RustyMacintosh
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- August 5, 2018
- Messages
- 190
- Reaction score
- 50
- City, State
- Monterey
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 94 XLT 4x4 Exploder
I had promised myself that enough was enough. But with so many great buys on the market!
I own a 99 XLT 4.0, at 200k we swapped in a used motor from LKQ. 4500 miles later, the rear chain rattled when the engine is hot (after 2 hours non stop at highway speeds on a 100 deg day) chain was making noise occasionally.
I called the supplier who got the motor from LKQ--they told us to shove off. SINCE I did not replace the chains and guides, I was SOL. OK--I can deal with that. Man up, pull it, fix it, that is my favorite Exploder.
Tech said to me,,,"You hear that wrist pin rattle?" Me "No", Tech, "Yes you do, you just don't hear it yet." He smiled, ahhhhh inference! He's right! I could hear a wrist pin knock. (actually not).
LKQ sent another motor. It arrived yesterday on a pallet. TO CHAIN or NOT TO CHAIN.....probably will this time.
I also have a 98 XLT, 205K loaded options, leather etc. It was sort of a sad case. The young lady who got hooked up with a parolee who then beat her ass, when then stabbed her kid, then burnt the apartment down, she sold me the 98 4.0 on the cheap. IT---turns out to have the sweetest sounding 4.0. At 206k, it purrs. Even the shop owner was impressed. 90 year old mother drives it. She likes the digital entry key, running boards and the AC is colder than a witches tit.
Then bought a 98 Edie Bauer from this preacher-wannabe-paroled- self appointed-Harley Rider -for -Jesus -guy who could spew out the bullshit like a big dawg in Washington DC. Nice ride. V-8 actually. Edie has the 5.0. BUT---(always a but in every good deal), windows, door handles blend doors, and the rear differential howled like a wolf at midnight.
OK, suck it up, bI ought a replacement rear with 112k, tore into the heater box to repair the blend door, door panels are off and repaired, ---OK, so the drivers' door is a problem child but it won't win. I punched it coming into the driveway last night. Two long wide burnoff black marks from the street across the sidewalk and into the driveway. NICE! Grandson saw his benefactor doing what gramps can do when gramps holds the keys...$$$...and authority.
1994 XLT popped up. 4x4. Sad case again. I should feel guilty. But you know the saying? BUYER BEWARE? Well in this instant, SELLER BEWARE is applied here.
Older lady, 1 owner, totally ripped off by the shop she was dealing with. 211k miles, they sold her a new, not rebuilt, but NEW (where they found it is beyond me) trans. About $3k, then a rebuilt transfer case. Then new brakes, then tires, then shocks, then AC, then radiator, then water pump, she then moved to my town, from out-of-state, the smog guy says.
"lady, it passed smog but you got a cracked head." She drove it home, parked it, bought a new Kia. She began to run an ad, week after week I would see this ad. Finally, after about 6 months I broke down, went over and saw the SUV. Nice shape, spotless interior. She fired it up, I opened up the radiator cap, no bubbles, I opened the oil spout, no milk. Engine did misfire for a few moments then settled into a nice quiet idle.
She was asking $1500, she said she would take 800, I offered her 600, we agreed. I went to an ATM then had me #4. I drove the SUV for a couple of weeks-in the morns,-it would misfire for a few, then settle down to a nice idle, run perfectly all day long. Next morn, misfire, #6. I put plugs, wires but no avail. Every morning misfire. #6.
OK, so it MIGHT have a crack. It might have a headgasket, it might it might it might. There is a product which you can buy off Ebay called LIQUID GLASS. Comes in a quart jar. Used for sealing concrete etc. Hey for a gallon of antifreeze and $34 bucks, what the worst could happen?
OK, I'll try it. Drained the radiator of antifreeze. Garden hosed the radiator out. I did NOT remove the thermostat. That is a 2 hour job at best. at least for me. I refilled with water, poured the magic elixir into the the engine, let it idle for an hour, let it cool, drained it out, garden hosed the radiator, refilled with anti-freeze, so far, so good. No misfire in the morns. 900 miles so far. 100-106d days with the AC on. Mornings it is smooth.
OH, I ordered a 67k complete motor from a yard in Northern Washington State, it is on its way.....just in case.
THEN!! Came #5.
OK, under certain circumstances, at least this instant, the family now has sought the help from the courts to begin receivership or at the very least, to have a mental evaluation at some local hospital....monkey ward....I've done many conservatorship actions before the court. Easy, painless for me, emotional and splits family on the other side...
But my kids know better. (There is an irrevocable trust). And both of my eyes point somewhat straight forward. I do not wear pampers, yet, and the dog is my dog, she would not do well anywhere but at this house....
