Foxracin's 1991 Exploder | Page 23 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Foxracin's 1991 Exploder

Real Name: Trevor
Year : 1991
Model: Explorer
State: North Carolina
City: Mount Holly



Just picked up this Exploder last week. Its not in the best of shape but overall its decent. The motor runs great and the body has very few dents and dings.

When I got it the trans was out like every other a4ld. I am a 5 speed guy myself and was planning to convert to 5 speed anyway.

First thing and did is check the fluid in the trans. Nice and red, full, and doesnt smell burnt. Pulled one of the lines at the radiator and fired it up and no fliud. Nothing at all. Pulled the pressure plug in the side of the trans and fired it up to make sure the lines were not stopped up somewhere and still nothing so I knew something wasnt right with the pump.

Got it home and put it on some jack stands and started tearing out the trans.
explorer2.jpg

explorer.jpg


Got the trans out and pulled the torque converter out and found some scaring on the snout. Thats not supposed to be like that. lol
broketrans3.jpg


Pulled the bellhousing off then the pump from the bellhousing and theres the problem. One of the pump gears cracked and spread the teeth apart and locked up and spun on the torque converter.
broketrans.jpg

broketrans2.jpg


Oh well time to throw it in the scrap pile. Dont want to spend the money on it again not even know if the rest of the trans is good and for it to just break again. I figured I could swap in a 5 speed for not much more then fixing the a4ld.

Figured I would mess with the inside a little while I try to find a trans.

Put in a Sony headunit. Ran new speaker wires and used the internal amp after 2 stock amps were not right. Soldered all the connections and ran new speaker wire and its good as new.
explorer7.jpg


Put it in a Midland CB I had laying around.
explorer6.jpg


Overall shot of the interior.
explorer4.jpg


Then I figured I would ride over the the Pull-A-Part to see if I could run across anything. Sure enough ran across a 1992 5 speed Exploder. But somebody already robbed the trans and starter. Figured I would go ahead and get what I could off it. Got the computer, Manual trans wiring harness, pedals, and Master cylinder(when they got the trans they cut the line so it wasnt useable). Still had the flywheel, clutch/pressure plate still on it too but I didnt have the money for it right then.

So I came home and started swapping out some stuff.

Manual trans wiring harness.
explorer9.jpg


Swapped computers and moved it to behind the glove compartment to get it a little higher.
explorer5.jpg


Swapped the pedals. I left the pedal assembly in and just changed out the brake pedal and put the clutch pedal on. It was aggravating but definitely beats pulling the dash out to change the entire assembly.
explorer8.jpg


Went back the next day to Pull-A-Part to get the clutch and flywheel and all that good stuff crawled under it and somebody done took the clutch and pressure plate. So I missed out on that. Went ahead and pulled the flywheel off though. It looked fairly new.
explorer10.jpg


Pile of junk parts I have pulled off so far. lol It keeps getting bigger.
explorer3.jpg


Thats where I am at so far. Need to scrounge up some money to get me a trans and a few other pieces and I should be set.

For now I will probably just do a body lift and coil spacers and shackles for now with some 33's or 34's after I get it on the road.

Then save up for the d44 SAS down the road.

Ill keep this thread updated as I get some more work done.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Got the rcvs in. Just waiting on the drive flanges and ill have 4wd back.

Found this when I took the also broke **** out. Never seen one break like that. lol

IMAG0364.jpg


IMAG0354.jpg

IMAG0356.jpg


Only had to bore out the last 3/4inch of the spindles .010 to get clearance around where the splines on the stub shaft are. Just used a die grinder.

IMAG0359.jpg


Got some Longfield spindles bushings to get rid of the gay spindle bearings.

IMAG0362.jpg

IMAG0361.jpg


Ground bottom ball joint flush with nut.

IMAG0360.jpg


IMAG0363.jpg


IMAG0366.jpg


My sweet dust boots until I get the drive flanges.

IMAG0365.jpg
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





























cool. I'm looking forward to see what will break now that you upgraded those parts. any plans for the driveshafts?
 






Got the drive flanges today.

IMAG0367.jpg

IMAG0368.jpg

IMAG0369.jpg


Bought a $1200 set of axles and got a free beanie and ordered a $200 set of drive flanges and got a free hat AND a free little lunch bag thing. lol Thought that was kind of funny.

Planning to go to Harlan, KY next weekend and do some wheeling. Cant wait.
 






any plans for the driveshafts?

Not at the momment. The reason the other one broke was cause it landed on it when that rock kicked out. If its a problem in the future with shafts breaking for other reasons then I will look into getting a thick wall set made. But we will see.
 






Planning to go to Harlan, KY next weekend and do some wheeling. Cant wait.

