supercharged 5.0 true fire 98 explorer sport

hi everyone, my name is tim . i live in selkirk, manitoba, canada and as if this date that i am posting this, i am 36 years old.

i bought my sport in jan 05 from a local ford dealer. it had 111,000KM's on it. this is the second sport i have owned. it was sitting on the lot for about 8 months before i came along. i am the third owner (i was able to track down the person that traded it in, and they got it from a friend, who bought it new in 98).

i started to do a few things to it after i first got it, then i found this site, and all hell broke lose! i've never been satisfied with something the everyone else has, so i started to tinker with it even more.

mods include

interior

installed factory tilt, cruise, overhead console, auto dimming mirror, full length console, with a message center (it didn't have these from factory).

white face with blue flames indigo gauge covers (they light up blue)
blue l.e.d. everything
white l.e.d. interior lights
Kenwood DDX392 Touch Screen Head Unit
alpine 4 channel amp (all four speakers)
boston acoustic front and rear speakers
alpine mono amp (for sub)
2 12 inch jl audio subs
rockford fosgate cap
passenger side one touch window down mod.
custom transfer case shifter
tripple a pillar gauge pod, housing autometer boost, Innovate LC-1 wideband, and oil pressure gauge
12v power inverter with 120v plug in a 2 usb plugs built into the center console

exterior

BMW E46 projectors, mounted into stock housings using clear lens
6000K HID head lights
angel eye "driving" lights, with 8000k h.i.d.'s
clear parking/corner lights
billet grill (powder coated by Turdle)
blacked out ford emblems
custom front steel 95-98 bumper, with 4 inch round tubes welded in for driving lights
shaved radio antenna
shaved roof rack
black euro tall lights
l.e.d. license plate lights
smoked out 3rd break light
lund rear tailgate spoiler/wing (formally from the truck "blackjack" owned by EF member Spas)
hand made roll pan (made from 3 1/2 rear bumpers, with 1/4 inch diamond plate on the top, and it is removable)
aluminum T/A differential griddle/cover (powder coated by Turdle)
Motegi Mr107 20' rims
goodyear wrangler hp p245/50 r20
1 1/4 wheel spacer in the rear, 3/8 in front
and most noticeable, black with blue pearl paint, and blue true fire (ground effects are black with blue pearl as well)

Suspension

2 inch lowering blocks in the rear, reverse TT in the front (2 inch as well)
Explorer Express rear sway bar
4 door leaf springs
rancho rs9000 adjustable rear shocks
03-05 sport trac spindles with drilled and slotted rotors

performance

5L swap
347 stroker
TFS twisted wedge alum heads
comp gold 1.6 rockers
comp cams CCA-35-556-8 nitro cam
heavily modified edelbrock victor jr air gap intake (which serves as a valley pan now)
eaton m122 supercharger (metco 2.70 pulley, and ASP 8 rib 7 1/4 crank pulley) with custom made mount with bell intercooler core
8 rib serpentine belt conversion using pulleys from a 7.3 powerstroke
custom made 3 1/2 inch throttle body elbow
accufab 75mm throttle body
4 inch intake pipe
PMASS MH90 90mm Universal 3000 KG/HR MAF
amsoil cone filter
F.A.S.T. 60lb injectors
edelbrock fuel rails, trick flow specialties fuel pressure regulator with summit racing fuel pressure gauge
walbro 255lph fuel pump
1/2 inch steel braided fuel pressure line from tank to rail using 8AN fittings
torque monster headers
2 1/2 duel pipes with flowpro duel in and out 2 1/2 single muffler
accel extreme 9000 ceramic 45 degree plug wires with boot protectors
4R70W w/2600 stall with J mod
tuff stuff 200a alternator
tuning made possible with sct pro-racer package, and tuned with major help from member [MENTION=102869]Dono[/MENTION] and [MENTION=81804]4pointslow[/MENTION]
flex a lite duel 12 inch electric fans
big 3 upgrade (4 gauge wires)
meziere innercooler water pump
2 froozenboost innercooler rads

Transfer case

4406 manual shift from a 97 F150
modified stock trans cross member to accept 93 mustang 5L polyurethane tans mount
double cardan rear drive shaft

because of all the "fun" i had doing the bodywork, and some other things to my truck, i have nick named it "evil dora" or if you like, just plane "evil"!
and now the thank yous

my buddy gord leiss, who let this thing sit in his garage for 3 months while i did the body work to it. he also gave me a hand with some of the prep work, and painted it for me

kevin willson for doing the true fire http://affordableairbrushing.ca/

Joe Bukoski for letting me do the 5L/4406 swap in his garage

now people from this site, weather they knew it or not, they helped

BIG THANKS to tara a.k.a. explorersport77 for pictures of her truck. wouldn't been able to build the roll pan with out them!

