1998 Ford explorer

[Naj]

Hey y'all I'm Nate .. I just got a 98 explorer. Ran fine on test drive other then training on catalytic converter smokes alil. Ran fine all the way home. Started it acouple hours ago. And it died 4 or 5 times when I'd put it in gear.. anyone know what that could be.. also my brother has a ranger. And his has the problem I read so much about on here starts up and wants to die tell it gets goin.. replace the mass airflow sensor throttle position sensor my next step was the EGR valve. Then the fuel filter, fuel pump. Injectors. Any ideas ? Alot of people have this problem . Someone other there has had to solve it.. plz

 

[1998Exp]

Hey y'all I'm Nate .. I just got a 98 explorer. Ran fine on test drive other then training on catalytic converter smokes alil. Ran fine all the way home. Started it acouple hours ago. And it died 4 or 5 times when I'd put it in gear.. anyone know what that could be.. also my brother has a ranger. And his has the problem I read so much about on here starts up and wants to die tell it gets goin.. replace the mass airflow sensor throttle position sensor my next step was the EGR valve. Then the fuel filter, fuel pump. Injectors. Any ideas ? Alot of people have this problem . Someone other there has had to solve it.. plz

Hi Nate. Welcome to the forum. Telling us which one of the three possible engines is in your truck would be a good first step to solving your problem. If you don't know, look at the eighth character of the VIN. X=4.0L OHV, E=4.0L SOHC, P=5.0L

 

[Naj]

Hi Nate. Welcome to the forum. Telling us which one of the three possible engines is in your truck would be a good first step to solving your problem. If you don't know, look at the eighth character of the VIN. X=4.0L OHV, E=4.0L SOHC, P=5.0L

4.0L SOHC

 

[J_C]

replace the mass airflow sensor throttle position sensor my next step was the EGR valve. Then the fuel filter, fuel pump. Injectors. Any ideas ? Alot of people have this problem . Someone other there has had to solve it.. plz

That's a heck of a lot to replace on a vehicle that age. Were these all new or known working parts? IF we can assume all the repairs so far were done well with good/working parts, it seems like you might have a vacuum leak or bad compression in one or more cylinders. Are you getting any cylinder misfires? Have you checked the spark plugs or know when they were last changed and the plug wires? How many miles on the engine? I assume you've done things like check the pulleys in the engine bay for wobble and checking whether turning A/C off makes a difference.

Did you pull the OBDII trouble codes and of so what where they? Clear them with a scan tool or by leaving battery unplugged for 10 minutes then try to get it running again and see if new codes are set.

 

[Naj]

That's a heck of a lot to replace on a vehicle that age. Were these all new or known working parts? IF we can assume all the repairs so far were done well with good/working parts, it seems like you might have a vacuum leak or bad compression in one or more cylinders. Are you getting any cylinder misfires? Have you checked the spark plugs or know when they were last changed and the plug wires? How many miles on the engine? I assume you've done things like check the pulleys in the engine bay for wobble and checking whether turning A/C off makes a difference.

Did you pull the OBDII trouble codes and of so what where they? Clear them with a scan tool or by leaving battery unplugged for 10 minutes then try to get it running again and see if new codes are set.

That's a heck of a lot to replace on a vehicle that age. Were these all new or known working parts? IF we can assume all the repairs so far were done well with good/working parts, it seems like you might have a vacuum leak or bad compression in one or more cylinders. Are you getting any cylinder misfires? Have you checked the spark plugs or know when they were last changed and the plug wires? How many miles on the engine? I assume you've done things like check the pulleys in the engine bay for wobble and checking whether turning A/C off makes a difference.

Did you pull the OBDII trouble codes and of so what where they? Clear them with a scan tool or by leaving battery unplugged for 10 minutes then try to get it running again and see if new codes are set.

Iv looked over everything but the valves and fuel pressure regulator and the EGR it my brother in law's ranger he one of those guys that asks for help then don't do what u say to do.. the only codes that showed he fixxed I figured it would be the FPR cause that won't show a code. My problem is I got a 98 Ford explorer XLT it dies when I either put it in reverse or try to take it out of reviews.. could a hole in the cat cause that? Or what do u think it is.

