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Hello! Haven't posted here in years since my x has been running like a top. I developed codes 171 and 174 (lean) recently after replacing the plugs. I found that I had broken one of the hard vac lines while replacing the plugs so I fixed that, but I still have the codes. My next target is the...

1996 Explorer w/ 4.0 and 180,000 mi. 4x2. I've got a chirpy squeak from my driver's side wheel. It's quiet from 0-10 mph, and erratic above that speed. The faster you go the more insistent it gets, but turning, braking, coasting, or accelerating doesn't affect it. Speed is the only...

Edited: problem solved. Severe front timing cover coolant leak was resolved w/ K-Seal. Temp gauge was showing erratic overheating and the problem proved to be a failed, 2 year old Motorcraft radiator cap w/ only 4000 miles on it. Can't trust nothin' these days! -- 1996 Explorer 4.0 OHV...

Updated...see most recent post. I'm thinking it might be time to scrap her, but...1996 Explorer 4.0 OHV w/ 175k. I was driving back from the post office today, and I noticed that my oil press and alternator gauges were quivering slightly (a sweep of 1mm in either direction). This was with the...

OK, total rewrite: 1996 Explorer 4.0 175k. AC worked fine until I accidentally left a can of R-134a attached to the gauge set with the valve open and engine off for 10 mins. This may have overcharged the system. All pressure readings are low-side. Apparently, the kit Amazon sent me...

Hi all, 96 4.0 OHV ... No prior history of any a/c issues. At the beginning of the summer I refilled my mom's Taurus w/ 134a (she has a definite slow leak...going from fully charged to 10 psi in 6 months) using my dad's old R12 gauge set, which I converted to R134a hoses/connectors. At the...

1996 Explorer 4.0 OHV, 172k. I thought I had a bad camshaft synchronizer due to squeaks/squeals, but it turned out to be a bad Dorman harmonic balancer. My lower intake manifold gasket has been leaking oil from the valley area, and I kind of want to replace the gasket. FYI--the old style...

Hi all, 1996 4.0 OHV w 172k I've had a squeak on cold startup and light throttle for about a year now, and haven't been able to figure out where it's coming from. I've put a mechanic's stethoscope on pretty much everything in the upper engine: alternator bearings, belt idler pulley, belt...

So I got in the truck this morning to go to the gym and no-start, no fuel pump whine when I turned the key. Tried 4-5 times and nothing. I gave the fuel tank a few whacks with a rubber mallet and it started right up, so I figured...fuel pump. 1996 4.0 OHV XLT 4 door US-manufactured 171,000...

I searched and searched, and while I found lots of threads on jacks and jack stands, I didn't find a specific answer to my question. How much lift do you need to have in a floor jack to get the wheels off the ground for a stock 4x2 4 door Gen II Explorer? I bought the Arcan HJ2500 from...

So I've noticed that my 1996 4.0 OHV 163k has begun taking a while to catch on first start over the last year. It used to fire up in 2-3 seconds, but the first start is often twice that now. It doesn't seem to be dependent on temperature (SoCal anyway, so the morning ambient temp range is...

Hi all, I replaced the OEM shocks on my 1996 Explorer 4 door / 2 wd with Monroe SensaTracs about 12 years ago, putting about 50000 miles on them over the years. Over the last year or so, whenever I go over a speed bump at anything over a real crawl (and sometimes even then) I get a squeal...

Hi all, My alternator bearing is starting to go (OE, 160k mi, 1996 4.0 OHV), and I'm wondering how long you all might wait before you decided it was time to replace it. Right now, the sound is just a clatter--maybe 5-10 seconds of quiet followed by a 2 second "clack clack...clack clack...

Hi all, 1996 XLT w/ 4.0 OHV 160k. I drive this car to work once a week on a 300 mi r/t, and usually I lose about 1/4 qt of oil each week. When I returned from my trip last week I noticed an oily film covering the tailgate window. I thought someone must have spilled something back there...

Hello, 96 Explorer XLT w/ 4.0 OHV 160k...For years I had code 0420 intermittently, until I changed the DPFE sensor 3-4 years ago. Then it never came back. However, I nearly failed my last smog check on NOx (iirc fail was 800 ppm and I came in at 798 ppm) and I'm due for a smog check in May...

Hi all, I need some quick advice. 1996 Explorer XLT w/ 4.0 OHV 158k. I spent 1.5 hrs this AM tearing down the upper engine so I could retorque my lower intake manifold bolts. I've been seeing a small amount of something brownish/jellyish on my radiator cap and the radiator filler tube...

I bought a vacuum gauge today and hooked it up. I thought that the vacuum was supposed to drop when the throttle increases, but instead it increased. Did I get it wrong, or do I have an issue? Here's what I did: Test 1 Hooked up the vacuum gauge to the heater control valve vacuum line...

Anyone know what the correct thermostat temperature should be for a 1996 4.0 OHV? My engine has been running cool ever since I installed an Autozone 198 thermostat last summer. The gauge used to get right between C and H and stay there, but now it gets to the low 1/3 and stays there. I'm...

Hi all, I think my 1996 4.0 Explorer XLT w/ 160k mi has developed a ping. At first I didn't even think it was pinging. It only happens when I'm on a major hill like the Conejo Grade on the 101 (7%), usually about 2/3 of the way up. The sound is like a ticking or fluttering sound, and the...

Hi all, 96 Explorer 4.0 w/ manual temp control. I've had a very occasional issue (occasional in part because I live in SoCA and rarely use the heater) with the heat being non-functional. Usually it works fine, but occasionally it will come on only after I play with the heater control knob...

Hi all, I have a 1996 explorer XLT w/ 4.0. I've experienced mysterious signs of leaking for several years (puddles of coolant on top of the lower intake manifold, dripping coolant from the heater valve, even drops of coolant on the ignition coils). I finally tracked the leaks down to three...

Problem solved: Miswired AGAIN! 1996 Ford Explorer 4.0 w/ brand new (installed 2 hrs ago) plugs. I had just installed new plugs 2 weeks ago, but as a result of running the engine miswired for 10 mins or so, all the plugs on the 4-5-6 cylinder bank were soot blackened from running way rich...

Re-edited. The passenger side o2 sensor on my 1996 Ford Explorer 4.0 w/ 150000 mi rounded, so I dropped the Y pipe between the manifold and the cat. Then I put a pipe wrench on it, but it still wouldn't budge despite being worked all day w/ PB blaster, heat, and a lot of muscle power. So I...