1997 MM 5.0 c-n-p conv. *IT RUNS! 1st CL drive Problem with Overdrive*

[allmyEXes]

I'm still waiting for 2 key parts for the exhaust.
Months ago, I purchased LS coil boot set to install on some shortened Explorer wires. The more expensive Motorcraft set that has the correct heatshields. Now that I have removed the factory headers, they will no longer be correct. Also, the LS type coil connector is different that the "Godzilla" coil connector. Both manifolds use wires with 45/135 boots on the plug end. The "Godzilla" wires have a hard metal 90 degree boot on them and don't fit the 5.0 well. I found a company on Ebay that is called Ton's Performance. They have aftermarket wires for the 7.3. They have the 45/135 boots or close to that and are 11" end to end. I have a set on the way from Houston. They may have a slow start coming out of there.
I think these will work.

Exhaust manifold exhaust ports sanded.

J Mod

 

[allmyEXes]

I've had to order an exhaust part, a couple of transmission parts and have a plate made to bolt the converter assembly to the muffler.
I think I have everything now. The '98 and newer transmission range switch is missing and hopefully find it soon so that I can get this
vehicle off of the four post lift. The o2 wiring may need lengthened a bit.
I had a 3/8" thick plate made to hook the system to the muffler back section. I'm only replacing the front half to match up to the manifolds.

A couple of pictures of the cat forward section roughed in, not completed.

Waiting on plate.

Still working out the left side at the rear.

Another view.

Some of the better welding.

I need to weld more often and need better light.

Catalytic converters and pipes pretty much where they go. I'm adding some cheap nonrestrictive cats. Main reason is so that an exhaust
shop will work on it. At a later date, I'm going to get them to do the twin dual muffler and double barrel shotgun style tailpipe.
also, they help with global warming a little, maybe?

Another view.

I tried my best to tack the converters to the plate in the vehicle. That was difficult. The converters touch, so I welded them together.

Right in the middle.

I've had to use the grinder and Sawzall to clean up the first tacks. out of the vehicle, standing on end is how it is getting welded. It's a good
thing that the plate is 3/8" thick. I'm not noticing any deflection even though the welding has been really hot.

The driver's side o2 bung is capped off and a new one at the 36" mark on the pipe forward will be added. That will match the distance of
the right-hand side exhaust. Most of the welding is done on the plate. In the morning it will get wire brushed, checked and touched up.

More later.

 

[allmyEXes]

Bung for narrowband o2 sensor to pcm. There is another hole forward from here for the wideband o2 sensor feeding back to a digital gauge.

Clamped ready to weld.

Welded and dressed. Installed narrowband before bolting lefthand down pipe in place. It's still in a difficult place to access.

I made a hanger from an old jack handle from a long-gone scissors jack. I heated the bends and straightened them, then heated and bent
in new places. I got the idea to weld the hanger to the pipe clamp from Jamie @410Fortune

Clamp/s were recycled. Another view.

Everything having to do with the exhaust is done and installed.
ADDED 30 MINUTES LATER: I meant to add this heat shield picture two weeks ago. A slight modification had to be done to clear the
'96 F-150 manifold. Shortened the tab by folding it in a new place and added a mounting hole. This was done with heat shield in place.

 

[410Fortune]

Well done! Exhaust clamps are great for hanging pipes and connecting them and then years later when it all rusts into one big piece you can just cut the clamp! Saves work coming and going

Nice work on the f150 manifolds

 

[allmyEXes]

A picture of those clamps and the one hanger to hold the CC assembly.

