Wow..... Coming along nicely! :thumbsup:

Thanks. I was going to work on it today but the wind out here was just way too strong.

I think I have the steering box bracket where it's going to clear now. However, I'm not going to use the block adapter that came in the kit I ordered. The one in the kit comes straight out and Summit carries a low profile one that exits at 90 degrees. It's also only 1 3/8 tall and I have 2 inches of clearance now at the closest area. As you can see in the before and after pictures I moved the bracket about an inch inside the frame. I still need to weld the bottom though.

Before:




After:

You're a really good welder Ron. I want a gas setup.

Thanks, but I'm only an okay welder.

Here's the relocation kit I bought from Summit.



But this is the block adapter that I'm going to use instead.

I finished welding up the underside. I hate welding upside down! I also took a look at the gas tanks because mine doesn't have the pressure sensor on it and Eric's is rusted to shit and I was going to just cut the mount for the sensor out and weld it to mine. However, while I was cleaning them out I discovered that his tank has a built in sump to help keep the fuel at the fuel pump. Mine doesn't have this but instead uses a plastic sump that is part of the fuel pump. I don't want to use mine with the V8 pump because it could starve the engine of fuel on the steep angles I put this truck in. So I've decided that I'm just going to buy another tank that has the sensor.

Here's pictures of the completed steering box. Part of the reason the welds look like shit is because I added plate between the frame and the mount to fill a gap near the front. The two beads v together and make it look terrible. I should have cleaned it up but I realy don't care what it looks like on the bottom.

Welding upside down is fun, nothing like catching your goatee on fire.

Welding a gas tank is no fun. I did one that was so thin, it looked like I closed up the hole, but the water managed to find little air bubbles to sneak out of. So I chased the air bubbles, and one spool worth of chasing and a mound of steel later I gave up and got a new tank.

I'm actually just going to use Eric's tank for right now. Only because a new tank is almost $300 and the new fuel pump is $200. I have to buy the fuel pump but I'm going to hold off on getting a new tank for a little while.

Why so much for the fuel pump?

Because I have to buy the whole assembly. If his wasn't in such bad shape I could buy just the pump and that's only $85.

If you'd like me to, i can check the cost with my parts guy.

Sure, but it will be after the new year before I'm ready to buy it.

Thats cool, wont hurt to check. What year and setup before i call?

1997 Ford Explorer AWD V8.

Worked on it again today. I was able to drop the engine in and bolted up the trans. Moving the steering box mount inside the frame and using the low profile adapter worked perfect! There is now plenty of room.

Pictures from today.

I'm liking that relocation kit, i might get the same one for my car when i set up the oil cooler.

The only thing that I dislike about the relocation kit is I had a hose clamp come loose and dumped oil all over Mitsubishi headquarters parking lot. Wasnt sure what it really was until I had it towed home. So keep an eye on them. I was going to hard pipe them in with nice compression fittings.

Those are threaded, no need for hose clamps

This kit doesn't use hose clamps. The below image is what came in the kit and the only part I changed was the block adapter. I'm using everything else from the kit. Also, if I find that I need longer hoses I'll have them made.

Thats a nicer kit than I got!

The one I bought was made by Trans Dapt. Summit had one that was their own brand that was $25 cheaper and it came with hose clamps but I didn't trust a hose clamp with supplying my engine with oil. When I added an external oil cooler to the Cobra I used AN fittings instead of hose clamps too. It cost me about $50 more than it would have if I had just used hose clamps but I don't have to worry about a clamp coming loose.

I would never use hose clamps for engine oil, or any type of oil for that matter.

The stock external transmission cooler on the Explorer came from Ford with hose clamps and I'm going to use it on mine.

I just doubled up on the hose clamps and didnt have anymore issues.

No pictures today because I didn't have much time to work on it. I did manage to bolt the torque converter tot the flexplate, connect all the harnesses for the trans, install the shift linkage, install the starter and fix some corroded wiring. I also found that's it's so much easier to install the starter without all the IFS crap in the way.

Got more done today. I finished installing the injectors, upper intake, egr and sensors, and the TB. I also installed the drivers side accessories so I could see how much room I was going to have for the power steering lines and mock up lines to be made. I will only have to have a high pressure line made because I was able to cut and bend the low pressure line. Tomorrow I'll go to The Hose Man and have the line made.

Getting closer.



Here's the mocked up high pressure line. It's the one with the hose clamps on it.



The green arrows point to the low pressure hose and hard line and the yellow arrow points to the high side line that I bent to crap fitting it where I wanted.

You should have told me the intake was going to be black, i would have powdercoated it while i had it. Are you keeping the a/c? And if so when do you want me to charge it?

Yes, I'm keeping the AC. Once I have it running I will still need to wire the blower motor before doing the AC. Eric's truck had climate control and mine doesn't so his has more wires for the blower motor than mine. Once I figure out the wiring and have it all working I get with you to charge the system. I want to get it BAR certified first, then do the transfercase and then move on to the blower motor. But I have to get it running frist, lol.

Just let me know when so i can track down some r12

It doesn't use R12, it uses R134.

Oh, did your v6 engine also use r134?

Yep. So does the Cobra. I believe '94 was the year Ford started using R134. I had a '94 T-bird and it took R134 as well.

Odd, i know the trucks use r12 up to 95

I dropped the power steering hose off at The Hose Man to have it made. I should have it next week. I got some more done today as well. The only things I have left to do is install the MAF, radiator overflow, trans cooler, transfer case, rear driveshaft, exhaust, fuel pump, fuel tank, power steering hose when I have it and then fill it up with oil and water. I'm hoping to have it done in a few days. Then I'll break the engine in and then take it to be BAR certified. I'll post up some pictures tomorrow.

The only things I have left to do is install the power steering hose when it's done and install the fuel tank and pump. I went to install Eric's tank today but the filler connection broke off it. It's just too rusted to use so I ordered a new one tonight. I should have it in a few days.

I again didn't take any pictures but I'll try to tomorrow.

Picked up the power steering hose today and installed it tonight. Here are some pictures.

The new hose.



Upper portion.





Lower portion connected to the steering box. It is very tight in there and hard to get to to install the line.



Here are pictures of how I mounted the remote filter.




The filter will be behind my skidplate so it will be protected.



The finished product. All I have left is the fuel tank which is supposed to be delivered on Monday next week.

Looks good

Very nice.

What is to become of the 97 once the swap is completed? I now need the entire brake assembly for the rear if you're going to part it out.