"Where there's a will, there's a way." That's the mantra of all engine swappers, and it's proven true in more cases than not. To those committed enough, anything that's small enough to physically fit between the wheels is fair game -- and even that's optional, if you're creative enough. For that reason alone, the Ranger is a perfectly good candidate for a 351W stroker swap -- nevermind the fact that its brother, the Explorer, came with a Windsor right from Ford. So, it's possible -- but does it make sense? No. And that's why you should do it.
Windsor swaps into older Rangers are a well-traveled road, and simple enough. While a bit tight, an older Ranger's engine bay provides enough room for a 302 Windsor with space to spare. Which, as it turns out, you'll need if you want to install a 351W. The 351W gets its extra displacement purely from a longer stroke, which it comes by entirely through a tall-deck block. And with a 90-degree V-8, that means broader external dimensions; specifically, an extra 3 inches in height and 2-1/4 inches in width. That doesn't sound like much unless you're talking about an engine bay that was designed specifically for a 302 short-deck. Rangers produced in 1998 and later are even more challenged in this regard, since they use the Explorer's wishbone-style front suspension instead of the older and more swap-friendly twin I-beam.
Physically bolting an undressed 351W engine into the truck literally couldn't be simpler, since it's as close to bolt-in as possible. From the bellhousing bolts down, the 351W is largely identical to a 302W, and the Ranger's relationship to the 302W-equipped Explorer means that you could hypothetically swap in a 302W using nothing but factory Explorer parts. And indeed, just getting the engine into your Ranger requires no more than a standard late-model Windsor-Ranger swap kit; these are common enough on the aftermarket. The 351W block bolts to the same transmission bellhousing, and will fit into the Ranger just fine -- until you begin bolting things onto the block and trying to make it all work together. That's where you start running into problems, from the bottom up.
It's not difficult to find a 302W oilpan to fit in the Ranger chassis, over the updated front crossmember and suspension; these are readily available from the aftermarket, and included in many V-8 Ranger swap kits. Unfortunately, the main seal cutout on the 351W is larger than on a 302W, so a 302W swap pan won't bolt onto the 351W. That means you'll need a 351W-specific oilpan to fit the Ranger-Explorer crossmember, and as of 2014, nobody makes one. So that will need to be custom-built. So, too, will your headers, since nobody makes a set that will both fit in the chassis and clear the steering linkage. You can try 302W block-hugger shorty headers and a full-custom exhaust system, but even then you can expect problems with the steering linkage -- which, you guessed it, will probably need to be custom made to get around the exhaust. After getting everything bolted together, you'll need to modify the heater box to clear the valve cover.
If you're OK with using a carburetor and an old three-speed C6 automatic, then you'e golden after you do a bit of denting and cutting in the transmission tunnel to fit it in. You'll probably also need a cowl induction hood to clear the carburetor, which will sit 3 inches higher than it would even on a 302W -- but this is all standard-fare hot-rodder hackery, and certainly nothing anyone capable of installing building and installing a stroker 351W in a Ranger couldn't handle. But if you want a drivetrain that wasn't designed in 1968, you'll want to go with aftermarket fuel injection and an E4OD overdrive. Ford made a throttle-body injection system for the 351W, and a well-built AOD will work behind a 302W. But the Ford injection system won't come close to feeding almost 400 cubic inches, and an AOD will quickly fold behind the stroker's torque. Both the fuel injection and E4OD will need standalone control computers.
If you're serious about putting a big stroker in your Ranger and really using the power, you might want to consider thinking outside the box. Or, rather, outside the engine bay. With the dimensions of the engine, and the length of an E4OD or C6, you can fabricate a mount to almost bolt a fully built independent-rear 8.8-inch differential to the back of the transmisison to create a transaxle. Now, simply drop your new drivetrain in the bed behind the cab, cut the framerails to make it all fit, hide it with a tonneau cover, and Bob's your uncle -- you've got a mid-engined Ranger that will laugh its way around a Ford GT supercar on any racetrack. Or, you could just build a 347 short-deck Windsor stroker for half the cost and bolt right it into your Ranger's engine bay. But that would make sense, and where's the fun in that?
