410Fortune - 96 5.0L XLT refurbish (making 1 great Ex from 2) | Page 27 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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410Fortune - 96 5.0L XLT refurbish (making 1 great Ex from 2)

Okay here we go 09/13/05

In march of 05 I rolled my new to me 96 5.0L AWD 86K miles, just after driving it back to CO from OR and putting $1000 into it. You see I bought this truck from my brother with 86K miles on the clock, it would not pass emissions for him and he drove it into the ground. This was the same explorer he bought new when I got the BII from him for $500 12 something years ago.
Well I payed him $500 for the green Explorer and $1000 later (shocks, tune up, 02 sensors, etc) it was in primo condition. Then I rolled it in an ice storm...
RIP 96 EB:
2893expldr-med.jpg

exafter.jpg


So in April my buddy Brett found this great deal here in town for a 96 XLT 5.0L AWD, $900 is what I paid, it has front end damage and air bags deployed, picked it up from a fellow board member:
2893drives.jpg



After the wreck the owner put in a new radiator and battery so it could be driven.
The truck has sat since April of this year, untouched, until this morning.
I have been preparing my new garage to accept my new project, and well she's ready, so today is the day I am driving this truck home.
To my disbelief this truck had no problem and started right up after sitting since April!

Here are some "before" shots:
Font end damage, sagging T bars, new rad:
beforework1.jpg

No airbags, interior is in great shape! (just needs TLC):
interiorbefore1.jpg

Rear:
rear.jpg

It has some "issues". Like steering extension is rubbing the manifold (3" body lift), no dipstick:
dipstickmissing.jpg

No fan, No ac condensor, and no trans cooler:
nofan.jpg


This is a 1996 5.0L AWD XLT with 151K miles on the clock.
Truck is loaded with sunroof, leather, tint, etc.
Previous owner installed 3" body lift and 33" tires.
Alot of things have been "rigged" but it runs and drives fine!

I will be completely removing the front clip, everything except the frame and inner fenders will be cut out. The entire drivetrain will be pulled (too many miles), the entire front end will be fixed, new bushings, bearings, new steering rack, torsio bar twist, shocks, brakes, etc.

the body lift will be fixed and or reduced to 1-2". the rear bumper will be re-located.

The drivetrain from my green 96 will be installed into this truck, along with alot of other "donor" parts.

The front clip will then be replaced using factory metal replacements, welding in new rad support, and then prepped for paint.

truck needs new windshield, airbags, and alot of TLC.


My long term plans for this truck include: "long travel" 4x4 IFS suspension lift (dixon bro's Camburg, etc). Stereo, tow package, SOA, low range T case, and custom everything else.
This is my "other" baby, and in keeping with tradition she will have the heart of my brothers old truck, just like the BII was his and run into the ground, so was "part" of this one.

Still no car payment after 12+ years.
 



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basically all the vacuum wiring and electrical where it's supposed to be routed, and how the spark plug wires go. it's been so long since i yanked the motor, i forgot where it all goes.
 



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I had no idea where it went when I did the 5.0L in my BII (before I built the 96)!!
I found vacuum diagrams and pictures on this forum, I believe much of the info is in my BII conversion thread..

its pretty simple under the hood of the Explorer, but I can help for sure.... hell I have it memorized by now I dont even have to go look at the truck! I need to remove my upper intake again soon, I have new pushrods and lifters that need to be installed under my roller rockers.....

I also got some 5.0L Cobra valve covers.... oh baby those will clear the rollers and look slick, help with my oil fill tube location too...

The Explorer luckily doesnt need much work right now, she just goes and goes. I picked up a new trans mount for it (stock is history, $18 napa) and the steering shaft needs to be modified to clear my headers...new pushrods and lifters and shes good to go until I can afford paint! (or sport trac front clip LOL)
I pulled snow mobiles all over the state of CO through some crazy white out blizzards and through 2-3' of snow drifted parking lots all winter (Dec- April). She never asked for anything and has proven VERY reliable and still turns heads. 12,000 with 3000# of snowmobile trailer in 4 low trying to make it to the trail head is no joke! I wonder if Ford ever thought a Gen II ex would be doing such things :) LOL

Likely 17-18" rims some day, I'll stick with 33" tires for my daily driver / tow monster :)
I also have a spare GT40P 5.0L and 4r70w trans, I am itching to rebuild my own engine and trans.... question is which truck gets the 331 or 347 and built 4r70w? Explorer or BII????



Still dreaming of reducing the body lift to 2" and going with a Dixon/Deaver suspension
Tube bender is coming someday soon, already aquired chop saw and mig welder... after that its on like Donkey Kong (bumpers, sliders, etc)
 






went to turn key today and heard a hissing from one of my passenger side back injectors :(

looks like it's back to square one for me....

if you wouldn't mind checking your pm's I'd appreciate it there 410.
 






another thing I noticed..I bought this mountaineer with a hydrolocked motor and when I hooked the battery up today, I could hear one of the relays by the battery box in the fenderwell area clicking every other second or so...does that mean i have a short or that the relay is bad?
 












how do you find these deals?! 900 dollars for a decent ex. i wish i could find that around here. lol.
 






Blacksheep, actually the deal was found by mu buddy Brett right here on this forum.
$900 got me a 96 V8 with no fan, no trans cooler, a new radiator, two deployed airbags, a slipping transmission, a wrecked front end, beat up undercarriage, and a tired 5.0L

It did have a 3" body lift, some worn 33" mudders, and a whole lot of rock rash underneath! It took alot of work and $$$ to get her to where she sits today.

