Bought a '97 Explorer (kind of)....performance ?'s within.

[mattscherrygt]

Hey all,

I went and put money down on a '97 Explorer the other day. XLT, 5.0L, 82,600 miles, leather, dark gray exterior, blah blah.

Anyways, I didn't pick it up yet because as part of the sales deal, the dealer is going to FIX (not COVER UP) a valve tap it has and also fix the oil pressure gauge which was going a bit crazy during the test drive. (let me know if you guys know anything about these problems/associated with this vehicle). Other than that, the vehicle is beautiful....interior is flawless!

Now, on to the question: I seem to be having a hard time finding performance exhaust for these things. I would have thought that the V8 models would have some market, but I can't find anything online when searching. I even searched this forum and didn't find anything. Any ideas on aftermarket exhaust systems? (just cat-back...I'm not looking on going all out, I just basically want good looks and good, fairly loud sound). It doesn't matter whether it's dual or single, I'm just interested in seeing whats out there. Suggestions?

Thanks a lot for any and all info on this vehicle, and the exhaust aftermarket. Thanks again.

Matt

 

[smiley1]

Congrats on the new truck.

I have a 98 V8 and there is plenty of stuff out there for it. You can check summitracing.com or explorerexpress.com or just get a custom job done. I will be getting a custom 70 series flowmaster done in the near future (I like it a bit quieter).

If you are looking for added power, you might want to go with a chip or a flasher. I got the flasher from HypIllauto (Wayne) and love the performance increase! Here is his site: http://www.hypillauto.com/ You will want to PM or email him for more info. He is great to work with and gives members here a discount.

I am currently checking to see how much improved economy I gained. The link is here:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123317

You need to go to page 2 or 3.

BTW: I dont think you are hearing a valve tap. 97's and 98's are known to have passenger side manifold leaks that sound like a tapping noise. These 5.0's are near bullet proof. Just something to check on if the dealer gets lost chasing his tail.

 

[mattscherrygt]

Thanks for the response and the links, man. About the "tap": I am almost positive that it is indeed a valve tap, but I could be wrong. I hope it's an exhaust leak, but either way, the dealer is absorbing the cost of repair so it doesn't really matter to me.

Thanks again for the links. I am gonna check them out. I may just end up doing a custom job myself. For the money/HP gain, it might be more efficient....

Any ideas about the gauge??? Is that normal? Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

Matt

 

[smiley1]

Any ideas about the gauge??? Is that normal? Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

I dont know about the gauge... If I were to guess, I would think the sending unit is bad. Should be an easy fix, even for a dealer. LOL.