Blizzard my 94 Explorer Build

[Redneckfordf250]

Well got a question to ask. Figured I should throw it up here. I might start driving this vehicles 40 miles everyday maybe more and I need to make sure everything is good on it. So knowing what I have replaced on this car what all do you think I should check out just to be sure she is running great and I have a very low chance of breaking down?
Trav

 

[Redneckfordf250]

Put a new radiator cap on her today. $6 for a simple radiator cap is a little crazy but I guess that is the price they want now. Hopefully this will be the last of the cooling system I need to replace because the only other thing is the radiator which is a bit to expensive especially this month since I just bought about $150 in parts for my F150 plus brought home another F250 for $200.
Trav

 

[Redneckfordf250]

Well radiator cap fixed the cooling system.

However drove her 80 miles yesterday to go pick up a part for my F150 and now between 60-65 she starts to shake. Not death wobble shake but it does shake pretty bad. So when I stopped I decided to cycle the hubs in and out as I had this happen before on my 02 F250. Well the hubs were almost so hot my hand damn near got burnt luckily the heat wasn't radiating to the tires. So cycled them in and out and that seems to have helped a bit. I think what is going on I never greased the hubs so before I drive it again I am going to remove the wheels and clean the old grease out and put new grease in the hubs hopefully that will fix it otherwise she will be under the gun for this month because like I said I spend now close to $400 in trucks and parts this month.
Trav

 

[4x4junkie]

That sounds like the wheel bearings are too tight.

 

[Redneckfordf250]

I sure hope not otherwise I won't be able to drive her this month.
Trav

 

[mr cribb]

I just picked up a 4x4 and I have a squeak/squealing sound when I first move the truck but goes away.

I thought wheel bearings but the hubs aren't hot (manual hubs) and they cycle fine.

I may have a sticky brake caliper.

 

[Redneckfordf250]

Well I don't have any squeak or squealing noises just that really bad shake. Probably is wheel bearings. I decided to park the car and drive the others around till I can get time and money to fix it.
Trav

 

[Redneckfordf250]

Well I had to move her really quick today and I must have the most Jealous explorer ever made. Tried to start and nothing. Damn it. So jump the battery no go. Decide to try tapping the starter on the side with a screwdriver. Tap it and she starters right up with the help of my brother. So I guess my starter took a dump on me. Got to fix that now.
Trav

 

[Redneckfordf250]

well I guess the starter was just a sticky bendix because she is starting fine again.

Also I brought home a parts explorer. The engine is going in the ranger, interior I am keeping (what is left) on hand for if I ever need it for my explorer, and rolling chassis I am keeping so I have parts for whatever. Has very nice power seats so trying to think if I should install them in the explorer or just keep what I have. The dash will probably go in the ranger as their is no cracks.

I will probably (depending on miles) take the bearings out of this explorer and put it in my explorer to see if that fixes the issue. If it does I will buy new bearings.
Trav

 

[cloaked_chaos]

For how cheap new bearings are it really doesn't make sense to take bearings off another vehicle.

I'm glad I was able to help you diagnose the cooling system.

 

[Redneckfordf250]

Ya I am going to have to decide on that.

Me too I have no idea how to thank you otherwise I would. Thanks for the help.
Trav

 

[Redneckfordf250]

well another thing hit me. Battery went now on the explorer. Luckily the battery that was in it came with the explorer so I need a new one. All this plus I can't get my F150 back together for a huge reason.
Trav

 

[Redneckfordf250]

Battery ended up being fine stuck but pulled it anyways and put it in another truck I just got and then got the battery from it in the explorer (fits better this way). Put in a brand new Orielly starter with a lifetime warranty and fired her up. Jacked her up checked all the ball joints, tie rods, sway bar links, and pitman arm all look a-ok so checked the wheel bearings and sure enough the driver's side one has a blown race and the passanger one has so much play I don't know how I don't have death wobble. Going to get new ones tomorrow when I go pick up my engine for my 88 F150 from the machine shop.
All next week is fall break so I get the pleasure of:
bleeding the neighbors brakes on his 94 Chevy S10 Blazer
wheel bearings on this
new valve cover gaskets on my dad's 89 F250
pull the valve covers off our new 90 F150
install the alternator on our new 90 F150
and hopefully put the engine in the ranger and get the cab on it. Going to be a fun 9 day weekend. LOL
Trav

 

[Redneckfordf250]

Well I was wrong about the bearings being bad. Pulled them off cleaned everything up and the looked new. So regressed everything (First the passenger side) and put the old bearings back in. Before I let it down I went to the drivers side. Noticed the nut like deal was hand tight on both sides. So took the drivers side apart regressed them and put them back on. Spindles looked great too!
So while I had the locking hubs off I took the old grease from them and put new grease in them. Cycle in and out a lot smoother. Put it back on its wheels and it was dark before I could go on a test drive (was working on the F150). Hopefully going to get her on a test drive today if time permits it. Used Marine grease as the guys at O'riellys said to use it since I will be running it in mud and water so this should help.


