I am really interested in the 96-99 5.0L equiped Explorers and Mountainneers. I was wonder if there are alot of mods like exhaust and chips out there for them. Also wanted to know about suspention mods. One big thing I wanted to know was fuel mileage. I was looking to find something that said the average mileage for one of these, but I haven't. So If you know, or did it out once your self, let me know. Tell me the best mileage you got also! :D

Ive got a 98' Mountaineer 5.0L w/ AWD, as for mods you can do dual exhaust, chip, intake, they are making headers now also. From there you can get into the engine more doing the cam and such. Or go for a 347 stroker kit :)

Not sure on suspension, for lowering you can loosen the torsion bars and use a block to lower the rear, upgraded swaybars are available, they make some shocks that are specific to lowered explorers. Check out www.explorerexpress.com they have some cool stuff.

As for gas milage, w/ over 100k on mine and the AWD I average about 13 - 14 mostly in town w/ some highway. Keeping in mind Ive got a lead foot. I think theirs some guys on here getting up around 19 highway, I pretty much stay around 13.4 or so. Hoping when I get an intake put on I can jump that up to 14 or so for an average.


I had 2 1st gen 4.0L Explorers which werent bad, but I love my V8 even if the gas milage isn't the greatest.

-Matt

Or just get a supercharger. I've heard that work really well on the 5.0's ;)

If your concerned about milage get a SHOC. Not much slower than V8. Can run in 2wd mode. Will respond to chip, intake & exhaust mods also. Suspensions about the same.

Yeah forgot to mention the supercharger :) and the SOHC actually has a lower mod potential than the 5.0 but yeah better gas milage. Never had one myself so I cant comment on how quick they are.

I have a XLT V8 AWD and run about 13.5 average. My last hwy trip got me 18.7 mpg.

This has been a great vehicle. 78k and still strong. Great mod potential. How much money do you want to spend... as the saying goes.

Normally I am in the 13 to 14 mpg range. My best was 15.05. Before I opened my airbox I was 12 to 13 mpg.

i get 19 mpg in my 5.0 with mods averaging about 82mph on a 150 mile trip. I drive every week from va beach to fredericksburg. If i keep the speed around 65 or 70 I average about 23 mpg

I get about 15mpg. You might get better without AWD.

Suspensions on Explorers are the same. Lower, lift, you can do 2 inches either way realitivly cheap.

'99 5.0 2WD- I get 12 pulling the boat, 17 back and forth to work, 20 on the highway.

'99 5.0 2WD- I get 12 pulling the boat, 17 back and forth to work, 20 on the highway.

that milage that everybody is talking about it what I am getting with my 4.0 sohc......I think that the 4.0 sohc is a little weak for a 4 wheel drive and the weight of the ex......and I like to take long highway trips which are better on a eight banger than it is on a six........they are both great engines I wish when I bought my last one that I had gotten a 5.0 AWD though...my questions are: if you can fit a 5.0 302 in the EX, why not a 351 cleveland??.and why not a 5.0 auto/4hi/4 low..???

My 98 AWD has 133k, and I get from 16 to 18 MPG all around. Its hard to get 20MPG on the highway. Any inclines kills the mileage, and towing brings around 12MPG. Only tow out of overdrive.

The 302 is tight with already not enough header room. The Cleveland has an inch taller deck, which amounts to about an inch wider block. Add the extra size of Cleveland heads, and no way. About the same for a Windsor.

The bolt pattern and spline count of the two transfer cases are different. I would like to have AWD behind my V6 trans. Night,
Don

I get between 10 - 13 MPG, the latter being on highway. Seeing the other mileage posts here it would seem on the low end but I'm not alone. The mileage on this truck is abysmal. I've tried everything to increase it but nothing seems to help. :(

Other than that it is a pretty good truck with the standard Ford problems.

'99 5.0 2WD- I get 12 pulling the boat, 17 back and forth to work, 20 on the highway.


How did you get 2WD? I was under the impression that all 5.0s are AWD? It would be nice to be able to run in 2WD when it is not needed. I know there is a mod for the 4WD models but I have not read about one for the AWD.

How did you get 2WD? I was under the impression that all 5.0s are AWD?
5.0 Explorers were available as AWD or 2WD. There is no way to convert your AWD to be selectable.

<--- mine is 2WD

edit: I shouldn't say that there is no way, there is always a way.

5.0 Explorers were available as AWD or 2WD. There is no way to convert your AWD to be selectable.

<--- mine is 2WD

edit: I shouldn't say that there is no way, there is always a way.

