2000 AWD Xploder from Turbo back to NA

After getting an estimate on how much it would run me to fix up my Xploder with all new exhaust, cold side piping, and a bunch of other stuff done up the "right" way... I've decided to convert my Xploder back to NA form so that I can actually ENJOY the truck before I die of old age.

Anyways... To start it off I ordered up a MAC cold air intake (I do not have the stock intake) and sold my FMS headers on ebay.

I plan on buying a set of torque monster headers in the next week or so but am still up in the air on how I should run my exhaust from a performance "speed" perspective. I do not plan on doing much, if any, off road driving, so am looking for a setup that improves take off and speed for spirited pavement driving that sounds good.

I already have the spare tire removed (and will be keeping it off, I have free towing anyways lol)... What would an optimal setup be with the above in mind and no worry of a spare tire being in the way? True duals (straight pipe off of each header, thru separate mufflers, and out the sides), or a dual exhaust both going into a 2 in 2 out "H" pipe style muffler and then out the sides? Or something else? In all cases I won't be running any cats.

I also plan to re-tune my car since currently it is tuned for the turbo setup which obviously will no longer apply once I rip everything out.

Thank you for any input!

 

[willzilla]

Ok, thank you for the info. Couldn't find any info in the shop manual on the procedure.

So.. Leave the bolt screwed in and just "pry" the fitting up and out from the engine and big nut?

Thanks!

 

[CDW6212R]

I think so, I think it's like the fuel injectors, a good seal with a simple bracket and bolts to hold it down.

 

[willzilla]

I think so, I think it's like the fuel injectors, a good seal with a simple bracket and bolts to hold it down.

Thank you! I'll try that tomorrow after work... And re-tighten the bolt back in place as I loosened it a bit before deciding to think a bit on it lol.

 

[willzilla]

Got some work done today.

I ended up prying off the inlet tubes which of course snapped where it connected into the big bolt piece.





I then was able to get a ratchet on the bolt (it's a 1") and was able to remove it pretty easily at that point and then punched out the tip that was still stuck within the bolt. I then cleaned the bolt up and re-installed it into the engine.





Once installed I then installed the new inlet tube and also cut one of the 2 hoses that had went from the intake to one of the old intake tube nipples and then yanked the second hose completely off from the inlet and then U'd the one hose into the other hoses old inlet spot so the one hose goes from the intake back to the intake to keep it blocked off.



Re-connected and re-install everything and pulled vac on the coolant system and... not holding. A leak somewhere, ugh. Seems the waterpump bolts loosened again or something. Started to rain and get dark and had to take kids out for Halloween so will delve into it further tomorrow.

Once potential issue is the waterpump bottom outlet port I "believe" is 1 1/2" but the radiator hose is 1-1/2" to 1-3/4" with the 1-1/2" plugged into the 1-1/2" radiator port and the 1-3/4" is on the 1-1/2" waterpump port which I had used some red gasket stuff and torqued crap out of the screw clamp but that is probably not a great solution (though I couldn't hear any leaking air from that area).

May try to replace hose with a 1-1/2" to 1-1/2" flex hose or something.

 

[CDW6212R]

That looks good, and those are great pictures. For the possible leak, check the outlet/nipples of the water pump. If they are a casting, sometimes the edge isn't smooth and the hose there won't weal it completely.

I had that happen with my 99, a NAPA WP had a poor inlet side casting, and it leaked a lot at that hose connection. I had to grind down that surface, with it in the truck, my SOHC engine.

 

[willzilla]

The outlets look good on the pump... it's the Meziere electric pump and still looks new. Pulled lower radiator hose and ordered new flex one to replace. Hopefully it fits right. Should arrive tomorrow.

In the meantime I've been trying to find replacement headlight bulb retainer clip/collars (the piece that you use to lock in the headlight bulbs). Any chance anyone knows of the part number or where I can find them? I've found a few that looks right but when I enter my truck info in it says they won't fit :-/

I'd like to order 2 and then try to saw them in half and then epoxy them back into place around the bi-xenon bulbs to lock the bulbs in place. The backside of the bulbs (the housing) is to large to fit the retainer/collar over and around it to lock them bulbs into place so I'm thinking this may be a viable option lol.

