supercharged 5.0 true fire 98 explorer sport

hi everyone, my name is tim . i live in selkirk, manitoba, canada and as if this date that i am posting this, i am 36 years old.

i bought my sport in jan 05 from a local ford dealer. it had 111,000KM's on it. this is the second sport i have owned. it was sitting on the lot for about 8 months before i came along. i am the third owner (i was able to track down the person that traded it in, and they got it from a friend, who bought it new in 98).

i started to do a few things to it after i first got it, then i found this site, and all hell broke lose! i've never been satisfied with something the everyone else has, so i started to tinker with it even more.

mods include

interior

installed factory tilt, cruise, overhead console, auto dimming mirror, full length console, with a message center (it didn't have these from factory).

white face with blue flames indigo gauge covers (they light up blue)
blue l.e.d. everything
white l.e.d. interior lights
Kenwood DDX392 Touch Screen Head Unit
alpine 4 channel amp (all four speakers)
boston acoustic front and rear speakers
alpine mono amp (for sub)
2 12 inch jl audio subs
rockford fosgate cap
passenger side one touch window down mod.
custom transfer case shifter
tripple a pillar gauge pod, housing autometer boost, Innovate LC-1 wideband, and oil pressure gauge
12v power inverter with 120v plug in a 2 usb plugs built into the center console

exterior

BMW E46 projectors, mounted into stock housings using clear lens
6000K HID head lights
angel eye "driving" lights, with 8000k h.i.d.'s
clear parking/corner lights
billet grill (powder coated by Turdle)
blacked out ford emblems
custom front steel 95-98 bumper, with 4 inch round tubes welded in for driving lights
shaved radio antenna
shaved roof rack
black euro tall lights
l.e.d. license plate lights
smoked out 3rd break light
lund rear tailgate spoiler/wing (formally from the truck "blackjack" owned by EF member Spas)
hand made roll pan (made from 3 1/2 rear bumpers, with 1/4 inch diamond plate on the top, and it is removable)
aluminum T/A differential griddle/cover (powder coated by Turdle)
Motegi Mr107 20' rims
goodyear wrangler hp p245/50 r20
1 1/4 wheel spacer in the rear, 3/8 in front
and most noticeable, black with blue pearl paint, and blue true fire (ground effects are black with blue pearl as well)

Suspension

2 inch lowering blocks in the rear, reverse TT in the front (2 inch as well)
Explorer Express rear sway bar
4 door leaf springs
rancho rs9000 adjustable rear shocks
03-05 sport trac spindles with drilled and slotted rotors

performance

5L swap
347 stroker
TFS twisted wedge alum heads
comp gold 1.6 rockers
comp cams CCA-35-556-8 nitro cam
heavily modified edelbrock victor jr air gap intake (which serves as a valley pan now)
eaton m122 supercharger (metco 2.70 pulley, and ASP 8 rib 7 1/4 crank pulley) with custom made mount with bell intercooler core
8 rib serpentine belt conversion using pulleys from a 7.3 powerstroke
custom made 3 1/2 inch throttle body elbow
accufab 75mm throttle body
4 inch intake pipe
PMASS MH90 90mm Universal 3000 KG/HR MAF
amsoil cone filter
F.A.S.T. 60lb injectors
edelbrock fuel rails, trick flow specialties fuel pressure regulator with summit racing fuel pressure gauge
walbro 255lph fuel pump
1/2 inch steel braided fuel pressure line from tank to rail using 8AN fittings
torque monster headers
2 1/2 duel pipes with flowpro duel in and out 2 1/2 single muffler
accel extreme 9000 ceramic 45 degree plug wires with boot protectors
4R70W w/2600 stall with J mod
tuff stuff 200a alternator
tuning made possible with sct pro-racer package, and tuned with major help from member [MENTION=102869]Dono[/MENTION] and [MENTION=81804]4pointslow[/MENTION]
flex a lite duel 12 inch electric fans
big 3 upgrade (4 gauge wires)
meziere innercooler water pump
2 froozenboost innercooler rads

