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Bits of Bronze Hey, above caught my eye! '04 Explorer, 96K, 5R55S trans., O/D light started flashing while we were on vacation in Laughlin, NV. I noted symptom of eng. rpm increase with slight pedal pressure @50mph, guessed Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) was not engaging. Worried, Ford Dealer...

Vehicles factory shipped without A/C MIGHT have different idler pulley arrangement to assure proper "belt wrap" on the other accessories driven by it. If you simply skip the compressor "wrap", be certain the shorter belt wraps everything else reasonably well, and does not rub anything it...

Let's be sure of definitions here. "Coolant" is the stuff in the ENGINE. Refrigerant, or 134a, is the stuff in the A/C system. Surely, a low level of either will cause malfunction of the engine, or the A/C system. I'll throw this out, but don't take it for gospel in all cases: Ford in recent...

These transmissions have no fill tube. They must be filled from below by attaching a fitting to the drain "standpipe", and forcing the fluid up into the pan. Decidedly inconvenient, and, yes, it caused me to swear when I found it out! This is why I fashioned a fill-tube for mine. You can...

I should have mentioned, leakage from within the clutch does not ALWAYS happen, when one quits working. It's thermostatically-controlled vanes may no longer be working properly, without silicone leakage, and this condition also constitutes a failed clutch. "Cheapie" fan clutches do not have the...

There is always some friction in the fan clutch which keeps the blade spinning along with it, even when it's "seeing" cool air. So, the fan does move some air when the engine is still cold, but very little. The calibration built-in to the fan clutch should be such that it is intended for use...

Yes, It's Possible! The clutch itself is filled with a special silicone material which gets thicker as it gets hotter. Therefore, being like a little "torque converter", the silicone allows "slip" between the spinning engine and the fan blade, when the air coming through the radiator is...

Can anyone steer me toward a hydraulic schematic for above? I have searched to no avail. Thank you much! imp

Thank you! I only wish half the stuff I attempted worked out as well! imp

Had a '96 OHV Auto, XLT, and performance was basically similar. 20-21 mpg highway, all the time. Downshift on many hills, but not all. Freeway hills rarely at speed of 65 or so. We felt it performed satisfactorily for a 2-ton vehicle. Until the transmission went south. Story for another nite...

First, is it priced cheaper than it ought to be, based on year and miles? If yes, lurking problems might explain price. PCMs are not a major, major issue, I think, and if problems with the computer persist, a new one can be easily thrown in. Also, should this vehicle not be still under...

Unfortunately, it is wishful thinking to hope that some certain "sound of failure" will be exactly as described for more than just the one vehicle. If the same part failed on nearly all of them, it would help. So, what you experience might be temperature-related. Wheel bearings, generally...

Here's a few more then! First 2 are from above, the pipe exiting the manifold just right of my fill tube is, I guess, the EGR gas pipe which goes up to the EGR valve. Lighting by my drop-cord lamp made it all look yellow, sorry, but proly not important to most viewers. Next 2...

Since there really is no separate "black box" which performs ignition functions, one might think of "ignition control module" as being the ignition coil "pack", which now does, more or less, the duty of the old and eliminated distributor. imp

Pull the sparks plugs and do a compression check. I'd be leaning toward a possible grenaded piston dome. Did the engine make any unusual noises as the trouble grew "worse and worse"? imp

Why Not Tow if Auto Trans? Scanned all above, think one point was not mentioned, an important one: Automatic transmissions years back had 2 oil pumps in them- the front turned with the engine, the rear pump turned with the output shaft (therefore, driveshaft). So, if towed, the rear pump...

Humble Pie! I stand corrected regarding the chocks.........imp

The Fill Tube Here is a couple pics showing where/how I brazed the ell to the side of the pan, and the bends needed for the tube to clear the O2 sensor lead, and wind up at a reachable place for filling. I did not want the tube to be real long; Ford always had a bracket up at the top of the...

Later gen. transmissions have speed sensors on 3 locations, which allows pinpointing a problem more closely. For example, my '04 is flashing the "OD OFF" light because the computer does not "see" equal speeds between the engine and trans. input shaft: that can only mean the torque converter...

