All Good Things Must Come To an End

[sehaare]

The road for my 98 SOHC, that I bought new off the showroom floor to replace my 94 explorer, has come to an end

I was moving the 98 when I lost all brake pressure. Found that the hard metal brake line to the driver side front brake had rusted through and split. Luckily I was just moving a few feet in my driveway when I lost the brakes and was able to stop.

Over the years I've done a lot more difficult repairs on this car than just replacing a brake line (you can just search my threads here to see). But the real problem with the car is that the Chicagoland rust has finally just won. The SUV was T-boned a few years back (didn't bend frame) and I bought it back after the insurance totaled it out for (I think) $400. Even if I fixed that one brake line I could never trust the rest. At 62 I don't want to be crawling around under the car trying to replace them all and no shop is going to do it for less than the $400 that the SUV is worth.

It is sad, because even after having been it's only owner for over a quarter of a century and driven it from coast to coast multiple times, it still starts every time and runs strong. I had always expected that one day I would hear the SOHC rattle and that would do me in, but it is still spinning like a top and the rust has just eaten everything around it.

For now it will sit in the driveway a little longer as I will continue to store a few things in the back, kind of like a Ford backyard shed, but eventfully I'll just have to call some scrap yard to come tow it away.

I've been here on this forum for about a quarter of a century now (long before my login got changed to sehaare) and I don't see myself ever buying a modern Explorer, so I guess this is goodby.

Thanks for all the help over the years and hopefully some of my threads will continue to help others in the future.

Steve

 

[Rick]

Sad story for sure. How many miles are on your Explorer? Even here in AZ where rust isn't an issue I am seeing less and less 1st and 2nd gens on the road, and in the for sale ads.

 

[410Fortune]

You should part it out so others can save their trucks using bits from yours

 

[Fix4Dirt]

Glad you had a good run. These are surely tough trucks, 26 years is great sevice life.

 

[DintDobbs]

@sehaare Keep a sharp eye out, you might be able to grab another 2nd-gen Explorer before too long, if you want one.

Even if the body and frame are done for, as 410Fortune said, you could still part it out here on the forum, and a SOHC in good working order could fetch a pretty penny from some of the guys here, if that's some thing you're interested in. If it's worth more than $400 in scrap, you could of course let the junk yards deal with those things.

Glad you enjoyed your 2nd-gen, these are tough little beasts but nothing is safe from rust. Kudos to you for using it its whole life!

 

[94Eddie]

Just because you don't have an Explorer doesn't mean you can't still post here. You have a wealth of knowledge you can pass on to others. This is what I will do if I no longer have one in use. I have been a member here for over 20 years (lurked around for years before I joined) and will keep posting as long as I am able whether, or not, I own a Ford or can't even drive.

 

[sehaare]

Just because you don't have an Explorer doesn't mean you can't still post here. You have a wealth of knowledge you can pass on to others. This is what I will do if I no longer have one in use. I have been a member here for over 20 years (lurked around for years before I joined) and will keep posting as long as I am able whether, or not, I own a Ford or can't even drive.

If nothing else, I know what threads exist on here to send other people to when they have issue.

 

[sehaare]

Sad story for sure. How many miles are on your Explorer? Even here in AZ where rust isn't an issue I am seeing less and less 1st and 2nd gens on the road, and in the for sale ads.

It was high milage from 1998 -2004, then when I retired from the Navy, my next job gave me a company car with much better gas mileage, so it didn't see many miles until my daughter started using it for her daily driver until it rusted enough that I didn't trust it for her to use it every day. In the end it only has 160K on it, but once it starts rusting the miles don't matter the months do.

 

[Josh P]

once it starts rusting the miles don't matter the months do.

That's true and a great quote.

 

[Turdle]

Glad you are not giving up. I'd be happy to remove this thread if you'd like.

 

[sehaare]

Glad you are not giving up. I'd be happy to remove this thread if you'd like.

Unless you need the space, go ahead and just leave it. I linked to it in the other thread and it kind of explains my thought process.

One thing that I haven't mentioned in that thought process yet is that in addition to my 2024 daily driver, I've got the 98, a 92 VW cabriolet and a 81 VW Rabbit convertible that I have kept all three running until this summer and right now all three are not driveable. 98-brakes, 92 -massive power steering rack leak, 81-electrical gremlins. So I was tempted to just walk away from all three, now I'll see what I can get fixed while the weather is good.

 

[Josh P]

I like the early 80s look of the VWs.

 

[mountaineer2004]

Do you want to keep it, though? At 62, you may have extra funds to do what you really want, even if it's not 100% fiscally prudent. With the electrical gremlins, and age, have you considered getting rid of the '81, and installing all new hard brake lines on your '98, so it's safe to drive?

 

[sehaare]

I like the early 80s look of the VWs.

The early 80's are so much easier to work on than these explorers.

I swapped the engine in the 81 out for a bigger one and all I needed to do was put the front end high up on jackstands, put a 4x4 wooden post across the engine compartment with a threaded eyebolt through it (with a fender washer and nut on the other side). shackle the eyebot to the engine, disconnect the motor mounts then unscrew the nut and lower the eyebolt and engine onto a piece of cardboard on the ground and slide the engine out from underneath the car. Try doing that with a modern car. When I replaced the clutch I could just bench press the tranny in and out of the car (I was 20 years younger at the time)>

 

[sehaare]

Do you want to keep it, though? At 62, you may have extra funds to do what you really want, even if it's not 100% fiscally prudent. With the electrical gremlins, and age, have you considered getting rid of the '81, and installing all new hard brake lines on your '98, so it's safe to drive?

