I want to supercharge my 5.0 Exploder! | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

I want to supercharge my 5.0 Exploder!

rhauf

Explorer Addict
Joined
November 1, 2005
Messages
1,246
Reaction score
7
City, State
Ca
Year, Model & Trim Level
91,93,98,&02 Exploders
I was ready to pull the trigger on an Explorer Express Xcharger for my 5.0... Then I discovered that they have been out of business for 15 or 20 years and the website was apparently a ghost from the past :(

I've searched high and low and I can't see to find any kits available for them at all. Is there anyone else making a kit for the old 5.0 explorers anymore?

Someone please help me spend money on my old exploder!!!
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





3 words


Rear. Mount. Turbo:sawzall:
 






Either find something another person has had on, or find a 94/95 Mustang Kenne Bell blower kit. That's the best one that can be adapted with minor trouble. If you do hunt that, don't bother with the 1.5 or 1.7 liter sizes, only the 2.1 or 2.2 liter blower is worth the trouble.

FYI, the Explorer Express kit was an M90, a 1.5 liter Eaton blower, not worth the money; those gained maybe 60hp or so, for as much as $3500. That blower at 1.5 liters is too small for a V8, later model cars are running anything from about 2.8 to 3.5 liters now. So up to the 2200 model is in the range that will not require inter-cooling or meth injection, depending on how high you run the boost.
 






Thanks for the info Don, knowing that I'll keep a look out for something 2L and up. Chances are it'll end up a stroker with some heads later if all works out.

That 94-95 mustang kenne bell kit seems to be about as much of a unicorn as the explorer express kit, I can't find anything except 10 year old posts on forums of people selling them.

I'd also go for a turbo kit but I don't suppose there is one of those that wouldn't require a ton of custom work.
 






The exhaust parts on these are horrible, so expect to spend a bunch on that, and try to not go overboard on plans for big power(and money). The exhaust is a huge limitation, so few people ever spend much on these knowing that.

Everything will require some fabrication, the remote turbos may be one of the most paths. The SN95 KB kit is rare and becoming more so each day. But those have turned up on eBay and the Corral regularly for ages. The rub is that the prices are going up now, for any of them in any condition, as the number of them drops. But they are still a high turn over item, as people buy and sell those Mustangs.

On the 96-01 302 Explorer, that kit is basically how you manage to adapt the drive/snout/pulley and idler to line up with the belt. It's close in the form for the SN95 Mustang, but the pulley is off about 1/4" to 3/8", and I'm not sure how that was corrected, in the one truck that has posted here to show it can be done.
 






You're referring to the exhaust ports on the stock heads? Those would likely be the next upgrade anyway. (or the first if i give up on forced induction) Trick flow twisted wedge heads are 50 state legal, and they flow great so that's kind of a no brainer. If i don't do the blower, I'll just throw a pair of those on, with the infamous E-303 cam (which I've had good results with in the past). I just really like the idea of also having some forced induction, and that would of course alter my cam choice and head choice (chamber size)

Is the pulley not quite lining up the only issue? that doesn't seem like too big of a deal
 






An Exploder is not a Mustang. The alphabet cams are for a lighter mustang and have less torque which is needed to get these things moving.

The heads are not the problem, the exhaust is. Big heads won't help with stock exhaust or small tube headers.......................

I am adapting an F150/Bronco kit from Kenne Bell to my rig.
 






What kit are you adapting, do you per chance have a build thread?
 






The Explorers have the fan belt about 3/8" farther back than the Mustang(94/95), that's the belt issue to make the Mustang kits work.

The stock exhaust manifolds are horrendous. Basically one port is run sideways across the next port, merging a pair that way at a 90* angle. I think they all do that at some point along the way, before they get crushed into a small 2.125" collector opening. The $700 TM headers have 1.5" primaries(too small for a stock 302), and a 2.25" collector(also a ball connection(smaller than the outer pipe)). The made those headers as an attempt to be equal length, which means they completely fill the space available. It sounds nice, but anyone who has ever installed equal length headers, they know it's hell to install, and not worth the PITA time.

As Blown said, head flow(or any usual engine parts flow) is not the problem, it's airflow from the head to the cat pipes, plus the single muffler and single tail pipe.

I have TW 170 heads, already to go with a CNC 205cc porting on them(flow 317cfm). But those will be for my final engine, after making bigger exhaust parts. Nobody is willing to do more for the exhaust of these, at 20 years old the market is going away fast.
 






Yup, I am not looking for a race Exploder, but I will enjoy the added power of 6-8lbs of boost with absolutely no other power adders but a good tune. If I wanted real go fast I'd have a Mustang with a supercharger that would benefit from all the go fast goodies.
 






I'll definitely be doing exhaust upgrades one way or another. Probably 1 5/8" shorty headers as I can get those in 50 state legal, high flow cats and 3' single exhaust so I'll remain compliant. No big deal there. I don't really care about equal length, just a little more volume should suffice.

the TW 170 heads is what I was looking at as well. I've seen some pretty quick cars running them.

It seems like I could correct for the pulley offset by either using mustang accessories and brackets (provided they fit) or just having a machine shop modify the pulley.
Are there any other mustang kits more readily available that would be a good choice to adapt to the explorer?

I know the explorers are relatively heavy and not a good choice for a race car. I don't really care, I like making slow things go faster. (see below video of my bronco) There's plenty of fast mustangs out there already.

 






I get it, It's just not as easily done with an Exploder. They wedged the V8 in there, exhaust is tight, shorty's won't fit.

I found an F150/Bronco kit from Kenne Bell. It is probably harder to find than a mustang kit.
Build Thread: Will Be Blown Again!
 






Yeah, great fun. The SN95 Mustang kits are the closest to the Explorer 302 engine layout, and the KB kit is made for the GT40 intake. Ford moved the port locations between the GT40 intakes, so that difference also effects how the belt lines up.

Only the Explorer accessories can be used, they are shorter than everything else, 3/8" shorter than the 94/95 Mustangs. I wish the member who did that install would have provided details, we did ask him, but he didn't stay on the forum for long.

I don't know what would be the answer to that KB kit, I hadn't thought about it because I'm adapting a larger TFS R lower intake.
 






If you call bob at TMH, he will make a 1 5-8 step down header to fit any head port your putting them onto for a price
 






There any update on this? I have been thinking about wanting to add some boost to my 98 5.0L.
 






With a bone stock Eaton M112 off of an 03 ish Cobra on a bone stock explorer or mountaineer engin, 316 to the rear tire! All stock pullies.
I wished I would have went that route now instead of heads and wverthing else.
 






With a bone stock Eaton M112 off of an 03 ish Cobra on a bone stock explorer or mountaineer engin, 316 to the rear tire! All stock pullies.
I wished I would have went that route now instead of heads and wverthing else.
Does this mean you don’t need to upgrade injectors either? Got my hands on an Eaton m112 and have been looking all day on if yes or no to that
 






Supercharging = Larger MAF and injectors + tuning
 






With a bone stock Eaton M112 off of an 03 ish Cobra on a bone stock explorer or mountaineer engin, 316 to the rear tire! All stock pullies.
I wished I would have went that route now instead of heads and wverthing else.
I’m skeptical of a 100+hp increase on a BONE stock motor. Maybe bone stock internals and heads.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





I’m skeptical of a 100+hp increase on a BONE stock motor. Maybe bone stock internals and heads.
Me to i agree^^

But I did gain 70hp on 3.5 psi on my v6
Bone stock everything
 






Back
Top