2000 AWD Xploder from Turbo back to NA | Page 36 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations
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2000 AWD Xploder from Turbo back to NA

After getting an estimate on how much it would run me to fix up my Xploder with all new exhaust, cold side piping, and a bunch of other stuff done up the "right" way... I've decided to convert my Xploder back to NA form so that I can actually ENJOY the truck before I die of old age.

Anyways... To start it off I ordered up a MAC cold air intake (I do not have the stock intake) and sold my FMS headers on ebay.

I plan on buying a set of torque monster headers in the next week or so but am still up in the air on how I should run my exhaust from a performance "speed" perspective. I do not plan on doing much, if any, off road driving, so am looking for a setup that improves take off and speed for spirited pavement driving that sounds good.

I already have the spare tire removed (and will be keeping it off, I have free towing anyways lol)... What would an optimal setup be with the above in mind and no worry of a spare tire being in the way? True duals (straight pipe off of each header, thru separate mufflers, and out the sides), or a dual exhaust both going into a 2 in 2 out "H" pipe style muffler and then out the sides? Or something else? In all cases I won't be running any cats.

I also plan to re-tune my car since currently it is tuned for the turbo setup which obviously will no longer apply once I rip everything out.

Thank you for any input! :)
 
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CDW6212R said:
Those other two hoses are just for water, they go to the two ports in the metal coolant lines, in either order. It's just for heating the intake, etc, you could just loop a short hose to the pairs of ports.
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Ahh ok so doesn't matter the in and out? Ok.. Awesome :-D easy enough lol.
 



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Yeah, I wasn't sure those pictured were what I thought they were. At a glance they look like vacuum lines.
 






CDW6212R said:
Yeah, I wasn't sure those pictured were what I thought they were. At a glance they look like vacuum lines.
Click to expand...

Ok, awesome. Easy enough :D Thanks!

Hopefully get some nice weather and can get the belt on, hoses connected, etc. Making a little progress lol.
 






Didn't have a ton of time to work on the truck lately with it being dark by the time I get home from work plus the few days of rain lol.

I did get those hoses connector and ac lines tightened up. Yanked battery will hook it up to my refresher charger that I have and see if it can be returned to life lol. Also got the new belt in... Fit perfectly! Nice and tight with tensioner pretty much dead center between its possible range of motion.

Tracking down other connectors then plan on decreasing and hosing engine bay off nice and then figure out wiring. Fun fun!
 






Taped off some wires and what not and sprayed the engine bay down with de-greaser and hosed it off. Didn't do a hardcore wash job but wanted to clean up the results of sitting for a couple years lol.

Tried to charge battery on my battery recovery/charger unit and.. Seems like it's completely DEAD lol :-/ I guess a cpl yrs sitting completely drained killed it.. I will try another charger to be sure but if so... Anyone have any nice battery recommendations?

Hopefully will connect the rest of the engine stuff back this week and then work on wiring up the e-fan and w-wp :D
 






The Advance battery was the best deal the last two times I went hunting, at about $115 each with discounts. Batteries have gone up a lot.
 






CDW6212R said:
The Advance battery was the best deal the last two times I went hunting, at about $115 each with discounts. Batteries have gone up a lot.
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks! Yeah... Seem like they have! I'm hoping I can still CPR my current battery to life... It's not OLD by any means and seems to still be in great shape.
 






Ok.. Got some more work done. Slow but sure or something lol. Was nice out today.. Rain and cold tomorrow ugh.

Got ignition coil bracket mounted up, coils connected, fan installed, over flow tanks mocked up in place, and a few other odds and ends done.

Engine compartment looks pretty decently clean. Have more cleaning to do and what not but much improved so far. Have battery hooked up to my other charger after cleaning it up and adding some water to it.

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And the funky e-fan built into the fan shroud combo unit lol (rock stable though.. No movement at least by physically trying to budge fan from shroud so I think it's safe haha). Hopefully it cools nicely haha!

ForumRunner_20141110_193651.png


And does anyone know what the clip is that mounts to radiator that allows shroud to screw in (I'm pointing to the spot)? I seemed to have lost them from old radiator lol (who would of thought?? Haha)..

ForumRunner_20141110_193821.png
 






They are a nut clip, maybe a 10mm sized bolt head. I didn't get back to the PAP here yet, I'm trying to do things outside while it's still kinda warm.
 






