toyotaspeed90
Member
- Joined
- March 16, 2012
- Messages
- 29
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- Year, Model & Trim Level
- Multiple
I'm starting to get fed up with the bad designs Ford has incorporated into this Explorer.
I spent the better part of 2 hours trying to remove the exhaust manifold bolts from the head. Why did this take so long? Ford used the SMALLEST and longest possible exhaust manifold bolts I've ever seen. These bolts rust up like crazy and you can't use a regular ratchet & needed a breaker bar. In order to make sure the bolts don't strip I had to use a 6 point socket.... but since I was limited by the rotation of the bar I had to rotate the bolt, then rotate the socket on the breaker, then go again.
Then I snapped 4 of the 12 bolts (and amazed it wasn't more). Why? Because Ford used the smallest possible bolts possible. I can't fathom who thought it was a smart idea to use M8 x 75mm bolts for an exhaust manifold - where the steel of the bolt is degraded every single time you start the engine. I'm used to smart engineering in Toyota's where they use M12 bolts no longer than an 1.5" long... in the 50+ old/high mileage Toyota's I've worked on and owned I've ever only had to replace 3 exhaust manifold studs... because they stripped out from prior owners using an impact wrench to tighten, not because of bad engineering.
To further the nuissance - one of the bolts is located behind the EGR tube... which also rusts between the nut and the pipe and upon removal the pipe caves in on itself and destroys the pipe.
Even worse? Ford wants.... per exhaust manifold bolt (again, an M8 x ~3")... $15 per bolt?!?!?!?!?!? How much for that 10" egr tube? $68....
F*** Off, Ford. The hardware store was $0.62 per bolt (and that was the more expensive store) and I also now get to spend $100+ on machine work to get these damn broken bolts out.... not to mention I had to spend ~$500 on the rockers, push rods, and lifters as is.... that EGR tube will be cut and rewelded for just a couple dollars... no way in hell I'm giving Ford the satisfaction of price gouging me.
All of this because the lifters needed replacing... which Ford designed the engine so that the heads must be removed to replace.... all stemming from bad design.
I'm working on this at a friends place who has a huge/wide/lifted 97 explorer... he had big plans to boost and do additional work... after seeing the nightmare that is this pile he's seriously considering selling it. He fears the day he has to do any type of work like this.
Considering the RV we just picked up has a Ford 460 in it... I'm also seriously considering selling the Explorer once fixed and geting something 1/2 way decent to work on so that I don't have 2 piles of Ford crap to deal with.....
I spent the better part of 2 hours trying to remove the exhaust manifold bolts from the head. Why did this take so long? Ford used the SMALLEST and longest possible exhaust manifold bolts I've ever seen. These bolts rust up like crazy and you can't use a regular ratchet & needed a breaker bar. In order to make sure the bolts don't strip I had to use a 6 point socket.... but since I was limited by the rotation of the bar I had to rotate the bolt, then rotate the socket on the breaker, then go again.
Then I snapped 4 of the 12 bolts (and amazed it wasn't more). Why? Because Ford used the smallest possible bolts possible. I can't fathom who thought it was a smart idea to use M8 x 75mm bolts for an exhaust manifold - where the steel of the bolt is degraded every single time you start the engine. I'm used to smart engineering in Toyota's where they use M12 bolts no longer than an 1.5" long... in the 50+ old/high mileage Toyota's I've worked on and owned I've ever only had to replace 3 exhaust manifold studs... because they stripped out from prior owners using an impact wrench to tighten, not because of bad engineering.
To further the nuissance - one of the bolts is located behind the EGR tube... which also rusts between the nut and the pipe and upon removal the pipe caves in on itself and destroys the pipe.
Even worse? Ford wants.... per exhaust manifold bolt (again, an M8 x ~3")... $15 per bolt?!?!?!?!?!? How much for that 10" egr tube? $68....
F*** Off, Ford. The hardware store was $0.62 per bolt (and that was the more expensive store) and I also now get to spend $100+ on machine work to get these damn broken bolts out.... not to mention I had to spend ~$500 on the rockers, push rods, and lifters as is.... that EGR tube will be cut and rewelded for just a couple dollars... no way in hell I'm giving Ford the satisfaction of price gouging me.
All of this because the lifters needed replacing... which Ford designed the engine so that the heads must be removed to replace.... all stemming from bad design.
I'm working on this at a friends place who has a huge/wide/lifted 97 explorer... he had big plans to boost and do additional work... after seeing the nightmare that is this pile he's seriously considering selling it. He fears the day he has to do any type of work like this.
Considering the RV we just picked up has a Ford 460 in it... I'm also seriously considering selling the Explorer once fixed and geting something 1/2 way decent to work on so that I don't have 2 piles of Ford crap to deal with.....