hello there. My name is nathan. I am looking to put a 5.0 in my ranger, and I have a few questions. First off if anybody has done it-Where is a good place to look for motors(I'm looking for low mileage or maybe new for a good price, or a good old motor for cheap I can rebuild) and transmission(preferably new and what would be the best one-automatic), what are the best ones to get for my year(like what year motor and out of what kind of vehicle explorer, mustang, etc.) as far as for compatibility and performance. Also what all other small things are a good idea to replace. Such as beefing up front suspension, what all electronics i need, and whether or not to replace the rear end. Ok i think that is it, alot of questions sorry, but I dont know anythig yet. Thanks.

You should go to RPS and do a search in the V8 forum. All the info you need is there.
But, here are some basic answers.
The explorer engine is the best choice as far as fit is concerned.
No, you won't have to swap the rear (you already have an 8.8)
You don't have to beef up the front suspension, but heavier springs won't hurt.
If you can find an Exploder (not that difficult to find), you'd be well served to swap the entire harness. You can't use any of the 4.0 electronics.
I'm drawing a blank on the auto tranny right now (something like 4L100W, or 4R100W comes to mind).
Don't forget some sort of traction device, you'll want that.
Anyway, try RangerPowerSports.com. Please, use the search engine, though. If not you WILL get razzed.