1999 Mounty 5.0 aka My Great Bad Idea

[97Sandbox]

Good stuff.

Yeah, the only thing I'd really like to do is bleed thorough all the nasty old brake fluid. However I don't want to do that badly enough to be willing to deal with broken bleed screws. We'll see how it all looks once it's cleaner, it's tough to tell rust from mud right now.

I could maybe see throwing on a set of new shocks and if I stumble upon some lift shackles at the salvage yard, I'd gladly do a TT (and DIY alignment) to get up 1.5-2" so I'm not scraping the cat heat shields going over rocks as much. We'll see.

I like the welder so far! I've got some practicing to do, but I'm already having fun and getting a feel for the settings. I did a lot of research before buying everything and I think I'll be happy with this setup for years to come. Just running on 120V for now (all I have in the shed), I'm sure it'll really prove its capabilities once I can get it onto 240V input.

 

[Josh P]

Good stuff.

Yeah, the only thing I'd really like to do is bleed thorough all the nasty old brake fluid. However I don't want to do that badly enough to be willing to deal with broken bleed screws. We'll see how it all looks once it's cleaner, it's tough to tell rust from mud right now.

I could maybe see throwing on a set of new shocks and if I stumble upon some lift shackles at the salvage yard, I'd gladly do a TT (and DIY alignment) to get up 1.5-2" so I'm not scraping the cat heat shields going over rocks as much. We'll see.

I like the welder so far! I've got some practicing to do, but I'm already having fun and getting a feel for the settings. I did a lot of research before buying everything and I think I'll be happy with this setup for years to come. Just running on 120V for now (all I have in the shed), I'm sure it'll really prove its capabilities once I can get it onto 240V input.

I've got a 120v wire feed and for some reason it wouldn't do what it should have so I bought a 240v unit. It burns holes easily. See the photo for the 400 lb bi fold garage door. I welded the frame and am making the roller track out of C channel. Slow work being an army of 1. I'll eventually get the walls up around the door.

 

[97Sandbox]

Now that's a big ol' fab project!

My welder (Hobart Handler 210MVP) is a dual input setup. It's not heavy duty by any means, but I'm glad I can use it right away on 120V for the projects I'm currently working on and I hope to do even more with it on 240V once I have a better shop space.

 

[Josh P]

Now that's a big ol' fab project!

My welder (Hobart Handler 210MVP) is a dual input setup. It's not heavy duty by any means, but I'm glad I can use it right away on 120V for the projects I'm currently working on and I hope to do even more with it on 240V once I have a better shop space.

The welder I got is also dual input. It is An Amico ARC-200DC. The problem I was having with my wire feed is it wouldn't get hot enough to do a good weld and the few times it did, it would trip the breaker. It's not just that welder, my friend had the same issue and a larger unit I rented did the same thing. I think it's a voltage supply issue but not sure where cause the wiring I've done is a lot larger than it needs to be. I've got 4/0 from my main panel to a 200 amp sub then #10 to the outlet the welder was on. I don't want to derail this this too much, post pictures of your welding project, I'd like to see.

 

[97Sandbox]

Hmm, yeah I'll have a lot to consider when it comes time to build a real shop.

The immediate welding project will be joining cattle panel to build a hoop-style cage for the chicken run (see, I wasn't completely kidding!). Next will be the custom trans crossmember for the M5R2 swap.

I'm also wanting to get some practice welding and fabbing by building a simple steering linkage (think 60s go kart) for my son's cozy coupe. It probably sounds dumb, but it's always bothered me that they don't actually steer. I was looking closer yesterday, and I think it should be pretty easy to weld tabs onto the casters and turn them into steering spindles, make a simple linkage, and use a spare 1/4" universal joint to make a steering column that utilizes the existing steering wheel. What's going to be tough is not going overboard with a lift, lawnmower wheels, etc. hahaha. Might need a new build thread...

 

[410Fortune]

I’m off grid
I use a cheap ol 240v generac genset to run my plasma, welder or lift
My HoBart handler bit the dust, likely an easy fix, I sold it to a dude who fixes them. That thing would do everything I needed

It was a 240 machine w gas served me well since 2001?

