nemoremo
Member
- Joined
- April 10, 2006
- Messages
- 32
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- City, State
- ID
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 93 Explr 4dr
First post in quite a while. Frequently go here to check things out and appreciate all the good advice I have seen here.
Timeline of issues: Picked up this 94 Ex a year ago. 180K on the engine and had a rebuilt tranny with less than 10K. Great cuz my other Ex (93) has 380K and the tranny was going again.
Replaced radius arm bushings and no problems since.
Water pump blows: Three weeks ago. While I am 80 miles from home,don't have all my tools with me, kids in the car 7 pm on a Saturday night. Damn. Blowing cold night especially where it happened. Tons of fluid out the front of the engine.
I drove carefully to the parts place watching temp like a hawk. Made it.
Had my buddy meet my at O'Reilleys with his took kit. Didn't have the fan clutch tools and borrowed some from them after I removed the water pump and fan intact and got it apart. Found out later on my own that they had the tool for $20. Would have saved hours. But with my buddy helping me we got it back together before midnight. No leaks, nothing dripping to the ground. But I could smell coolant and could hear a very faint hiss after shutting off the engine. Again nothing leaking to the ground and the hiss (very faint) seemed to come from the front of the engine.
Two weeks after water pump repair: Driving home I notice temp going up after the Tstat opens instead of back down to the O in Normal. Goes up to A and stays there. It was cold and raining and I couldn't see well under the car. So I drove home watching the temp gauge. Never went past A. Quit raining by the time I am home but it seems like there is a lot of fluid out the front again. It was very difficult to clean the mating surface where the water pump bolts to the first disassembly and no torque wrench so I am thinking WP gasket.
When I drop the Water pump there is not a ton of fluid that comes out. Hmmm???
So I replace the gasket and very carefully emery cloth off and razor off all the old RTV - there is some pitting on the surface but I re RTV new gasket and assemble very carefully. I also remove the plenum and check all lower intake torque settings. Very low. Some seem not much tighter than finger tight. Retorque in recommended pattern to about 18. Range says 15-18 so I hope this works.
Start to refill with water coolant mix. Water is leaking out of the back and the front. Without even running it. Double Damn. I picked up some K Seal (coolant stop leak) on recommend from the local parts house. Despite some misgivings I fire up the Ex (runs great BTW) to get to temp for the sealer. Coolant is pouring out everywhere. Abort. Abort. With the quantity of fluid coming out under pressure I didn't want to have some gummy crap in my coolant system if it needs a lower intake gasket or head gaskets or heads.
After being misquoted on parts prices several times ( I was going to get the upper engine gasket kit and head bolts. The phone quote went from $120 + $36 for head bolts to nearly $250 total. Did not have.
Onward: So I have the upper intake off and ready to pull valve cover gaskets and lower intake tonight. Was going to try yesterday but it rained all day and my pop up 10x10 tent blew away in the wind the other day and broke so I don't have shelter at present.
Sorry for the length of this - but if you are still with me I plan to just do the lower intake gasket with rubber valve cover gaskets ( reusable I have been told) and then buy or borrow a coolant pressure test after this step. Should have done this earlier I but things get away from you.
TL;DR - multiple coolant leak issues on a 94 Ex. Doing lower intake and pressure test next.
Do I need a special torx bit or socket for fuel rail? Or was that just if I pull heads and need it for the exhaust.
Did the new antifreeze I put in at initial water pump replace ruin my other gaskets? I have read nearly every thread I can find on coolant leak issues and this was mentioned for than once.
Should I go for the check on the heads now and risk having to replace the lower intake gaskets again? I do have good heads on my 93 but they are high mile (380K) and would need new rockers and who knows what else. But they should work right?
Part number for felpro gasket set for the top end engine to head replacement?
I won't spend the $180 the local place is asking for but need to be sure of the number. I found one in a thread but when I went to search it online it came up as incompatible with Explorer but would work on a Navajo?????
Thanks in advance.
Timeline of issues: Picked up this 94 Ex a year ago. 180K on the engine and had a rebuilt tranny with less than 10K. Great cuz my other Ex (93) has 380K and the tranny was going again.
Replaced radius arm bushings and no problems since.
Water pump blows: Three weeks ago. While I am 80 miles from home,don't have all my tools with me, kids in the car 7 pm on a Saturday night. Damn. Blowing cold night especially where it happened. Tons of fluid out the front of the engine.
I drove carefully to the parts place watching temp like a hawk. Made it.
Had my buddy meet my at O'Reilleys with his took kit. Didn't have the fan clutch tools and borrowed some from them after I removed the water pump and fan intact and got it apart. Found out later on my own that they had the tool for $20. Would have saved hours. But with my buddy helping me we got it back together before midnight. No leaks, nothing dripping to the ground. But I could smell coolant and could hear a very faint hiss after shutting off the engine. Again nothing leaking to the ground and the hiss (very faint) seemed to come from the front of the engine.
Two weeks after water pump repair: Driving home I notice temp going up after the Tstat opens instead of back down to the O in Normal. Goes up to A and stays there. It was cold and raining and I couldn't see well under the car. So I drove home watching the temp gauge. Never went past A. Quit raining by the time I am home but it seems like there is a lot of fluid out the front again. It was very difficult to clean the mating surface where the water pump bolts to the first disassembly and no torque wrench so I am thinking WP gasket.
When I drop the Water pump there is not a ton of fluid that comes out. Hmmm???
So I replace the gasket and very carefully emery cloth off and razor off all the old RTV - there is some pitting on the surface but I re RTV new gasket and assemble very carefully. I also remove the plenum and check all lower intake torque settings. Very low. Some seem not much tighter than finger tight. Retorque in recommended pattern to about 18. Range says 15-18 so I hope this works.
Start to refill with water coolant mix. Water is leaking out of the back and the front. Without even running it. Double Damn. I picked up some K Seal (coolant stop leak) on recommend from the local parts house. Despite some misgivings I fire up the Ex (runs great BTW) to get to temp for the sealer. Coolant is pouring out everywhere. Abort. Abort. With the quantity of fluid coming out under pressure I didn't want to have some gummy crap in my coolant system if it needs a lower intake gasket or head gaskets or heads.
After being misquoted on parts prices several times ( I was going to get the upper engine gasket kit and head bolts. The phone quote went from $120 + $36 for head bolts to nearly $250 total. Did not have.
Onward: So I have the upper intake off and ready to pull valve cover gaskets and lower intake tonight. Was going to try yesterday but it rained all day and my pop up 10x10 tent blew away in the wind the other day and broke so I don't have shelter at present.
Sorry for the length of this - but if you are still with me I plan to just do the lower intake gasket with rubber valve cover gaskets ( reusable I have been told) and then buy or borrow a coolant pressure test after this step. Should have done this earlier I but things get away from you.
TL;DR - multiple coolant leak issues on a 94 Ex. Doing lower intake and pressure test next.
Do I need a special torx bit or socket for fuel rail? Or was that just if I pull heads and need it for the exhaust.
Did the new antifreeze I put in at initial water pump replace ruin my other gaskets? I have read nearly every thread I can find on coolant leak issues and this was mentioned for than once.
Should I go for the check on the heads now and risk having to replace the lower intake gaskets again? I do have good heads on my 93 but they are high mile (380K) and would need new rockers and who knows what else. But they should work right?
Part number for felpro gasket set for the top end engine to head replacement?
I won't spend the $180 the local place is asking for but need to be sure of the number. I found one in a thread but when I went to search it online it came up as incompatible with Explorer but would work on a Navajo?????
Thanks in advance.
