fan shroud

[ThunderbirdSport]

So...errr, yeah. Does the V8s have a fan shroud?

Reason I ask (don't belittle me, please) is that there's like a 4-6 inch gap between the fan and the radiator.

Now, when I sit in traffic for a few minutes, or let the engine idle for 10-15 minutes...after it's already at normal temp (by the gauge), she gets hot...hot enough to make the info section in the dash turn red.

However, if I take it up to highway speed, it rapidly drops back to halfway between hot and cold, by the gauge.

And no, there's not a lick of a shroud. I should've taken a couple of pics while I was outside with it a bit ago, putting in a sub and amp.

Thanks in advance, as always.....the info is worth my weight in gold. And I'm a chunky bar steward for my height LOL.

Now...if I could find a good place to mount my 10 meter radio.....kinda leaning toward not installing it. Haven't had it in a vehicle since 2004 anyway.

 

[Explorer_PL]

Yes, there is a 2 piece shroud with 4.6 on it somewhere..
Look at post #18 in this link, it's a pix with the shroud removed already.
Does yours look like that ?

What is the best place to get a radiator for 2006 v8

 

[MNgopher]

Yes, there is a shroud. They make a big difference when just sitting!

 

[michael loibl]

Certainly should be a shroud. Upper and lower halves.

 

[ThunderbirdSport]

The previous owner said they had the trans rebuilt (I put in new coil packs and plugs, solved what erratic issue there were that could've been mistaken for a bad trans LOL), so I'm guessing that whoever did the rebuild or at least pulled the trans forgot the shroud. I ordered one before work yesterday (Tuesday), said it would be in about 10AM, and as I'm off today, looks like I'm gonna make my EB more "cool" lol.

I don't know what my shroud looks(ed) like...there's just a big space between fan and radiator. I'm fairly certain it's the shroud that causes it to overheat while sitting, as the AC also starts blowing warm too, until I get moving, get some air through the grille.

I'll definitely post a few pics and an update after I get it put in tomorrow. Hoping it's not that bad of a job, as I have to mow my three acres, take my 4 year old for shots, and if I get my ducks lined up in a row, start swapping some fuel and brake lines into my '84 Mustang project. (It's getting a mild 5.0, E cam, CObra intake, ported P's with 1.6RR and stuff. Ought to be a fun little cruiser....followed a buddy's build, he had his dynoed, about 300 at the tire with a T5. He had fun....till he broke the T5 LOL.

Anyway...I saw a thread about putting a switch on a certain wire to the x-case, in order to gain true 2wd. Feasible, does it help with mileage? I'm not curious because I want to spin my tires....those and tickets cost too damned much, but if snipping a wire, putting a switch in somewhere in a nice spot gains me an MPG or 2, I might consider it.

I'll have to go back and find the thread(s) that have it...I meant to bookmark the one I did read but apparently forgot..d'oh.

As always, thanks again. Will post an update as to my results (fan shroud and it's effect)..

 

[ThunderbirdSport]

Yes, there is a 2 piece shroud with 4.6 on it somewhere..
Look at post #18 in this link, it's a pix with the shroud removed already.
Does yours look like that ?

What is the best place to get a radiator for 2006 v8

Yep...
Here;s mine, taken just a couple of minutes ago.

 

[974X4BLACKSPORT]

YUP, fan shroud is certainly missing!

 

[michael loibl]

Cutting the wire, and putting a switch in is something generally done on the previous generation to explore 2002 through 2005. While it can be done on yours, people on this group say it will trip your stability control or other malfunction light on the dashboard.

It really won’t help with mileage, because under normal conditions the front axle, pumpkin, and driveshaft are spinning 100% of the time and will remain spinning even with the wire modification, it’s just that Torque will not end up being applied to the front shaft. There are no mechanical hub disconnects on these trucks so whenever the front wheels are spinning, everything attached to them back to the transfer case will spin.

 

[MNgopher]

As sated, doing a mod to get you true 2wd doesn't gain much on the V8 4th Gen Explorers. As noted, all the running gear is still moving, which in most true 2wd situations is disconnected, usually through a vacuum switch. No such switch exists on ours, meaning the front wheels will drive the axleshafts, differential gears, and front driveshaft anytime the vehicle is moving. All you lose is the power.

Can't speak to it causing other problems, but that would not be surprising given how interconnected the various systems are.

Then if you monitor the power being sent forward on the V8, it is actually a very small percentage the bulk of the time. I've watched using Forscan, and it is a lot less going forward than one may think...

 

[ThunderbirdSport]

Thanks fellas...it was more a thought of feasibility, probably wouldn't have done it anyway, but since it seems as if it's not really worth it at all, I sure won't.

Back to the shroud. Got it installed....I did it without taking out the rad or the fan, and let me tell y'all, I would not recommend it. I managed to very slightly (about a 2" line) bend over some of the rad fins, but got it in, bolted down, etc.

It took me about an hour, but I'd never done one on a 4th Gen before, plus I was taking pics, and also went to the house for a soda and to make one of the kids a sammich.

I'll post the pics later, I'm in the house now for supper, been mowing, tryin' o get the yard cut before it storms here in a bit.

