

MalcolmV8 · Post by **MalcolmV8** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 6:30 am

wow I see that L&L custom pan that clears the 4x4 Ranger from i-beam area is now $436.50

http://www.landlproducts.com/details.as ... temID=1036

You might look at a stock Explorer 302 oil pan. Not the rigid aluminum ones but the regular stamped steel units. My 2000 Explorer motor had a stamped steel pan that looked like it might have worked but it was so trashed from the abuse in the junk yard I threw it away.

Had I known the figment issues I was going to face with that 95 Mustang pan I may have tried finding another explorer pan myself.

Later
Malcolm

MalcolmV8 · Post by **MalcolmV8** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 6:33 am

Look at the third picture down in this link. It makes me think that explorer pan will clear just fine. Notice how that corner I cut out is already clearanced.

viewtopic.php?t=104&highlight=explorer+oil+pan

cee21 · Post by **cee21** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:28 am

Went and looked at James Duff's site at their pan and read about grinding that bracket down.

Well I am just going to try and grind it down today. Thanks for the info, I can't believe I missed this part.

cgrey8 · Post by **cgrey8** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:02 pm

The problem with the Explorer pan is that it is so deep in the center part that straddles the crossmember. It might work, but it also has a chance of interference with the crossmember.

I wasn't aware there was much difference between the aluminum pans and the stamped steel pans. I've got an aluminum pan and the bolts that go with it just hanging around doing nobody any good. If you want some pics of it, I'll see if I can get some taken of the various angles. I even have a dual hump pan I can put next to it for a side-to-side reference. I'm in Wisconsin at the moment, but this weekend I'll be back home and can look into that if you need.

cjcnomor4 · Post by **cjcnomor4** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:28 pm

i have a steel explorer pan i can dig out for some pics if anyone is interested

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 5:40 pm

The need to vent? If you had some idea of how long some of the guys have been working on their "Projects" you might understand. Some are easier than others. It always seems like family, work, money and time have an affect.
How's the wiring turing out?
Dave

cee21 · Post by **cee21** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:24 am

Well I have it mostly figured out, just was wanting to go ahead and do all this heavy manually work done first. Another thing I found last night, which was my fault, but when I went to test fit the tranny before I went to pull the motor, it was cock-i-ed. So I am going to dowel out the drivers side holes towards the front and twist the motor that direction so the tranny will go straight back. Also had to make the tranny tunnel a bit larger. Am I having fun or what?! Work and time really isn't much of an issue, its a pregnant wife who is 2 months away, and calls every hour wanting to know when I am coming home. And I am tring to get done before middle of November, baby is due on Dec. 14.

plowboy34 · Post by **plowboy34** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 6:49 am

Tell the wife to shoot for the 11th on the birth, good day for a Hot Rodder to be born. On second thought maybe you better not tell her that...LOL.

Hey cgrey, you visit Dave while in Wisconsin, would be so cool to meet some of you cats.

cgrey8 · Post by **cgrey8** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 6:55 am

It was a little far for him to come on short notice. He lives a good 3 hrs away from where I was staying so I didn't get to meet up with him.

Maybe next time...

87ranger · Post by **87ranger** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 8:38 am

heck ive got 15 years in on my project dont get too bent outta shape if yours doesnt fall into place as easily as other peoples trucks