I intentionally removed the cat forward system to reuse it.
Someone here said "look what followed my home" meaning that they purchased another Explorer. Back in late winter, I "accidentally"
bought a '98 5.0 Explorer. On a Tuesday on marketplace, I saw a 1998 5.0 Explorer for sale for $500-. I thought to myself that it was long
gone. I communicated with the owner and he said if the guy that wanted to buy it doesn't come back the next Sunday morning and
get it that he would sell it to me. Sunday morning about 10:30 he called me and told me that he still had it. I had forgot about it.
Monday morning, I/we went to get it and after I heard it run, trans won't work, as I was paying him, I asked him for the title. He said he was
going to have to get it replaced. I told him that I would give him $400 now and the other $100 when he gets the replacement title. As I
was loading it, I noticed that someone had hacked the cats and replaced them with flexible exhaust pipe. They wrapped the 02 sensors together
and tied them to the framerail, still plugged in to the wiring harness. I need to install the Mountaineer cats and pipes on to this '98
to make it run right. Later when the engine, trans and rearend get installed into a Fastback, I will do something different for the exhaust.
Picture of salvaged exhaust parts.

I got back into the transmission today. I have the uppermost solenoid swapped out so far. In the morning, new seals will go on the shift
lever piece through the case then swap the other two solenoids on the valve body and snap the hardwire bridge to them.

Hardwire piece below.

@410Fortune Some time a while back, me and Jamie were talking about removing this vapor return solenoid and plumb it natural.
Would the metal line from this valve to the tank area simply need to be by bypassed and a vacuum line be hooked up to the intake?

 

[CDW6212R]

That's the solenoid to control the fuel tank venting, back to the engine. The charcoal canister is part of that path, which you can mount anywhere convenient in the Mustang etc. Those lines have to be capable of handling fuel vapors, but no real fuel or pressure really. I'd try to use similar lines or piping as the stock Explorer parts.

I hope the Explorer charcoal canisters are still available, I have 3-4 new ones and it takes two for the stock Explorer. If they are feasible and easy to come by, I'd like those in each of my project cars.

 

[410Fortune]

I have seen people rebuild the charcoal canisters installing new charcoal I thought that was cool

That is one of the solenoids that controls the Evap system (fuel vapors)
On gen ii sploders there are two solenoids that work together the canister purge (under battery) and the canister vent (above spare tire)

On my hot rods (v8 swapped early vehicles, bronco, 07 ranger) the canister purge valve can stay somewhere between the charcoal canister and the engine manifold vacuum. The pcm opens the canister purge solenoid and allows fuel vapors to be burned in the intake. In projects like the 07 ranger where there is no pcm to control the canister purge solenoid I simply vent the tank vapor line to the charcoal canister and the charcoal canister to atmosphere. I use a tiny vacuum line to feed from charcoal canister to the intake vacuum, no solenoid. This way fuel vapors are always being burned by intake or at least resting in the charcoal canister until they can be

Just like an old mustang… tiny vapor line from top of tank to charcoal canister, small vacuum line to the engine… that’s exactly how older trucks and cars were done. Also I have a vented gas cap on these vehicles. It is important that the charcoal canister be there and be vented to atmosphere otherwise engine vacuum can implode your fuel tank

 

[allmyEXes]

@410Fortune At this point, I think that I want to keep the vapor canister purge valve (solenoid). I looked at my main harness that I worked on back in the winter and I don't recall eliminating anything related to it as far as wiring goes.
Today, late at work, it was too hot to think about this but now after I'm cooled down, I wonder is the wiring for this purge valve in a harness that runs along the left side on the inner fender apron? It would make sense that it could come back through the big square connector to head to the PCM. I currently don't have the truck in front of me nor the two electrical diagram books one being the special Mercury Mountaineer wiring book or the 1999 Crown Vic book that I have been using for this.
I don't see any gain of me eliminating it and in fact it could cause problems if I were to not eliminate it properly.

 

[allmyEXes]

Here is a picture of the transmission work completed and about to close up. I'm waiting for a 1999 DTRS to show up. That is part of the upgrade from the 1997 way of doing things in the 4R70W to the 1999 way. I'm referring to the solenoids and the Digital Transmission Range Switch.
Pan is now on.

I was vacuuming under where the left rear seat would be and see the fuel pump access block off plate that I made when the truck first broke down. My first thought was the fuel pump went out.

Nope! That wasn't the problem and I never cut the hole. Maybe later.

In the morning, I will be installing sway bar bushings and maybe rear shocks. I might as well, I have 6 pair from Rockauto.

