Some headers And maybe cam for 97 mountaineer | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Some headers And maybe cam for 97 mountaineer

1mounty

Member
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July 9, 2017
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City, State
Dallas, texas
Year, Model & Trim Level
97 mercury mountaineer
hello, I have a 97 mountaineer and wondering what headers are out there other than torque monster headers. I have seen other post about obx headers but can't find any. Any ideas or suggestions?

Also if I were to put a cam in my mountaineer what would be the best drop in cam with no upgrading parts? I'm just trying to get a little more hp and a nice sound.

It already has an air intake that bolts on the stock one and exhaust that's straight piped with a Y. That's it.
 



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Well, first, see if you can take that bolt on intake back for a refund. It isn't helping. Your engine is actually now sucking in hot air from under the hood.
The best mod for this would be to increase the intake tube running from the header panel into the stock air box.
Then you'll get more flow, and a true cold air intake.

Headers are widely discussed if you search the forum. Not much else to say about that.

Without headers, A camshaft upgrade might not be worth the hassle. Cracking one of these engines open to do a cam swap is like opening a can of worms. It causes a chain reaction of needed support parts. ( taller valve covers ( 150-up) -springs(???)-fuel injectors(250 for a matched set) -tuning (.500.00)

Not to mention the bolts that break off ( good luck finding them) when you remove the water pump ( who would throw the old one on--75.00)
timing cover gasket and lower seal kit -( 50.00) and you will probably find the harmonic balancer is shot ( 250.00)

Will you run a cam without being able to see the actual oil pressure? ( 20 bux and a lot of time to fix)



Sorry to sound negative. I mean this as a challenge. If you reallywant a faster explorer that still won't be fast, then all the power to you. I always like to see performance upgrades.
These trucks are not friendly for this at all, and the results are dissapointing to say the least. There is no aftermarket support for a soccer mom mobile which is what the aftermarket must consider our trucks to be. Sad sad.

IMO you have a good, reliable, and strong (300 ft lbs stock) engine. Use it for that.
Get a mustang for go fast. You'll spend a 3rd of the money and countless hours time.

Just know what you are getting in to.
 






Maybe consider a programmer, if there is one available :dunno:

I have a Hypertech Power Programmer III on mine. Nothing huge in added performance though. Just more amusing to drive. Firmer shifts. I got mine off eBay for dirt cheap. I have surprised other Explorers, Rangers, and Mountaineers who should have been a lot faster than me :shifty:
 






Well, first, see if you can take that bolt on intake back for a refund. It isn't helping. Your engine is actually now sucking in hot air from under the hood.
The best mod for this would be to increase the intake tube running from the header panel into the stock air box.
Then you'll get more flow, and a true cold air intake.

Headers are widely discussed if you search the forum. Not much else to say about that.

Without headers, A camshaft upgrade might not be worth the hassle. Cracking one of these engines open to do a cam swap is like opening a can of worms. It causes a chain reaction of needed support parts. ( taller valve covers ( 150-up) -springs(???)-fuel injectors(250 for a matched set) -tuning (.500.00)

Not to mention the bolts that break off ( good luck finding them) when you remove the water pump ( who would throw the old one on--75.00)
timing cover gasket and lower seal kit -( 50.00) and you will probably find the harmonic balancer is shot ( 250.00)

Will you run a cam without being able to see the actual oil pressure? ( 20 bux and a lot of time to fix)



Sorry to sound negative. I mean this as a challenge. If you reallywant a faster explorer that still won't be fast, then all the power to you. I always like to see performance upgrades.
These trucks are not friendly for this at all, and the results are dissapointing to say the least. There is no aftermarket support for a soccer mom mobile which is what the aftermarket must consider our trucks to be. Sad sad.

IMO you have a good, reliable, and strong (300 ft lbs stock) engine. Use it for that.
Get a mustang for go fast. You'll spend a 3rd of the money and countless hours time.

Just know what you are getting in to.

Well since you put it that way. I don't want that much hassle I'll put my money towards it some other way lol. Thanks for the advice and would it just be better to do add a leaf, shackles and a tt? What would be the biggest tire with minimum trimming 15s with some 31s?
 






Maybe consider a programmer, if there is one available :dunno:

I have a Hypertech Power Programmer III on mine. Nothing huge in added performance though. Just more amusing to drive. Firmer shifts. I got mine off eBay for dirt cheap. I have surprised other Explorers, Rangers, and Mountaineers who should have been a lot faster than me :shifty:

So just get hyper tech power programmer III? And it will work for 97 mountaineer for sure?
 






So just get hyper tech power programmer III? And it will work for 97 mountaineer for sure?

You'll have to dig online to find out if it will work for you or not. There might be other programmer brands available also.
 






Obviously n
You'll have to dig online to find out if it will work for you or not. There might be other programmer brands available also.

Oh okay thanks for some help
 






When I decided to do a cam in mine because of a leaking timing cover gasket it turned into a nearly 6 month project (backordered valve springs) and cost about 1200 in parts.

Yes you will need springs. Upgraded rockers are highly recommend. Longer pushrods (you'll have to measure after the cam is installed to figure out length) will be needed.

In mine...
Comp cam
Crane behive springs
Scorpion roller rockers
Alex's parts hardened pushrods
Ford racing double roller chain
Fox body cast valve covers cut and clearanced for rockers


In these trucks it's never just a cam install.
 






When I decided to do a cam in mine because of a leaking timing cover gasket it turned into a nearly 6 month project (backordered valve springs) and cost about 1200 in parts.

