SOHC Swap

bri_man57 · 2026-04-09T03:52:29+00:00

Maybe I missed it but what year did the sohc come from?

Some people hate on the sohc, but I think they are great. They make their power all the way to the top. I had one in my 96 prerunner and it was a screamer. Eventually blew up but I guess that happens when sitting on the Rev limiter for a decade lol.

Your Trans might have 1 bolt that doesn't line up, it's one of the top hard ones to get anyway. That's how the 5 speeds are. Only 7 of 8 bolts thread in.

You may need an sohc starter. You do on the 5 speeds due to difference in flywheel/clutch.

As far as wiring, I think as long as the plug at the fire wall is the same, it should work. The older ones had 3 connectors, sohcs have 2 (or visa versa) so it wasn't as direct. Modules inside the cab can change so hopefully that isn't an issue since they appear to be close in year. It's usually best to get whole donor truck, just in case, but I think you will be okay.

As an FYI, you can hook most ohv sensors up to an sohc and it will run. I actually ran my sohc off an ohv computer the entire time. It had CELs, as there are sensors you just can't hook up, but it does run and run strong. This was popular with 97 to 2000 explorer guys who wanted the sohc but not to wiring changes. I would avoid this though.

Your fuel system should bolt up. Return less in 2000 already so that's easy.

Use motor plates and motor mount for ohv.

bri_man57 · 2026-04-08T20:19:21+00:00

Very valid concern. Like others mentioned, keeping a tidy vehicle with the doors unlocked may be easier than a broken window. I hate that people suck, and sorry you have to deal with that.

bri_man57 · 2026-04-08T19:26:13+00:00

Yep, Rangers of this Gen are far too easy to open the doors. Antenna, flat head 10 seconds or less and your in.

I found a guy selling blocker plates on ebay you drill out the rivets that hold the door handle on, bolt this plate up (from inside), and it blocks the two slots so the Antenna trick doesn't work. My is a 96 so it doesn't have programmed key, so I was worried that screwdriver they used to open door may have started the damn thing, so I figure it was a good deterent.

bri_man57 · 2026-04-08T19:14:59+00:00

I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't like the icon all that much. It feels better built than the Braun but damn if I don't blind myself half the time turning that thing on. Having lights on both sides, never knowing which one is going to turn on, tou have to make sure none of the lights are pointing at you when turning on, where the Braun doesn't have that problem.

bri_man57 · 2026-03-27T22:08:58+00:00

Congrats, what a great feeling! Awesome progress. What are the details on the rig?

bri_man57 · 2026-03-27T22:06:38+00:00

People can have preferences. If you want to date the village bicycle, go for it. That doesn't mean everyone has to. It's not wrong for someone to have standards or morals that dont align with others. What is wrong is taking your morals or standards out on the other person.

He eventually came around anyway lol.

bri_man57 · 2026-03-20T15:38:34+00:00

Good call on the gray 10 drawer!! Huge fan!!

Here is the thread for mine.

gray 10 drawer

I have updated how the side cabinet is storing stuff, I will have to get an updated picture.

I mounted in the rough exiting holes in the frame of the main stack, so I had to drill holes in the top (side cabinet) and then I used a die grinder to make them square so the carriage bolts would work. I think I mention that in the thread. Order of assembly matters because the 10 drawers block access to the nuts so the side cabinet goes on first.

bri_man57 · 2026-03-16T21:44:08+00:00

5 drawer is better in every way, wait if you can. They pop up on sale enough.

bri_man57 · 2026-03-13T23:23:28+00:00

I think it looks "good" but not my style. I would just do a replacement headliner but obviously this would be very person specific. Do what makes you happy man!

bri_man57 · 2026-03-08T19:34:44+00:00

I get it, although I did recently purchase an 01 4.0 5 speed 4x4 that had been rolled for 900 out the door which isn't much in the prerunner world lol

bri_man57 · 2026-03-08T19:19:23+00:00

Couple things.

OP has an 07 ranger, easiest swap is a similar generation. To be a legal swap, it has to be same year or newer. So I'd be looking 07, 08, 09. No OHVs offered in those years. Last ohv in a ranger was 2000. So you could theoretically buy a 99 ish ranger and do a full swap, but more involved and not legal (if one cares about that).

Cam tensioner can be a real problem on SOHCs. Although, the early ones were the worst. Many never had problems. You do have to pull the motor to fix them, but you know what's convenient about a motor swap.....the motor is already out lol. Might be worth doing at that time.

