2000 AWD Xploder from Turbo back to NA

After getting an estimate on how much it would run me to fix up my Xploder with all new exhaust, cold side piping, and a bunch of other stuff done up the "right" way... I've decided to convert my Xploder back to NA form so that I can actually ENJOY the truck before I die of old age.

Anyways... To start it off I ordered up a MAC cold air intake (I do not have the stock intake) and sold my FMS headers on ebay.

I plan on buying a set of torque monster headers in the next week or so but am still up in the air on how I should run my exhaust from a performance "speed" perspective. I do not plan on doing much, if any, off road driving, so am looking for a setup that improves take off and speed for spirited pavement driving that sounds good.

I already have the spare tire removed (and will be keeping it off, I have free towing anyways lol)... What would an optimal setup be with the above in mind and no worry of a spare tire being in the way? True duals (straight pipe off of each header, thru separate mufflers, and out the sides), or a dual exhaust both going into a 2 in 2 out "H" pipe style muffler and then out the sides? Or something else? In all cases I won't be running any cats.

I also plan to re-tune my car since currently it is tuned for the turbo setup which obviously will no longer apply once I rip everything out.

Thank you for any input!

 

[willzilla]

I think I will go ahead and replace the harmonic balancer... Does anyone have a recommended puller tool? It looks like our balancer is the 3 bolt hole kind but I see a number of different kits to go with on Amazon with various screw sizes for different applications.

 

[willzilla]

Well... Took a number of hours but finally got the harmonic balancer pulled off the car. Total PITA. Could not get the crank bolt out until I decided to just go ahead and try to bump start the car with a breaker bar on it and.. it came right out, no issues. Lol.

The balancer is pretty nasty on the car:

Balancer pulled off... Ick:

A little side by side with a new one:

Also thinking about maybe replacing the crankshaft front oil seal while I have the balancer off? Good to do? I'd need to track down the specialized tools for the job it looks like.

 

[CDW6212R]

If the old balancer has any real groove worn in it where the seal rides, I'd leave the old one alone. The front seal is in the aluminum timing cover, it would be very hard to install a new one in it given the tight space. If your front cover isn't leaking, it can be better to leave it alone also until the water pump or gasket goes bad. The WP bolts are very worrisome at this age, to break.

 

[willzilla]

The balancer just overall looks like a total mess. I did see a bunch of oil oozing around where I pulled the balancer. The seal that goes right there where I believe they call the key or whatever goes into doesn't look to bad, just pop/pry off lightly and then push in a new one and press it in with a big socket or something. I'll see if it gives me any trouble or not and will try and replace it. I def do not want to mess with my waterpump as I'm still running my Meziere waterpump and remembered the headache the bolts gave me years ago, lol

 

[CDW6212R]

That front seal requires quite a bit of pounding force to install it, it's not super easy with the timing cover out and on the ground.

Look at the balancer again, ignore the filth. Look only at the clean slick surface where the seal contacts it. That should be smooth, not worn, not grooved at all. Any groove will be the cause of leaking. So a new balancer will fix a leak from the old one and that groove. If it doesn't have much of a groove, than the leak is mostly from the seal itself, or the timing cover(a coolant leak you don't know about).

 

[willzilla]

Got back from a trip to TN for my wife's 20 year HS reunion. Hopefully have time to finish up the harmonic balancer stuff this weekend, finally.

 

[willzilla]

Crank seal did seem to be a bit beat up so... I replaced it... and regret it! LOL. Total PITA to remove the old one and install a new one... until I figured out the best way to tackle it. Initially I tried to use a screw driver or a mini pry to get the old seal off and it was NOT working at all. Spent way longer than I should before giving up and I went online and ordered a Powerbuilt 648494 seal puller, https://amzn.to/3r6fvfX, and I was able to get the seal off in like 5 minutes once I had that tool, lol.

Installing the new seal was tricky and it sure did not want to go back into place until I got kind of creative and found a large spacer from an OEMTools manual bushing install and removal tool set kit and lined that up with the crank seal lip and then spun in the threaded rod from the OEMTools harmonic balancer installer tool kit, https://amzn.to/439x1NT. Once I had the spacer held in place and the thread rod screwed in I slid a piece of wood I had drilled a hole in large enough to slide against the spacer with the rod through the hole I then put on the ball bearing and nut on the rod and tightened it up and the seal slid right into place perfectly, lol.

Little clip I made after I had got the seal into place:



Some photos I snapped:

This was the spacer I used from my large bushing install/removal kid:

It was insanely hot at 100+ degrees and even hotter out on the driveway mid day when and where I was working on everything. To hot to do any more work so I will try and get the harmonic balancer installed sometime in the next few days and also while in there replace the tensioner and pulleys while I'm at it.

