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!

 

[jd4242]

Nice!!!

 

[willzilla]

Parents visiting so didn't have any time over the weekend to get any work done on the truck. Weather should be decent this week so hopefully can get something accomplished! Lol. I do need to pull my brakes off the SVTf to clean, lube, and replace brake fluid first though. Blah.

 

[willzilla]

Thinking about replacing the discs and rotors on the Xploder while I have the car up on jack stands... While I'm at it I may as well paint the calipers too

On a side note... The super awesome VEPR-12 shotgun is on sale on Classic for only $799... Wish the wife would let me buy!! LOL.

 

[willzilla]

Once again... BUMP FROM THE DEAD!! <<insert evil music or whatever>> Lol.

Finally got off my lazy ass and begun work on my Xploder once again!

I started back on it once again a few months back... Swapped out some AC related stuff... Was going to change out the orifice after replacing the accumulator but for the life of me I could not get the funky dis-connector to separate to get at the damn orifice :-/ I tried 2 different special tools designed for the job and neither could get it to disconnect. UGH!!! Lol.

After messing with that and failing hard I ditched the Xploder once again for a few months up until a few days ago. Heat has been blasting out here in TN so that's been discouraging as well... Not to mention that it has rained/stormed almost every weekend which has kept me stuck indoors!

I decided to start back on putting my upper intake manifold back together and... Damn... It has been so long I've forgotten where everything goes! Haha. Thankfully I could reference some photos I took of it still together and have managed to get most of it back together and looking pretty decent (much better than when I took it all apart).

Question for everything though... My EGR crap has been removed.. I've installed a blocking plate and my TMH's have no provision for EGR so I'm solid on both ends.. Now.. Can I also lose all the other crap??

The crap I am referring to is marked in the following image:

I am assuming that I DO indeed need to maintain the engine vacuum regulator (middle arrow) but I would not think I would need the EGR backpressure transducer (top arrow)??

Another picture of it coming together:

As usual.. Thanks everyone!!!

Non related... I traded off my funky SKS bullpup rifle for a very nice Kimber 1911:

 

[CDW6212R]

You can leave off the DPFE sensor, but I'm not sure what that middle one does.

BTW, I have a ported elbow that I might not need to use. I haven't looked into what TB bracket and cable I'll use for my Mark VII. If I install my 347 with the HO kind of cable and bracket, then I won't use the Explorer elbow. I need to get serious about finding 99-04 Mustang wiring, to convert my car to OBDII. You don't have any reasonable junkyards over there with 99-04 Mustang auto GT's do you?

 

[willzilla]

You can leave off the DPFE sensor, but I'm not sure what that middle one does.

BTW, I have a ported elbow that I might not need to use. I haven't looked into what TB bracket and cable I'll use for my Mark VII. If I install my 347 with the HO kind of cable and bracket, then I won't use the Explorer elbow. I need to get serious about finding 99-04 Mustang wiring, to convert my car to OBDII. You don't have any reasonable junkyards over there with 99-04 Mustang auto GT's do you?

Thanks for the reply!

Which one is the DPFE sensor? Lol. Don't have my shop manual in front of me at the moment (at work, joy joy).

The middle sensor (EGR backpressure transducer, sits on the bracket with 2 bolts, top arrow) I'm thinking "maybe" I don't need... Lol. Checking online.. hard to track down solid info on what is still needed and what can be dumped.

As for elbow.. Are you taking about the piece that the TB attaches too?

Thanks man!

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes, the two vacuum lines from the EGR sensor go to the DPFE, which is a slightly common failure sensor. I'm going to keep the EGR with a blower eventually, so I'll have to address the EGR pipe, to the non stock header etc.

Yes, the TB elbow, I had mine ported to try to match it better to a 75mm TB I bought. It's really not more than 70mm internally given the curves that are tough to measure thickness. I had my intake and the elbow powder coated by Jon long ago, and now it looks like a fabricated intake plenum for a blower will not need the 90* elbow.

Watch the guys here who have built blower trucks, and the newest threads where thye are working to go to bigger blowers, and intercoolers. Those guys are way ahead of me, but they are doing it right, for great driveability.

 

[willzilla]

Awesome!

Yeah... I would of kept the EGR system but Justin before me when he went turbo had clamped all the EGR stuff off (perhaps it was broken and that was his way to not worry about it). When I got my TMH's it was a long long wait to get a traditional set or immediate to get an "off road" set without an EGR provision. I just went with that as my exhaust manifolds were leaking badly and wanted to get the car back on the road.

Thus... I am pretty much set in going without EGR at this point lol.

