Pugly

The Good, The Bad, & the Pugly

1994 Purple Explorer XLT 4wd

I decided to have a registry for my "Other" rig so I can post things done and have a reference for it.

Pretty much stock drive train.

4.0 OHV-A4ld-1354e.
D35 front 4:56 Yukon gears, Aussie Locker.
2nd gen disc 8.8 rear 4:56 gears, Spartan Locker.

Front C-Clip eliminator Mod.

Slight lift with 2" Skyjacker coils & rear F-150 hybrid leaf packs.

3" PA body lift
Helpful thread with pics for the front body mounts
Pics of front body lift mounts

Swapped to manual hubs.
Double U-joint XJ steering shaft.

33" x 12.5" x 15" Cooper Discoverer ATX3, mounted on 15"x10" AR Outlaw1 alum wheels - full size matching spare.

Shocks:
Front Rancho 9000xl
Rear Rancho 9000xl
Duff Stabilizer shock.

Sway bar quick disconnects front & rear.
Custom tube sliders w/kickouts

22" LED light bar.
18w amber fog Led pods.
55w rock lights--2 front--1 rear over diff.
8 LED pods for rocker lights.

Full brush guard.
2.5" Fender Flares.

TTB Diff guard & Skid plate.

Custom roof rack with 48" Extreme Hi-Lift jack.

Flipped Tow hitch & front hooks for tow points.

Cobra19 CB & rear hatch mounted firestick antenna.
Rear view HD camera.
JVC DVD/CD/MP3 Head unit with 7" HD Monitor.
Sony 6.5" front speakers.
Rockford Fosgate 5.25" component rear speakers.
8" JL Audio sub in 2001 enclosure with 500w amp mounted on enclosure.

Custom made center console with CB/Rear view color monitor/2-12v outlets/ in-out temp display. D cell Maglite mounted on cargo panel. Truck bed liner on cargo floor.
Custom Cargo storage box with topside spare tire mount.

'99 Eddie Bauer Front Leather buckets.
'94 Limited Rear leather split bench.

 

[gmanpaint]

Lowered with the stock shackles and its sitting even once again.

Thanks for the shackles Jon.

I jacked up the front end and tested all ball joints, and tie rods. Also checked the spindle nuts. EVERYTHING is fine. Why I am getting the wobble with the 33" tires is beyond me. I put them on the 95 and they ride smooth as glass. So it's not the tires causing it.

I am going to go ahead and get a stabilizer for it and see if it helps any.

EDIT: Looks like after talking with the 1st gen guru Maniak, I am going to replace the radius arm bushings with a set of +/-2* adjustable Moog bushings before a stabilizer bar is installed. Hoping thats all it is. (fingers crossed)

 

[gmanpaint]

No more CEL! Woot!

After the new style DPFE was installed, the new vac lines were on wrong.

The old style had the ports in a different place then the new style is located. I just had em backasswards. LOL

 

[lynchy wa]

Damn mate, if only all fixes were that simple! Great news!

 

[gmanpaint]

Sweet as sweet as can be for as long as it lasts Lynchy..lol

With the record setting high temps around here, I had to install the fan shroud back on. I kind of put it off over the winter, & spaced it off..whoops...

The coolant system got flushed a while back, new upper & lower hoses, new T-stat, cleaned the clutch fan, and now the fan shroud back on. Ok..lets use the A/C now. Ahh..works so nice. What a relief. Cruising around town, looking at all the people that have the windows down, pouring sweat porfusely and a look of misery in their face. I would talk to them to ease their stress, but I can't. The windows are up and the A/C is cranking keeping the cabin temps a chilly 65* on a 100* day. Woot! Sorry all you out of luck, no A/C working, heat stroking, red faced, road raged, poor folk.














Wait..whats that? The temp needle is in the middle and slowly rising? Hmm..Shut it down....back to boiling cab temps, and joining my friends above in the 4x4 oven.

:roll::thumbdwn:

 

[lynchy wa]

Bloody karma can be a ***** mate! Any idea's on the root of the problem?

 

[gmanpaint]

Not sure, but I am going to try and Burp the system again and hope it's just air trapped causing the problem.

 

[lynchy wa]

Finger's crossed mate. I can't get me head around the fact that it work's for a while then start's to overheat. Then again the lump sum of my a/c knowledge is push a button, cold air comes out.........mostly. Good luck amigo.

 

[gmanpaint]

A/C never stopped working, thats all good. The engine itself is getting hot.

 

[lynchy wa]

Ahhhh.....I think I'll just go and sit in the corner with my dunce cap on.

 

[gmanpaint]

Ruh Roh!

Trans problem has arose

After shifting to 2nd gear, its only half there. Rpm's climb and feels as if it is hardly grabbing. Once it shifts to 3rd gear, all is well. I don't know if this is what they call a shift flare or not, but I am going to try to adjust the intermediate band and see if it helps any. Oh, and also check the modulator for ATF in the vac line while I'm at it.

I have a feeling, this is where the trans starts to say goodbye.

 

[crazyflights]

I know someone that prolly has everything u need to swap to 5spd

 

[gmanpaint]

I know someone that prolly has everything u need to swap to 5spd

Oh no, not in the work rig. It is staying automatic.

I had to go get a 1/4" in/lb torque wrench, but couldn't find a new torq nut for the band adjuster anywhere today. I will try to keep the old ones. Too hot to do it today, so early AM I will give it a go. Gawd I hope its either that or something simple like a bad modulator

 

[Willard]

I had a similar issue with my transmission, except worse. I don't think I even had second gear, and it was interesting to get it to shift into third. Turned out my intermediate band was broken completely. After that was fixed and I freshened up the inside it was fine. Well, until the torque converter failed and messed up other things leading to its demise.

But you probably either have a loose intermediate band, or one starting to break. No way to know until you adjust it though.

 

[gmanpaint]

But you probably either have a loose intermediate band, or one starting to break. No way to know until you adjust it though.

Funny you mention that, because upon trying to adjust the intermediate band, it broke.

I am in the middle of dropping the trans right now. I am going to attempt a re-build myself with a little help from a retired mechanic to supervise me along the way. 1st time for everything

 

[gmanpaint]

Got it stripped down as far as I wanna go with it today. All thats left is the cooler lines, housing bolts and convertor nuts. I am going to wait for a helper this weekend to drop it out.

Heat today and the rest of the week is hovering around 100*...ack!

 

[Willard]

Don't be too intimidated, I did it with no prior experience and it all worked out. Sucks you have to go through so much of the transmission just to get to that one stupid band.


Good luck.

 

[gmanpaint]

Transmission is out and getting a de-greaser soaking right now.

Hardest part was getting to everything on top of the bell housing, and the cooler lines off. Left the exhaust alone thanks to the 3" body lift. The Cat convertor was in the way for the cooler lines, but I managed by going thru the wheel well.

I did find trans fluid in the Modulator vac line, and I bet that's what the problem was to begin with.

The tear down begins in the AM.

 

[lynchy wa]

X2 on the good luck mate.

 

[gmanpaint]

Thanks guys.

Trans is completely tore down and inspected. All clutches and steels look like new. Even the O/D drum clutches look new,

Drums are perfect, Planetary's are perfect, and not a shaving or particle to be found anywhere in the trans or fluids.

The band is the only thing found to be wrong with it. The modulator did fail tho.

So now the decision has to be made to get a master rebuild kit, or just a new band & gasket set.

 

[gmanpaint]

The broken intermediate band...

Bell housing removed

Underside of trans

Valve body

looking down into the trans at the reverse drum set up

The clamping tool used for doing the clutches