So an absolutely gorgeous 2001 came out on the marketplace. It needs a motor. Another 1 owner always garaged car. But it is 4x2. Me, myself and I had this debate for several hours over the possibility of owning yet another Explorer, even if I had promised my kids, my grandkids, and myself that I was at the limit.
WELL...some things in life come in 3's, in this instant, they have come in 5's.
Below are the pictures. I was sold as I came up the street. Dark blue. Almost spotless body. New tires too! Nice....peered into the driver's window, nice clean interior. Even the center console was clean, no elbow wear!
I see a Devin Nunes for Senate sign in their yard, I like them already! (Devin is our rep--)
Owner comes out. Nice older lady, I was impressed....(even us old goats can admire OK?) Turns out she wanted to sell it bad too. I asked about the motor, she said the shop down the road (I've on bought parts from them once....never again) said the engine is toast.
4x2 motor. I got a 4x4 motor on the truck due to arrive for the 99 as noted above. Hmmmm, let me think about the possibilities of this. I LIKE this dark blue. I LIKE the fact it is 1 owner. I like the fact the clear coat was not flaking off like the skin on my arms after 2 days in my Cuddy Cabin off shore of Santa Barbara.....which! Is frequently. But heck does Santa Barbara area have a nest of Exploders! Clean ones too.
So perviously mentioned Explorer has no trailer hitch. Hmmmm...this baby is clean. And the owners lawn is perfectly manicured. So she is careful about taking care of her stuff too.
$500. (remember Seller beware), deal made. I head to the ATM, I head to Uhaul and I head back.
OK, other than knowing my adult children will now come down on me like a load of bricks, (role reversals?) I was rather hard on them to finish college and such. Airline Pilot, M.D., and law school grads. I knew the grandsons would be having a field day with grampas new toy.
Suburban backed up, Uhaul trailer with ramps down, how the heck are we going to get this baby up on that trailer? Now, said previous owner climbs into the front seat and starts the Ford. Holy moly! Listen to that motor! It sounds like there is no oil pressure, but it is chains! She puts it in gear it backfired into the intake, then died. She repeats process. It took a whole lotta coaxing but the Ford finally limped up the ramps and was sitting nicely on the trailer.... She climbs out, over the fender of the trailer, gave me a kiss then went inside. I think I saw a tear... I wanted another kiss but that is for another time.
Shop has the Ford, engine is to be pulled, evaluated, and determined whereas what to do next....fix it, swap it, etc etc.
I own a 99 XLT 4.0, at 200k we swapped in a used motor from LKQ. 4500 miles later, the rear chain rattled when the engine is hot (after 2 hours non stop at highway speeds on a 100 deg day) chain was making noise occasionally.
I called the supplier who got the motor from LKQ--they told us to shove off. SINCE I did not replace the chains and guides, I was SOL. OK--I can deal with that. Man up, pull it, fix it, that is my favorite Exploder.
Tech said to me,,,"You hear that wrist pin rattle?" Me "No", Tech, "Yes you do, you just don't hear it yet." He smiled, ahhhhh inference! He's right! I could hear a wrist pin knock. (actually not).
LKQ sent another motor. It arrived yesterday on a pallet. TO CHAIN or NOT TO CHAIN.....probably will this time.
I also have a 98 XLT, 205K loaded options, leather etc. It was sort of a sad case. The young lady who got hooked up with a parolee who then beat her ass, when then stabbed her kid, then burnt the apartment down, she sold me the 98 4.0 on the cheap. IT---turns out to have the sweetest sounding 4.0. At 206k, it purrs. Even the shop owner was impressed. 90 year old mother drives it. She likes the digital entry key, running boards and the AC is colder than a witches tit.
Then bought a 98 Edie Bauer from this preacher-wannabe-paroled- self appointed-Harley Rider -for -Jesus -guy who could spew out the bullshit like a big dawg in Washington DC. Nice ride. V-8 actually. Edie has the 5.0. BUT---(always a but in every good deal), windows, door handles blend doors, and the rear differential howled like a wolf at midnight.
OK, suck it up, bI ought a replacement rear with 112k, tore into the heater box to repair the blend door, door panels are off and repaired, ---OK, so the drivers' door is a problem child but it won't win. I punched it coming into the driveway last night. Two long wide burnoff black marks from the street across the sidewalk and into the driveway. NICE! Grandson saw his benefactor doing what gramps can do when gramps holds the keys...$$$...and authority.
1994 XLT popped up. 4x4. Sad case again. I should feel guilty. But you know the saying? BUYER BEWARE? Well in this instant, SELLER BEWARE is applied here.
