Betty's "I want to be a mule" progress log thread | Page 29 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Betty's "I want to be a mule" progress log thread

The new turd mobile. 2000 Mountaineer v8 awd.



The bad:

Was living it's prior life on a dusty road. Must tear out interior and deep clean.
Driver window off track "or something" and will not roll down. It tries but the rear part wants to stay up.

3 out of 4 door handles have issues. I have 4 new outer handles on order.
Cracked passenger side tail light housing. ( Ebay for some cool tail lights)

Compass-Thermometer thingy lit up and went out--idunno bout that yet

Door locks seem sticky, probably has to do with the handles.
It has a funky purple color trim with red metallic ( you'll have that every now and then) :(

The good
Gas tank was full
109k miles
I am the 2nd owner!!
Is from the local area, which means no salt!
The undercarriage is fairly clean
No dents to underside panels
Good rubber
Camber shims already installed
Looks like good service records, all recalls were completed.
Clean carfax believe it or not.

The "maybe" bad

The original owner, told the dealership it had a bad "heater core" however I have run it for several cycles, over an hour each idling in the driveay and see no leaks.
However, there was evidence of a windshield leak or the like,I saw condensation on the inside of the windows this AM. The moisture smell is that of water only-no anti freeze smell. I am thinking it could also be a cowl drain which is clogged???? but she did say the passenger carpet got wet.

I tried to get heat, however it is an auto climate control. Being 90 degrees outside, I doubt it would have given me heat.The heater core hoses were hot, and the coolant bypass valve does operate. AC blows Ice cold.

Maybe she meant to say "heater door"???

Anyway--here are the pics.



My intent is to drive this and use it as a tow rig for a light weight off road toy. Mods will be minimal. Edit: This plan did not work out so on to plan "b"

Current visual status

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Progress pictures
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028.jpg


031.jpg


032.jpg


044.jpg


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042.jpg

038.jpg


Now, let's clean it up a little


Herculine'rd rocker panels. Rock sliders installed

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BW 4406 True 4x4 Manual transfer case ( AKA Mouse entry point) installed 8-27-2012
Installed newer Tcase from a 2003 11-14-15

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Saw a rainbow in Colorado so yeah, time for a picture
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And here she is, on top of the highest pass road in North America. Careful tire placement a must!!!
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2-2-2013

Changed "color scheme" of the Dick Cepek DC1 wheels. New Falken Wildpeak AT 31x1050x15

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Then I decided Maroon washer on the wheels would look better

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Update 6-6-2013

New bumpers, winch and Pro LED light . Front Bumper from RLC, Skid plate from RCI, rear bumper from Kert307


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Rear anti sway disconnects

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Update 9-2-2014
A cracked radiator at 70mph led to engine failure. Replaced with a freshened up a bit 80k mile engine starting on page 23

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Found another rainbow in Kansas.

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No Ac, just a big fan. I could not afford ac for my garage, nor do I have enough service for that. Can you imagine an ac and my oven fighting each other and the nukes that would have to burn up to make it happen?
 



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There are some bolts on the 5.0 302 that require thread sealer. Which ones are they?
 






There are some bolts on the 5.0 302 that require thread sealer. Which ones are they?

I think some of the water pump bolts and 1 or 2 accessory bracket bolts go into the coolant passages.
 






There are some bolts on the 5.0 302 that require thread sealer. Which ones are they?

Mainly water pump and intake manifold bolts, plus half of the head bolts I think.
 






... Can you imagine an ac and my oven fighting each other and the nukes that would have to burn up to make it happen?

That's exactly the mental image I was thinking of.:D

Steven Wright was a droll comedian who would say things like that. This comes to mind from him, "I'd like to put a humidifier and a dehumidifier in the same room and let them fight it out."
 






Hmm
Ford CD says "sealer must be removed from flex plate bolt holes before installing bolts", although it says nothing about applying sealer to the bolts upon install. Edit : Russell says no sealer

Says nothing about sealer on the water pump or intake manifold bolts though.

Balancer pulley went on, with the timing marks on the timing sprockets aligned ( left it like that) the harmonic balancer lines up right on 0 degrees. Phew.