I bought a harbor freight multi process machine so I can get into tig when needed
I’m happy with it
Generator will eventually be wired ti a switch so I can just start and stop it from inside the shop and I will run 240 from it to several locations in the shop
I do have 240 here at the house but I chose not to use the welder or high amp draw devices on our battery bank and off grid system

 

[97Sandbox]

Before I start really tearing into things, I decided to replace the plugs just to see how different the truck feels. I pulled plugs 4-8 last night and found the gaps were all around 0.065-0.070" -- I think new plugs will be an improvement haha. Plugs 1-3 were pretty stuck, so I hit them with PB blaster and will try again tonight.

It's funny, I think the plugs on the 302 are easier to get to than the V6s. No EGR tube across the driver's side and it seems like the heads sit lower so I'm not reaching blind up behind the heater core on the passenger side. Removing front wheels and inner fenders will always be my preference on all Explorers though.

 

[410Fortune]

You don’t even have to remove a tire just use a long 3/8 extension and you can get all the plus easily from around the tire
I work on all 3 engines the 5.0 is easier to maintain,
Oil filter is in a decent spot and the starter will actually come out once unbolted
The v6 not so much

 

[97Sandbox]

Good to know!

Yeah, oil filter doesn't look to be in as easy of a spot as the 4.0s, but still not bad.

I never had an issue changing starter on my 4.0 OHV, but I don't have a front dif on the Sport to get in the way.

 

[97Sandbox]

Plug #3 came free after a day steeping in pb blaster. Unfortunately #2 and #1 did not.

Any tips for how to proceed?

 

[Mbrooks420]

Heat and let them soak longer. If you’ve got those metal heat shields around the lug they can be collapsed and removed for better access.

 

[97Sandbox]

I guess you didn't see the picture haha. Both plugs snapped off where the hex tapers down to the threaded section. Not sure if there's any technique to extract what's left or if I'll just need to pull the head.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Oof. The more time and heat is supposed to come before that. That’s a rough deal. You can try and extract them there, unfortunately pulling the head might be the best route.

 

[Josh P]

I'd try to drill it and extract it.

 

[97Sandbox]

I did some digging last night and it looks like there are dome decent options as long as you can vacuum the porcelain out. My favorite "extractor" I saw people using is a ground down bolt with a tapered, square profile -- worth a try!

 

[Josh P]

I did some digging last night and it looks like there are dome decent options as long as you can vacuum the porcelain out. My favorite "extractor" I saw people using is a ground down bolt with a tapered, square profile -- worth a try!

Take pictures, if it works the next guy that has this problem would have some hope, too

 

[97Sandbox]

Take pictures, if it works the next guy that has this problem would have some hope, too

You know I will! I try to write my threads the way I'd like to read them.

I also talked to a coworker this morning who is a Ford guy and has worked maintenance for 30+years and he said he might have the perfect bolt extractor for me to borrow. One way or another, we'll get this problem solved!

 

[410Fortune]

I’ve had luck getting broken plugs like that out using large bolt extractor after drilling /busting out the middle

Not fun but so far they have all come out for me
The bit I use I’ll get a pic of

Do you have a torch? Need to heat the head around them break the rust bond

 

[97Sandbox]

I have a couple of propane torches, but I'm not sure if they'll put out enough heat to do anything to the head.

One video I watched, the guy torched the threaded chunk (he used acetylene without oxygen) then hit it with refrigerant to shock the plug end and break the rust bond. I could try the same idea using a propane torch and freeze spray, but I'm a bit wary of cracking the head doing that.

When you say drilling/busting out the middle, you mean the porcelain or the actual steel shell?

 

[410Fortune]

Get some map gas it works with your torch and burns waaaay hotter

Here is the bolt extractor I use, the largest one in this kit fits the spark plugs perfectly

Screw Extractor and Left-Hand Drill Bit Combo Set, 10 Piece

Amazing deals on this 10Pc Set Screw Extractor at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com