1998 Explorer 5.0 “Restoration2021” project

[SuperGordo]

It’s Deja Vu all over again!
This one was a tad more pesky than back in February on the original engine. Drilled a hole in the broken bolt, then promptly broke the end of the extractor off in the bolt. So i welded a bolt on top of it. And it started to come out, then sheared off the portion of the bolt that had been drilled. At least that got the broken extractor out. So i drilled the rest of it out at that point. During the drilling the bit moved over a touch and damaged about 15% of the threads. Even so it still accepted the bolt. But considering i need to keep this running for my daughter I helicoiled the hole sp its perfect. Annoying overall, but it turned out real nice. Hoping to have the motor all resealed on the stand in the next week.

 

[EB4X]

You have your marching orders soldier! You know it's going to be an uphill battle...but your efforts will not be in vain!
Carry on wayward son, they'll be peace when you are done....

 

[SuperGordo]

You have your marching orders soldier! You know it's going to be an uphill battle...but your efforts will not be in vain!
Carry on wayward son, they'll be peace when you are done....

I’m working the plan! We will get there!

 

[SuperGordo]

Got the timing cover surfaces cleaned up.

 

[SuperGordo]

The original engine in the EX has the engine oil cooler with the heat exchanger where the oil filter goes. The new engine being from a 99 had a different oil filter adapter. Anyone have opinions on the two?

 

[SuperGordo]

View attachment 439620
Got em!

Seems like yesterday I did the first two.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I’d get rid of the oil cooler. Not needed, and the seal for it is no longer available.

 

[allmyEXes]

I ditched my oil cooler and purchased a "Made in USA" remote filter kit. I'm going to locate it such that I don't have to lay on the ground to get to it. You will need an oil filter block adapter piece too.

 

[CDW6212R]

I ditched my oil cooler and purchased a "Made in USA" remote filter kit. I'm going to locate it such that I don't have to lay on the ground to get to it. You will need an oil filter block adapter piece too.
View attachment 447160
View attachment 447161

That is a good idea if you would rather have a large filter, or move it to an easier location to service.

The OEM oil cooler has mixed reviews, some people think they are very prone to leaking internally. There is no public data to show what the percentage is that leak, I would like that data. I'd also like to know what the reduction of oil temperature is with the OEM cooler. The 1993=95 Mustang Cobra used a very similar oil cooler, some information may exist for those.

The OEM oil cooler makes it impossible to replace the short hose to the WP, and the WP has to come off to change that hose. The oil seals should be available for both adapters, I bought both seals well after Ford obsoleted them. One was Felpro, I don't recall the other, that was over 10 years ago.

 

[410Fortune]

I have had one of the oil coolers fail in all of these years
When it fails you get coolant in your oil and vise versa
No thanks

I always delete them

Ford ran then 96-97 and then no more in 98-01 soo ford decided to delete so do I

 

[CDW6212R]

I have had one of the oil coolers fail in all of these years
When it fails you get coolant in your oil and vise versa
No thanks

I always delete them

Ford ran then 96-97 and then no more in 98-01 soo ford decided to delete so do I

Both of my 98 Explorers have the cooler, my 98 Mountaineer didn't have it. I'll like it if it works and doesn't fail, but also does it really drop the oil temperature much at all?

 

[SuperGordo]

Ive seen a similar design cooler fail on a Turbo PT cruiser. I have to consider there is 260,000 miles on mine. Might be best to eliminate it.

 

[CDW6212R]

Ive seen a similar design cooler fail on a Turbo PT cruiser. I have to consider there is 260,000 miles on mine. Might be best to eliminate it.

Good thought, corrosion of aluminum is possible for all radiators over time with normal coolant.

 

[CDW6212R]

Hmm, I saw an eBay add last year for NOS oil coolers for the Explorer, there were several from that seller. The cost was under $100 but I already had a low mileage one that someone gave me with other spare Explorer 302 parts he did not use. That friend was racing with a Mustang or old 1980's small LTD, and that was in about 2000. They were buying used Explorer engines just for the long block, and blowing them up with NO2. So I had spare TB's, plug wires, coil packs, the oil cooler, and extra brackets for the accessories. I've used most of those, but the oil cooler is boxed up somewhere. I'm a pack rat for sure.

 

[JCat]

Newer F150's require 7.5 Quarts of oil. I have added larger oil capacity to other vehicles I have owned. I might be wrong, but I feel like it really extends the life of engines like the 5.0/302.

 

[SuperGordo]

This is what is on the “new” engine. Anyone have this?

 

[CDW6212R]

That's the normal non cooler version, and there two versions of that. All of them take the FL820S short metric filter. Ford could have made an adapter similar to that one, and shorter to allow the big old FL1A to fit there. I wish they had, but there was another FMS SAE adapter which is now obsolete. That one was older and could be angled in any direction, but the filter would be harder to remove(socket type filter wrench).



BTW, that old oil cooler, it is a two piece assembly. Take it apart and see what the thread size is of the block adapter part, and the mounting pad diameter. If it matches an oil filter size, and the threads match one of the available threaded adapters, you could skip the cooler and mount a filter to the base part.

Edit, oh well, maybe not. Here's a listing I just found for those oil coolers, same seller, NOS, $122ish with shipping; *NOS 1998-2001 Explorer, Mountaineer OEM Oil Cooler F87Z6A642CA Ford F87Z6A642CA | eBay

There's a picture in the listing which shows the mounting side, which looks a little different than an oil filter o-ring side. The other mating part might accept an oil filter, I never thought of that until now looking at that NOS part.

 

[allmyEXes]

@SuperGordo Last year I was looking at why the 1998 used the metric filter. I took out the filter adapter and screwed in the one for the FL1A.
The text and picture below is from a post in my thread from 1.5 years ago.

It looks like the one you put up a picture of. There is a "prop tab" that sits against the block that can be removed to rotate it a little.
Shorter standard Ford thread filters are available, but you probably already know that.
ADDED: FL300 I think.

 

[Turdle]

This is what is on the “new” engine. Anyone have this?View attachment 447258

That's the one that gets my vote.

Our 98 mounty had the cooler, 2000 mounty has the above. The oil cooler version causes too many issues for maintenance.

 

[CDW6212R]

That's the one that gets my vote.

Our 98 mounty had the cooler, 2000 mounty has the above. The oil cooler version causes too many issues for maintenance.

I had a hell of a time trying to R&R the cooler from my first 98 Explorer. I got it loosened from the block, but I could not turn the bolt enough to remove it. I gave up and tightened it back.

Here's the early adapter that ford stopped making, M-6880-A50; FORD Ford Performance Parts M-6880-A50 Ford Performance Parts Oil Filter Adapters | Summit Racing

Later Ford made this new billet version, M-6880-B50; Amazon product ASIN B08TB4BKC3
That one would be nice too, but as I mentioned before, you'd have to reach up in there a ways to get to the filter. Loosening the filter might be hard if you don't have the special "socket" tool.