I've been trying to get some hands on when I'm not road tripping. Tuesday I took a 35 mile round trip to return a bore scope that I used to look in the oil pan that has been open because the timing cover has been off for tooo long. I didn't see anything. Some of you know that I sometimes have mice issues. I drained the oil and there wasn't anything in it. I then filled up one of those squeeze type ketchup/mustard bottles and squirted kerosene in to the pan. I checked it and found one little piece of organic matter. I had a late afternoon road trip south, 35 miles again, right during rush hour. I had to go then to get some early '90s 15" Ranger wheels with tires. 2 tires 15 yo and two 3 years old. They are short tires like you would see on a Mustang, but they will do what I need to help keep my Explorers on wheels with air in them. $90-. Pic of 2 good ones.
I've been prepping to install the new timing chain and gear set and while it is all this far apart, I installed the 2 wire, skinny flag type,
camshaft position sensor.
The '97 MM (early 1996.5) 5.0 had the half moon style flag. The 1999 Crown Vic has a 2-wire sensor as part of its coil-on-plug system.
So does the 1999 Explorer.
Tim from Canada fixed me up with a 2-wire camshaft pos sensor and an alignment tool. It can be installed without the tool. Just make sure that
it is indexed straight ahead when the engine is at top dead center. Fine tune, adjust the housing to center the flag in the opening. pic below.
Late in the afternoon I received an email with the final design of the coil-near-plug brackets and I replied back "go for it". They will be cut,
tumbled? or something, the powder coated clear. This fab shop that I've slowly been working my foot in the door just recently purchased an
entire powder coating business in that is currently in operation and they plan on moving the entire operation to Hazel Green AL just barely 2 miles from me. They also make headers.
. I expect to have the brackets real soon.
Before I left work today, I wanted to put on the block adapter for the remote filter. Well guess what? It won't go on with the left block plate in place. It would have to be removed. Even though I have 3 FL-299s on the way, I think I will save them and the remote filter kit for the 2nd 5.0.
The original plan was to convert this engine then remove it and use it in the 1954 F100/1999 Ranger project. Now I've started collecting parts for a 2nd 5.0 for the '54. After all of this work to the Mountaineer, I want to keep it together. So far for the 2nd engine, I have an early '90s truck engine that may have the E7 truck heads, an Explorer oil pan, Explorer oil pick up tube. Also, I have all of the front dress off of a 1998 Explorer. Brackets, balancer, power steering and AC compressor. I still need all of the intake related parts. They were on the engine that I got the brackets off of, but I didn't get them. That truck has since been crushed by LKQ 2 years ago. I picked up 2 more 2 wire camshaft position sensors however they need bushings. I'm trying to find some cheap. I think that 1962 to 2001 small block, all of the bushings would be the same.
The filter solution is using the one that came off of it that 2 years ago converted it to fit the FL1A filter. I will be fine and save me some extra
disassembly time. I also don't want to take anymore parts off other than the powertrain harness that will need almost all of it unwrapped, check
each wire, add 4 coil drivers and replace all of the injector connectors with the 1999 style. I hope to get timing set and timing cover on
Thursday before having to close the project back up before the rain moves back in.
More later.