Really? I've never heard of a 2WD 5.0. Was that only for certian years? I purposly got an AWD because I was sick of my old Durango spinning out in the rain (I let the sales man talk me out of LSD). Now that I am no longer incorporated and paying for gas out of my pocket I wish I got a selectable model. I also got the 5.0 because of the good reviews of the engine and transmission.

I get about 12 MPG in the city, on a good day :rolleyes:

I never pay attention to the highway cuz I don't ever drive long enough.

i've never checked my 5.0 2000 x in the city ... 65-80mph 20mpg average highway, before i supercharged it ... now i am getting about 16 ... x did come in 2wd, but get on the gas in the rain and it's going to fishtail .... lowering it adding shocks and rear swaybar will improve the handling more than you think .... i went to an open track today and the fast and ferious had a hard time passing the x ....i did have victor racers on it .... the few cars i did pass were a winged honda s2000, crossfire, and a few civics ....

Really? I've never heard of a 2WD 5.0. Was that only for certian years? I purposly got an AWD because I was sick of my old Durango spinning out in the rain (I let the sales man talk me out of LSD). Now that I am no longer incorporated and paying for gas out of my pocket I wish I got a selectable model. I also got the 5.0 because of the good reviews of the engine and transmission.

When the 5.0 was introduced it only came in 2WD for the first few months.

....i did have victor racers on it .... the few cars i did pass were a winged honda s2000, crossfire, and a few civics ....

Funny. My dad has a 2002 S2000 and is a VERY good driver on a stick, I can BARELY keep up with him in my S/C explorer. It's not a slow car with a competent driver behind the wheel.

Mid 14 second SUV. How many people can say that?

I guess that would depend on how far you plan on going in that 14 seconds. If it is across the intersection I'm with ya. :D

Thanks for all the replys guys! I would really like to get a 5.0L Explorer. I have a 5.0L Mustang thats worked out. I really like the idea of awd. I know if you open up the exhuast and the intake you can get some more mileage out of them. Better than stock, which ever fuel mileage was a stock reading. I know the exhaust manifolds suck. I am a Ford technition, and have changed a few cracked manifolds and the port size is so small. Here me out a sec. If I got one of these 5.0s, the first thing would be exhaust. In the Ford Motorsport catalog they have headers for them, so I would go with those. I'd leave the cat mid pipes well along. I would make so custom cat back for it. With my mufflers of choice (spin techs). I would definatly put some kind of cold air intake on it. A custom chip or tuner would be next inline. I would also want to do some work on the heads. Port polish, little valve job, new springs and that it. Then I would want to see what mileage I could get. If I could adverage 15+ city and 20+ highway I would definatly do it. With my mustang, it started my love for the little 302. I really like these 5.0L Mountineers and Explorers!

Are they making the FMS headers again for the 5.0 explorers??? I thought they were done.

They are done with the FMS ones, but there are new ones out called "Torque Monsters". Do a search and see what you come up with.

midnitemadness, check out the two tone Mountaineers in your search. They are a higher end option like the Limited and Eddie Bauer. It doesn't mean that they have all of the options, but most people that ordered the two tone colors also ordered most other options. You can get every option except the memory seat(Limited), and I have that on my 98 Mountaineer. Good luck,
Don :thumbsup:

midnitemadness, check out the two tone Mountaineers in your search. They are a higher end option like the Limited and Eddie Bauer. It doesn't mean that they have all of the options, but most people that ordered the two tone colors also ordered most other options. You can get every option except the memory seat(Limited), and I have that on my 98 Mountaineer. Good luck,
Don :thumbsup:

Thanks! Yeah I like the Explorers but I really like the look of the Mountineer. The grill and the rims. All of the options too. Also I screwed up. The FMS header were in an 01 catalog sorry. I'll look up those torque ones. One thing i thought that was messed. I did a Kelly blue book price for the Mountaineer and the Explorer. Both 98s with same options and a random 75k miles. The explorer was more money than the Mountaineer. Kinda messed up. Kinda think of the Mercury of a little higher end than the Ford but in essance the same vehcile. So two tone Montaineers :D

Make sure you are sitting down when you see the price of the Torque Monster headers. They appear to be very well designed, but there evidently is only room for 1.5" primaries. I'd much rather have 1.625" primaries.

I paid $8500 for my Mountaineer two years ago, through Ebay, with 98K miles. Consider buying a grille from a 2001 Mountaineer that is painted. It will bolt into a 99 or later model, and the 2002+ emblem will bolt into them. Good luck,
Don :thumbsup: