5.0 awd impressions... give 'em!

[plrs x45]

Great truck. If you have the chance, get the 5.0 over the V6's always (V6's are good). Bullet proof engine, comfortable, and great towing. Gas milage sucks!

 

[rvitek]

I love my 5.0! She's a pure work truck that has just enough creature comforts to be a great daily driver. The mods available for the 5.0 let you create a machine that's either calm and cool, to wild and crazy.

Me, I chose to take the work truck approach with my rig and I mainly use it for towing. I can barely (except for the surge break compressor on the tounge) tell my trailer's back there and I have loads of power to pull.

With my mods, my non-towing average MPG is in the 16.5 to 17 arena with my per-tank total is usualy in the 275 to 350 range (city vs highway).

Things to check: ball joint wear (I was able to verify mine were bad by hitting the breaks hard and watching the truck pull hard to the right), cracked exhaust manifolds (verified by a clicking sound under hard excelleration), borken driver's seat (via rocking).

Ry.

 

[98EBV8]

I have done some research, the noise come from the hub and many people have the dust seals replaced, but with mixed results.

I have not done anything to mine, since my warranty ran out. But, the noise would not hurt anything, it was just the noise and even Mountaineers with the V8 have them.

Originally posted by Jet Ski Puller
98EBV8,

I just purchased a 98 EB V8, and I have heard the noise of which you speak. What's the scoop? What is it? Should I be concerned? Any way to get rid of it?

Thanks.

 

[Jet Ski Puller]

RVitek,

Looks like a decent size boat in that photo. What size is it?

What mods have you done to your truck?

I mainly plan on towing with mine as well.

Thanks.

 

[plrs x45]

Hey rvitek,

those are the exact same things that are wrong with my 98XLT. Ball joints, exhaust manifold and drivers seat! How did you fix the seat? Nice boat! I tow a 2k Ebbtide 210 campion and a pair of Polaris Jetskiis. I live in Joliet and that picture looks familiar? Where is that?

 

[rvitek]

Hey thanks guys!

It's a 21 1/2' Larson and that picture's at Duchows Boat Center in Fox Lake, IL. We slip over at Munson Marine on the Sqaw Creek Channel. Absolutely love it!

Mods: Apten custom chip, KKM intake and a RaVin 2.5" cat-back.

I was lucky and paid for an extended warranty on my truck. So, I complained about all of those things that were broken in addition to my rack-and-pinion leaking. They replaced all the above mentioned plus the rack and the passengar seat as well. Total bill was in the $2000 range. I paid a $50 co-pay and walked out with a smile!

Ever come up to the Chain? Check out www.boatingabc.com - great group of guys and there's several of us who float on the Chain all the time.

Ry.

 

[acastell]

I have a 96 V8 AWD with 90K trouble free miles....I stay on top of the services, flush all fluids ahead of schedule. I will drive this one 'til it dies then I will find another late 90's V8 AWD. These trucks were truely built to last!!!

 

[Scormunch]

I now have 110k HARD miles, inluding towing my 21.5 Sea Ray every weekend, mild offroading, agressive driving on the track and daily stop-n-go during the commute. The tranny still shifts as good as new. Over the last year I've had to replace the EGR valve, the drivers seat and the upper+lower balljoints and put on new tires. This pic was taken last summer before I moved and before I really had any mods.

 

[98GT-40P]

hey Ryan,
your truck is nice and level. do you have air helpers at the rear suspension and/or weight-distributing hitch? what's the tongue weight for that boat? my '98 doesn't have air susp and it squats pretty low when I get close to 400lbs of tongue weight. I wish it was as level as yours.

to answer the post, only work done to our 5.0 AWD over the past 70k miles has been front dust boots replacement, tightening of the passenger header bolts and a re-seal of the front differential. it gets 22-24mpg on the highway and 17-19 around town. tows very, very well for its frame size. we are not gentle with it at all in terms of trail use and towing.
the Ford 5.0 is the best pushrod small block of any manufacturer in terms of durability and aftermarket support; period. but you know this already from your '93. btw, the gt-40P heads will outperform the E7's in your stang and the explorer upper intake is more torque based than your H.O. upper.

 

[FiveLiter]

We upgraded my wife from her old beater Dodge Omni to her current '98 AWD V8 Explorer five years ago and we're both hooked. We're not off-roaders, but we drive plenty in the snow. The vehicle has been great for us. It just turned 80,000 miles and I had to put about $1,000 in for some maintenance (it's paid off, fortunately, although just barely), but I expect it to run strong for a few more years. My wife is no where near ready to part with it, however. Not even for the same vehicle in younger skin. Great vehicle!

 

[nm5.0]

thanks for the replies!

Sold the pickup and hopefully the Jeep today. Now, what should I look for? I want a factory tow package. Should I look for one with load leveling? Are any years preferable? I know the heads changed a little in the 97/98 timeframe - are there differences in performance or reliablity? Do all of them come with rear a/c? I want limited slip as well. Should I get an XLT, EB, or Limited? Do any come with upgraded brakes or cooling? Gimme pros and cons! Thanks again for your interest and information.

p.s. vin or door plate codes would be helpful for stuff like the limited slip.

 

[2000waexplorer]

Interesting, I just sold my 1988 Grand Wagoneer and bought a 2000 explorer. I did write a brief comparison about the GW vs my Explorer about a month ago (do a search using my name-I havnt posted much else). I do love my explorer, but its a different beast from the GW. If they still made the GW I would have bought one but I drive a lot for my job and needed something a bit more economical with a little better road manners. Only reason I chose the V6 SOHC was because I wanted a low range in the transfer case, otherwise I would have bought the V8. The SOHC V6 has as much HP as the V8 (almost) but not quite as much torque, which you will notice when offroad or when towing. Ground clearance is the other big think I noticed. My explorer bottoms quite easily on roads that the GW had no problems on. The GW is very deceptive looking, looks like they sit fairly low to the ground (and they do) but all the hardware is tucked up under the frame rails so nothing hangs down under the truck, hence the great clearance. Anyways if you want more specifics let me know and I will be glad to share my opinion with anyone who wants to listen

 

[nm5.0]

2000waexplorer

I know what you mean about the GW. I would miss it badly if it sells. I have often considered keeping it as a project as it has lots of potential. It has actually been a great vehicle so far. If it had fuel injection and overdrive, I wouldn't sell it. I actually like the road manners. It seems to feel more secure when being thrown around in corners than the Explorers I have driven. I think the engineers did a great job with the old technology they had.