ExplorerSport77's X "Hotness"

jon a.k.a. Turdle for selling me some real swanky rear shackles, as well as powder coating the diff cover and sending them up to canada. as well as much needed info on v8, and 4406 swaps as well as doing the grill and showing me how its done.

don aka dono for the help with the tuning, and wideband, as well as the supercharger

andy aka ahodges for some parts, and any help i needed for all the go faster goodies

5.0 swap - w/ 4406

jad2411 for finding me a link for my hidden antenna

ryan a.k.a. MustangP51 for doing his write up on making l.e.d.'s for interior lights, and how to make projectors

P51's HID Headlight (Projector) and Fog Conversion (PICS)

and N3ELZ cardomain page for L.E.D. switch and cruise pod mods

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/2002-ford-ranger-regular-cab/page-6
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/2002-ford-ranger-regular-cab/page-12
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/2002-ford-ranger-regular-cab/page-23

bob a.k.a. rwenzing for showing me speedhut's sit for the gauges

Gauges, Custom Gauges, Tachometers, Speedometers, Shift Light, Pod

Buzz4x4 for his write up on blacking out ford emblems

How to Make Your Own Custom Ford Emblems

the late aldive for his write up on one touch down passengers window mod

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=141027&highlight=touch+passengers+window+mod

BIG COUNTRY, for his write up on how to install a auto dimming mirror

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84968

BIG COUNTRY, 98formulaLS1, and Ryon40 for there write ups on how to install a message center

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225017&highlight=BIG+COUNTRY
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80670&highlight=message+center
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245085&highlight=Ryon40

MountaineerGreen for his 4406 swap write up and "Custom" Driveshaft for a 4406 and 4" Superlift on the Cheap " (even tho its lowered

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166726&highlight=awd+4x4+swap
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185232

Simon, aka blueka for his "pickle" thread, and help anytime i picked the phone up the phone on the 5L swap

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=271813

Jon, aka 4pointslow for any MAJOR technical advice i have needed

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219092

i wish i could find who did the write up on the overhead console install, but here is the link

http://www.explorer4x4.com/overhead.htm

Russ aka NICE59FORDF100 for his help on the wiring, and what to watch out for electronically.

hopefully one day, i will be able to help people on here just as much as the people that i have mentioned above!

plus you know you have done something right when.....

your truck (as well as corkey) wins truck of the month

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=296023

is the feature truck on the fun hump day radio show (starts roughly around the 30 min mark)

http://explorerforum.podbean.com/2011/03/23/19-vroom-zoomboom/

and you drive 26 hours ONE WAY to the carlisle all ford nationals in june 2010 and 2011, and grab second place in the s.u.v. all category!

then in 2014 you go back to the same show you have been to 5 years in a row (nothing by most, but its one hell of a long drive) and take first!

 

[vroomzoomboom]

What ????!!!!!?????

lol. i would be finding a old 4 bbl intake and chopping the top off if it and making and welding a box onto it for a cooler. that way everything would sit low. that and i would be able to angle the injectors upwards for more clearance to fit the cooler as well. just have to find a intake for cheep, that way if i screw it up its no loss. dono posted a link if i am a few pages back. that or he emailed me it and i book marked it

 

[4pointslow]

I thought you were going to say you were going carbureted, I would have had a hard accepting that.
I used to like carbs but fuel injection with it's ability to make adjustments, has taken first place in my mind.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

I thought you were going to say you were going carbureted, I would have had a hard accepting that.
I used to like carbs but fuel injection with it's ability to make adjustments, has taken first place in my mind.

i have kinda gotten use to having to pay twice at much for parts, and also the comfort of banging your head against the wall trying to tune. why would i want to walk away from that?!?!

so the getto hood went on today.

once again i am calling it a successful fail. this one wont be going back on ever. didnt like the slop of the side while sitting inside the truck to start. as well as it looks like i screwed up on my measuring someplace because one side almost looks higher then the other. also sure my under hood temps went way down, hell, you could feel the hot air coming out of it, but if i am at a stand still the temp rose from around 186 to 210 in about a minute and 20 seconds. so back to the drawing board.

 

[4pointslow]

Hit that with some black primer, I bet it would look awesome!

