1998 Ford Exploder I need some Help

[rich dotterer]

Hi Guys I am new Here brought out to this site because I am pulling my Hair out
I am Very Mechanically inclined and Have been working on Vehicles for almost 20 years I just rebuilt the entire Brake system / front Hubs / sway bar links / emergency brakes / complete new exaust system ....Bla Bla Bla on my Girlfriends 1998 Explorer Sport with the SOHC 4.0 Liter that she got from a Guy that should have givin her the truck because I am up to about 2,000.00 in replacement parts that I had to install just to make it road worthy & SAFE to drive
I have for the Last Few Days been trying to get three different IAC's from Advanced Auto & Napa to seal Properly
Her Daughter was driving the truck, last weekend and it shuttered, and shut down, and would not stay running, so it had to be towed to a Garage.

When I went to the garage that night to see if I could find out what happened to it, and started it up, I hadn't noticed any of the Problems her daughter had with it, before it was towed
I also noticed that her daughter had the A/C Switched on when I opened the Hood, the Idle on the Motor didn't increase when the compressor clutch engaged
soooooo
I knew at that point that the IAC was bad, and I could hear a slight hissing noise coming from the throttle body which is a normal sound for these Plastic intakes...
I watched a few video's on how to do a Smoke test & carb cleaner to try to find a Vacuume leak, I sprayed the Carb Cleaner around under the hood and it didn't provide any results, then remembering about the smoke test but didn't have a Smoke machine, I plugged off the throttle body, and Valve breather line with plastic bags, and I took the tube that goes into the plastic base of the IAC, lit a Cigarette, and started blowing smoke into the tube..
Immediatly I saw smoke coming from under the IAC, and a Little bit coming out of the bottom EGR
I Then went to Adavanced Auto parts, and bought a New IAC
It didn't come with the figure 8 rubber gasket that was originally there, but it was a Paper gasket material for $48.00
I mounted it up, and it leaked like a SOB with the cig. somke again
I took it back ONLY to find out they gave me the "4.0 liter OHV" IAC part by mistake.Not the SOHC one
They switched it out, and added another $79.00 to the Tab, so now I was in it for $129.00 but it had the right gasket this time, but the base plate was not flat like the original one I had on the truck
I had the figure 8 moulded in the metal base plate
Thinking I had it made, as this new one looked like it would seal right away
WRONG ANSWER ???
It too leaked like a SOB
So I took it back to Advanced Auto, and got one from Napa
This one had the Flat bottom Plate but no Figure 8 Gasket for $80.00
Mounted it up and again leaking like a

I tried using some small O Rings under the old Figure 8 gasket
I tried using the O Rings W/ some Cork lined Gasket Material single then doubled the cork at doubled the o rings & RTV silicone
I tried using some 3/4 gromets that I widdled down to fit in the figure 8 channel on the throttle body, and they were about 3/16th's taller then the plastic housing and crushed nicely when I tightened the AIC down BUT the same dam thing leaking like hell with the smoke

Funny thing is that I can plug the hole with my finger, and blow in the tube, and there's no leak what so ever
I did this because, I then thought as I was tightening the bolts that the intake housing where the IAC Mounts, must have a crack in it, and only leaked when the bolts were tightened WRONG !!!!

I am like ready to PUKE or put a rag in the tank and light it up !!!!!
Does anyone have any suggestion that I can try to seal this leak I am dealing with ???............. ????
Because this is killing me and it's driving me nuts
Please pm ME HERE OR E MAIL ME AT
RICHARDDOTTERER@GMAIL.COM

 