 

[willzilla]

Installed the harmonic balancer/crank pulley... Went on pretty smoothly. I think I did it right, lol. Added the proper sealant stuff in the keyway as per the service manual, lubed up with new motor oil, lined up the key way and slid it on. Put in the crank bolt and washer and torqued it to 130 ft/lb as the service manual specified. There is a decent little gap between the back of the harmonic balancer and the crank seal/engine.. normal? Lol. I somewhat remember having to unwrap a ton of 1 rib of the serp belt with it ripped from the old harmonic balancer where it got pulled around the gap on the old one so I believe this is correct, lol. Thoughts? I also installed all new upper and lower idler pulleys and a new tensioner to just get everything nice and fresh...

Looking straight up from the bottom here... pulleys all seem to line up properly:

 

[CDW6212R]

Very good, well done. If the belt and pulleys line up, it should be in right. If it doesn't leak any to start with, the seal should be great for another 10-20 years.

 

[willzilla]

Very good, well done. If the belt and pulleys line up, it should be in right. If it doesn't leak any to start with, the seal should be great for another 10-20 years.

Awesome I will hopefully get fans back in and everything else and see if it doesn't explode when I start it, lol

 

[willzilla]

Well... unfortunately.. bad news. Got the new belt on with the new pulleys and new harmonic balancer.. put everything back together.. started it up... Car is making the same ticking or clanking sound as before prior to replacing everything. Initially the serp belt ripped and 1 rib ripped right off the belt and wrapped itself around the harmonic balancer. I had removed the rib and all debris and installed a new belt and I first heard this sound. I looked and the harmonic balancer looked like it was a little off center hence replacing it and everything else that I replaced. It seems the sound remains... Thoughts? Motor hosed and time to dump the truck?

Here is the sound clip I just recorded prior to shutting it off. Didn't want to run it long:

 

[willzilla]

Googling around and talking with some people and they suggest possibly the cam sensor and/or cam sensor synchronizer.

 

[CDW6212R]

R&R the cam sensor and put a tiny amount of oil in there, to get down to the bushings. The noise didn't sound like that to me, mine were squealing when they went.

 

[willzilla]

R&R the cam sensor and put a tiny amount of oil in there, to get down to the bushings. The noise didn't sound like that to me, mine were squealing when they went.

To me it sounds almost like a tapping sound or something.

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes, and I can't think of anything simple to check for looseness etc, the sound suggests something bad and deeper.

 

[willzilla]

Yes, and I can't think of anything simple to check for looseness etc, the sound suggests something bad and deeper.

Decided to dive in today and look around to isolate the sound... Took out my trusty stethoscope looking device with a probe thing on the end. Started the car up and.. no horrible sound... So... dunno what's up....



Didn't hear anything crazy abnormal like a few days ago. Ran it for a bit and sounded pretty decent. I did notice a few drops of oil trickling down onto the exhaust and floor....



Oil seems to be maybe a very small leak around the oil pan in the recess between pan and transmission? Trying to point to the gap here:

Looking up at it...

Little bit of smoke from a few drops on the exhaust...

 

[willzilla]

Well... some more progress... good and bad, lol.

The good.. I poured in some AT-205 "re-seal" into the oil and... it seems my oil leaks is gone (for now).

The bad... lots of noise coming from what sounds like my Meziere waterpump and also from my AC compressor. I installed my shorter belt and bypassed the compressor which solved a lot of the noise but when I rev up the truck the waterpump is making a ton of noise as well :-/ Not sure if the bearing or whatever in the idler pulley of the waterpump is going out causing the noise or what. Thoughts? Here is a short clip...

 

[willzilla]

I sent Meziere an email.. perhaps the waterpump needs a rebuild especially regarding the idler on it. Seems like it's not a user serviceable part.. Not sure if I can "lube" it up or something on the inside, LOL. There is NO sound when the belt is off the car so internally the waterpump seems to be working and flowing fine and without sound.

 

[willzilla]

Ok.. Meziere responded super quick and mailed me out a new bearing for the water pump idler $25 and it got here in just a few days. They said the idler IS user serviceable if I so choose and to apply some heat and then I can remove a few screws and pop the idler off and replace the bearing all while leaving the pump in place

 

[willzilla]

Had a sliver of time this evening after it cooled down a tad and pulled apart the waterpump and removed the old bearing.. wow... it was SHOT, lol. Thankfully I could pull the idler cover off and remove the idler section without removing the pump. Hopefully will clean it all up and install the new bearing tomorrow and get it all back onto the car and see how she sounds!

Process not to bad... apply a lot of heat to break some thread bond material on the screws and then back out 2 of the set screws 1-2 turns and then use a 3/8" allen key to remove the idler cover and then pull the entire assembly out.

Once the idler assembly is out there are a bunch of small screws that hold the bearing in place with a plate. Remove those and the bearing pops out and you can swap in the new bearing.

The old bearing...

And the new bearing...

Pretty much a regular idler pulley fitted into the housing