 

[willzilla]

Some progress. Couldn't get the flex hose onto the Meziere... Outlet is supposed to be 1-3/4 but seems a bit smaller than that but still to big to fit the 1-1/2 flex that I picked up. I'd be able to get it on if I had more room to work in and hadn't alrdy sliced my arms and hands to hell so I put on the original radiator hose (though, it's not old as I had replaced it when I installed the pump) and was able to get it tightened down on there and it seems good.

Did some vac tests and ended up tightening down the waterpump bolts some more and got to a point where it still lost a bit of vacuum but it seems a tiny bit and I just couldn't tighten anything any further. The replacement tubes seem to be working without an issue, no leaks. Re-filled the coolant system and ran the truck to warm up and saw no leaks, ran it around the block a few times and temps looked good and still no leaks. Guess I will know more tomorrow as sometimes leak pops up the next day or so after a heat cycle.

The lower radiator fan no longer seems to be rubbing a bit within it's own fan channel after I used a zip-tie to pull it away a bit.

My tensioner pulley began to sound like a bottle of rocks though, ugh. This is the left one that you torque to get the belt on and not the middle one that I just replaced. No idea why these things seem to be dying on me. Ordering a replacement.

 

[willzilla]

Looking around for the correct oil sender/switch to fix my bouncing oil gauge but not sure which one to get? Rockauto lists 3 different Motorcraft parts for this... Which one is correct?? Lol.

2000 FORD EXPLORER 5.0L V8 Oil Pressure Sender / Switch | RockAuto

Thanks!!

 

[CDW6212R]

Interesting pricing, the $3 choice is definitely not it. I paid better than $20 for the two I've gotten. I knew the old ones were very large, which were variable pressure sensors. I'd guess the $24 one is right, but I'd call the parts department to be sure.

 

[willzilla]

Thanks for the info. I'll delve into it soon and hopefully get the right one lol.

Now, of course, I am having another "issue" pop up.

When I first start the truck up and turn the heat on I hear some clicking sound like seems to be coming from behind the passenger glove box. After a few minutes the sound seems to go away. It also goes away when I turn the heat off and comes back when I turn it on. After about 5 minutes the sound goes away and stays away with heat on or off.

Googling around it seems perhaps the air temp door actuator is acting up... Hmm?

 

[CDW6212R]

Yeah, watch where the air comes out and the temperature, compared to what the settings are. If they don't match always, then it may be the blend door we hear about so much. I've got one of my three with an issue with that, I'm fairly sure it's broken inside.

 

[willzilla]

I'm keeping an eye on it and may just replace it as it seems to match the symptoms of noise of that part (and is cheap and simple swap).

Does anyone happen to know the correct part number for the headlamp bulb retainer (the plastic piece that holds the headlight bulb in place in the headlight assembly) ?

This "looks" like the correct part: https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-HELP-42415-Headlamp-Retainer/dp/B000COB65M

But Amazon says part does not fit my vehicle. Looking at photo of my old retainers they look almost identical...

Want to pick up 2 replacements that I can cut in half and then epoxy back in place around a set of bi-xenon bulbs to see if I can lock them in place (the ring is to small to fit around the backside of the bi-xenon bulb movement mechanism so I am unable to slide them over the back and into place).

I did a vehicle check fit and it says it DOES fit the 2000 ford ranger and excursion. Not sure if these are different between vehicles?

 

[CDW6212R]

I'd buy them if it's cheap, or else get them from a JY close by.

 

[willzilla]

I'd buy them if it's cheap, or else get them from a JY close by.

I ended up ordering 2 of them as they were cheap.

The bi-xenon bulbs have a big back section on the bulb that moves the bulb position based on if you enable your brights or not. This mechanism prevents the bulb lock collar from sliding over the backside to lock the bulb in place. If these 2 lock collars I just ordered work my plan is to then cut them in half and then epoxy them below the bulb mechanism back together (but not epoxied to the bulb itself) and then I should be able to lock the bi-xenon bulbs into place and get some degree of low and hi beams. FrankenHIDs.

I would like an entire new headlight housing unit with lenses FOR HIDs but the ones I could find all were dual bulb and not single like the stock setup which would require me to re-wire everything and get new bulbs/kit/etc and just not what I plan to do.

