Pulling boat 94 XLT

[twink90]

We just bought a boat and I have no clue if our explorer can pull this safely. I can't even find out how much the boat weighs! Says everything except weight on title. The boat is a 1986 bayliner 1950 Capri fish & ski 19ft. My dad hauled it home yesterday for us with his 04 1/2 ton chevy. He said the trailer handled great, but he thought the boat was heavy.

I did read to install a trans cooler? My main concern is we have never pulled anything with the ford. Not to mention whenever we go up a hill there is loud engine pinging. Plus you drop 5-10 mph as you go up hill. Always been there, tried better gas, added all sorts of stuff I found on this forum to help with this. Our mechanic did clean up the carbon build up but that didn't help much.

Our explorer is a manual 5spd by the way. Not sure if a clutch would make a differance in pulling a boat or not.

Sorry I have no more info about boat. I am waiting to hear from Bayliner on finding an owners manual to get boat weight. I am sure we can get it in the water, but can we pull it back out of water and up a wet ramp?

Thank so much
Becky & Darwin

 

[m4dc0w]

I pull a 2007 bayliner br185 with no problems. And I can't see it being any heavier than mine, with a 4.6L V8 engine.

-mc

 

[marragtop]

Are you planning on hooking it to the bumper, or install a frame hitch?

 

[Exploderpilot]

Your ex will be able to handle the boat fine with a healthy motor, but that uphill engine noise without a load bothers me! I would get that checked out before i pulled the boat uphill if I were you.

 

[Willard]

Are your spark plugs and wires in good shape? You may also clean your MAF if you haven't, this is a common cause for the pinging. Besides that, just be easy on it, and you should be fine.

Oh yea, I wouldn't tow with the bumper very much. They're really not strong enough to do any real towing. So if you don't have a frame-mounted hitch already, I would look into buying one. Be easy on the clutch, of course, too.

 

[twink90]

New plugs & wires

The following has all been done to this explorer in the last couple months.

Upper & lower ball joints front
Wheel bearings inner & outer front
New plugs
new wires
New Fuel filter
oil changed every 3,000 miles
New water pump
New Egr Valve
New Egr Sensor
Egr Removed & cleaned passages
Checked MAF & cleaned carbon build up off

Engine light has always come on, clear codes, still comes on. Paid to have it read and they said nothing was wrong. My fuel mileage has decreased from 280 a tank to 230 in the last couple months!

I just want to fish, and our other car is a KIA RIO! Odds are the Kia will not help. We only live about 15 miles from a couple lakes so we would not drive it far. I just didn't want to get down the ramp, and not be able to pull the boat out. Neither of us have owned a boat before, so we are kind of going into this blind. We fish daily on land, but never could afford a boat. Still can't, but our farrier is trading the boat for work on his farm.

We will be installing the hitch that goes under the truck. We also have to put the light plug in. I don't see one, but there is a ball on the bumper. We will not be pulling from the bumper.

The engine ping has always been there since we bought it. I do notice the temp goes up slightly when the pinging starts as we go up hill.

Thanks so much for all your help, by the way.

 

[Willard]

I actually have the same problem with the CEL and gas mileage, and have been battling it for a year or so now. No idea.

You should be able to pull it up the ramp, but remember, if you can't, 4-low is always there. Just be careful with it on the solid ground.

 

[marragtop]

Make sure the 4x4 works, you shouldn't have any problem pulling it up the ramp with a good hitch. Regarding the pinging.... does it do it at all RPMs when going uphill, or if you down shift, does the pinging stop?

 

[twink90]

It does it in all gears if you push it. The harder you accelerate, the louder the ping/rattle. I normally keep it in 4th if there many hills. If you let out on gas, the noise does go away. Of course I end up topping a hill at 45 instead of 55.

 

[marragtop]

Probably a dumb question, but have you checked the timing?

 

[Willard]

Probably a dumb question, but have you checked the timing?

Even if he did, there's nothing to be done. The computer controls the timing. It would only be off if a sensor went haywire, and would likely not run then.

 

[twink90]

Well I never even thought of that. I suppose simple things are farthest from my mind. Well that, and I am a women and a blonde! Not to stereotype myself or anything.

I wonder if that could possibly explain the way it starts up. Sometimes it revs up high then dies. Starts right up then revs up and idols down normally. Other times it starts but is barely idoling, almost sputtering like it wants to die. You step on gas and hesitates bad, then starts going. Drives fine after that.

thanks so much

 

[Crankcase]

To get the boat and trailer weight, drive over a truck scale when it is closed, and look at the weight with just the trailer on the scale......As for the trailer plug, look up under the bumper, there should be a factory harness there, you can get the adaptor for the end of that.

 

[The exploder]

Let me guess here the pinging only comes when you are going up hill and sometimes when you hammer it.............My ex was doing the same thing it turned out to be the rockers.......Hopefully not your problem..........Happy boating!!!!!!!!!!!
James

 

[twink90]

Thats exactly what our explorer does. Has for the last two years we have owned it. We have tried about everything, and even had it in the shop a couple times. Noone has said a word, we keep getting told its just engine noise. You let off gas or go easy and little to no noise. The harder you push gas, the louder you hear ping & rattle.

I have no idea what the rocker is, but I suppose I may want to look into it. Of course you did not make it sound promising.

 

[Gatorblazer]

Uphill, towing, in a Ford. The noise is normal. Every Ford that I have had has that rattle. Its like owning a Chevy, you know its going to leak; or a Dodge, you know it will leave you stranded.

 

[The exploder]

What i meant by rockers was your rockers in your engine they wear out and produce a click type noise.....I wasnt even towing when i heard the clicking.........bad news is if you dont do it yourself it can be a little pricey!!!!