Yes it was still a fantastic deal, but $900 is about all it was worth sadly...

I find deals like this on Craigslist

We have less then $2000 in James 97 XLT, that truck was a good deal!! They are out there!!
 












thanks for the link, chrome is not what I want and I saw that! I cruise CL every day LOL, like I need more junk!

Yesterday 06/19 I crushed the old 96 truck finally... pretty sure my neighbors were sick of looking at thet SOB on top of the flatbed on the side of the house with seats sticking out the windows... she weighed just over 2000# with what was left of the body and interior, I got paid $190... not bad considering I paid $500 for the truck! LOL

RIP
2893expldr-med.jpg


Her spirit lives on in my other 96 Ex (drivetrain and more), also in James 97 Ex (wheels and tires) My "new" 96 is now going under the knife again:

new trans mount
new valve covers (cobra stang)
new pushrods
new lifters
copper header gaskets
new rear leafs (from crushed truck)

later this summer she'll need new tires, this Explorer has been VERY good to me, it runs like a dream every single day with no maintenece and alot of abuse

Now that the BII is fixed and out of the garage, the explorer is going in.....
 






explorer has been getting some goodies
I need to get the ol 96 into perfect working order, get rid of the final bugs I have been avoiding for a bit.
I want to be able to drive her ALOT in the next 6 months as I build the Bronco

I couldnt resist the new projector headlights
I LOVE the look of the black side markers and lamps I had previously, but the light output was sketchy. I planned to mod them into projectors someday and then BLAM! Aftermarket to the rescue!

The install as seen:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=231239&page=4

full write up:
new lights arrive, 15# for shipping:
IMG_2542.JPG


So I took them apart:
apart.JPG


First remove old lights, side markers, grill
also remove all stock light adjusters:
stockremoved.JPG


I test fitted them to find my 97 Mercury Mounty header panel needed a bit of clearancing for a perfect fit, marked with sharpie:
uppercut.JPG

lowercut.JPG


Cut with round, flat files, small saw, and pliers, 10 min per side:
ucutafter.JPG

lcutafter.JPG


Pass side:
headercut.jpg
 






Now after some testing of the wiring and the new lights I decided to make a few changes.
I wanted the flat light bar (above the projector) to illuminate yellow and flash with the turn signal
So I installed some 194 yellow marker bulbs:
yellow.JPG


and I made the following wiring changes:
wires1.JPG

This is the stock (truck side) light socket for the top turn signal

It attaches to the new light here:
mod1.jpg


yellow bulbs go here:
mod2.jpg


Now to cut the wires:
wirecut.JPG


brown CUT WIRE from truck now becomes power for halo's (parking lamp 12V+ feed)
mod3.jpg


1. Green from new light wired to brown, truck side (now + for halo ballast, from above)
2. Black from new light tapped into black ground (- for halo ballast, from above)
3. brown power feed to new yellow bulbs tapped into white/green (signal flasher from truck)
---ONLY DO #3 if you want your flat bar to be a turn signal not parking lamp as intended from manufacturer---
signalwire.jpg


now to fit the light
Wires route in prep for light (for best fit), ballsts go through the holes the wires are coming from
wireroute.JPG


light wired in prep for fitting:
lightwired.JPG

Note bluew socket on top right, red and black wires get pushed into the light and tan colored plastic fitting is twisted into the housing
turn signal bulb also gets pressed and turned into housing
not pictured, not lots of room to work here

NOW the grill goes on, it is not easy to get the lights through the grill and grill around lights, very carefully here:
grillscrew.JPG


Then the lights go in, press in 3 places like factory side marker and two top screws hold them in place
grill installed
CIMG0054.JPG


ballast is hung, I dont trust 2 sided tape behind the grill for long:
ballast1.JPG


I removed the battery and also zip tied the other ballast in place as well as loose wiring

installed!
CIMG0056.JPG


Oops fitment issue with grill:
fitbefore.JPG


the humps on top of the new lights dont clear:
problembumps.JPG


cut some plastic away with air grinder, careful here:
problemgone.JPG


Perfect fitment, I am impressed with the engineering in these new lights ($$$$$$$):
fitafter.JPG

sidefitafter.JPG



Bulbs are Sylvania Extra Vision, high and low beams (h3 and H1)
LIGHTS HAVE NOT BEEN AIMED yet

Lows:
lows.JPG


Highs:
highs.JPG


halo's:
halos.JPG


Video of the functions, note the yellow bulbs were not installed yet here:
http://fortuneelevatorconsultants.com/XLT/lights/xltlights.wmv
 






Great Writeup! Do you think the light output is better then the stock housing, and the aftermarket clear housings?

Nice work.
 






Lookin spiffy, nice Ford badge in place of the Mounty one:p:
 






Wow, excellent work and dedication! I wish I had your energy!
 






Mic my motivation is no car payment for 15+ years and I can build them the way Ford should have.


The light output far exceeds factory, clear, and the black diamond housings.
Next step would be HID of course... but I am very pleased with these lights they are quite a production LOL lots of lights going on......
 






truck is getting a steering column drop
(yes thats right drop, to help with steering agles due to the body lift

new (junk yard) intermediate shaft and remand rack and pinion today...

also doing drivers side tm header copper gasket (did passenger months ago) and 8 new spark plugs

Cant wait to drive her to the car wash, shes almost 100% mechanically and ready for paint :)
started this thread 4 years ago now! WOW
 






What are your plans for paint?
 






I know how to aim headlights, but how do you aim these aftermarket ones?
 






this color

201903139_3146a5858e.jpg
 



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