PLAN B Build

Some of you may know, and some may have suspected, but I'm starting a new project and it starts with a truck you all will recognize.

I picked up R.J.'s Navajo today. She is a little tired and was facing being parted out, but now will start a new chapter, a very different chapter. I give you Plan B.

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So let's start off as to why "Plan B"? Well, it has multiple meanings.

• It starts off as I really wanted a early Bronco. I first learned to drive on Zukmans '71 Bronco he had years ago. But myself owning a early Bronco was not going to happen. There just way to ridiculous priced these days. So this is My Plan B.
• JP is not going anywhere, I really just wanted to to do another build and JP is...well, JP!. It works, but it has a following and presence that really can't be changed....it's almost become, dare I say, an Icon of this forum. So this is My Plan B
• The Navajo was on it's death bed. R.J. himself had already give it a time of death... So this is it's Plan B.....or maybe for it C...But for my plan, we'll say B

So what does the Plan B build look like? You'll have to watch and find out. But I'll give you some teasers..

• Starting Base : 1991 Mazda Navajo JX 4x4
• SOHC - donor: 2000 Explorer Sport 4x2 103k
• 5R55E - donor: 2008 Ranger FX4 45k
• 1354 manual - still looking for
• to smell the fresh air
  
• Super Duty Axles - '99 F350 4x4 PSD
• 40's - settling for 37's now
• Grabber Blue

I think that should be enough to entice you all for now...

This is My Plan B

 

[BKennedy]

Or, you could go with a aluminum dash. It might be easier in the long run. Its not like you are going for the stock look with this.

 

[Stic-o]

Or, you could go with a aluminum dash. It might be easier in the long run. Its not like you are going for the stock look with this.

Fiberglass could happen too, but we'll see how complicated it gets. I was actually still going to put all the interior pannels back in, and maybe marine carpet or just vinyl flooring.

 

[410Fortune]

we have vinyl floor in our explorers you can find them in spor tracs and make it fit

 

[Stic-o]

You have to find a Sport Trac first. I've never seen one in the JY. I've seen the flooring online for about $130 for the front section. I was going to put it in JP, but never did. It still rocking the factory carpet. But I did remove the whole thing and wash it a few years ago, when I did the suspension seats.

 

[Stic-o]

So, I got the trans out of the 2000 2wd explorer sport. I then swapped the trans wiring over to the new 2008 Ranger 4wd (5R55E) trans.

Everything match's up but there looks like there is a extra sensor on the '08 trans. It's right above the shifter and is 2 wire. It looks exactly like the sensor a bit farther back. I checked my '99 (also 4wd 5R55E) and it does not have this sensor either. So I'm guessing it's something they added later, and I probably will not need running the '00 computer.

 

[gmanpaint]

On the trans itself or in the trans harness? Ho2 sensor?

 

[CDW6212R]

The later transmissions they added another speed sensor in them, it's not needed for the earlier PCM's. It's for better monitoring of slippage, helps with shifting programming blah blah etc.

 

[Stic-o]

It looks like a speed sensor to me.

 

[Stic-o]

Got this out today...

Now the fun will begin. Need to do a test fit in the Navajo to see where we stand, and I'll also finish pulling the dash and HVAC to see what all need to be modified there. I may just cut out a big part of the 2nd gen firewall out and weld it into the 1st gen. I have quite a few decent cracks in the Navajo firewall above the where the trans normally is.

 

[R.J.]

I have quite a few decent cracks in the Navajo firewall above the where the trans normally is.

Sorry about that..

 

[Rick]

Fiberglass could happen too, but we'll see how complicated it gets. I was actually still going to put all the interior pannels back in, and maybe marine carpet or just vinyl flooring.

Perry's has cool, bare dashes for the Explorers. No sure what they get for them though.

 

[mounty71]

My friend has a McQueen fiberglass and carbon fiber dash that he wasn't able to use. It's been cut some for cage work but I'm sure he'd let it go for a good price.

 

[Stic-o]

My friend has a McQueen fiberglass and carbon fiber dash that he wasn't able to use. It's been cut some for cage work but I'm sure he'd let it go for a good price.

Appreciate it, I should know if my plan for the dash is doable in the next 2 weeks

 

[Stic-o]

Navajo is back in the garage now. Few things left to tare off the 2000, before it's off to the junk yard in the sky. Smog system, fuel system, hvac box , master cylinder, door locks and door seals.

On the Navajo I need to pull the front coilovers, because it sits so high with no weight, I can get the motor over the core support

 

[R.J.]

Surprised it fit in the garage.

 

[Stic-o]

New garage door helped a lot

 

[Stic-o]

Well that went south fast

Went to pull the driverside front wheel, and the nut we're super tight. On The last lug, first I break a Craftsman socket on it, and now it's rounded down from a 19mm to a 17mm.

This is a lesson boys and girls. Wheel adapters suck! @R.J. your lucky you never got a flat!


I'll have to drill it out or something. I'm guessing a nut extractor isn't going to do well, if I'm already breaking sockets.

 

[R.J.]

It's something with those alloy adaptors. I've taken the wheels on and off many times and they're always stuck on there good.

 

[tdavis]

Heat it up first, then try the nut extractor on it. Also tap it - heat it up, try to turn, smack the nut, try to turn. It's more than likely galvanic corrosion between steel nuts and aluminum forged wheels.

 

[CDW6212R]

Yeah, do the jumper cable trick to it for a few seconds. That's the latest frozen bolt trick, I read of that for water pump bolts.

I had to hammer a socket onto three of the locking lugnuts of my 91 Lincoln years ago. I found the best size which required a big hammer to pound it on, and had to use a press to remove it each time. That was a Craftsman, about 11/16" I think.

We have to improvise sometimes. I just two days ago found a decent way to remove a frozen rotor from my 98. The right rear wouldn't come off, twice now doing the brakes. The center section was stuck on to the axle, likely a too small hub hole, the rotor the truck came with. I cut it off with a rotozip 3" cutoff wheel. It took about 30 minutes, I cut adjacent to each stud where I could get the tool in well. I ran it down next to the axle hub without hurting it, until I got through the rotor. With five slots cut that way, finally the rotor would move, it took about 10 seconds of yanking after that. Hell of a thing, I don't know if it was the wrong rotor, but it's scrap now.