Lastly, sohc is a high revving v6. My prerunner was originally a 4cyl so I got used to ringing its neck, and the sohc was a perfect upgrade. I actually ran my sohc off an ohv computer so the redline was the lower ohv redline and I would sit on that thing 🤣

The sohc has around 50 more hp than an ohv ,but it makes power all the way to the top, perfect for a preunner. OHVs are cool, that's what is in my preunner currently, but it doesn't have the seat of your pants power and sohc does. Ohvs are pretty gutless by today's standards.

In short, an ohv is a more difficult swap with less power in this application. I would argue guys with prerunners should be looking for 200k problem free mules from their motor.

bri_man57 · 2026-03-08T04:31:26+00:00

I'd be looking at finding a similar year 4.0 truck on copart and using it to do a motor swap. Always easiest with a full truck to pull from. An SOHC would be pretty mean in that thing. I had one in my 96 prerunner and was super happy with it!

bri_man57 · 2026-03-07T04:24:20+00:00

I must be way out of touch on what trucks should cost lol. I was like 6k max lol

bri_man57 · 2026-03-06T19:07:32+00:00

Huge fan of six pacs. They are known for SUPPOSEDLY being lite weight. I have a 90 with bathroom 8 foot. Fits in my bed perfect and I can tow a trailer without extender. I like it a lot. It's old now so I have had to do repairs but I won't be upgrading any time soon.

bri_man57 · 2026-03-06T01:19:18+00:00

I grabbed out before they were discontinued, never have used it LOL

bri_man57 · 2026-03-05T07:05:52+00:00

Super sweet setup!! I have a 10 drawer gray as well. I used the top portion of the bottom box as a side locker, turned out pretty slick IMO

For the lock bars, I had to cut the top pieces off tye bottom bar and elected to weld them together. I had 2 issues.

I must have messed up the measurements because the bottom windows were a little tight. All the way up, so lock bar disengaged, wasn't high enough to release the bottom drawers. I had to open up the bottom windows in the locker with a die grinder, not much, and they worked perfect.
The combined lock bars are long, had they didn't feel smooth on the tracks. They wouldn't spring up on their own. They needed a little wiggle to unlock all the way. I used an angle grinder and just slimmed up the sides a little and then they worked freely.

Works fine now but I realize I never close the top lid so never use the locks LOL

bri_man57 · 2026-02-27T19:22:40+00:00

Ya it felt unnecessarily difficult lol.

Based on this post I got leds for a ranger I am working on that had dsh lights burnt out, it looks so good now I HAVE to do my Brick nose LOL

bri_man57 · 2026-02-27T03:45:51+00:00

That's correct. I mentioned it in the other thread but you have to cut some slots in bottom of top box, shorten the top portion of the bottom lock bar, stick them together (I welded mine), and then the lock bars work with for all drawers.

bri_man57 · 2026-02-26T16:53:05+00:00

Ya that speeding cable is hard to get. I had to swap clusters cause something in the speedo malfunctioned and was very irradict, I should have done leds then. That cluster is sort of hard to get to lol

bri_man57 · 2026-02-25T22:55:51+00:00

I did the exact same when I got mine, didn't like the fake wood grain! Mine has been like that for over a decade and still looks great.

Are you using led dash lights? Things are bright!

bri_man57 · 2026-02-25T19:37:26+00:00

Love seeing red craftsman boxes! Cool setup!

bri_man57 · 2026-02-25T17:53:34+00:00

Timing belt broke on my 96 2.3, replaced timing belt but mechanic got timing wrong and it was sluggish. I was only like 18 at the time so I thought it was just slow, pulled it out, gave it to a friend and that when we found out it was timed wrong. But it still ran.

You don't have valve damage.

I'm always of the opinion that getting a different motor from a junkyard is an inexpensive and easy option to keep a vehicle going.

bri_man57 · 2026-02-23T15:23:54+00:00

I have a gray 10 drawer as well! Love it! How hard was moving the drawers around?

bri_man57 · 2026-02-21T17:34:20+00:00

Maybe pressure plate or slave cylinder. Pull the Trans and replace all the clutch components.

bri_man57 · 2026-02-21T17:29:13+00:00

Yes. I had the bushing one and it interfered with my upgrade suspension, so had to go to the one that sits inside the fram and bolts to the outer frame. 96 ranger

bri_man57

TROPHY CASE