Help/advice, want a ... okay found a 98 Limited

[CDW6212R]

Hi, I'm looking for a replacement for my 98 Mountaineer, with no rust or corrosion. I need a high option 302/AWD truck with the medium gray interior, 98-01.

What should the real cost be for those trucks, given a typical 100k miles, or 200k miles? That's my main question, as I have seen quite a few with online searching.

I can use a 98-01 Mountaineer, or a 98 Explorer Limited since that's virtually the same except for the trim items(and memory seat(I want)). I will be changing every item which has the naming on it anyway. The key thing is the body, it must have no rust or even minor corrosion in the body seams. My Mounty has that now, you can't fix that permanently.

I checked on pricing from KBB, NADA, and Edmunds for a 98 Limited in excellent condition with lesser mileage(100k or so). I got figures of about $2400 for trade in value, around $3000 for a private sale, and from $3400-4000 for a dealer/retail price. Are those fair numbers, or should it be more, or less, in my southern area. I don't expect to find anything north of TN really, those would be much harder to find.

 

[4pointslow]

Explorer

Did you get a new Explorer?
Saw a post about a new 98 Limited.
If so, let us see it!

 

[CDW6212R]

Ah yes, I did about three weeks ago. I'll take a picture or a few soon, I've been busy with work and the yard, plus working on the truck.

It's a black Limited with 159k, zero rust which is the only reason I got it, but it's rough mechanically and in looks. I got it from a young woman who had it for seven years, as her first car. It looks like not much was done to it, lots of original parts, and they evidently had front drive shaft trouble in the first months, and just took it out. I hope it's really just that shaft, and not the transfer case.

I'm going to swap the front hubs and axles from my Limited to it, rather than buy all new parts etc. I want to use up the 18" tires too from my Mounty, and those can only be used with the special hubs and custom brakes that went with those wheels to begin with. I had to install longer studs in those two hubs, to allow me to use spacers, the 18's have a 35mm offset which is too much without spacers.

Thanks for asking, this 98 Limited will be my best SUV, get the blower and XP8 parts etc.

 

[4pointslow]

New Ex

Congratulations on the new truck! Let us know when you have your thread started.

 

[4pointslow]

Come on, at least post a picture of the truck! LOL
We want to see that black limited! Start your thread, the time is right. lol
Just a little encouragement!

 

[CDW6212R]

Okay, I've finally got the pictures done and moved to my PC. I'm close to driving it regularly, it's been slow finding time to do work on it and get to the timing chain. It had a lot of leaks from the front and the oil filter adapter. For all the work it takes to get all the way to the timing cover, I'm going to replace the timing chain also.

 

[CDW6212R]

1st Pics 1

• CDW6212R
• June 2, 2016

1st Pics 2

• CDW6212R
• June 2, 2016

Not pretty, but rough and solid.

 

[4pointslow]

Links are not working for me.

 

[CDW6212R]

Interesting, the new site software is different. There isn't an upload link now, but there is a media link that I used to name a gallery and point to the pictures uploaded there. I'm betting it has permissions that don't allow viewing here unless I allow it there. Let me play with that media stuff.

 

[CDW6212R]

Ah, I'm just learning how to upload with the new software. The media galleries have permissions, I had the one I made defaulted to me only. It should work now, I think.

 

[traveler]

So what parts are you looking to replace on the truck?

 

[CDW6212R]

I'm going to build this truck as the nice keeper I was planning for with the Mercury. So I'll use the best parts between the two trucks, and keep the Mercury as a spare mail truck.

I'll start a new project thread for this soon. I'm naming this one Black Coal for now, for how it looks, and then Red Diamond when it's finished.

I have a ton of NOS parts for this, all side glass, 03 Sport hatch glass, 05 sunroof etc. This will get the custom exhaust first, full 2.5" dual end to end, custom manifolds. Then it'll be time to work on things to support a supercharger, and fabricate the plenums to mount the KB 2200 I have.

 

[4pointslow]

Very nice! I like it!
You are lucky to find one in such good shape.
Thanks for the pictures!

 

[CDW6212R]

I'll call this a parts collection thread, as I'm still delivering mail with this truck. So far I've driven 60k miles in three years, it's at 218k now.

I just bought new heads for the final engine project. I was wanting heads that flowed at least 300cfm at .500", and that means at least $1500-$2000 for anything new. I was aiming for TFS 225 high ports, and FTI has a pair called HP230 Street Beasts, that would be the deal to get for a hot SBF. But I just saw a 363 being parted out, all new parts. The shortblock got sold last week, and the heads went up next.

These are new TFS TW Track Heat heads, ported by TEA with a CNC 205 program. So they flow over 300cfm at .500", and 224cfm from the exhaust ports at .500" also. Stock GT40 heads are lucky to flow 200cfm from the intake ports. These will work for my blower plans, aim for 12psi or so with an IC, in the 550rwhp range. Hopefully I can get started this Spring, the trans and 4WD TC etc.

 

[CDW6212R]

Head pictures;

Track Heat TW CNC 205 Ported

• CDW6212R
• February 20, 2019
• 2

Track Heat WCNC 205 Ported Intake

• CDW6212R
• February 20, 2019

223cfm @.300 ---ex 158cfm
275cfm @.400---ex 194cfm
305cfm @.500---ex 224cfm
309cfm @.550---ex...

317cfm @.600" intake lift

 

[4pointslow]

Are you using a formula to equate 300 cfm to HP?
If so what formula (I love math when it works right, LOL)

Nice job on finding those cyl heads, they look awesome.
I love the idea of recycling used parts that are still in perfect condition, making more power and saving the wallet!

 

[CDW6212R]

The 300cfm is just a flow level I see as a benchmark to produce power figures above 400 NA, and of course more with boost. OEM Ford heads don't flow more than 190cfm in small blocks. The newer LS engines use heads patterned after the old Ford Clevelands. Those old 4V heads were close to 240cc in port size, which is massive, and flow 250-275cfm unported.

I don't know what the SOHC 4.0 heads flow, but I'll bet they are also in the low 200cfm range. You could gain a lot if those had room for much porting, but the few builders who do them are likely not sure how far they can port them bigger.

Most of the popular SBF stuff is well known to tons of head builders. There are CNC programs to accurately port most of them much bigger. This pair I just found were the hottest Twisted Wedge head 6-10 years ago, just below the High Port models. But the HP's have always been very expensive, and the exhaust ports are raised .750", so they have header fitment issues for most people.

This man selling off his 363 changed directions, and the whole engine was great except for the size he chose. He had these new heads sent to TEA, and they did the CNC program that woke them up. They flow 305cfm @.500", and 317cfm @.600", I expect the cam to be just under the .6 mark. It's much easier to make big power with higher flow parts, and compression, besides the boost. I/we want the power on the bottom end, so I'll crank the compression up to what the cam guy(Ed of FTI) says will work with 93 octane gas. I expect he'll say make it 9.5:1 or close to that.