On another update I fired her up to move her a few days ago and I had left her running and my little sister and dad asked me why is their automatic transmission fluid coming from the front of the truck I figured it was the PS fluid since I run ATF in it. Well left it running and looked under the hood and it wasn't from the power steering pump. Instead it was the transmission cooler line to the radiator off! I quickly shut off the truck and tightened it up good. I also checked the radiator hoses which were loose! I think some idiot came over trying to steal my radiator luckily no damage was done to the transmission. Have to put some more fluid in her and take her for a drive.
Trav

 

[Redneckfordf250]

Well greasing the bearings didn't help but a little. So looked at my rotors and sure enough they were pretty bad so replaced the rotors and pads up front. Bled the brakes and that helped some more also both stopping and the shaking. However I still have a pretty bad shake above 60 MPH and it is defiantly coming from the front. Dad thinks it might be tires so I might take the tires that came with the explorer and put them on here and see what it does. Might look funny but right now I need her to just run right. Haven't had a chance yet to do much else since I have been working on the ranger.
Trav

 

[Redneckfordf250]

Yesterday for the heck of it dynoed the explorer.
Laid down 106HP and 179ftlbs of torque. Figured at first not bad for a explorer with 244K miles on the trans and 144K on the engine then looked up stock specs and noticed I was down almost 50hp from stock and I am running an upgraded torque convertor. Granted the tires didn't help much I thought this was a bit off. Anybody know why it would be 50HP low even at these miles?
Trav

 

[mr cribb]

This is at the wheels correct?

You lose about 30 percent going through the drivetrain.

So if you figure 160 (flywheel horsepower) times 30 percent then subtract your findings you get right around 112 horsepower to the wheels.

So now you are within a few ponies of being perfect.

I think torque stock is around 220 ish at the crank.

 

[Redneckfordf250]

so that means I am down 6 horsepower and if I am get rid of these tires I have now that never get traction (the other day I drove her and spun the rear wheels at 35mph on pavement). I actually had car tires before that got better traction then these. So I am betting once I put the other tire back on (I have to anyways) I will be right around their.
Yes that is correct 220 for the torque so if I lose 30percent I get 154. So I am above on torque yet low on horsepower.

Thanks for all that info Jeremey.
Trav

 

[mr cribb]

It is always interesting to see what the engine is doing.

That six horsepower could be anything such as plugs or something dirty like an air filter.

Keep in mind that these rigs weren't powerhouses to begin with.

I'm impressed by my newest one because I made it pull a 16 X 8 trailer moving this weekend. Comparing my 4x4 to my old 2wd the 3.73 gears are much better than the 3.27 to tow with.

No problem with the help, that's what we are here for.

 

[Redneckfordf250]

Got new plugs and air filter and fuel filter in her. Even transmission filter.
I have 3.73 gears and LS (funny since my F150 has 3.55LS). I know when I put my 02 F250 V10 on the dyno she lost a lot of power because of tires.
I rarely pull anything but my motorcycle trailer and maybe flat tow a vehicle around the yard and that's it.

I know these 4.0s aren't powerhouses but after I get attached to something (which I have been getting more attached to this truck after working on the ranger) I start looking for things to make it cooler and more power using the stock engine. Granted I don't have the money right now to do anything when my engine is being rebuilt on my F150.

Once I start learning more about these (you would think after my family owning a bronco II for 3 years, and me building a ranger from the ground up, plus swapping an engine into the explorer I would know more but I still feel like I don't know much about these trucks compared to the years of learning I put into the 87-96 full size trucks.


By the way I know this is pretty rare but I found a 94 or 92 explorer for $700 needing a transmission with manual windows and door locks. It would be perfect to slap a 5 speed in! However I don't have the time or money for it. LOL
Trav