Older lady, 1 owner, totally ripped off by the shop she was dealing with. 211k miles, they sold her a new, not rebuilt, but NEW (where they found it is beyond me) trans. About $3k, then a rebuilt transfer case. Then new brakes, then tires, then shocks, then AC, then radiator, then water pump, she then moved to my town, from out-of-state, the smog guy says.
"lady, it passed smog but you got a cracked head." She drove it home, parked it, bought a new Kia. She began to run an ad, week after week I would see this ad. Finally, after about 6 months I broke down, went over and saw the SUV. Nice shape, spotless interior. She fired it up, I opened up the radiator cap, no bubbles, I opened the oil spout, no milk. Engine did misfire for a few moments then settled into a nice quiet idle.
She was asking $1500, she said she would take 800, I offered her 600, we agreed. I went to an ATM then had me #4. I drove the SUV for a couple of weeks-in the morns,-it would misfire for a few, then settle down to a nice idle, run perfectly all day long. Next morn, misfire, #6. I put plugs, wires but no avail. Every morning misfire. #6.
OK, so it MIGHT have a crack. It might have a headgasket, it might it might it might. There is a product which you can buy off Ebay called LIQUID GLASS. Comes in a quart jar. Used for sealing concrete etc. Hey for a gallon of antifreeze and $34 bucks, what the worst could happen?
OK, I'll try it. Drained the radiator of antifreeze. Garden hosed the radiator out. I did NOT remove the thermostat. That is a 2 hour job at best. at least for me. I refilled with water, poured the magic elixir into the the engine, let it idle for an hour, let it cool, drained it out, garden hosed the radiator, refilled with anti-freeze, so far, so good. No misfire in the morns. 900 miles so far. 100-106d days with the AC on. Mornings it is smooth.
OH, I ordered a 67k complete motor from a yard in Northern Washington State, it is on its way.....just in case.
THEN!! Came #5.
OK, under certain circumstances, at least this instant, the family now has sought the help from the courts to begin receivership or at the very least, to have a mental evaluation at some local hospital....monkey ward....I've done many conservatorship actions before the court. Easy, painless for me, emotional and splits family on the other side...
But my kids know better. (There is an irrevocable trust). And both of my eyes point somewhat straight forward. I do not wear pampers, yet, and the dog is my dog, she would not do well anywhere but at this house....
So an absolutely gorgeous 2001 came out on the marketplace. It needs a motor. Another 1 owner always garaged car. But it is 4x2. Me, myself and I had this debate for several hours over the possibility of owning yet another Explorer, even if I had promised my kids, my grandkids, and myself that I was at the limit.
WELL...some things in life come in 3's, in this instant, they have come in 5's.
Below are the pictures. I was sold as I came up the street. Dark blue. Almost spotless body. New tires too! Nice....peered into the driver's window, nice clean interior. Even the center console was clean, no elbow wear!
I see a Devin Nunes for Senate sign in their yard, I like them already! (Devin is our rep--)
Owner comes out. Nice older lady, I was impressed....(even us old goats can admire OK?) Turns out she wanted to sell it bad too. I asked about the motor, she said the shop down the road (I've on bought parts from them once....never again) said the engine is toast.
4x2 motor. I got a 4x4 motor on the truck due to arrive for the 99 as noted above. Hmmmm, let me think about the possibilities of this. I LIKE this dark blue. I LIKE the fact it is 1 owner. I like the fact the clear coat was not flaking off like the skin on my arms after 2 days in my Cuddy Cabin off shore of Santa Barbara.....which! Is frequently. But heck does Santa Barbara area have a nest of Exploders! Clean ones too.
So perviously mentioned Explorer has no trailer hitch. Hmmmm...this baby is clean. And the owners lawn is perfectly manicured. So she is careful about taking care of her stuff too.
$500. (remember Seller beware), deal made. I head to the ATM, I head to Uhaul and I head back.
OK, other than knowing my adult children will now come down on me like a load of bricks, (role reversals?) I was rather hard on them to finish college and such. Airline Pilot, M.D., and law school grads. I knew the grandsons would be having a field day with grampas new toy.
Suburban backed up, Uhaul trailer with ramps down, how the heck are we going to get this baby up on that trailer? Now, said previous owner climbs into the front seat and starts the Ford. Holy moly! Listen to that motor! It sounds like there is no oil pressure, but it is chains! She puts it in gear it backfired into the intake, then died. She repeats process. It took a whole lotta coaxing but the Ford finally limped up the ramps and was sitting nicely on the trailer.... She climbs out, over the fender of the trailer, gave me a kiss then went inside. I think I saw a tear... I wanted another kiss but that is for another time.
Shop has the Ford, engine is to be pulled, evaluated, and determined whereas what to do next....fix it, swap it, etc etc.
