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]

cant make up my mind on which i like better. the all black spoke looks more like the fooses that were on it. once again i will have all winter to make up my mind and if spring the pics change you all know what happen lol

 

[Turdle]

I like the new wheels!

If those tiny little bolts near the rim will come out, it seems easy enough to mask off the rim, plug the tiny threaded holes, then shoot the whole wheel black.

If they have a clear coat though, this may not work.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

I like the new wheels!

If those tiny little bolts near the rim will come out, it seems easy enough to mask off the rim, plug the tiny threaded holes, then shoot the whole wheel black.

If they have a clear coat though, this may not work.

i think all those bolts are glued in some how, so i think if i tried to get them out, i would end up breaking most of them. that and i dont want to do the entire rim, just the spokes if i decide to do them or not.
i was event thinking "i wounder if jon would kill me if these showed up on his door step with a note *powder coat me please!*"

 

[Turdle]

i think all those bolts are glued in some how, so i think if i tried to get them out, i would end up breaking most of them. that and i dont want to do the entire rim, just the spokes if i decide to do them or not.
i was event thinking "i wounder if jon would kill me if these showed up on his door step with a note *powder coat me please!*"

The rivets have to come out. They may be plastic.

Looks to me the whole wheel is black except for the rim and spoke faces. That is why I suggested masking the rim to keep it silver, and shooting black over the rest of the wheel, for simplicity. Otherwise your are talking hours of work per wheel masking with no flex high temp tape.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

The rivets have to come out. They may be plastic.

Looks to me the whole wheel is black except for the rim and spoke faces. That is why I suggested masking the rim to keep it silver, and shooting black over the rest of the wheel, for simplicity. Otherwise your are talking hours of work per wheel masking with no flex high temp tape.

ah! i understand now. yea, forgot about the little thing called baking the coat lol

 

[vroomzoomboom]

not a lot to update other then another cam sensor and syncro bit the dust.....second one as well

i also thought i was going to catch a break. i have been trying to figure out a squeak that i have had all summer. i have changed belts 3 times, tried a few different spare pulleys as well. nothing. i was about to rip the water pump off when the syncro died when i had a flash back of one of our old mods SVO telling me once to "never use a dorman or anything brand syncro, only use a motorcraft one. just ask johnstone" (another mod that was here at one time until a rollover claimed his life). i run out and start the truck and jump for joy. the sound was coming from the top of the block. got a new one, ran home with a twinkle in my eye. put the new one in, start the truck and guess what!!!!!!!.......that wasnt the problem.....squeak's still there dammit!
i then pulled the belt off just to see if it might come from the supercharger. well, thats were its coming from. there is enough vacuum from the motor to turn the rotors and i could hear a squeak. my guess is that when the guy welded the mount, he warped it. the last time i had it off, i tried to straighten it and i guess i didnt do a good job. so i am having the alum cut to make a newer, thicker mount made. i also want to try and shove a innercooler into it this time.
i did however take it for a ride to dons place tonight to pick up my computer from him. i forgot how much that motor loves its cold air. it didnt take much of the gas peddle to motivate it from a dead stop thats for sure.

 

[ahodges]

That sucks, but at least you have an excuse to go intercooled! Now, you better get it done in time for you know what.

 

[4pointslow]

Noise

Can you record the noise?
Just curious to hear what it sounds like.
Does it sound like the belt squealing or metal scraping together?

 

[vroomzoomboom]

It does sound like belt sqweal but I don't remember that sound when the motor was in the first time. When I had to pull it to get the crack and bearings fixed that's when I tried straightening the mount. After that, that's when I noticed it. It will go away when the truck warms up and I haven't noticed any boost loss

 

[4pointslow]

Belt squeal

If it is belt squeal....
You have to have a really tight belt, to the point that it just about can be stretched into place. I forgot how tight it had to be until just recently with all my slipping belt problems I just had.

Mine would squeal at start up and go away when warm too. It is quiet now.

Also the pulleys have to be lined up pretty straight. I had one smooth Idler that was sitting just a hair off straight, it had a little camber problem (best way I can describe it). This was when I was trying different idlers that will allow an 8 rib belt.

Try a size smaller belt if you can.(one that you really have to fight to get on there)

 

[vroomzoomboom]

ill do that tomorrow or the next day. its a little colder now and i didnt plug it in. i have started it once without thinking cold already and it wasnt too happy

 

[4pointslow]

plug it in

Did you go back to a freeze plug block heater or did you go with the in Hose type?

 

[vroomzoomboom]

im taking a chance right now and put a freeze plug heater in. i dont normally whale on it in winter the way i do in summer so i am hoping i dont blow it out. i also put a 13lb cap on vs the stock 15lb so that to should make a little difference

 

[vroomzoomboom]

one other thing i forgot. with this block heater i rotated it 180 from where i had it before. a buddy of mine was thinking the element was catching a bur in the block and not letting it sit flush even though it looked like it. that and when we did dons motor i noticed that his heater sits the way i have mine now. time will tell if it spatters coolant all over the road again or not. i do know one thing, i didnt want to have no block heater in it for winter.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

ok [MENTION=81804]4pointslow[/MENTION] here you are



i know you had mentioned the belt. the one thats on there is pretty tight. enough that its a PITA to get on. almost forceful.

oh, and it didnt have any snow on it as of tuedsay night when i drove it to dons place. but how much snow as fell since then?

that much

 

[4pointslow]

Snow

Holy crap you got that much snow already?
Damn!
It was like 67 here last weekend, broke records for being so warm.
This weekend should be around 40-42 degrees F again though.

That sounds like belt squeal, get a tighter belt and check the pulleys to make sure they are aligned.

 

[bats]

Seconded on replacing the belt. Had almost the identical noise in my 01 sport and a new belt made it nice and quiet.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

That sounds like belt squeal, get a tighter belt and check the pulleys to make sure they are aligned.

Seconded on replacing the belt. Had almost the identical noise in my 01 sport and a new belt made it nice and quiet.

you guys suck....



dan, after you posted this really started driving me nuts. i am off till the 3rd so i get so sit at home and stew at some of the small problems with evil, and this one was close to the top.



this is the belt that i have been running (119.5 inch). after googling what is the next smallest size and calling my local parts store (i found the next smallest one was a 118.82 inch) to see if they had it, and they told me it drops to a 118.5 inch. so i took it. now let me tell you, nothing short of a breaker bar with a pipe on the end of it will get this thing on there, but i got it on. no squeak. i also now have about $150 in belts that i cant use now

next PITA is the tps. yes its acting up again.....

 

[4pointslow]

Tps

Glad you got the belt problem fixed.

Now ditch the throttle body you are using, make a new plenum to fit a cobra throttle body with TPS. And maybe replace the pins/wires at the pcm for the TPS, if you ever stuck anything in there bigger than a guitar string they may be stretched open.

 

[ahodges]

I forget which TB you ended up with. I know you had the same as me at one point.
[MENTION=81804]4pointslow[/MENTION], what is the advantage of the cobra throttle body over a 75mm one designed for the pushrod 5.0 mustangs?