 

[J_C]

I don't know much about transmission related problems, but I do know a hole in the cat can't cause that.

 

[Naj]

I'll replace it and see..thanks..

 

[Naj]

What about the 4 wheel drive ? Seems to only leak transmission fluid after using 4 wheel drive also pops when I use it. U thing my transfer case is bad?

 

[FPGT24]

Welcome to the forum. I'm gonna narrow this down to 4 very likely things for you. Either 1, your intake plenum gaskets are shot (notorious problem on the 4.0 SOHC in the 97-01 years). 2, your torque converter may be shot. 3, your timing chains skipped time (VERY notorious plagued issue with the 4.0 SOHC motor) or 4, your cat is clogged.

If your intake plenum gaskets are bad, the engine will usually have a rough idle or have a tough time starting when in cold weather. Sometimes the CEL will come on and throw a lean code. A failing torque converter however, is usually to blame for a "stall" issue when putting the transmission into gear, especially reverse. If you have chains that skipped time, the engine will seem gutless, eat gas, and revv up slowly. A clogged cat can also cause the engine to stall and be gutless, but if it was your cat, it would be glowing cherry red.

My best advice is to replace the intake plenum gaskets first, IF you are getting a rough idle or hard starting when engine is cold or in cold weather. Also, id take a mallet to the cat and hit it hard quite a few times, sometimes this will loosen up the carbon build-up inside.

 

[FPGT24]

What about the 4 wheel drive ? Seems to only leak transmission fluid after using 4 wheel drive also pops when I use it. U thing my transfer case is bad?

Transfer cases rarely go out on our trucks. The culprit of a popping, thunking, clunking noise when hitting the gas hard on one of the V6 powered 2nd gen explorers is usually a bad front driveshaft. I've owned over 50 (i think im at 54 now) and a good 48 of those had bad front driveshafts. The fluid leak you are describing may be the seal blowing out on the front differential, another common issue.

I usually get underneath them and unplug the plug that goes to the transfer case, then it becomes a RWD vehicle.

 

[Naj]

I wasnt goin in reverse after putting it in 4 wheel drive that was the problem. Although I can hear the gears winding thinking I need gear oil. Don't know what weight tho. 90?

 

[Naj]

How much is the front drive shaft gonna cost ..this thing was a mountain truck before I got it. I think the ball joints r bad.

 

[FPGT24]

Around $250 for a new one thats a good brand. Or around $150 for one on ebay. They aren't cheap.

 

[imp]

"And it died 4 or 5 times when I'd put it in gear....."

Starts and runs in N or P, dies when put in gear, =

Torque converter clutch always engaged, either mechanically failed, or electrical (solenoid) or hydraulic (valve body) problem.

Disconnect the wire feeding the TCC solenoid, start it, put in gear. If it keeps running, drive it all you like w/o the TCC operating. imp

 

[Naj]

Iv got a 2002 Ford explorer and a 98 .. I want to take the tires off the 02 and out them on the 98. The problem is the rims from the 98 won't fit over the caliper on the 02 .. my question is. Will the caliper and rotor from the 02 fit on the 98 ????

 

[imp]

Iv got a 2002 Ford explorer and a 98 .. I want to take the tires off the 02 and out them on the 98. The problem is the rims from the 98 won't fit over the caliper on the 02 .. my question is. Will the caliper and rotor from the 02 fit on the 98 ????

Unless someone knows, and of course I don't, the first thing you can do is measure the center hole diameters of the two rotors. If they differ, the answer is no. They would have to be the same, in order to fit the hubs.

If the rotor center holes are identical, next thing will be to determine if the mounting bolt pattern of the two calipers is identical, if not, answer is again no. If they are identical, then the rotor thicknesses compared will tell you if maybe, just maybe, you can use the '98 calipers on the '02 rotors. This whole problem stems from 15-inch rims being upped to 16-inch.

Why not just buy new 15-inch tires? imp