supercharged 5.0 true fire 98 explorer sport

hi everyone, my name is tim . i live in selkirk, manitoba, canada and as if this date that i am posting this, i am 36 years old.

i bought my sport in jan 05 from a local ford dealer. it had 111,000KM's on it. this is the second sport i have owned. it was sitting on the lot for about 8 months before i came along. i am the third owner (i was able to track down the person that traded it in, and they got it from a friend, who bought it new in 98).

i started to do a few things to it after i first got it, then i found this site, and all hell broke lose! i've never been satisfied with something the everyone else has, so i started to tinker with it even more.

mods include

interior

installed factory tilt, cruise, overhead console, auto dimming mirror, full length console, with a message center (it didn't have these from factory).

white face with blue flames indigo gauge covers (they light up blue)
blue l.e.d. everything
white l.e.d. interior lights
Kenwood DDX392 Touch Screen Head Unit
alpine 4 channel amp (all four speakers)
boston acoustic front and rear speakers
alpine mono amp (for sub)
2 12 inch jl audio subs
rockford fosgate cap
passenger side one touch window down mod.
custom transfer case shifter
tripple a pillar gauge pod, housing autometer boost, Innovate LC-1 wideband, and oil pressure gauge
12v power inverter with 120v plug in a 2 usb plugs built into the center console

exterior

BMW E46 projectors, mounted into stock housings using clear lens
6000K HID head lights
angel eye "driving" lights, with 8000k h.i.d.'s
clear parking/corner lights
billet grill (powder coated by Turdle)
blacked out ford emblems
custom front steel 95-98 bumper, with 4 inch round tubes welded in for driving lights
shaved radio antenna
shaved roof rack
black euro tall lights
l.e.d. license plate lights
smoked out 3rd break light
lund rear tailgate spoiler/wing (formally from the truck "blackjack" owned by EF member Spas)
hand made roll pan (made from 3 1/2 rear bumpers, with 1/4 inch diamond plate on the top, and it is removable)
aluminum T/A differential griddle/cover (powder coated by Turdle)
Motegi Mr107 20' rims
goodyear wrangler hp p245/50 r20
1 1/4 wheel spacer in the rear, 3/8 in front
and most noticeable, black with blue pearl paint, and blue true fire (ground effects are black with blue pearl as well)

Suspension

2 inch lowering blocks in the rear, reverse TT in the front (2 inch as well)
Explorer Express rear sway bar
4 door leaf springs
rancho rs9000 adjustable rear shocks
03-05 sport trac spindles with drilled and slotted rotors

performance

5L swap
347 stroker
TFS twisted wedge alum heads
comp gold 1.6 rockers
comp cams CCA-35-556-8 nitro cam
heavily modified edelbrock victor jr air gap intake (which serves as a valley pan now)
eaton m122 supercharger (metco 2.70 pulley, and ASP 8 rib 7 1/4 crank pulley) with custom made mount with bell intercooler core
8 rib serpentine belt conversion using pulleys from a 7.3 powerstroke
custom made 3 1/2 inch throttle body elbow
accufab 75mm throttle body
4 inch intake pipe
PMASS MH90 90mm Universal 3000 KG/HR MAF
amsoil cone filter
F.A.S.T. 60lb injectors
edelbrock fuel rails, trick flow specialties fuel pressure regulator with summit racing fuel pressure gauge
walbro 255lph fuel pump
1/2 inch steel braided fuel pressure line from tank to rail using 8AN fittings
torque monster headers
2 1/2 duel pipes with flowpro duel in and out 2 1/2 single muffler
accel extreme 9000 ceramic 45 degree plug wires with boot protectors
4R70W w/2600 stall with J mod
tuff stuff 200a alternator
tuning made possible with sct pro-racer package, and tuned with major help from member [MENTION=102869]Dono[/MENTION] and [MENTION=81804]4pointslow[/MENTION]
flex a lite duel 12 inch electric fans
big 3 upgrade (4 gauge wires)
meziere innercooler water pump
2 froozenboost innercooler rads

Transfer case

4406 manual shift from a 97 F150
modified stock trans cross member to accept 93 mustang 5L polyurethane tans mount
double cardan rear drive shaft

because of all the "fun" i had doing the bodywork, and some other things to my truck, i have nick named it "evil dora" or if you like, just plane "evil"!
and now the thank yous

my buddy gord leiss, who let this thing sit in his garage for 3 months while i did the body work to it. he also gave me a hand with some of the prep work, and painted it for me

kevin willson for doing the true fire http://affordableairbrushing.ca/

Joe Bukoski for letting me do the 5L/4406 swap in his garage

now people from this site, weather they knew it or not, they helped

BIG THANKS to tara a.k.a. explorersport77 for pictures of her truck. wouldn't been able to build the roll pan with out them!