Yes you will need springs. Upgraded rockers are highly recommend. Longer pushrods (you'll have to measure after the cam is installed to figure out length) will be needed.

In mine...
Comp cam
Crane behive springs
Scorpion roller rockers
Alex's parts hardened pushrods
Ford racing double roller chain
Fox body cast valve covers cut and clearanced for rockers


In these trucks it's never just a cam install.

Yea think I'm just going to through some different rims with some 31s and call it a day lol
 






With shackles and a TT you will clear 31s without trimming. I have 31x10.5s on mine at stock height, and never rub, although I think mine is a little tall. My previous Mounty needed the TT to clear the tires during compression and turns.
 






With shackles and a TT you will clear 31s without trimming. I have 31x10.5s on mine at stock height, and never rub, although I think mine is a little tall. My previous Mounty needed the TT to clear the tires during compression and turns.

What size rim did you have
 






15 on both. It's hard to say what will fit, Explorers have quite a range of stock height. Best bet, if you want 31's, is to mount them and try them out for a week. If they rub do the TT, and get an alignment.
 






15 on both. It's hard to say what will fit, Explorers have quite a range of stock height. Best bet, if you want 31's, is to mount them and try them out for a week. If they rub do the TT, and get an alignment.
Thanks for the help
 






When I decided to do a cam in mine because of a leaking timing cover gasket it turned into a nearly 6 month project (backordered valve springs) and cost about 1200 in parts.

Yes you will need springs. Upgraded rockers are highly recommend. Longer pushrods (you'll have to measure after the cam is installed to figure out length) will be needed.

In mine...
Comp cam
Crane behive springs
Scorpion roller rockers
Alex's parts hardened pushrods
Ford racing double roller chain
Fox body cast valve covers cut and clearanced for rockers


In these trucks it's never just a cam install.

This is theTruth! Well said!

It's like when I hear people say "Put a custom cam in, they cost about the same as an OTS street cam but make way more power" I cringe. They don't figure all the things you just mentioned to take advantage of the more radical ramp rates and lift. Meanwhile, there are guys running around with tfs1 cams with $200 tfs springs, stock rockers and pushrods in street mustangs with gt40's running low 12's all day.

I've wondered which would makes more power:

302 with GT40 iron heads with a $1200 custom cam setup
or
302 with used $1200 Aluminum Heads with stock cam and rockers...

:dunno:
 






This is theTruth! Well said!

It's like when I hear people say "Put a custom cam in, they cost about the same as an OTS street cam but make way more power" I cringe. They don't figure all the things you just mentioned to take advantage of the more radical ramp rates and lift. Meanwhile, there are guys running around with tfs1 cams with $200 tfs springs, stock rockers and pushrods in street mustangs with gt40's running low 12's all day.

I've wondered which would makes more power:

302 with GT40 iron heads with a $1200 custom cam setup
or
302 with used $1200 Aluminum Heads with stock cam and rockers...

:dunno:

I'll take #2 with a side of long tube headers.
 












Virtually everything posed here is true. The cam swap is too much trouble for these Explorers, unless the engine needed serious work already. Then the cost is just the cam and what it takes to make it work with the existing parts.

You don't need to use roller rockers, with any stock roller cam. The lift of those(3)(HO/Cobra/truck) is so mild that the stock rockers are fine, even the Cobra cam. The valve springs are a whole different deal, all of them are too old(weak) to leave in place. If you open the valve cover of any old engine like these, the VS's should be changed, unless it's not a long term vehicle etc.

I'm collecting some parts to build a 306 for my work truck, for next year. I've got the heads already, completed and mildly ported fake GT40X things. The price was good last year, people looking for aluminum heads will notice better heads now run $1500+. I've got some nice balanced rods, and pistons picked out.

I need low rpm and mid range power, so the small GT40 heads do fine for that. I've got a ported lower intake, Jon powder coated it, and I'm aiming for a 9.5:1 compression ratio, for regular gas. It'll take a custom cam to get the most out of the parts. A custom cam is worth it if the project will be $1500 etc. Most people are tossing $500 at an engine at a time, and it's not feasible for that, might as well use what you have at no cost, and upgrade later.
 






What about just spending $1200 to get some 1 5/8th headers and 2.5" dual exhaust made for the stock motor? Wadda ya think 40hp? There's as much power as a head swap right there and puts it almost on par with a 260hp 93 Cobra motor. The 45 degree elbow would still be robbing that last 5hp though... :dunno:

I've seen some pretty unimpressive dyno numbers from the Flo-Tek gt40x heads. :(
 






True, and none of the GT40 heads have impressive numbers, flow or power. The only reason I got them was for $850 I'm done with that step. They have the right valve springs for the custom cam I'll have made, they were ported by a trusted well known guy, and they do well for our rpm band. I'm not after a 6000rpm+ shift point and top heavy dyno curve. I would prefer a TFS TW head, but just a used set runs over $750, needing full work done to it. A proper valve spring kit costs over $250 alone, and those heads don't pop up often any more.

The elbow will take some work.
 



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Apologies in advance for bringing this thread back up after five months. I'm in the middle of swapping a '99 Explorer 5.0 into my '99 Ranger, so the engine is already out and getting some refreshing. I got a deal I couldn't refuse on the same cam that VR4 is running (CompCams XE258HR 35-510-8) and am ordering a set of springs and retainers from AlexsParts. Other than measuring for a set of pushrods during installation, is there anything I'm forgetting? Planning to run on the stock rockers for now and hoping to do headers next year sometime.
 






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