BD's 2000 Explorer Limited

[BrianDye]

Now starts the search for a summer beater.

Im looking for either an old Honda 250cc or so bike to ride to work, or an old 4 banger escort.

Im hearing from work that gas is going to be $5+ a gallon, thats f*****g ridiculous! I put 38$ in tonight before I got off work, and from E that got me half a tank...barely.

(NO im not selling my truck, or even considering that, so no worries

Plus it'd be nice to have an extra vehicle to drive when I get my trans rebuilt, and do my sparkplugs/diff fluid/lower/lift and whatnot.

 

[sean99]

Those ones would be easy as cake to install, but im wondering about OEM, thats all id want for a system like that

These sensors are oem.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Those are OEM.

Unlike this Limited, which Brian's truck does NOT have sensors. It also does NOT have a rotting rear bumper.

Some trailer bumps, but overall, a nice Michigan specimen which was spotted at lunch today...

 

[BrianDye]

Your such an ass, lol.

I went to get my oil changed yesterday (Yea I know, I usually do it myself, just not in the winter months)

Good little shop, owners a nice guy we always sit there and BS around, but they greased all my BJ's, and whatnot, and check ALL fluids, including both diff's, and the tcase.

He said the rear diff looks great, the front diff fluid is a little off color, and the tcase fluid is black! EW!

He told me its 30$ todo the tcase, and I think like 35$ todo each diff, but I told him I wanted to run Amsoil in them, he said they cant use my fluid, but they have a full synth fluid they can use.

He said he;d cut me a deal and do all 3, synth, for 100$ flat.

Id like todo them myself, but we have nothing but SH*T for weather coming, and I dont have a garage...

 

[CDW6212R]

Brian, it's not hard to do those, and the TC is a breeze. I'd wait to do it myself, buy the Amsoil ATF and gear oil, plus a fluid transfer pump. I got the one from Amsoil for about $10, local store versions are less.

The pump makes it much easier, you suck most of the fluid from the front diff(pull left axle out), and pump the new fluid in with it. The TC and rear diff, you could do in 45 minutes or so. The front you have to remove the axle to have any chance of getting any out, the normal way is to drop the diff, because it's right behind the frame.

 

[BrianDye]

I know its not hard, but we have rain in the forecast for like all through next week, then more snow, and freezing temps. My buddy is gone for awhile so I dont have a garage I could use.

I had already planned on doing them all myself, (Well hadnt thought about the tcase yet).

Ill probably have them do the tcase for now at least since the fluid in it is toast, then ill do the rest in Spring with Amsoil

 

[CDW6212R]

I see, weather(I'm back and wet now because it rained when I got my car up in the air).

I'd do the TC myself in any case, that's a ten minute job if you have the tools laid out. All you do is remove both plugs from the back, wait a minute for it to drain, put the bottom one in, fill it in the top hole, and put that one back in.

I think it takes about two quarts, so have three in case.

 

[Sbyrne97]

yeah t case takes like 10 mins.
-Drain plug comes out fluid pours into a pan
-Put thin layer of silicon on threads put back into the lower bolt hole
-Top fill plug comes out and pour new fluid in
-put silicone on threads put back in
-your done go get a beer!

Back diff takes half hour, because if you haven't replaced the fluid before, for used a gasket for the cover and it took me 10 mins to get all the crud off, used permatex orange for new seal, no leaks!

All that amsoil alone will cost near 100$ so you chose but learning how to do things right and doing them yourself is a helluva better. Plus you fill like you did something, and not just forked over a bunch of money.

Edit: Who cares if there's rain youll be underneath your truck anyway, I've done work in the snow which sucked so bad, but I got it done, just busted my knuckles

 

[BrianDye]

Shortly after my last post in here, we went and took a nap (It was 46 and downpouring)

Woke up about 2 hours later, it was 29 and snowing, we already had about 2" on the ground...WTF!

Sbyrne made a good point about the rain, who cares, ill be under the truck but I just dont want to freeze my arse off

I would like to flush it though, if the fluid really is that bad, I want that crap ALL out.

 

[BrianDye]

I was thinking too...(I want to buy an OLD beater escort or something just to drive to work and back since gas is supposedly gonna pass $5 per gallon this summer), it would be great to have another car, I could really get some work done on my Ex, cough cough 4406

The thing is, id love that for Spring-Autumn, but when we have our occasional bad snowstorms, AWD kicks ass and id miss it. Too bad i cant swap out a setup like my Sport had; that was PERFECT. (2WD, Auto, 4Low)

 

[BrianDye]

They werent lyin...I had a 20$ AZ reward, so I figure since I have the day off and its pretty clear outside, that id do my tcase today.

Got her up on ramps, undid the top plug (Not thinking the fluid was warm/expanded) it came pouring out, same with the bottom one, but it was BAD. I swear it seemed like dirty motor oil rather than ATF.

[Youtube]<object width="480" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kn9trBgwgyc?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kn9trBgwgyc?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="390"></embed></object>[/media]
^Watch in HD^ Im pretty happy with my iPods HD recording, it looks damn good!

Surprisingly it only took another 1/4 of a quart before it was all cleaned out (I flushed it with the cap open, and then let it fill a good ammount, and drained it again). I used about 5' of clear tube and had my buddy standing beside the Ex pouring the ATF into the funnel while I layed down there and waited for it to be full.

Took her for a spin around the block, and everything seems great, this may sound stupid, and it may just be the fact that im so relieved to have that crap fluid out; but it seems like theres less "drag" now if that makes any sense?

 

[BrianDye]

Im pretty happy, when I was doing my fluid change, I was also looking around the frame and undercarriage, theres not any bad rust at all. I figured it would have been alot worse judging by the bumper, and my random spots, but its honestly nothing more than you'd expect on an 11 year old vehicle.

I was also looking at the inside of my rockers, those arent very rusty at all, just minor surface rust and a few bubbles by the mounting holes. (Now who knows what the outside of them look like under my running boards)

I was surprised too, even the mounting pieces/bolts for the running boards were clean and rust free!

 

[CDW6212R]

Inspect the bottom of the doors and hatch, inner seam, and the radiator support. Those are likely to rust the most, especially the radiator support.

 

[BrianDye]

Hatch has some minor on the inside lip, and the only rusty door is the rear passenger, its got a nice ammount on the lip, mostly on the inside though. I dont believe theres too much on the rad. support, but I may be wrong.

 

[CDW6212R]

Get some of the Rust Dissolver and start spraying the rust.

 

[BrianDye]

I actually think this is a really sharp color when its clean. Now when its not freshly washed and detailed, I dont care for it :

 

[lynchy wa]

She's looking good Brian!!!

 

[BrianDye]

Thanks alot man!

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

lookin good brian keep up good work

 

[BrianDye]

Thanks Sam!

I was having some fun with my splash screen, im hoping to get some more help making one, but a member over at GAOC made this one for me:

(He says he just threw it together but thats so much better than how it would look if I did it

And its sized wrong, so im waiting on him to edit it a little bit to resize it for me.

But anywho, I got a couple good ones, I like the JP one

That would be awesome in Stic-O's X if he still has it and had a double din.
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(These were just previews on the screen, thats why the "back" button and "OK" are there, they cover up some of the logos on some screens) (Until I save it)</small>