Just ordered another fog light bulb (one of mine burned out), a new driver side window mechanism (motor and the entire setup) to hopefully fix my super sluggish window up/down which has been ongoing for a good 6 years, lol. Wanted to replace it before I got round 2 of what happened with my SVT Focus where the window mechanism broke and dropped my window into the door completely. Lol.

Also ordered a new oil sender unit and air temp door actuator.

Found a case of AMSOIL oil and an oil filter so probably will change the oil soon and change the oil sender at that time. Also would like to replace my transmission fluid and see if that cleans up the shifting.

 

[willzilla]

The bulb lock collars that I had ordered... WORK

Some comparison shots...





The bi-xenon bulbs look like...

The big back piece that houses the mechanism that moves the bulb forward and back is to large to fit the lock collar around it so I hacked the 2 new ones that I had received in half, thinned the bottom of half of them where the wire connector hump is, and then hot glued the pieces back together around the bulb (but not to the bulb) so that it cleared the back piece and I could lock them into place, which seemed to have worked fine and I could lock both bulbs into place.

Not very pretty...



I also replaced the belt tensioner and was NOT successful with that project... Replacing the tensioner went fine BUT... the car makes the same sound and the sound is coming from the new tensioner as well (used a stethoscope to verify noise location)... lol.. Wtf???

 

[CDW6212R]

Congrats on the bulb collars. The engine noise is probably something you yet haven't checked, enough.

I had a whine recently that I thought was the PS pump, would have sworn to it. I replaced the PS fluid with no expected change, and then the pump since I had a NOS spare. That didn't fix it, so I started spinning the pulleys etc, which were all new last Fall. I listened to it from underneath, and then guessed at the bottom idler pulley. I swapped the used one from y Mercury, a part maybe ten years old. That fixed it, and the "bad" one feels good in hand. You never know, just keep going.

 

[willzilla]

Congrats on the bulb collars. The engine noise is probably something you yet haven't checked, enough.

I had a whine recently that I thought was the PS pump, would have sworn to it. I replaced the PS fluid with no expected change, and then the pump since I had a NOS spare. That didn't fix it, so I started spinning the pulleys etc, which were all new last Fall. I listened to it from underneath, and then guessed at the bottom idler pulley. I swapped the used one from y Mercury, a part maybe ten years old. That fixed it, and the "bad" one feels good in hand. You never know, just keep going.

Yeah.. I'll keep messing with it... Though the scope really picks up sound and it seems like it obviously coming from the tensioner and nowhere else lol.

The bi-xenon bulbs seems good... light output is crazy and it's cool I have highs and lows again lol... though, to be honest, the highs and lows with the bi-xenon in the factory housing are not much difference and seem to just toss the light out in slightly different directions. Lol.

I still need to get back to troubleshooting my dang SVT focus soon and get that thing running... First I'll replace my driver side window (it's about to totally die on me it feels like) and do an oil change and oil sender replacement.

 

[CDW6212R]

I've had decent luck with various tensioner brands. I had one bad one I put on my 99 when I bought it, and the next new one has been fine. But I try to use Ford OEM for those, reading others say they have lots of bad luck. I bought Ford tensioners for my two SUV 302's, they've been good, about $55 or so I think.

 

[willzilla]

I've had decent luck with various tensioner brands. I had one bad one I put on my 99 when I bought it, and the next new one has been fine. But I try to use Ford OEM for those, reading others say they have lots of bad luck. I bought Ford tensioners for my two SUV 302's, they've been good, about $55 or so I think.

Hopefully it's not a bad replacement. It's a Gates. Had good reviews. Will probably swap the belt and other idler pulley and then see again, maybe sitting so long just froze some stuff up a bit in the loop.

 

[willzilla]

Haven't seen any obvious coolant leaks... yet.

Have noticed some minor shuddering when shifting around 40 mph and 50mph under slow acceleration, no shudder if I'm accelerating rapidly... Perhaps transmission due for a flush, new filter, clean magnet, and some fresh fluid.. or sign of something worse?

Also have some clunking in the front end over bumps.. Can almost feel it under my feet. Maybe need to re-tighten up all the bolts and such. Also read something about perhaps transmission mount potentially coming a bit lose or wearing out...