Could you try a lower thermostat?
When did it start running hot? What temp does it usually run?

 

[vroomzoomboom]

i put a 180 in, i think a 190 is stock (and i just put one in last week, figured the one i had in it was sticking). i dont remember it running that hot last summer, it almost seems like it started doing it this year. that and if it sits in gear idling for a few mins, i can also smell what smells like melting plastic and sometimes i have even seen smoke! i know that never happen last year.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

also, i was just talking to @joshuaj0214 on the phone. he was kinda bugging me to keep that hood. i did find another hood at work that i might try and grab to start over with so i am not going to say a cowl hood is totally dead. just this particular one is.

 

[ahodges]

Make 2 while you are at it...

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Make 2 while you are at it...

HA! josh already told me if i knew the shipping wouldnt kill him, he would tell me to box that hood up and send it down lol

 

[CDW6212R]

Greyhound had reasonable shipping between their bus depots. I've had them ship a hood and two fenders, and one front bumper another time. I think they ran from about $40 to $70 each.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Greyhound had reasonable shipping between their bus depots. I've had them ship a hood and two fenders, and one front bumper another time. I think they ran from about $40 to $70 each.

and that was from the us to canada?

 

[CDW6212R]

and that was from the us to canada?

Sorry, crap, I forgot all about the border. Mine were from California and NY area to TN. I don't even know if Greyhound crosses the border much or at all.

 

[Turdle]

Tim. How old is the radiator and is it a 2 row?

Have you done the basics, like remove the rad, turn it upside down and flush?

Is it remotely possible something got down between the radiator and ac condenser blocking air flow?

 

[vroomzoomboom]

The rad, I'm not sure how old. I will prob say it's from 98 (from the donor truck when I did the 5L swap). It is a 3 row. I did have the rad out 2 weeks ago to fix a broken wire for the fans, so I know there isn't between the rad and ac. I didn't turn it upside down, but I had it laying flat, and when I put it back in I accidentally turned it so all the remaining anitreeze and trains fluid poured all over my good shoes....lovely. I did however by a new water pump yesterday and started taking it apart last night. There is a small amount of play on the shaft and it also was the pump that came off the stroker motor. I don't know if brad put a new one on or not when he put the motor in his truck so it is possible that it would now have 350,000kms on it

 

[Dono]

geez we fight with our old trucks.
Just keeping them running is more than a full time job. Then add the added misery of all the modifying.

 

[jd4242]

The rad, I'm not sure how old. I will prob say it's from 98 (from the donor truck when I did the 5L swap). It is a 3 row. I did have the rad out 2 weeks ago to fix a broken wire for the fans, so I know there isn't between the rad and ac. I didn't turn it upside down, but I had it laying flat, and when I put it back in I accidentally turned it so all the remaining anitreeze and trains fluid poured all over my good shoes....lovely. I did however by a new water pump yesterday and started taking it apart last night. There is a small amount of play on the shaft and it also was the pump that came off the stroker motor. I don't know if brad put a new one on or not when he put the motor in his truck so it is possible that it would now have 350,000kms on it

Did i hear electric water pump??? COUGH COUGH

 

[jd4242]

geez we fight with our old trucks.
Just keeping them running is more than a full time job. Then add the added misery of all the modifying.

I was starting to think you was unlucky after that struggle you had and your bad luck rubbed off on us..... BUT i think currently you have the best running truck out of us all!! LOL

 

[Dono]

Did i hear electric water pump??? COUGH COUGH

come on Tim....Lets see it!

Willzilla is the only guy I know of that was doing an electric water pump. I'm not sure if he ever managed to make it work.

Yea, my truck seems to be doing ok. I finally have the boost controller set in the proper range. I'm set at about 9 lbs boost now. Driving daily. So far, so good.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Did i hear electric water pump??? COUGH COUGH

come on Tim....Lets see it!

Willzilla is the only guy I know of that was doing an electric water pump. I'm not sure if he ever managed to make it work.

https://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/mez-wp374s

at that price, not a chance in hell

 

[ahodges]

Nice and slim! Looks nice

 

[vroomzoomboom]

looks like the pump was the problem. let it idle for about 5 mins, and the temp was below haft. mind you, the last time i did it i had it in gear (and i just remembered that as i started typing) however when i went for a drive around tonight the temp was below the haft mark as well.
i do have another question if anyone can answer. i need one hose. the one i have is working, but i had to cut some of it off because i had a small pinhole in it in the spring and cant find a part number.

it goes from the hard heater line

to the water pump

i had some, but i have no idea where they went