2.9 to 4.0 engine

[grumpy old man]

While I see the logic in using the complete frame out of the Explorer in many ways I am working in flintstone conditions. While I have a lot of equipment the one thing I do not have is a hoist. Therefore no way to lift the body and roll another frame under it, unless you can show me how to build a magic levitating machine.

 

[L\Bronco]

While I see the logic in using the complete frame out of the Explorer in many ways I am working in flintstone conditions. While I have a lot of equipment the one thing I do not have is a hoist. Therefore no way to lift the body and roll another frame under it, unless you can show me how to build a magic levitating machine.

Nope, had to beg borrow and steal in my early stock car days. I have am old 2 post I put in my shop now. (It is worth its weight in Rhodium!)
Cheers

 

[grumpy old man]

I have been disassembling the explorer in the back yard one bolt at a time. Trying to take something apart in such a way as to salvage the salable items is a BI..... They are designed to snap together on the assembly line but not to snap apart under any circumstances.

The more I get into it the more convinced I become that there is no possible way to do this swap without using the Explorer frame. I am now thinking about some wierd ways to pick it up and support it. I have a large pile of square and retangular steel tubing in the back yard that I can use to support it I just need to figure out a way to jack up the B2 body. I looked up the weight and it is 3700 lbs.+ -. Figure that at least half of that weight is frame and running gear puts the body at less than 2k which is not that heavy.

Welding up a support should not be too difficult, however jacking it up enough to roll a chassis and engine out and then another one in is another story. I can get a well used floor mount really cheap but the only place I have to put it is my side yard which is slightly less than 10 feet and I need slightly over 12.

Oh Well

 

[L\Bronco]

I have been disassembling the explorer in the back yard one bolt at a time. Trying to take something apart in such a way as to salvage the salable items is a BI..... They are designed to snap together on the assembly line but not to snap apart under any circumstances.

The more I get into it the more convinced I become that there is no possible way to do this swap without using the Explorer frame. I am now thinking about some wierd ways to pick it up and support it. I have a large pile of square and retangular steel tubing in the back yard that I can use to support it I just need to figure out a way to jack up the B2 body. I looked up the weight and it is 3700 lbs.+ -. Figure that at least half of that weight is frame and running gear puts the body at less than 2k which is not that heavy.

Welding up a support should not be too difficult, however jacking it up enough to roll a chassis and engine out and then another one in is another story. I can get a well used floor mount really cheap but the only place I have to put it is my side yard which is slightly less than 10 feet and I need slightly over 12.

Oh Well

I'm not sure how you are set up, but, if you pull the engine and tranny\T-case out of both, then take off the body, it will reduce the required height a lot.
The shell will be well under 2k (I've never weighed one, but 2 of us could move the 79 shell around on the hoist arms without catastrophe)
Make some tall 3 legged stands to hit the pinch welds that will hold it up high enough (hopefully) then remove all the body mount bolts, grounds and connectors, remove the master cyl and undo the steering column and shift linkage. Don't forget the filler neck for the gas tank.
once everything is undone, lift on the frame\diffs to the desired height, put your stands under the pinch welds and let the chassis down under it.
That's how I used to do it before I got my hoist.
Good luck!
Cheers

 

[Tiha]

I have done body swaps on a suburban. Hence why we didn't do the excursion that way LOL

But Took the front clip off, Unhooked all we could from the body. Used jacks to jack it up. It was a project for sure. Plus we did it on dirt, not concrete.

But we got it done. So it can be done. Just not fun.

 

[L\Bronco]

But we got it done. So it can be done. Just not fun.

Ahhh….poetry
Good one Tiha

 

[grumpy old man]

I just about have every salable and flammable part off of the explorer. Tomorrow Me and the plasma are going to start reducing the body to bite size peices so I can get someone to haul it off. Don't know about where you are but around here there are about half a dozen people that advertise they will pick up metal for free. I have used them in the past and they will take it all.

That leaves me with a pile of useable body parts, complete undented front end, four clean doors, and a pile of interior that is cleaner than it should be for a 2007. hopefully I can find buyers.

 

[grumpy old man]

My original plan was to cut the body into pieces and remove it from the chassis a piece at a time, when it dawned on me that there was still a gas tank with enough fuel in it to register on the gas gauge. I may not be the smartest guy on the block but I am smart enough to realize that a torch and a plasma cutter should not be in the vicinity of a gas tank. So I renewed my acquaintance with that irritating rodent named mickey and did figure out how to get the chassis out from under the empty explorer body. Will post pictures of that mess when I can get the help from my granddaughter.

I rolled the chassis up into the side yard which gave me a little room to remove the engine, trans and transfercase, load them onto the lift gate of my step van and get them into the garage. I am now trying to take off the heads so I can get them over to my friend that will redo them and see what the cylinder walls have to say. Problem is that I cannot get the plenum to pop loose. with the engine on the floor I can see the entire plenum and there are no more bolts in it so apparently it is the glue on the gaskets holding it. I really don't want to break the blasted thing. With the engine on the floor even if the walls are good I at least want to put in rings, bearings and timing chains.

I do have the cam covers off and this thing is immaculate on the inside. I will guarantee that it has had very regular oil changes with a good grade of oil.

 

[grumpy old man]

Hey Guys, I am actually thinking about renewing my living human being card. It has not been a good year. To put it in perspective the last time I was in Costco I was in la la land and automatically pulled out my kaiser card. The girl looked at me, smiled and sweetly said "bad month?". I replied no, bad year!

I was going to send some photos of getting the chassis out from under the body but I can't take a good picture with a phone and my sony camera has been sitting for so long that it won't turn on. Best I can describe it I had the front end off and the body jacked up chained to the beam on my patio cover with the rear jacked up as high as I could get it with an engine hoist after notching the top to clear the arm on the hoist and after a long prayer I rolled it out. Had to flatten the rear tires to finally get the last bit of clearance and it is now in the side yard. That is about all I have gotten done as yet.

 

[grumpy old man]

Had plans of rejoining the human race and had a bit of a go with prostate issues. Getting old sucks! I think I am reaching the end of the tunnel, the prostate surgery did not go as planned but I believe I am now on the up side.

In between feeling like krap I did get the Explorer chassis cut down 20 inches. It was actually easy. The chassis is stamped steel robot welded. It has front and rear sections that have cavities on the ends to accept the center sections. My guess is that they can use different center sections to change the wheel base for different appplications. by cutting through the weld on the rear, I was able to cut the necessary chunk out of the center piece. by cleaning everything up and getting the pieces out I just slid the sections together and once the measurements were correct tack welded everything in place for final measurements. Once completely welded it is within 1/8 inch side to side. I put pockets in the frame for the firewall body mounts and am in the process of sitting the Bronco shell on the explorer chassis so I can move it from the side yard into my Barney Rubble shop of horrors.

I would love to post pictures but have no idea of how to get some really bad pictures out of my I phone and on to the website. When I grew up we did not even have calculators so I never learned this stuff.

Two things I need. The Explorer chassis is about 5 incbes wider so I will have tire sticking out on both sides, so I need fender flares. I have searched unsuccessfully and cannot find anything for the B2. Anyone know something I do not?

Also I was looking at a thread and someone that used to be a transmission guy for ford commented on a problem with the AOD. I did not note his handle but really need to pick his brain.