1997 "white" 4.0 SOHC primary and D side secondary chain guide repair-Fill neck hose replace-

[donalds]

The alternator positive. Cable routs behind the power steering / ac compressor bracket
Their is a path for the wire
The wire should have a plastic shield that will line up perfectly make sure you don't pinch it I did

 

[allmyEXes]

I dug around on here and found a picture that belongs to 2000SreetRod. I believe it is from his 2000 model. I looks to be the same as my 1997. I can get the harness in position however I won't be able to install the one harness retaining bolt to the head. It appears that the harness would stay in place without it.

ADDED-@2000StreetRod What is the line below the PS/AC bracket that is fastened to the block and/or water pump or TC?

 

[donalds]

What is the line below the PS/AC bracket that is fastened to the block and/or water pump or TC?

It's your evap vacuum line should go to a solenoid under the battery

 

[donalds]

I won't be able to install the one harness retaining bolt to the head. It appears that the harness would stay in place without it.

I dropped my little bolt I've been running WITHOUT that bolt for 2years now just make sure you get it centred so the ps pump bracket don't pinch it

 

[drdoom]

In my opinion the cable and pipe routing is key on these jobs. I would never have gotten mine back together if it weren't for some old images I had on an external hard drive. Zero slack and many obstacles, particularly around the stat housing and serpentine. Take photos, make paint marks, stay organized.
Good job on your project.

 

[drdoom]

It's your evap vacuum line should go to a solenoid under the battery

That is a tricky one as well!

 

[allmyEXes]

I did get a few things done on the white '97 Tuesday and Wednesday when there were some breaks in the rain. Damper/HB installed all of the way. The water pump is back on with a new gasket and all 12 bolts. The alternator harness is in the correct position behind the PS/AC bracket. I have the alternator and its bracket back on and all of the big bracket bolts torqued down. The evap line is being kept up with as all this other stuff goes on as to not loose its routing.
Before I stopped for supper, I cleaned on the upper intake for a few minutes and made sure that everything that is under it is in its place before it is installed. I need 5 quart jug of oil and a few more simple things in place before I can start it with the t-stat housing, fan blade and shroud and radiator not installed yet to be able to get my hand in that area to adjust the manual tensioner.
I believe the rain will be through here by Thursday sometime. I'm ready to hear it run and finish it up.

 

[allmyEXes]

I worked on the '97 Friday and Saturday. I sorted out all of the plug wires and installed the upper plenum. I also hooked up all of the other connections. With fuse #19 removed I turned the engine over several times until I had oil pressure. I have as much assembled as possible and the only electrical items not connected are the two temperature sensors that sit in the thermostat housing assembly. Also the alternator wiring is hooked up however the belt is not on, clearance issue for adjusting the tensioner.
I put fuse #19 back in and was ready to start it up to adjust the manual tensioner. It turns over and then it fires once like it has started but when you release the key and it goes back to the run position on the switch it won't keep running.
I can't find anything logically wrong.

 

[allmyEXes]

Sunday it didn't take long to find what was causing the crank, fire, no run problem. I imagined all kinds of things and when I got back to it I started checking electrical connectors. I found that the Idle Air Control Solenoid electrical connector was not snapped in. That would be a good circuit to install a hidden toggle switch, it wouldn't start and run for sure. And it will run with the thermostat switches unplugged and the alternator not spinning.
I took the upper plenum off to install the thermostat housing assembly and fixed a fuel leak too while it was still off. I was almost all the way together when the T shaped vacuum line was found to be in the wrong place and had to take the radiator back out to get room to route that properly.
It's all together now and when I adjusted the manual tensioner I had preset to within a 1/4 turn of where it needed to be. It runs and sound really good. I need some antifreeze and ATF before I can test drive it.

 

[allmyEXes]

Nearly two weeks ago this project was getting close to the end but never had the big "Ta Da ! " at the end. The engine runs extremely well and of all things the steering wouldn't work even after the power steering reservoir was filled. Therefore I have been unable to drive it. It is impossible to turn. About an 1/8th of a turn each way. I made the assumption that the power steering pump must have got damaged when I ran the engine for 10 minutes before I realized that the ps reservoir was empty, so I ordered a rebuilt ps pump. Here is a file photo of the pump.

Well that didn't fix the problem. After ordering the part and waiting days and then installing it, it didn't fix it. After many, many hours of searching the topic I found very few results. I did find a post where @CDW6212R had some experience with these high pressure hoses on the 1997 and 1998s and the HP hose design changed to where the hose has more metal at the end than the original. I'm considering removing the HP hose this a.m.
Has anyone ever had a high pressure steering hose clog up on their vehicle?

 

[allmyEXes]

3 months later I've nearly resolved the steering issue. I will leave the new pump on even though the old one is good or may good, it did run dry for 10 minutes. I'm usually not a parts swapper to resolve problems but sometimes that is just how it is. The HP hose is in good shape and I assume that the R&P is too. Later in the week I will update.

 

[allmyEXes]

Over the weekend I reassembled everything to do with the power steering with the exception of the steering shaft. The grease gun that I last used Friday October 11th 2019 (before my surgery) on the Merc Mountaineer RH upper control arm replacement decided to play hide and seek. Actually it turned into more of an archaeological dig before I found it. I know that I have a hard time throwing things away and sometimes the better things get hidden under other stuff. My wife calls it hoarding. I say that I hate to throw away anything that I might can use later.
Back in February I made a video of the 4.0 SOHC running after the front chain guide repair. It all sounds really good. I was unable to upload the video.
Question: Do I need remote hosting for the video? Maybe if I email it to @donalds or someone else that has access to remote hosting then all of you can see/hear it run. It will be this weekend before I can put the steering shaft and column back in.
More later...