CDW6212R said:
They are a nut clip, maybe a 10mm sized bolt head. I didn't get back to the PAP here yet, I'm trying to do things outside while it's still kinda warm.
Click to expand...

Yeah.. The bolt I have I think but there is a metal clip that snaps on the plastic tab on that radiator that the screw goes into.
 






CDW6212R said:
They are a nut clip, maybe a 10mm sized bolt head. I didn't get back to the PAP here yet, I'm trying to do things outside while it's still kinda warm.
Click to expand...

Yeah.. The bolt I have I think but there is a metal clip that snaps on the plastic tab on that radiator that the screw goes into.
 






Picked up some fuel hose and clip.. Hooked up new fuel vapor line and also hooked up plug wires. Cold out! Cold and rainy tomorrow :-\ ugh.
 






Shoot, it'll be warm in the low 40's today.

I had a piece of scrap metal in a tire yesterday, which I'm about to go find out if it's repairable. I had to get a ride home to get my one spare similar 29" tires to put on and get the truck home. The diameter was close but not enough with AWD to keep driving it. So I put my snow tires on until I get the tire fixed etc. Those things were $220 when I got them, and now at $211 they're a bargain(not). I hope they don't give me grief about being able to patch the thing, buying a new set due to one tire is not cool.

Stay warm.
 






CDW6212R said:
Shoot, it'll be warm in the low 40's today.

I had a piece of scrap metal in a tire yesterday, which I'm about to go find out if it's repairable. I had to get a ride home to get my one spare similar 29" tires to put on and get the truck home. The diameter was close but not enough with AWD to keep driving it. So I put my snow tires on until I get the tire fixed etc. Those things were $220 when I got them, and now at $211 they're a bargain(not). I hope they don't give me grief about being able to patch the thing, buying a new set due to one tire is not cool.

Stay warm.
Click to expand...

Hopefully your tire worked out!

And yeah... This weather... Ick. I don't mind the cold so much but the rain... Making it difficult to finish up work on my truck!! Lol.
 






Thanks, I was lucky and at Matlock Tire they did patch the tire, for $10 cash. I'm glad that I don't have to deal with how to replace a 1/2 worn tire on an AWD vehicle. The odd 29" old tire I used was a hair off, maybe 1/8" at most, and the AWD did make a slight whirring noise.

Then that night with the repaired tire, and I rotated them all, I have a new noise in the RF. It sounds like the wheel bearings(hub), but it could be an axle(20 months old), or even the front driveshaft or AWD. I haven't had time to look into it, plus the temps have been nasty(12 this morning near Sevierville).

It's almost warm today, 46 they say.
 






Glad they could patch it! Yeah.. I ran with slightly different wear level tires and am glad I am on all new tires finally (and new wheels, new suspension, new steering stuff, new bushings, lol) so hopefully once the truck is back on the road it should drive great.

Hopefully it's nothing bad in regards to the noise! My SVT focus has been kind of "clunking" when I drive over bumps (speed bumps, etc) so I'll have to delve into that soon as well... Pretty much a fairly new suspension so hopefully nothing broke lol.
 






Have a shipment of AMSOIL oil and oil filter on it's way to my house. Still need to pick up a new battery and get around to wiring up my e-wp and e-fan as well as button down a few things still not hooked up fully or re-attached. Once I get everything in the engine bay completed I will need to finish tightening up the camber bolts which I left pretty loose.
 






Nothing new for the past few months... Has been cold, icy, rainy, and just crappy out. Have been hiding indoors lol. Did build myself a new desktop gaming PC, so, that was fun (and expensive lol).

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Hopefully once the weather clears up I can FINALLY finish up on the Xploder!! :D
 






Me too, just trying to keep up with the weather, and vehicle to drive in it.

I dropped my Mercury's gas tank a week ago and found the pump strainer full. The tank is bad and losing the inner surface, plus I saw plenty of rust in a few of the body seams.

I will be hunting for a new 98-01 Mountaineer that has no rust that I can build. That will be interesting, to drive and climb under them to inspect.:(

Get ready for the Thursday snow/ice again.
 



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Weather finally nice and it isn't raining this wknd.. YAY! Back to work on the Xploder... Got to figure out a ton of wiring lol.
 






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