I made a 40 year career out of troubleshooting electronic (even taught electronics and troubleshooting in the Navy) so Gremlins are just a matter of getting off my ass (and sometime squeezing into positions that aren't fun at 62) and doing it. While I was waiting for the brake lines to arrive for the SUV yesterday, I fixed the low beam headlight, the HVAC fan, and the windshield washer. I was looking for something common to all of them and should have just started troubleshooting. Turned out that it had three separate issues that were easy to fix (or order a relay for). Found a cracked vacuum hose and once I replace that and the new relay comes in, the 81 can be on the road again just in time for fall. And a running car is much easier to sell if I do decide I've had enough.

 

[cober]

SOHC is not a good thing lol

 

[manimal]

I've never lived in a rust belt state. Never had to discard a vehicle due to rust. I'm not saying that older vehicles here in the PNW will have zero rust, but it's usually limited to surface corrosion, the kind that could be easily wire wheeled off in a few minutes and painted over. I've almost never experienced a rusted bolt or fastener that had to be cut off due to corrosion.

To this day I don't understand why so many states find it acceptable to continue to spray this crap on the roads in winter time, or why the residents put up with it. I guess the alternative is worse, as in no road travel at all due to snow pack?

It really chapped my ass a few years back when we had a major snow storm here that left the region covered in several feet of snow for over a week. WSDOT finally broke down and started spraying roads. A lot of people were pissed when they found out, especially once there was some speculation that a lot of it washed out into local rivers and streams and killed a bunch of fish.

I rushed as quickly as I could to a wash place that did undercarriage washing after that was all said and done.

Central/eastern Oregon puts down sand in the winter months and it makes a huge difference in areas that like to ice up. No salt. Everyone seems to get around fine.

 

[Josh P]

I've never lived in a rust belt state. Never had to discard a vehicle due to rust. I'm not saying that older vehicles here in the PNW will have zero rust, but it's usually limited to surface corrosion, the kind that could be easily wire wheeled off in a few minutes and painted over. I've almost never experienced a rusted bolt or fastener that had to be cut off due to corrosion.

To this day I don't understand why so many states find it acceptable to continue to spray this crap on the roads in winter time, or why the residents put up with it. I guess the alternative is worse, as in no road travel at all due to snow pack?

It really chapped my ass a few years back when we had a major snow storm here that left the region covered in several feet of snow for over a week. WSDOT finally broke down and started spraying roads. A lot of people were pissed when they found out, especially once there was some speculation that a lot of it washed out into local rivers and streams and killed a bunch of fish.

I rushed as quickly as I could to a wash place that did undercarriage washing after that was all said and done.

Central/eastern Oregon puts down sand in the winter months and it makes a huge difference in areas that like to ice up. No salt. Everyone seems to get around fine.

As a truck driver, I like the states that liquid treat the roads prior to the storms. Salt is only good down to 15 degrees or so, the liquid stuff will go into the negative temps. From what I heat it's different than salt and won't cause the same rust issues salt does.

 

[J_C]

To this day I don't understand why so many states find it acceptable to continue to spray this crap on the roads in winter time, or why the residents put up with it. I guess the alternative is worse, as in no road travel at all due to snow pack?

Certainly a lot of people would stay home but some don't have the common sense to, and others have to go to work or other places, so more accidents, and more people getting stuck. It's particularly a problem around here where there are mostly hills and curves. If not for salt and plows, I couldn't get out of my neighborhood with a FWD car when it snows more than a trivial amount. Maybe with tire chains or studs but they are illegal here.

Another situation is the road dept. likes to be proactive and throw down salt if it "might" snow more than a little, but then the storm doesn't end up producing much snow, so high salt concentration on roads with only a little snow to melt and wash it away. My '98 is rusting away, but driving on those salted roads is it's primary purpose, let it take the damage, and 4WD... It has never gotten stuck in snow.

 

[sehaare]

I've never lived in a rust belt state. Never had to discard a vehicle due to rust. I'm not saying that older vehicles here in the PNW will have zero rust, but it's usually limited to surface corrosion, the kind that could be easily wire wheeled off in a few minutes and painted over. I've almost never experienced a rusted bolt or fastener that had to be cut off due to corrosion.

To this day I don't understand why so many states find it acceptable to continue to spray this crap on the roads in winter time, or why the residents put up with it. I guess the alternative is worse, as in no road travel at all due to snow pack?

It really chapped my ass a few years back when we had a major snow storm here that left the region covered in several feet of snow for over a week. WSDOT finally broke down and started spraying roads. A lot of people were pissed when they found out, especially once there was some speculation that a lot of it washed out into local rivers and streams and killed a bunch of fish.

I rushed as quickly as I could to a wash place that did undercarriage washing after that was all said and done.

Central/eastern Oregon puts down sand in the winter months and it makes a huge difference in areas that like to ice up. No salt. Everyone seems to get around fine.

Completely different conditions in the midwest. I was stationed In Bremerton and Everett Wa twice for a little over 5 years total.(PacNorWest just doesn't get the same icy conditions and on the few times you do, everyone just chained up for a few days since everyone already had chains for the mountain passes. I bought my 98 new in bremerton. and it spent it's first 8 years without seeing salted roads (5 years puget sound and 3 years in South Carolina).

In the midwest (chicagoland in my case) you can get ice, snow, sleet and freezing rain in the same day and repeat it several times a month during the winter season. In the midwest no one has tire chains as there are no mountains to need them. Sand does nothing in our conditions so you either salt (or now spray) the roads or people die.

And if you go further north it gets even worse I was working In northern MN and they didn't even try to melt the ice in the parking lot, you just drove on it slow, couldn't do that on the roads so they used mountains of salt. Again either use the salt or people die.