Transfer case

4406 manual shift from a 97 F150
modified stock trans cross member to accept 93 mustang 5L polyurethane tans mount
double cardan rear drive shaft

because of all the "fun" i had doing the bodywork, and some other things to my truck, i have nick named it "evil dora" or if you like, just plane "evil"!
and now the thank yous

my buddy gord leiss, who let this thing sit in his garage for 3 months while i did the body work to it. he also gave me a hand with some of the prep work, and painted it for me

kevin willson for doing the true fire http://affordableairbrushing.ca/

Joe Bukoski for letting me do the 5L/4406 swap in his garage

now people from this site, weather they knew it or not, they helped

BIG THANKS to tara a.k.a. explorersport77 for pictures of her truck. wouldn't been able to build the roll pan with out them!

ExplorerSport77's X "Hotness"

jon a.k.a. Turdle for selling me some real swanky rear shackles, as well as powder coating the diff cover and sending them up to canada. as well as much needed info on v8, and 4406 swaps as well as doing the grill and showing me how its done.

don aka dono for the help with the tuning, and wideband, as well as the supercharger

andy aka ahodges for some parts, and any help i needed for all the go faster goodies

5.0 swap - w/ 4406

jad2411 for finding me a link for my hidden antenna

ryan a.k.a. MustangP51 for doing his write up on making l.e.d.'s for interior lights, and how to make projectors

P51's HID Headlight (Projector) and Fog Conversion (PICS)

and N3ELZ cardomain page for L.E.D. switch and cruise pod mods

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/2002-ford-ranger-regular-cab/page-6
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/2002-ford-ranger-regular-cab/page-12
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/2002-ford-ranger-regular-cab/page-23

bob a.k.a. rwenzing for showing me speedhut's sit for the gauges

Gauges, Custom Gauges, Tachometers, Speedometers, Shift Light, Pod

Buzz4x4 for his write up on blacking out ford emblems

How to Make Your Own Custom Ford Emblems

the late aldive for his write up on one touch down passengers window mod

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=141027&highlight=touch+passengers+window+mod

BIG COUNTRY, for his write up on how to install a auto dimming mirror

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84968

BIG COUNTRY, 98formulaLS1, and Ryon40 for there write ups on how to install a message center

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225017&highlight=BIG+COUNTRY
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80670&highlight=message+center
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245085&highlight=Ryon40

MountaineerGreen for his 4406 swap write up and "Custom" Driveshaft for a 4406 and 4" Superlift on the Cheap " (even tho its lowered

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166726&highlight=awd+4x4+swap
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185232

Simon, aka blueka for his "pickle" thread, and help anytime i picked the phone up the phone on the 5L swap

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=271813

Jon, aka 4pointslow for any MAJOR technical advice i have needed

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219092

i wish i could find who did the write up on the overhead console install, but here is the link

http://www.explorer4x4.com/overhead.htm

Russ aka NICE59FORDF100 for his help on the wiring, and what to watch out for electronically.

hopefully one day, i will be able to help people on here just as much as the people that i have mentioned above!

plus you know you have done something right when.....

your truck (as well as corkey) wins truck of the month

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=296023

is the feature truck on the fun hump day radio show (starts roughly around the 30 min mark)

http://explorerforum.podbean.com/2011/03/23/19-vroom-zoomboom/

and you drive 26 hours ONE WAY to the carlisle all ford nationals in june 2010 and 2011, and grab second place in the s.u.v. all category!

then in 2014 you go back to the same show you have been to 5 years in a row (nothing by most, but its one hell of a long drive) and take first!

 

[vroomzoomboom]

I actually called Holley and asked if I could just buy the lower section of a sniper intake and they said no dice. Beside, there’s more pride if I make it, and more tears if it don’t work! Lol

 

[gmanpaint]

They only make cast intakes right? I was thinking of a thick plate style.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Finished the end caps tonight. Thanks to Dono for picking them up and dropping the alum plate off to my place for me. Saved me a trip into the city. Now I have to wait until Monday to drop them off to the guy that’s going to weld them in for me

 

[Dono]

So its a weld the end caps, and have the whole top milled flat? then build the top blower mount?
Lots of work just on the end pieces, looks great. the welder will be happy with the time you spend keeping the aluminum nice and tight.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

exactly. made them a little higher so all of the top will mill down to the same height.....in a perfect world. then yes, once that is done i will start on the plate the blower sits on. the front has a small gap behind the water neck, but thats because there is a bend there, and i beat the hell out of it, and couldnt get it to curve, so hopefully he can fill it in.