[rich dotterer]

well guys I found the source of the Vacuum leak
there was a Y shaped rubber hose that is hooked to the IAF port and the line coming from the intake/MAF inlet that had a split in it
Ford wanted $215.00 for this little rubber hose so I got some flexable 1" hose and installed it
Next thing I am dealing with now is that I gave the Truck back to my friends Daughter and the Same thing happened again when she was driving on the Highway and was leaving the off ramp stopped at a light, then while she was making a Left turn
the Engine shut down and would not start again
it would crank / sputter /and die again Etc. but would not stay running
but after she waited an hour on the side of the road, the engine started normally and she was able to drive it, and she parked it at a store, I went to see what was happening with it, and it started right up, and I drove it 25 miles at 70 mph. back to my house and I made a couple left turns
one of them pretty hard and it never stalled for me ??
I can see nothing loose
I moved the plug wires around Etc.
The only thing I can see on the Web is change the plug wires next
Here's my question
I was reading about the Fuel pump enertia cut off switch in these vehicles
It seems to only stall when taking a left turn
what do you guys know about these switches ??
could that be causing this if the enertia switch was bad and telling the fuel pump to shut down ??
Is there anyone out there that has knowledge about this Turning left issue ???
and if so what they did to fix this problem

 

[rich dotterer]

Growing Corn Bump
The Truck is still sitting on my driveway guys
I need help on this issue
Please reply

 

[swshawaii]

Any CEL or trouble codes? That would really help isolate the issue.

 

[Fastest Caskets]

When I enduro race a ford, I eliminate the cutoff switch by simply cutting the wires and splicing them together, but if the switch isnt de-activating, thats probably not the issue. The turning left issue sounds like a symptom of a dented tank, or broken baffles in the tank allowing fuel to run away from the pump. It probably wouldnt be obvious with the skid plate in the way. Other than that, I don't know. Filter? Collapsed Lines?

 

[rich dotterer]

Update 7/4/12
After reading many hours about the issue I am haveing
I noted that the Coil Pack would get heated by the engine, opening the circut and making the truck stall
I replaced the coil pack, for $86.00, and I took a 20 Mile Drive stopping at a Stewarts for coffee.

I turned the truck off, and went inside, when I came back out, and tried to restart the Truck, the engine sputtered, and quit running.
I did note that I didn't stop before this, and there was allot of air flow under the hood possible keeping things cooler from driving on the Highway for most of the duration of the 20 Mile trip..
only stopping at a couple of Red lights briefly & making 2 left turns that I didn't have to wait at very long, then continuing down some winding country roads...

When I opened the hood, and felt the side of the coil pac closest to the firewall, the coil Pac was Really Hot..
I waited for almost 2 hours for the engine to cool off, trying to start it ocasionally, and it would stammer but not start..
The motor just ran for a second and quit.

then just as I was getting ready to call a tow truck, I tried it again, and the starter would crank and crank, but no life at all from the motor, meaning no sputter, no nothing which was different from what I experianced from the earlier attemps to start it..
I waited another 10 Minutes, and tried to start it again, and it started right up and ran fine...WHAT THE ????

I drove it home for another 20 Highway Miles @60 MPH.. and shut it off when I got here, I deciided to go back outside try to start it again, it started with a sluggish idle, and I could hear a rattling noise coming from under the hood that I have not heard before.?? that went away in about a mintue or so..

I shut it off, and tried to start it again, and it showed the same symtoms as before the motor stammered,/ wanted to start, then stammering but would not STAY RUNNING,..
So "I can duplicate the problem" where as most of the posts I have read saying that the problem could not be duplicated by the mechanics...

While I was in the parking lot waiting for it to cool down, some people were hanging out, and one guy said that his Explorer would run when ever it wanted to, and he changed out the Crank Position Sensor, and it solved his problem...

I ordered one up from Flea Bay that night for $13.00
However I read this morning that I need an alignment tool to install it though
Have you guys seen anything about this Sensor, and what tool is required to install it ??
Thanks
Rich D...

 

[2000StreetRod]

crankshaft position sensor alignment

I seem to recall that a new crankshaft position (CKP) sensor comes with a spacer of the correct thickness that wears off almost as soon as the engine runs. There should be installation instructions with the part. A defective CKP sensor can cause unreliable engine starts and running. It's location exposes it to the elements. Try cleaning the connector contacts by disconnecting and connecting the connector a few times.

Have you checked the fuel pressure? See Ford Explorer Ranger Fuel pressure test procedure

 

[1Aauto]

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