"Red Bull"

[MrQ]

5.0 is in along with a rebuilt 4r70w, 4406 manual conversion, and a new 4.10 front diff courtesy of Kris and Russell at Bandit Customs!

Very excited to be taking Red Flyer v.2.5 to Moab this year.

 

[NICE59FORDF100]

here is where we last left Red...

 

[EMBRACETHEHATE89]

Hey Dan! When ya get the funds go get ya nice muffler ill hook ya up real good. I had to work with what i had! Its on there tho! Hope ya enjoy it!

Btw its Clay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MrQ]

Thanks! I'm sure what's on there is great. When I get the funds I definitely want to get a magnaflow.

 

[reapereviltwin]

Dan, trailing with you is always a blast! Red Bull is awesome on the trails, looking forward to Moab 2016 with you and Red Bull!

I wasn't quick enough to get you coming over the hill here.

 

[MrQ]

Its great wheeling with you too, Mike! Sorry about the Jack.

On another note, I came back from Moab with an electrical issue. The battery refused to charge. First thought is "Alternator," so I get a replacement from autozone and install.

Three days later, guess what? The battery light came back on!

Pissed off, after work one day, I went through the fuses and checked the cables. All of them were good. But then I peaked under the big fuse cover (175 amp) and looky what I found:

The fuse was rusted and corroded and one bolt snapped while removing it. The connectors weren't any better off. After some time with the good ol' sandpaper, I popped it back together and no more issues.

Lesson is, sometimes its the simplest thing that goes wrong, you just have to look for it.

At least I got a new free alternator out of it through my warranty.

 

[Turdle]

^^^ good post Daniel.

I have a feeling this might be an underlying issue for a lot of people.

 

[MrQ]

Red is up with BC again getting some work done. AKA stiffer torsion bars, torsion keys, a/c, window motor, deep cleaning, etc.

Also getting new tires for the rig before Moab. Getting really excited!

 

[MrQ]

Red Bull's new front suspension, courtesy of replaced torsion bars and 3" lift keys.

 

[MrQ]

Been over 2 years since I have updated. Nothing much has changed. Red's front diff is shot courtesy of Harvey and my idiocy about vent tubes, added a roof rack, removed the mangled bull bar, and Red now needs new motor mounts and exhaust manifolds (double thanks Harvey :mad). Did upgrade to an Optima yellow top though.

So right now she sits, waiting for parts and time for me to work on her again.

 

[MrQ]

Took apart my front diff because of this:

So now my D35 looks like this:

All the bearings are shot and rusty and I am still not sure about re-using the gears due their condition, but I'll try and clean them first before making that call.

You can also see in the upper left hand corner of the diff is a broken cover bolt...teaches me not to pull bolts with a 3/8" impact.

Also something interesting, the carrier pin was not locked in with a bolt, but rather a spring pin? Those spiders aren't coming out any time soon.

I also went ahead and ordered all the replacment parts for the first half or Red's rebuild.

Once it stops raining I'll get it all installed. After this is a full front suspension and steering restore, hopefully with upgraded knuckles and discs.

 

[WormsExplorer]

I just saw this and WOW what a build. Really like your rig. I just got myself a red 98 Sport that I am gonna build myself. You have given me a lot of Ideas. I do have a question. What did you have done with your Fenders. I look at them and they look like stock fenders. Look forward to more of your build and updates.

 

[MrQ]

Thanks! I am slowly bringing him back to his former glory, it's just going to take time

They fenders are stock, but were trimmed by Kris Guilbeaux when he built Red. Its the only way I am able to run 33's on a 2.5" suspension and a 1" body without rubbing.

 

[WormsExplorer]

Do you know how much he trimmed off the fenders. I like how you get her up so little and have 33's under her. Planning to do the same with mine.

Here is what she looks like now. Just got her.

I will be getting her back on the road again. Will take a bit but its all good. That is part of the fun of doing these.

 

[MrQ]

So, I took Red up to Bandit Customs for some diagnostic work, after trying for weeks to fix a rough idle issue (new fuel pump, EGR, cleaned IAC, MAF, checked fuel pressure, replaced cracked exhaust manifolds) with no success. Russell hooked him up to his Ford diagnostic equipment and during a compression test, the starter died. Replaced it and found no compression issues (YAY) and then did a power balance test. Found I was running 20% low on cylinder 8.

First thought was bad coil. Replaced that. No change. Swapped an injector. Nothing. Swapped spark plugs and wires. Still nothing. Swapped the PCM. NOTHING! In a last ditch effort we decided to swap Red over to a returnless fuel system.

(A little history. Red was originally a return style system. I bought a 2000 Mounty with a V8 that had a returnless system. Kris and Russell retro-fitted it to work with my return system by swapping the fuel rails.)

So we swapped in a return-less fuel rail (Wound up breaking off an upper intake bolt in the lower manifold, grrr) and sending unit and abandoned the return fuel line. And whaddya know?

Still nothing...

The consensus was that there was something wrong with the head. So now I have to take him back in later this year for headwork .

Did I also mention that my 3 year old compressor decided to die as well? And I have a mysterious leak in my exhaust system that is driving me crazy!

Red is really fighting me this year...

 

[WormsExplorer]

That is just not cool. Hope you are able to find something soon. From the sounds of it by the time you are done it will be a brand new Explorer.

 

[MrQ]

Last weekend I dropped off Red at BC for a bunch of work that I will be helping with and I brought back the 93 Limited twin stick "Stripe" in his place a second beater. Kris and Russell are backed up until next year, so I don't expect to update this registry until 2019.

However, do follow along with my Stripe registry as I bring that "diamond in the rough" back into shape for a long distance trip in December.

 

[WormsExplorer]

Anything new on Red sir? I had to sell my Red Sport to my Dad. He was needing a vehicle. But now I am in a 97 Sport. Going to get her up and running and go out on the trails with my dad.

 

[MrQ]

Anything new on Red sir? I had to sell my Red Sport to my Dad. He was needing a vehicle. But now I am in a 97 Sport. Going to get her up and running and go out on the trails with my dad.

I wish there was more news, but he is still sitting at Bandit Customs waiting in queue to be worked on. Red needs a lot of work to be back where he should be and that's going to take time. I don't expect to have him back until summer.

Off the top of my head he needs:

Head work (including push rods, lifters, and rocker arms. Might need a valve job too)
A/C Compressor
Front differential
Upper and lower ball joints
New cats
New tires

At least the fuel pump is good


Good luck with the Sport, those short wheelbases give Jeeps a run for their money off the pavement.

 

[WormsExplorer]

Wow you do have a lot to get running.