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1999 Explorer Sport.

My wife & I last weekend purchased a 1999 Explorer Sport which I wanted to get for a "spare" backup vehicle in case my 2000 Ranger or her 2008 Escape needed work that would lay it up for more then a weekend. The dealer was asking 1595 for it & we offered 1300 & we got it. It has only 81K miles, it has the 4.0 SOHC, auto, PW, PL, PM, Power Sunroof, & is bright red w/gray leather interior.Well now my wife has claimed it as here DD & make her 2008 Escape the spare vehicle since we had purchased a 1999 Explorer Sport new back in 99 when I was working at a ford dealer & we ran it up to 275K miles before selling it a couple years ago. (mistake on my part).
 



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Today I replaced the passengers side door lock cylinder.
 






Pulled the front seats, console, & the rear seat bottoms & replaced the carpet I got from a parts truck. Cleaned the used carpet before installing it, the old carpet had so many stains it looked like the person who owned it before spilled coffee in the truck several times. I also cleaned the console as that was dirty too.
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Looks great Mike. Nice job.
 






Lookin very clean. Found quite a few parts trucks my self in the area... trying to find a sport that has rocker panels in decent condition is a seriously challenge for me.
 






Lookin very clean. Found quite a few parts trucks my self in the area... trying to find a sport that has rocker panels in decent condition is a seriously challenge for me.

I have not found a Sport with good rocker panels. I bought the 2 door rocker panels from Rockauto & I am going to cut out what I need & fab what I have to from 18 ga steel sheet to make the rest. I will post pics of my progress. Drivers side is the worst side.
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I have not found a Sport with good rocker panels. I bought the 2 door rocker panels from Rockauto & I am going to cut out what I need & fab what I have to from 18 ga steel sheet to make the rest. I will post pics of my progress. Drivers side is the worst side.
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Found an 01 sport that had only 98k on it at pick and pull today, and even the rocker panels on that thing were literally crumbling in my hands.
 






Today while waiting on parts for my Ranger I took a look at the rear hatch window & figured out how to adjust it so it opens when I push the button on the outside of the hatch. Took off the 2 bolts that hold the latch to the body & removed the latch still keeping it hooked to the rod, I just twisted the whole latch & rod counterclockwise a few turns making more of the rod between the button assembly & the latch giving the latch more movement. Now the rear window pops open like it is supposed to when pushing the button. Re-installed the hatch interior panel. Installed hood supports & now the hood stays up on its own. :)
 






Today I changed the engine oil & oil filter, replaced the r/s upstream O2 sensor due to a CEL PO135 code & replaced the rear timing chain tensioner. The old tensioner seemed weak, the new one was a lot stiffer. The directions said to soak it in motor oil for 12 hours before installing, which I did. Here is a pic of the Sport with 2 of 3 of our other Fords, my DD 2000 Ranger, & my wifes current DD 2008 Escape. My 69 Mustang Coupe that I am building is tucked away in the garage.

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Today I replaced the serpentine belt & the belt tensioner, the spark plugs, & the spark plug wires. Thanks to the guys who responded to my post to help with tips on how to get the l/s front plug out.

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Replaced the tired old battery today with a new one. Now I have to drive it a couple days to get the drive monitors to reset to ready so I can have it re-inspected.
 






Since I replaced the battery yesterday I took the Sport out for a 1/2 hr drive in town & for a few miles on the highway. Got back to the house & hooked my scanner up to it & ALL the readiness monitors are ready, so tomorrow on the way home from work I will run it through the NJ state inspection station & see if it passes.
 






Ran the Sport through NJ inspection today & it passed. WooooooooHoooooooooo. So just for an fyi a bad battery can cause the readiness monitors to be not ready.
 






Today after work I replaced the 2 piece upper radiator hose & thermostat. What a pain to get at the back housing bolt.
 






Today I removed the thermostat housing (top & bottom) & replaced the front hydraulic timing chain tensioner, by pass hose, & the lower radiator hose. I had to remove the alternator & the aluminium bracket to get access at the by pass hose. I also replaced both of the rear hatch window lift supports, & added a bug shield.

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Today I fixed the sagging drivers side door. I bought a door hinge pin kit from Dorman pt#-703-270. Removed the l/s lower hinge ground off one end of the pin & using my air chisel with the pin driver tip in it pushed out old hinge pin. Both of the bushings were shot, but the pin looked ok. I replaced the 2 brass bushings & reassembled the hinge with the new pin & reinstalled it on the truck. Now when I open the door it doesn't drop & I do not have to lift it to close the door. Just a note I had to drill out the 1/2 of the hinge a little that the brass bushings go into to get them to fit snug, then using my bench vise I pressed the hinge pin into the hinge & installed the retainer c clip.
 






Today I did a test fit using an idea from a member here (tbirdman) where he used 06-11 Ranger step bars to replace the Explorer Sport step bars that always rust out. Well the one on the drivers side of our Sport was very badly rusted & could not be saved. I was able to find a set of the Ford OEM 06 Ranger step bars on E Bay for a GREAT deal. Where tbirdman used chrome ones & ones from an extended cab I used ones from a Ranger regular cab which are a little shorter. I left the front & rear Sport factory step supports in place & removed the center one & placed the Ranger step bar on the supports & I have it bolted in place with 1 bolt in front & 1 in the rear that line up with the Sport step bar supports. What do you think? I like the look with the step bars black they match all the black trim on the truck.

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Yesterday I removed the r/s rocker panel molding & saw the rust hole is a lot less then on the drivers side.

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Today I did some preliminary work on the r/s rocker panel patch piece. Marked out on the patch piece where I need cut it.
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I also painted the new l/s exterior door handle.
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