Sweet. I love Justified. Your new edition looks nice.
 












Well Harlan was badass. Definitely cant wait to go back.

Day before were supposed to leave the Explorer starts f'ing up. Went to go get lunch that day at work and it would just click when you try to start it. Dern oh well. When I left to go home started fine. Got home and started messing with it and it would spin over and slowly die like the batter was weak. Went and had it replaced and same thing.

Then got to messing with it some more and if it was cold it would start fine. Soon as it warm up a little it would just quit and click.

Took the starter off and put another one I had on it and same thing. Though maybe they were both screwed up so I took one and got it tested and it tested fine. So came home and made a new cable from the battery to the starter and same thing yet again.

So as a last ditch effort went and bought a brand new starter and what do you know. Same thing yet again. Spin over good cold and soon as it warms up it would quit.

Last thing I could think of was ground cable and sure enough that was it. Ground cable from block to frame was almost corroded in 2. Made up a temporary one real fast and spins over likes it never spun over before. lol Finally got it right around 12am thursday night and we were leaving 5am friday morning so loaded everything up and got ready to go.

Didnt get many pics but got a couple vids. Was having a blast riding the trails. They have tons of trails. We rode like 80 miles and only rode the trails leading to and from camp more then once.

Only carnage from the weekend was a cut tire and burnt a hole in the air locker line. Thats probably my best weekend yet and I beat on it pretty good trying out the new from axles.

The axles are niiiiice by the way. Turn it to full lock and just let it eat and there as smooth as butter.

Couple pics:

IMAG0371.jpg

IMAG0372.jpg


Vids:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGr165lTpI8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfXIFqGAQoQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG0crMpsWzw

Cant wait to go back and ride the trails again. It was well worth the ride.

Oh yea. On my way home from work monday I hit the brakes and head and big clunk and was like uh oh. Got out and somehow this happened. Dont know if a rock hit it from wheeling or what but it broke clean off. Atleast I know the welds were good. lol

IMAG0374.jpg
 






Damn you really did beat on it. Some of those parts in the Rail Bed video, if you hadnt had those RCVs you woulda been snapping some universals.
 






Same thing we were saying. Beat on it a lot harder then mountain city.

Should have seen me beating on it trying to come out of the hill on rail bed the day before after it just got done raining and nobody had done it yet so it was slick as hell. 3rd gear on the floor. took about 15 mins to get out. Started over heating a little. But it came out. Wish I would have got it on video. It would have been pretty good.
 






I've only been to Harlan twice, once wet and broke on lower rock garden first day, second time was in 2ft of snow.

I can't wait to get up there when I can actually wheel. Hoping to go to Grand Slam this summer.

edit:
Just watched the videos. Dude, that thing works great. Last time I was up there two wrangler buggies on 40's had more trouble through the rock garden than you did.
 






I'm assuming u were in double low in all those videos. Looks like the rig crawls well, with a lot more control.
 






I've only been to Harlan twice, once wet and broke on lower rock garden first day, second time was in 2ft of snow.

I can't wait to get up there when I can actually wheel. Hoping to go to Grand Slam this summer.

edit:
Just watched the videos. Dude, that thing works great. Last time I was up there two wrangler buggies on 40's had more trouble through the rock garden than you did.

Yea, works pretty good I think. Cant wait to get a cage in it and some better tires and really start seeing what it will do. Should walk everything at ure now.

I'm assuming u were in double low in all those videos. Looks like the rig crawls well, with a lot more control.

Yup, a lot more control I love the doubler.
 


















It's still pretty much a budget build compared to other builds out there. The way it sits now I may have around 5500 in it including buying it. Just got to look for deals and know where and how to spend your money.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





Went and picked up some 2x2 and 2x4 steel tubing for the rock sliders yesterday. Also got some new caliper brackets from the local speed shop. There about twice as thick as the old one so hopefully they will hold up.

Started cutting out the rocker panels today. To get ready for the sliders. Cut a little over a inch out of the bottom of the doors and all of the rocker panels. About 4.5 inches total.

IMAG0381.jpg

IMAG0398.jpg

IMAG0386.jpg


Rust in the normal spot.
IMAG0386.jpg

IMAG0388.jpg

IMAG0390.jpg

IMAG0394.jpg

IMAG0395.jpg


Drivers side done.
IMAG0399.jpg


Passenger side full of mud. lol
IMAG0401.jpg


Starting to rust out.
IMAG0402.jpg


IMAG0403.jpg


Passenger side finished
IMAG0404.jpg


Scrap
IMAG0405.jpg


Going to try to get the frame cleaned up and painted and the sliders made up and welded on this week or next weekend.
 






Back
Top