I have the cam sensor marked as it has to be removed to prime the oil pump.
 












Im finding head bolts need sealant on the internet.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/119417/thread/1102882145/head+bolt+sealant

This wont affect you, I just couldn't remember what bolts I read needed it. Wouldn't water pump bolts be a good idea also? If nothing else, it might help the corrosion that makes them so hard to remove.

That's the best reason to use something on those fragile bolts.

Do be careful about using too much sealant of any kind on everything. Any holes that are blind(have no opening down inside), those shouldn't get too much sealant in them. If enough sealant gets in the hole of those before the bolt, the solid material cannot compress, and it will either stop the bolt from tightening, or it will blow out the threads(force the bolt out).

I found that out about 20 years ago with a leaking valve cover. The gaskets were cheap back then, and oil seemed to keep finding its way to the bolts, and seeping up around them, onto the top channel. Then I put too much RTV on the bolt threads when I installed them again, and two of them blew out the threads(as I learned what was happening). I had gotten some(too much) RTV down into the bolt holes, and it ruined those threads.
 






Steven Wright was a droll comedian who would say things like that. This comes to mind from him, "I'd like to put a humidifier and a dehumidifier in the same room and let them fight it out."

My favorite was his "Do you use a silencer if you shoot a mime" :D
 






for head bolts, dont use sealer. it would mess up the torque readings when you torque the bolts down. if anything, you would want to oil the threads
i am trying to remember if i used sealant when i put the water pump and intake on. i dont remember doing that.
 






There you go, somebody who has done it recently. Thanks Tim, I forget things over the years. Fortunately Fords do not have the big issues with coolant leaks around bolts like lots of Chevy's and others.
 






for head bolts, dont use sealer. it would mess up the torque readings when you torque the bolts down. if anything, you would want to oil the threads
i am trying to remember if i used sealant when i put the water pump and intake on. i dont remember doing that.

In fact, ARP makes a special lube to install head bolts, etc. so that the torque readings are correct. Maybe ARP doesn't make it but it does say right in their directions to use a moly lube.
 






I did not use sealant on any bolts in my 5.0L.

And I did use ARP moly on the head bolts.
 






Well, If it leaks it needs sealer. :D

I submit samples 1 and 2 for the boards approval.

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Poor ol gal. I got her jacked up to remove the front fender liners, been so long since I drove her she dropped wheel weights right on the ground when I backed her down the driveway a few feet. At least I know which wheel they fell from.

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Looks really nice, Jon!
 






Thank you. :D

Ok, this AM I had to break off for an appointment, but did manage to get the starter and spark plugs pulled out of "old" engine. I also drained the oil out and removed the filter so it could drip dry. I wanted to get to the exhaust manifold bolts but that didn't happen yet.

Took the tire in for a free lifetime balance visit. Heat delay for now.
 






What kind of powder is on the valve covers? Looks like a nice color, with a sheen instead of a shine. Pretty cool.:chug:
 






What kind of powder is on the valve covers? Looks like a nice color, with a sheen instead of a shine. Pretty cool.:chug:
Thanks. It was an experiment with 3 different coats.
Just so I don't have to type it over, post 553 in this thread ;)
 






Very cool. I would say the experiment worked:chug:
 



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All exhaust manifold bolts and oil dip stick came out clean!

Now to take on the torque converter nuts if I can, and trans bolts. I am trying to get this to where it will be quick pull out once help arrives.

Here is the list of those who will possibly attend as I remember it.


[MENTION=87244]gmanpaint[/MENTION] ( thanks for being the organizer guy :D)
[MENTION=50756]Twiztid[/MENTION]
[MENTION=53464]dkchrist[/MENTION]
[MENTION=52174]Elessar65[/MENTION]

I need a good head count so I can be sure to have enough steaks--burgers--tofu or what you prefer on the grill. :D

I'm going to try to have my wife make a chocolate lasagna for desert. Oh, and we need a fire!

PS [MENTION=35357]traveler[/MENTION] Heads up. Maybe you and Sandi could come ?
 






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