ExplorerSport77's X "Hotness"

jon a.k.a. Turdle for selling me some real swanky rear shackles, as well as powder coating the diff cover and sending them up to canada. as well as much needed info on v8, and 4406 swaps as well as doing the grill and showing me how its done.

don aka dono for the help with the tuning, and wideband, as well as the supercharger

andy aka ahodges for some parts, and any help i needed for all the go faster goodies

5.0 swap - w/ 4406

jad2411 for finding me a link for my hidden antenna

ryan a.k.a. MustangP51 for doing his write up on making l.e.d.'s for interior lights, and how to make projectors

P51's HID Headlight (Projector) and Fog Conversion (PICS)

and N3ELZ cardomain page for L.E.D. switch and cruise pod mods

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/2002-ford-ranger-regular-cab/page-6
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/2002-ford-ranger-regular-cab/page-12
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/2002-ford-ranger-regular-cab/page-23

bob a.k.a. rwenzing for showing me speedhut's sit for the gauges

Gauges, Custom Gauges, Tachometers, Speedometers, Shift Light, Pod

Buzz4x4 for his write up on blacking out ford emblems

How to Make Your Own Custom Ford Emblems

the late aldive for his write up on one touch down passengers window mod

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=141027&highlight=touch+passengers+window+mod

BIG COUNTRY, for his write up on how to install a auto dimming mirror

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84968

BIG COUNTRY, 98formulaLS1, and Ryon40 for there write ups on how to install a message center

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225017&highlight=BIG+COUNTRY
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80670&highlight=message+center
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245085&highlight=Ryon40

MountaineerGreen for his 4406 swap write up and "Custom" Driveshaft for a 4406 and 4" Superlift on the Cheap " (even tho its lowered

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166726&highlight=awd+4x4+swap
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185232

Simon, aka blueka for his "pickle" thread, and help anytime i picked the phone up the phone on the 5L swap

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=271813

Jon, aka 4pointslow for any MAJOR technical advice i have needed

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219092

i wish i could find who did the write up on the overhead console install, but here is the link

http://www.explorer4x4.com/overhead.htm

Russ aka NICE59FORDF100 for his help on the wiring, and what to watch out for electronically.

hopefully one day, i will be able to help people on here just as much as the people that i have mentioned above!

plus you know you have done something right when.....

your truck (as well as corkey) wins truck of the month

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=296023

is the feature truck on the fun hump day radio show (starts roughly around the 30 min mark)

http://explorerforum.podbean.com/2011/03/23/19-vroom-zoomboom/

and you drive 26 hours ONE WAY to the carlisle all ford nationals in june 2010 and 2011, and grab second place in the s.u.v. all category!

then in 2014 you go back to the same show you have been to 5 years in a row (nothing by most, but its one hell of a long drive) and take first!

 

[gmanpaint]

Por 15 has a high temp aluminum paint that should work well. Spray or brush on applications.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Por 15 has a high temp aluminum paint that should work well. Spray or brush on applications.

i will have to have a look see. thanks!

 

[Turdle]

Air dry cerakote ceramic coating. Liquid spray.

Or, you could even use a heat cure version in a junk oven at 250 degrees

Finishes

Searching the googles results in a lot of discussion for supercharger-turbo housings. However, like you stated, any coating will retain heat. Since black absorbs heat a black ceramic, if any coating at all, would be best to help draw the heat out.

Most radiators are manufactured bare metal for this reason. If Heat retention is of concern it is probably best left bare.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

i would leave it bare, but i know what will happen over the winters when its parked and hardly driven as well as it will look kinda yucky as well. what i really wish is for your to use the same crinkle that you did on my grill.

 

[Dono]

Updates!!! We want updates!!!!!!
Can you tell I'm hardly working at work?

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Well......um..... I have the alum to make the box the supercharger will sit on. just need to drill the holes into it to mount the supercharger onto. still need to press the hub onto the snout. wish i could find some dry ice so i can freeze it, and head the hub up so it will drop on. however, at the moment, it feels like someone has smashed my face with a 2x4 and have a killer headache going on, so right now, i am laying in bed watching reruns of *****'n rides. not sure if i will head out to the gas chamber or not later. i called into work. speaking of work, it sucks because they have or are closing the building down that i was in either today, or next week. was great in there. the parts i scored from there was insane! that sport that i posted a pic of a page or 2 back, i ended up getting the motor, trans and t case out so i was happy about that. scored some foxbody 5L valve covers, and double sump oil pan for if i ever want to put a 5L in a ranger, 2 head lights that i might try to put projectors into 007, and a window regulator, and motor for 007 as well.

 

[Dono]

Oh man, sorry to hear about your headache. Although with the weather right now, bed's a pretty good place to be.
So, are you going to be working outside if they are doing away with the building you were working in? That would make things, ummm, uncomfortable.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

so i drug my ass out to the gas chamber for a hour.

traced the holes onto some paper, then put the paper on the alum plate. centred punched the crap out of the outline of the holes, then drilled away, then that was enough. had to go back in and down some cold and flu pills.