 

[410Fortune]

My bronco ii still runs the purge valve
The only time I deleted it is on the 07 because the Holley terminator pcm has no way to control a purge valve.

My bii uses a 93 charcoal canister and a 93 canister purge valve controlled by the 97 gt40 pcm. The factory 88 vent line is plumbed to it. The canister vent valve is simply plugged into the pcm harness to fool the computer but the vent solenoid does nothing it is not plumbed in. The 5.0 pcm wants to see a canister purge (up by engine) and a canister vent (back above spare) but the early trucks like my 88 bii only had a single purge valve and the charcoal canister was still in the engine bay


Clear as mudd?

94-97 dtrs sends an analog signal to pcm
98-01 dtrs sends digital signal to pcm that is the big difference there so your dtrs should match your pcm

 

[allmyEXes]

@410Fortune modified

94-97 dtrs sends an analog signal to pcm
98-01 dtrs sends digital signal to pcm that is the big difference there so your dtrs should match your pcm

I guess that makes the 94-97 an analog transmission range switch, .
Then I need to upgrade that too. I'll go look up a 1999 CV and 1999 Explorer 5.0 purge valve after this.
Added after look up vacuum canister purge valve. I think that is what you are referring to in the quote.
1997 and 1999 use the same valve, Ford part number CX 1624. At first I thought you were talking about transmission switches. 2 tired brains...
Today I was going back and forth from the MM to a 1968 4 lug/stud 7.25" differential that we're refurbing for our gold '67 Fastback customer. His
diffy has over 600,000 miles on it. We have one with a lot less than that to put back in his 6-cylinder Fastback.
I was able to get the sway bar bushings installed. The composite plastic spacer on the driver's side was split up the side and rusted to the long bolt. I had to finish slicing it on each end to pry it apart to get the bolt out. From Dad's collection of stuff, I had a little old, galvanized steel house plumbing pipe, 3/8", that I made two new spacers from. The spacer pictured had to be shortened a bit to make up for 2 washers that I added.
The right-hand spacer was in better shape, but I changed it too. I disconnected the bottom of the rear shocks, and they were still good. I
reattached them. Friday the DTRS switch should be here, I'm ready to install it and calibrate the switch. I installed a new shifter bore seal.
ATP FO-15.

 

[allmyEXes]

In early March, I was confused about where the ECT sensor pin from the '97MM should be moved to for the '99 Crown vic PCM. I confirmed this confusion just this morning going back to posts made in early March around post #s ~300 to 304. This past Saturday with the main harness spread out on the table, dealing with this would have been much easier. The Engine Coolant Temperature sensor wire from the Mountaineer should have been moved to pin #66 for the 99 Crown Victoria that uses a CHT sensor, Cylinder Head Temperature sensor.
The first PCM that I intend to use is a stock 1999 Crown Victoria P71 cop car ARA1 flashed to an ARA3. Hopefully this won't run lean going up from 4.6 liters to 5.0. The '97MM has/had an Engine Coolant temperature sensor. The ohms range that these two sensors operate within are different.
That means that I'm going to have to install A CHT sensor onto the 5.0 engine. Over the weekend, I spent most of my online time looking up Ford CHT sensors and several times bounced ideas and asked questions of @410Fortune Jamie and twice, Monday and Tuesday, I went by a fellow "Ford" friend's shop to look at different Ford CHT sensors from the early 2000's Ford engines. I couldn't find a used CHT sensor of one particular design, So I had a local auto parts store get one off of the shelf for me to look at and measure. It has 10mm threads. The hole in the 5.0 head is a standard size hole which is 3/8"-16. That is 9.53mm in metric. That means that I have to make it .47mm smaller. I have a new die on the way to do this. The sensor is hollow up under the threads, so I have to be careful resizing this piece. It will go in a 3/8" hole on the backside of the driver's side head. The wires will have to be lengthened from the old ECT sensor location to the new CHT sensor location. I have explored many ideas about this and have a lot of brain power and online time into this. Also, a new CHT sensor connector is on the way for this particular part.