Again, thanks for all the words and tips, not just about the shroud. You all rock!

PS, I let it it idle for about 30 minutes, gauge never moved past half, so that was all she was needing. Good to go. The only other big thing I want to to now is swap out the power third row for manual (the driver side third row is flat and won't come up).

I'll try to get to the salvage yards in a few weeks to see if I can find a worthy donor. Wish me luck! LOL

 

[ThunderbirdSport]

Alright, so here goes.

First, ya gotta get the tank out of the way:


It'll look like this. The top half of the shroud had a hole for this bracket to go through::


I got lucky...the shroud bolts were there, and the shroud didn't come with hardware:


Gotta drain some coolant: Basically a gallon was enough to not have it come out the top hose, or dribble out of the radiator. Make sure animals can't get to it!


I had to take out the bolts on each side that hold the rad to the support.



What I didn't show was the asskicker that was wrestling the lower shroud in between the fan and the rad. The proper way would be to drain the rad and take it out, but I was careful, and only bent a few fins. I also didn't have the tool to unfasten the trans cooler lines or I would've take it out and probably been ahead on time.

Here's the final shot of it all back together, but before I topped the radiator off with fresh 50/50 coolant:


At one point, I had my wife pulling the top of the radiator forward for an extra half inch or so of wiggle room. As mentioned, it would be far easier to take the whole rad out, but it's in, and now stays right in the middle of the temp gauge, even idling for half an hour with the AC on.

Ford Forever!

 

[michael loibl]

Taking off the lower radiator hose also makes it much easier, at least it did on my 4.0 liter

 

[07EddyB]

Some day you will replace the radiator and learn that it would not have been easier to remove it.

 

[Explorer_PL]

Thanks for the post.
When I did my radiator, the transmission lines were the first obstacle. Then getting the rad out was the major PITA. I think the shroud was the easy part. Of course I had the fan out.

 

[ThunderbirdSport]

Well, damn. LOL

It *looks* as if the rad would come straight out the top, once things were unhooked, etc. Then again, it is a tall radiator...Mine looks pretty new, I'm wondering if it wasn't replaced and the half-asser who did it forgot the shroud, or just DGAF about wrestling it back in..either way, it's in now and hopefully I never have to replace the rad. While I was there, I was looking for anything that would've indicated it was a Ford part, but couldn't find anything. Possible I may have missed it. It did NOT look like a 13 year old radiator, though..

I should've gotten few close pics and posted them.

 

[Explorer_PL]

Nope
It does not come straight up and out. There is the AC condenser sandwiched in between, and the rad itself sits in the pockets at the bottom that prevent easy removal. When I did mine, I trimmed the plastic at the bottom of support to be ready for the next time.

 

[07EddyB]

It's ridiculously hard considering what replacing a radiator should be. There are two plastic support brackets - one on each side. They will not come straight out and they catch the radiator at the bottom. You basically have to get everything loose enough that you can turn the brackets inward toward the engine to release the radiator. That isn't easy since you have a minus 1/4 inch of clearance to do all that.

 

[ThunderbirdSport]

Well, damn. Sure wasn't any too much fun wrasslin' that lower shroud down in there. Tip; wear some sort of gloves. There's burrs and sharp edges on both the fan blades and the shroud. Then again, I'd suspect that mine not having the shroud in it is probably pretty uncommon lol.

I've found some other half-assery, but nothing as major, and already fixed. RCA preamp outputs were cut, so when I put a small sub and amp in, I had to add an RCA cable in....who'n hell would cut the RCA cables? Assholes...

Probably the same gaping sphincters who replaced the stock wheels with those.....things that are on there now. They'll do for summer, but by fall, I'll have stock wheels with at least some decent all terrains. Would like mud tires, as I live in the country, and road maintenance? WTF is that?! I've seen hairy frogs, flying horses, and chickens with fangs, but a road grader in these parts??

Fuhgeddaboudit.

 

[Larryjb]

It was on this forum I learned to swap the 20 psi radiator cap with a 16 psi cap. My radiator has been done twice, once in 2015 by the previous owner at a Ford dealership, and by me using a Ford radiator in 2018. Mine was showing signs of leaking along the top crimp, a common source of radiator leaks for this model. I replaced the cap with a Stant 10233. What was even more frustrating when replacing the radiator was removing the transmission cooler lines. They are quick disconnect, but they are anything like that. I had to cut the quick disconnects off using a dremel tool. When I looked at the previous work order, they had the same trouble at the dealership.

In 2018 I have also had to replace the heater hose that has the diverter, and I just finished replacing the water pump. I did notice that this truck probably sat for 10 months on a used car dealer lot, so that may have contributed to some of my issues.

 

[Larryjb]

In 2018 I have also had to replace the heater hose that has the diverter, and I just finished replacing the water pump. I did notice that this truck probably sat for 10 months on a used car dealer lot, so that may have contributed to some of my issues.

Looks like this heater hose just blew again. $#^@$%!@#$

Just inspected the hose. The dealer in Anaheim didn't place the heat shield properly around the hose. The exhaust manifold burned through the hose.