 

[4pointslow]

Looks awesome!
Get well soon Tim!

 

[vroomzoomboom]

still feeling kinda crappy today. after sitting around for most of the day pouting on how crappy i felt, i finally desided to head out to the good 'ol gas chamber and lose a few brain cells. i wanted to see how forward or backward the blower will sit once everything was said and done because that is the one thing that cant change do to belt alignment. which ment the metco hub and pulley must go on. how i went about it, i am sure somewhere there is a picture with a circle and line going threw it. btw, anyone know just how far back the hub goes? is it flush to shaft, or does it stick forward a bit? the instructions it comes with leave lots for the imagination, thats for sure.

btw, this doesn't work so **** hot....

after batting with that for a hour or two, i started to measure out how wide the box will end up being. inside edge to inside edge is 4 3/4 inch. i cut one of the plates i got for the back side. i knew that one would be able to sit in place and not mess with it.

was trying to use a little jb weld to hold it in place, but that ended up being a big fail.
i ended up leaving my clamp on it, and just plunked everything on the mock up motor. its looking like the one i made for the m112 lol

so here is the part that will be a unknown. i am not sure of how much space i will have from the back of the supercharger and the firewall. also not having a garage to rip evil apart and leave it sitting over the winter also sucks, but its not something i having *****ed about already.

next up was to figure out where the belt would sit.

one problem did pop up that i thought i had covered, but will have to rethink is the temp sensor and heater hose outlet. i wont have the room to spin it on once the box is welded in place.

i could leave it on, but fishing the mount and blower around it when its in the truck might be tricky. as it sits right now, i may need 2 people to put this in the truck. its getting a little on the heavy side.

looks kinda goofy perched up that high, but if i want a innercooler, it is what it is. it almost doesnt seem like it overhangs on the intake like the m112 does either (you would have to see it in person to understand what im talking about).
so for right now, i will have to do a little more measuring, and cutting. there is a gap on the back side between the box and plate that bolts to the supercharger. i can cut a little off the sides at the front and slide it forward and still be ok.

 

[4pointslow]

Normally the Hub is flush with the end of the shaft but when customizing things we can change that within reason.
You cant push it back so far it hits, but you can have it forward some if you need to.
Just keep in mind that there would be less contact between the two parts and that is what holds it in place since it is interference fit.

So when you align and adjust everything make sure you would not have to move the pulley backwards, if that males sense?

 

[vroomzoomboom]

makes sense. right now the hub is about a 1/8 of a inch off. if its suppose to sit flush, i will have to press it on a little more. that way the supercharger also comes forward a little more, making a bit more clearance on the backside. yes, once again its one of those, if i can find a little space here and there it will be better off

 

[CDW6212R]

Will you be able to install the IC plenum by itself and bolt the blower to it next? That would let you more easily install the injectors and the plenum.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

played around more with the mount tonight again

i do believe everything is now where its suppose to line up. i am going to take it to a local machine shop and have them tac weld everything into place, and refit it for one more time just to make sure it is where its suppose to be. if its off a little to the left or right, it really wont matter too much, its the front to back. if the belt is too far off that will be a problem, however, if they can weld it in the exact spot i have everything marked, it should be scary close, if not dead nuts. then once its welded i'll cut the holes in the top and bottom. want to leave them closed up for now. less warping for when its final welded vs if everything is open. once that is done, then i can measure how big of a innercooler i can stuff into it.

 

[4pointslow]

Looking Good!

 

[vroomzoomboom]

so yea, im slack'n. its winter up here now, cold, crappy. you know. ive had to drop this for the moment. picked up a 08 ranger to flip so i have diverted most of my time (and money) over to it for the time being. evil has disguised itself as a igloo as well. 4point pulled something on me like i do to dono from time to time and sent me a link to a ford racing duel 63mm manual throttle body that was on ebay for cheap. i bid on in bu it ended up selling for double the opening price so i will watch for another from time to time. all that has changed with the mount is that its tack welded and seems to be in the place i need it to be. when i get back onto doing more on this, ill post up.

 

[gmanpaint]

Completely understand that. I wouldn't call it slacking. It is what it is, for us blue collar working stiffs. I'm in the same boat with winter and extra funds. Everything is pretty much shut down until spring and construction work picks back up, or I find some way to make some side cash, like your doing.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

it drives me nuts because every time i walk into the shed/gas chamber and see it all sitting on the mock up motor its like its screaming at me to finish it. i am close to having it done, but....

 

[gmanpaint]

Understand that also.

I have had an expensive lawn ornament, sitting there for 11 months now, pissed off at me for what was done to it. I haven't told it yet, that I can't afford to get the operation done just yet.

 

[Turdle]

Tim, whatever you do is awesome as far as I am concerned. we got 3" of snow overnite and I just shut down over it.

I did get the driveway cleared off though. Cal it a day.