I will probably hook everything else up (other than the EGR) and whatever happens to have a line that goes nowhere I will just cap it or whatever to be safe.

Do we have a "smog pump" on the Explorer as well?

 

[CDW6212R]

No air pump, just an idler down there. I might try to use an air pump there some day if it's worth the trouble to make vacuum, for the engine(power).

 

[willzilla]

Ahhh ok, I didn't think so... Taking a lot of stuff from the 95 Mustang for doing the electric WP/fan conversion, EGR delete, etc, and some other stuff and seem to see a lot of mentioning of a smog/air pump delete they do... Wanted to me positive I didn't have that to worry about on the Xploder lol.

 

[willzilla]

It has been a long time now... Have been busy with new job, kids, and life... Not to mention being a flat out lazy bum lol.

Got back to work on the Xploder a few days ago for a bit... Was able to finally get the "quick disconnect" off the AC connector thing to replace the line filter... Spent like 3 hours trying to do that a few months ago.. Knocked it out in 15 minutes this time lol.

Tried to test fit the upper IM on the spacer and it wouldn't push back far enough to line up right. Was getting dark so need more time to see what is preventing it from moving into place.. Probably the big thick wires at the firewall :-/

 

[willzilla]

Ahh, found a thread on here... Looks like I need to move down the EGR bracket thing to fit the manifold... Easy enough! I see no mention of using any gasket liquid stuff so I suppose just using the 2 supplied gaskets with the spacer should be good to go?

 

[CDW6212R]

The upper intake gaskets are very good. If they are still very smooth with no gouges etc, they can be reused. But if needed a very thin RTV layer on a rough looking gasket can be done.


I've bought an extra upper intake recently, and they had another 98 302 truck there today. I'm not sure I need much from it, though I've made plans now for my four vehicles. They will all have the same Explorer accessories and brackets, but only one will have an Explorer intake manifold.

I need to find another 96/97 302 to get the engine/trans harness from it, for my Ranchero. I'm going to build a 351 Clevor for that, and use a 97 Explorer PCM to run it.

 

[willzilla]

Ok, awesome. The 1" spacer I bought came with 2 new gaskets (for above and below the spacer) so I will be using those... I didn't think I needed any RTV but wanted to be sure lol.. Now to find my damn longer IM screws that came with the spacer lol.

OOooo nice find... Having spare pieces and parts always come in handy I'm sure!

Sounds like a nice build I'm hopefully to get upper IM back on this weekend and everything connected back together and then figure out all the wiring I need to do for the electric WP and electric fan... FUN lol. Also need to do a ton of work on my wife's e-350 5.4... New coil on packs, new plugs, 4 new front bearings, install a hitch, blah blah blah lol.

 

[willzilla]

Well... I didn't get to do any work on the Xploder over the weekend (shocker I know lol). Was pretty hot outside and wife was under the weather so ended up managing the kids instead for much of the weekend. Was planning to get working on the truck later in the day both Saturday and Sunday when it cooled down some but something came up BOTH days :-/

One of my stupid exterior faucets on the house started to leak AGAIN (and it's never even been used). Spent like $150 last year having the faucet and some of the pipework replaced and BOOM leaking again. Said F it and ripped the pipe/faucet out (couldn't get them disconnected) and smashed the hell out of the pipe and ended up with a copper pipe nub lol. Stuffed some special metal epoxy inside of it on both ends and transformed it into a pipe cap and screwed it into the pipe fitting and no more faucet... No more leak. Lol.

Made a trade on Sunday as well. Traded my AK47 for a Kimber Tactical Entry II 1911 in great shape with just some holster wear (plan on getting it nitride coated inside and out anyways so not a big deal). Pic of my 2 kimbers together (lol):

Hope to finally kick it into gear on the Xploder though THIS WEEK lol

 

[willzilla]

Ugh can't find the bolts that came with my spacer kit!

Anyone with a link to a bolt kit that I can buy that works with the spacer and gt40p?

 

[willzilla]

Emailed trick flow to see if I can buy just the bolts or get the exact measurements so I can just pick them up at a store or order them online I cannot find my stock bolts OR the ones included with the kit lol :-/

 

[CDW6212R]

I'd call Summit(which owns TFS by the way), and ask them if they can help or suggest the best answer.

 

[willzilla]

I'd call Summit(which owns TFS by the way), and ask them if they can help or suggest the best answer.

I tried that initially lol. They then tried to get TFS on the phone and couldn't get in touch with anyone for the few min I was talking to them and thus I just emailed them directly. We shall see! haha.

 

[CDW6212R]

Gotcha, the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. I hope they help you with the bolts.