Back in black. The parts and tool should start showing up Friday or Monday. Today, I have to have fun outside sandblasting a 1967 Mustang 7.25" rear end for a customer car and tomorrow I have my wife's white '97 4.0 SOHC that I just fixed in April, I have to remove the intake once again to access the temperature sending unit connector and determine if it is what the problem is with why the temp gauge won't even move a bit, or if the new sensor in the new t-stat housing is the problem. I'm going to take out the radiator again to access the bypass hose and install a new water pump, preventative maintenance, so that everything related to the cooling system has been worked on before we go on vacation in early September to the pan handle of Florida and drive ~1500 miles total. That was a long sentence. It is a much-needed vacation.

 

[410Fortune]

So they are metric threads???? I’m still trying to find the cylinder head temp sensor I have lying around here somewhere lol lol

 

[allmyEXes]

@410Fortune For people that don't know, I know Jamie knows it, all small block fords from 221 to the last of the 5.0s have standard threaded nuts, bolts and holes in the block. Even though every other nut and bolt on an Explorer truck is metric.
The 2001 Ford CHT sensor pictured above has 10mm 1.25 threads. I'm hoping to successfully resize it.
A 1999 Crown Vic 4.6 sensor has 11mm threads on the sensor.
I'm still curious what the 2001 to 2011 2.3 liter has for a sensor thread size?

 

[410Fortune]

Me too I can’t find the stupid sensor I have a 2010 4 banger ranger here but I swapped the engine and I have the old block on the shop and all the accessories I cannot seem to locate the cht! I’m still looking lol lol same goes for the 03 3.0 engine I have at the other shop it came from a Taurus and I sweat it had one of those sesota sticking out of it and now I can’t find it either! The 2.3 duratec and 3.0 Vulcan are also
Imperial fasteners on the engine everything else on the vehicle is metric

 

[allmyEXes]

OK. That probably means that the CHT sensors for them are standard thread and NOT metric.
2004 Ranger with a 3.0 has a CHT sensor that looks like the 2001 Ranger 2.3 liter sensor and has the same part number.

 

[allmyEXes]

Here are pictures of the 1967 Mustang 7.25 inch differential. 1st pic is after scrapping off dirt, paint, grease and finishing off the scrubbing with
"God's greatest grease cleaner". It's good stuff. 2nd picture is after sandblasting. The housing had to be blasted outside with a stand alone machine. We have an idea in the works to make our "Econoline" brand media blast cabinet bigger to hold rear end housings.

I did one last scrubbing around the ends before blasting.

 

[allmyEXes]

Differential painted. Brother picked up the ready axles from the machine shop. They removed the old and installed the new bearings and retainers. ~ $66 with tax. Tennessee charges tax on labor too.
Wife's '97 outside here at home tore down to the water pump. UPS, where are you? I ordered the pump last Saturday (a week ago).
I've had time to check the water temp sensors and replace a connector.

Over the weekend the CHT sensor and CHT sensor connector from separate suppliers showed up. Midafternoon today, the 3/8"-16 tap
arrived for the '97 MM 5.0 to cut the 10mm threads down to standard 3/8" threads. The CHT sensor is now in the back of the drivers's
side cylinder head. But first I had to cut it.

The shavings look like gold.

 

[CDW6212R]

Nice. Which hole will that CHT sensor fir into on the rear of the head? I'm guessing I will be able to add that also to my stock Explorer heads, as well as a TFS TW 170 head later.

Did anything about the CHT say you couldn't use anti-seize to install it? Brass would be easy to break if it bonds at all in the hole.

 

[allmyEXes]

@CDW6212R There are 3 holes in the back of the head. One is 7/16" and two are 3/8". One has a wire loom retainer in it. I was able to reach the inboard head hole closest to the intake by sitting on the radiator support with the upper plenum removed. That hole points to more of the open transmission tunnel part of the floor pan. I haven't come across hardly any information about the proper way to install.
Being this is a 5.0, there were not any that ever had a CHT sensor. Not even in Australia. I asked some Australians. So, I've had to figure out how
to go about doing this. I've had to modify a metric part to work on my standard thread engine.
I think that I have two cans of anti-seize compound.