Having lived outside Phoenix for 20+ years, I know the underside of that truck is proly as nice-looking as the outer view! Long live the desert longevity! imp

Electric Fans? In my book, electric fans are for the "rice burners". The most foolproof system for my money has proven to be the "spin-out" mechanical fan clutch, used with a metallic fan blade. Ford does (or did) that on pickups; Explorers I have seen use a plastic fan blade with the...

In my day, the front crank seal entered the front cover from the engine side, so the cover had to be removed to replace the seal. Is that not the case on the SOHC today? imp

What, nobody raises 'em high enough for the tires to clear the floor? And what about jobs requiring removal of the wheels? Chocks are to me most useful when only one end of the vehicle is raised, and 2 wheels remain on the pavement. Jack stands need to be properly located, sturdy enough for...

Electronic, or Mechanical Problem? For some reason, it seems most every problem is addressed as computer-related nowadays. A rough idle can be caused by mechanical problems within the engine itself, such as a burnt valve, bad plug, etc. It is possible to individually check each cylinder...

Glad to do it, eventually, but please be aware we are talking some needed equipment to pull it off which I figger most average contributors do not have at their disposal. Way I'm doing it, I punched a 3/4" hole in the side of the pan where it looked like the clearest shot up above to run a...

Gosh, I bet the Gorilla would be one fine guy to have around on your side when a bar room brawl erupts..........:thumbsup: imp

Lack of spark suggests no crankshaft position signal to PCM. imp

Just like old days: gotta have fuel, air, and spark. It helps to have a fuel pressure gauge kit, they are readily available, maybe 30 bucks or so, will also reveal insufficient fuel pressure, as well as no pressure. Check for spark at one of the plugs, or at the coil-- CAREFULLY. If NO SPARK...

A/C Condenser............. Possible reason: If you have the spin-out type fan with a viscous type fan clutch, it may not be driving your fan sufficiently to cool the refrigerant in the condenser coils up front. While the vehicle is moving forward, the condenser is cooled by normal air flow...

Working on my '04 Trans...... Easy now! Not to fret over this fluid fill issue (#***&%(!!) (that's what I said, too, when I found no dipstick present. Ford Owners Manual states no fluid change for life of vehicle (may have meant transmission, but did not want to say it that way), except...

You have accomplished the unthinkable: made a "PATS" (Passive Anti-Theft System) key quit working! If you do not have a spare key, it will remain to be seen whether your old key's "guts" are still readable by a Ford Dealer's equipment. It could be pretty costly. Keep a stiff upper lip...

The hole was from rust-through? Then the engine has cast iron heads? I believe, but could be wrong, you more knowledgeable guys correct me, please, that the push-rod 4.0 had cast iron block and heads, 4.0 SOHC is all aluminum. Seems both were used at least through '99 (had a '99 with push...

Just a question: If access is so open to take such perfect pictures, why should accomplishment of filter replacement be so difficult? Gues it's obvious I haven't tried it yet, but have done numerous other Ford vehicles, Mustang Cobra, pickup, earlier Explorers with little trouble. imp

Gear Noise? It seems to be commonly mentioned here that this gen. of Explorers often experience rear gear whine. Why this would be is not clear to me, as the rear "pumpkin" is pretty stout-looking, big as a regular 8.8" axle, which it may have been adapted from, though it is of aluminum alloy...

Thank you for that! I thought 2002 and up were all alike, basically. imp

Well, I finally got around to it, Converter Clutch (TCC) not engaging, OD light flashing, code reads "P1744, TCC Sol. Ckt. Error or stuck OFF". I measured sol. coil resistance at 10 ohms, Ford Shop Manual specifies 9-16, resistance to ground infinite, so sol. coil electrically OK. Manual says...

Finally got to tinkering with our '04 after having it a few months, today I noticed the front spindles have a kind of silvery look to them, not rusty-red like usual. Stuck a magnet out on one, it don't attract! Spindles apparently made of aluminum alloy, surely not stainless steel. Anyone...

Is there some reason why no one ever recommends Ford Shop Manuals? My experience with Chiltons, for example, is that their presentation is often either vague, or tries to cover too much ground or number of models at one time. imp

Sounds like a problem in the wiring harness feed to that O2 sensor. imp

Stop a car w/manual transmission w/clutch still engaged, engine dies. Same thing with your automatic trans., if the torque converter clutch does not release. Cause could be torque converter itself, or solenoid which makes clutch engage/disengage, or (unlikely), problem in the wiring harness. imp