 

[donalds]

Over the weekend I reassembled everything to do with the power steering with the exception of the steering shaft. The grease gun that I last used Friday October 11th 2019 (before my surgery) on the Merc Mountaineer RH upper control arm replacement decided to play hide and seek. Actually it turned into more of an archaeological dig before I found it. I know that I have a hard time throwing things away and sometimes the better things get hidden under other stuff. My wife calls it hoarding. I say that I hate to throw away anything that I might can use later.
Back in February I made a video of the 4.0 SOHC running after the front chain guide repair. It all sounds really good. I was unable to upload the video.
Question: Do I need remote hosting for the video? Maybe if I email it to @donalds or someone else that has access to remote hosting then all of you can see/hear it run. It will be this weekend before I can put the steering shaft and column back in.
More later...

Just post a link to the vid and I should play I think
Or pm me

 

[allmyEXes]

Finally I was able to drive the white 1997 white over graphite 4.0 SOHC powered 2WD Explorer. 147,838 miles on it. I messaged @410Fortune several times about the steering column and shifter cable etc. and he was very patient with me and very informative. I had gotten a little too rough with the column when I was reinstalling the intermediate steering shaft and I bent and broke the top end of the $52- cable. "One either pays to go to school or pays to go to school". That means if I had been "formally trained" I may not break the parts that I have to spend good money on to replace. The most important lesson from this is "Don't make the same mistake twice"
Many of you have been following along "Primary and Drivers side chain guide tensioner replace along with the adjustable chain tensioner install".
I shouldn't be posting much more having to do with this but I am hoping to add a video of the engine running and I will do a 6 month update too.
Thanks for everyone's help on this along the way and I did deliberately purchase a 4.0 SOHC powered truck with timing chain issues to learn about these engines. I spent $400 on the truck and it came with nearly new matched set of tires on it. Of course there is the money spent on parts too and my time.
Thanks y'all, you all and yous guys, Greg

 

[allmyEXes]

I was going to do an update at the 6 month mark however I have been driving it 4 weeks and put just over 500 miles on the truck/SUV/vehicle. My neighbor ask me why I call it a truck? I said "slide up under it and tell me it isn't".
on my way home today when I pulled out on the main drag it stumbled a bit. I drove a steady 4 miles and as I was taking a right, the engine died. Several possibilities pooped in my head. The first being a bad dose of fuel, 2nd a weak fuel pump. Later I plugged in the hand held scanner and was only getting a p 0401 code. Link to explanation of the code I opened the hood and as it turns out the 3/4" hard plastic line that plugs in the rubber bellows between the mass air sensor and the throttle body was unplugged. I plugged it back in and started it up and it idles again. Tomorrow I will flush the ECM and see if the code comes back. I already want to clean the DPFE.
It has been running/driving really well. The manual tensioner on the front chain is doing real good. I still need to install the right side one for the rear chain. I have a list of 6 issues that need dealt with. 7 including the 2nd manual tensioner
1)Replace all brake pads
2)Replace triple set of bushing in the passenger front window motor
3)Right front air bag impact sensor need the wires soldered and heat shrinked
4)Install rear hatch handle
5)Push button door entry code needs to be copied off of box in left rear quarter panel and de-program auto-lock feature
6)Find and replace bad ABS sensor
7)Install RH passenger side manual timing chain tensioner
Overall it is a really good vehicle and a lot of money had been spent recently on several front end components and a set of tires. It also has several LED bulbs here and there and a fairly new set of Euro style clear lens headlamp capsule assemblies.
More later!

 

[drdoom]

Nice work, Greg. Always enjoy your updates.

I will be looking forward to hearing about the window, I believe I have the same problem. Window slows down three times and barely closes. I don't use it anymore, for fear it may not close back up.
Take care, hope you are doing well.
Doc

 

[donalds]

No need to reset the ecu but u can

I wouldn't clean the dpfe unless you are ready to buy a new one them little bugs are fragile

 

[allmyEXes]

@donalds I may just clean the EGR valve at some point. I remember now I took the DPFE off of this one and put on the blue '97 and vice/versa when I was chasing down an issue on the blue one. I may have "created" the issue on the white '97.
Thanks too all for the help and comments!

 

[allmyEXes]

Today I got to the 998 mileage mark since I got "GW" running. Sometimes I refer to the trucks by their names, sometimes @#&#*%. It depends.
The white over "graphite" '97 is doing well since all that it and me have been through. I'm a good "mechanic" and learning how to be a "technician". These newer vehicles with their computers and codes are a new thing for me. I cut my teeth on 1965 Mustangs and they are not nearly as complicated as all of this newer stuff. I first learned to drive a "three on the tree" 1954 Ford pick-up.
Back to the update.
The vehicle is doing well and today I was able to solder and heat shrink the air bag sensor wires that were damaged. The indicator light went out and stayed out.
Later I installed the manual tensioner on the RH head (4.0 SOHC) and adjusted it and everything seems to have gone well with that. Thanks @410Fortune and to the guy in Hawaii or the Philippines who did this first, from scratch. Say your name or someone give him credit.
So anyway, all is going good with "GW".... white over graphite... 1997 4.0 SOHC.

 

[donalds]

Happy I posted that vid
Happy it's working out for you so far