 

[delexploder]

edelbrock E-force for explorers, they do have a small block version but with their blower with the dual 4 or twin tb on top it looks too tall , not to mention over 4 grand u.s. , awesome work cant wait to see it done

 

[4pointslow]

edelbrock E-force for explorers, they do have a small block version but with their blower with the dual 4 or twin tb on top it looks too tall , not to mention over 4 grand u.s. , awesome work cant wait to see it done

Can you post a link to what you are talking about? I googled and only find the new 5.0 stuff.

 

[delexploder]

You're right , i googled e force for sbf , it shows one on summit that sure looks like sbf by the pic but it says sbc , either way Tims setup is similar to an e force and something they should have done

 

[vroomzoomboom]

You're right , i googled e force for sbf , it shows one on summit that sure looks like sbf by the pic but it says sbc , either way Tims setup is similar to an e force and something they should have done

ah, yes however tim's hasnt proven it will work yet. yes, there is a little doubt in the back of my mind.

 

[ahodges]

Are you going to put any bracing through the center of that? Maybe your thought is that the top blower plate will give it the strength through the middle.

 

[ahodges]

I really want this to work! it will really open up the possibilities.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Are you going to put any bracing through the center of that? Maybe your thought is that the top blower plate will give it the strength through the middle.

i dont think its going to need a brace. the plate should be enough for it not to warp or move around.

I really want this to work! it will really open up the possibilities.

oh, i know your watching this lol. if it all works my plan is to somehow copy the measurements and send them your way. i know the only reason why you havent gone m112 is because i couldnt fit a innercooler in it. this one has tons of room. i also know if it works, and i can copy it, your not going to go the m122 route lol

 

[ahodges]

lol, well maybe, maybe not. It depends on your results and how much money I feel like spending!

 

[vroomzoomboom]

well, i go lucky today. dropped the intake back of to the welder, and he also finished the welding that had to be done to it also today

so from there, i also went to the guy (dimas is his name) that will be doing dono's motor for him. don had ordered some edelbrock fuel rails (which are really nice, and a hellova lot less then i paid for my trickflows) and is lending them to me for mock up because his motor wont be ready for a few weeks. i also asked him what he would charge to mill the intake for me. was going to get my buddy that milled the m112 case down for me to do it, but he is away on vacation and wont be back sometime in sept, and i am not sure he will be able to do it. that and having a engine builder do it i might be better off anyway because he has a better idea what needs to be done.....he is also **** af.
when he told me the price he would need, i had said "isnt it funny (kinda but not really) that i have spent as much buying this intake as i will be getting it welded and machined?" his comment was "well, if you cant buy it, what do you do? you have to make it right? you have no other options and sometimes one off's are expensive. plus in the end, you will have something NOBODY will have" he also looked pretty impressed for what has been done so far with what i have to work with.

 

[delexploder]

awesome! cant wait to see it after its next step

 

[4pointslow]

Keep the pictures coming!!!!

 

[Dono]

As you get closer, can you send pics to a company like Bell inter coolers and see what they have to say about making a core fit efficiently.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

i actually called bell a few weeks ago and gave them some ruff measurements on the size i believe i can fit under it. they said that i should have plenty of room for it. now the down side is the cost for one. big $$$. so that wont happen until next year, or 5 bought and sold trucks. what i want to do is have it mounted to a plate from the top side, and put it on the top side of the mount if you can visualise what i am saying. i also plugged some injectors into the rail so i could see where they will land, and how tall it would be. as of now, i am going to have to raise the blower up a inch from what i can see. not a big deal, but i am also trying to figure out how to make a box that will also have the thickness that will allow me to drill holes threw it and also be 2 1/2 to 3 inches tall.

 

[Dono]

Hows the over-all height going to be? Do you think you are still going to clear your hood?
Your in serious uncharted territory here.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

hood will clear with no problems. it will still sit lower then the m112