A New Ford Explorer XLT Owners 1st Mods (Please Help)

[nicholasjj]

Why is it my transmission won't last past summer? You act as if I'm dong more to it than I am. Nice attitude though. I take it you based your post on my being unsure if I wanted to send the chip back and the fact I was unsure if I wanted to follow thru and do any work to this or wait until I bought a second vehicle again. I received a lot of great advice which I appreciated, said thanks for, and may act on some of. Either way, I appreciate the perspective of others. If I liked to blow money aimlessly, I'd spend it on swapping the motor. Typically though I've always done mods to whatever I had as a pastime. However I sold my Mustang when given this vehicle as I'd just had a baby at the time and needed a more spacious vehicle and some extra cash on hand for a bigger place. Enough explaining myself. I've done so in in a civil way, and I'm through.

 

[nicholasjj]

I've got quite a bit of money in my engine. It's bored 20 over, Comp 410 Camshaft, K&N Filter, dual valve springs, fine spray fuel injectors, headers, exhaust, used to have a BBK TB and 73mm MAF. Looking back, I should have gone to a 302. I probably could have done the swap for about $1000 LESS then what I have in my engine. But, then you still have to get your trans/t-case/drive shafts figured out and paid for if you aren't going with the entire V-8 Drive train.

If I were you I'd return everything you bought. Then you'll have enough $ to buy some 4.10 gears. Swapping these in instead of the 3.55's or 3.23's or what ever is in the truck will give you more acceleration and "performance" then anything you can do to the engine, short of forced induction. Do you know what gear ratio you have?

Thanks. I'm considering your gear advice. Any advice as well on what to do after the tranny gives? I'm not sure if I want to rebuild it or put something else in, but realizing when I got this vehicle the transmission wouldn't last all that long I've been a little indecisive what I wanted to work on quite yet.

 

[Spdrcer34]

nicholasjj,

I have been around a while, I have built many vehicles, and spent A LOT of money on My Explorer....most of it was when I had a V-6. I had the M5OD-R1 manual transmission. That transmission is widely regarded as the stronger of the 2 transmission options that were available in the 1st Gens. And I broke 3 of them.

Ever since I swapped in my V8, my Explorer has gotten BETTER mileage, and is far more reliable.

If you do it right, you can do a V8 swap for less than that 'chip' you bought...

So with that said, how would you "blow money aimlessly......... on swapping the motor"?

Ryan

 

[FIND]

nicholasjj,

I have been around a while, I have built many vehicles, and spent A LOT of money on My Explorer....most of it was when I had a V-6. I had the M5OD-R1 manual transmission. That transmission is widely regarded as the stronger of the 2 transmission options that were available in the 1st Gens. And I broke 3 of them.

Ever since I swapped in my V8, my Explorer has gotten BETTER mileage, and is far more reliable.

If you do it right, you can do a V8 swap for less than that 'chip' you bought...

So with that said, how would you "blow money aimlessly......... on swapping the motor"?

Ryan

What kind of mileage are you getting?

 

[nicholasjj]

nicholasjj,

I have been around a while, I have built many vehicles, and spent A LOT of money on My Explorer....most of it was when I had a V-6. I had the M5OD-R1 manual transmission. That transmission is widely regarded as the stronger of the 2 transmission options that were available in the 1st Gens. And I broke 3 of them.

Ever since I swapped in my V8, my Explorer has gotten BETTER mileage, and is far more reliable.

If you do it right, you can do a V8 swap for less than that 'chip' you bought...

So with that said, how would you "blow money aimlessly......... on swapping the motor"?

Ryan

You're right, it wouldn't be blowing money (and obviously most here know a lot more than myself and have been around the block, so that I should pay more attention to advice given). I guess I was thinking more in terms of spending money on something I didn't 'need'. It would perhaps be a smarter approach than modding and- to say the least- a better use of funds. In a way I was just surprised a few bolt ons seemed as big of issue. Honestly I just hate the the hassle of sending anything back as big of pain in the ass as it usually is, even if in this case I spent on the spur of the moment- and because admittedly they were easy installs at a time when a lot of my time is taken up- rather than asking for advice first.

Anyway, thanks for the heads up on how bad the transmissions are. I'd heard and read they weren't great, but I didn't know to what extent. I had considered selling it and buying a little newer model V8 as I have a couple people I could unload of it to and double my money on it at the moment. Honestly I'm a little indecisive at the moment but everyone here, including yourself, have been helpful.

 

[Spdrcer34]

As far as mileage, I have gotten as good as 22mpg on ALL freeway driving, but around town I typically see 17-19mpg...if I can keep my foot out of it. I feel the biggest factor in my mileage is the Torque Monster Headers. Without them I would be getting the same mileage, if not less as I had with the V6.

My previous best with the V6 was 21mpg...and around town I would get 13-15mpg. And that was with a Manual Transmission.

Ryan

 

[FIND]

As far as mileage, I have gotten as good as 22mpg on ALL freeway driving, but around town I typically see 17-19mpg...if I can keep my foot out of it. I feel the biggest factor in my mileage is the Torque Monster Headers. Without them I would be getting the same mileage, if not less as I had with the V6.

My previous best with the V6 was 21mpg...and around town I would get 13-15mpg. And that was with a Manual Transmission.

Ryan

Wow.... that's amazing. You have a 5.0 right? Then again, I guess I shouldn't be that surprised, my Lincoln with a DOHC 4.6 gets better than 25mpg. I am getting 23 mpg out of my 4.0, and still haven't installed my E-fan or UDP with stock internals.

crap.... I'm almost thinking it would be worthwhile to swap in a V8 built for fuel mileage than rebuilding my spare 4.0 for fuel mileage .... Meh.... I guess I am not trying to make a lot of extra power, so I should be able to squeeze a hair more economy out of the 4.0, since I don't need extra power... Of course.... I could always take a lesson from the Eco-boost and use a standalone to put in a Duratec 2.3 with a turbo.... Money money money, way more than it is worth. Before I went through that kind of expense, I would almost certainly just swap in a diesel engine like an OM617 or 4bt or something.

Oh well, I guess I will stop the thread jack for now.