Best Friends

[Hinchy65]

Hello Everybody, I'm hoping you may now be my new best friends. My story is that I bought an old 98 Explorer of a work colleague 2 days ago, he had just had the water pump replaced and then he said a few gauges started playing up so he took it back to mechanics, was told some story about sensors. Then he said it was running rough when cold (like on 3 or 4 cylinders but seemed good once warmed up, but he didn't to play with it any more, so I went along to have a look and it started and was running on all cylinders so I decided to drive it home. I soon noticed the temp gauge rising to the high end of the scale but then it started to go back down so I thought I would just monitor it and keep going. A little further along I notice the oil pressure gauge started flicking like crazy and settle at the bottom of the gauge, I figure thes must be the gauge problems he had mentioned so I continued for about another 20 Kms until I thought I heard a bit of a rattling sound and decided it best to pull over and shut it down. I left it on the side for an hour or so before returning with a tow vehicle, when I returned I started it briefly but it made a screeching noise along with quite a rattle, so I'm thinking the oil pressure gauge was correct and I had lost oil pressure possibly due to oil pump failure. So now I have a job ahead of me and hopefully you guys can help along the way with info and would love it if someone had a workshop manual they could post up to make life easier. Thanks for listening and look forward to your input

 

[Turdle]

It's quite possible the screech and gauge action are related. Check the accessory drive belt and pulleys. If the belt was slipping, and alternator was not charging the symptoms you describe could occur. Since the water pump was recently replaced, I suspect a mis routed or bad belt.

Check also the belt is riding in the proper grooves on the lowest, crank pulley. Some pulleys have known to come apart causing the belt to ride on the pulley shaft.

I moved this thread to the stock 1995-2001 sub forum for more views. Good luck!

 

[lobo411]

Sounds like the guy who sold you the truck knew it was a ticking time bomb. He replaced the water pump most likely because it was consistently overheating. When that didn't work, and it started running rough when cold, he knew it was a head gasket issue (either blown, or in the process of blowing). I'd check the coolant. I bet you'll find it full of stop leak.

 

[Hinchy65]

Thanks your your replies, yeah checked belts, all good I think it was more a metallic screech & rattling noise and yes I initially thought it may have been a head gasket issue when he said it was running rough only when cold but when I started it, it seemed to be fine, but after continuing to drive it after the oil gauge issue I have created a much bigger problem and now it is parked up until I get enough information to tackle it.

 

[fast_dave]

Thanks your your replies, yeah checked belts, all good I think it was more a metallic screech & rattling noise and yes I initially thought it may have been a head gasket issue when he said it was running rough only when cold but when I started it, it seemed to be fine, but after continuing to drive it after the oil gauge issue I have created a much bigger problem and now it is parked up until I get enough information to tackle it.

Welcome to the forum!

For clarity, and so that we can better assist you, what engine is in your Explorer?

4.0 Liter OHV or SOHC?