Dead Ford Explorer Engine or something else?

[napnetdot]

Im not too much on complete knowledge about engines but i do know when one is having trouble. im kinda broke rite now too so any advice would be great.

Well basically my explorer was a company car and a sheriffs car so it was probably not kept up well. when i bought it a year ago it had like 126k miles on it and in a year im almost up to 140k miles. its on its 3rd transmission and now i think my engine is due for major trouble.

Lately whats happening is im loosing radiator fluid but i cant find a leak anywhere. My exaust has started to smell really bad (like rotten eggs or sulfer) and im leaking oil from my Timing Chain Pan (or what im told). Oh yeah the engine is kinda studdering and idling rather rough. oh yeah, some sort of pinging or knocking noise from the top of the engine (Fuel Injector?) when im going 50+ with a heavy load or uphill. Gas mileage has started to suck. oh well enough whining.

Can anyone give me advise as to what i should have looked at or replace (whole engine?!?!). Thanks!

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Joel McAllister
http://www.napnet.com/projects/truck/default.asp

92 Ford Explorer 4 Door, V6 4.0 2WD Pushrod

 

[Rick]

For the coolant leak, check the dipstick to see if it looks milky in color. If it is water is mixing with your oil. Do you have white smoke coming from your tailpipe? This is a sign of water entering the combustion chamber from a cracked head.

As for the rotten egg odor, knocking and poor performance. It could be nothing more than a clogged catalytic converter and worn out oxygen sensors.

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Rick Horwitz
Editor
explorer@4x4central.com
www.4x4central.com

 

[napnetdot]

Thanks for the quick reply!

Um, as for the oil, I had it changed 2 days ago. I just checked it and it looked like nice clean oil. Guys at Superlube didn’t say anything but I’ll check on it. As for anything out the exhaust, I have never had any smoke or anything coming out of the exhaust that I could notice. Ill check soon. I think the only time I notice any smoke is when I start it up and it’s very little. Mainly when it’s starting cold. But nothing that I notice out my window or anything.

As for a cracked head, how would I go about checking on that?

Thanks


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Joel McAllister
http://www.napnet.com/projects/truck/default.asp

92 XLT Ford Explorer 4 Door, V6 4.0 2WD Pushrod

 

[Rick]

On the vehicle you check for the signs I already gave you. Oil contamination and white smoke in the exahust.

Off the vehicle you can have the head magna-fluxed to check for cracks.

I was loosing a small amount of coolant on a regular basis. It turned out to be a split seam in the radiator. It was so small that the fluid was leaking out and absorbing into a rats nest of debris that had accumulated under the radiator. The fluid never leaked on the driveway, it just absorbed in all the crud.

I didn't notice the leak until I removed my fan shroud one day/

 

[Navajo Joe]

Sounds like she needs some TLC. Try changing the plugs, cleaning the MAS and doing a carbon flush. this will help clean out the engine and make it run better or should. Also try putting a little radiato stop leak in the radiator until you have the money to get it fixed. You should be able to do all these and it cost very little. It should only cost you around $20 depending on the plugs you buy. Also check the plug wires they might also need to be changed. Another thing that might help get a good fuel injector cleaner. On the tranny's just remember to have it flushed and the filter changed on a regular basis, according to the Ford owners manual. i believe it is once a year or 24k miles but if you tow it might need to be done sooner. Good luck i hope this helps..

[This message has been edited by Navajo Joe (edited 04-04-2000).]

 

[D F Willy]

Just get your engine rebuilt, and bored out 60 over, should take care of the engine problem. Give you some better performance although a little pricey.

 

[napnetdot]

Engine being bored out and re-built cost ALOT more than i have. Well im thinking its an O2 sensor or something and or mabye an exaust clog. its going to the doctor thursday for a checkup so ill know whats going to happen to it. wouldnt mind puttin in a new engine if i had the $$$. i wish it was 4x4 because the body and interior are in perfect condition for an 8 y/o explorer.

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Joel McAllister
http://www.napnet.com/projects/truck/default.asp

92 XLT Ford Explorer 4 Door, V6 4.0 2WD Pushrod

 

[DOGMAN]

Joel,

First thing that comes to mind after reading your description is a cracked head. This is not that uncommon on high mileage 4.0 motors. I have the same problems as you described and have been convinced for quite a while that one of my heads are cracked.

Something easy to do is remove the spark plugs and see if you find any coolant on them. When I did that to mine, the passenger side plugs had coolant on them, with the one closest to the firewall having the most. This tends to foul the plugs easily, so that can add to the problem of rough idle and missing when under load.

I have never noticed coolant in the oil, only the comsumption of coolant without any noticeable leaks. Of course the only way to know for certain is to pull the heads and inspect them. But that is expensive if you can't do it yourself.

If you can have a reputable mechanic look at it, I'd take that road. Let's hope yours is a quick and cheap solution, because the other alternative is rather expensive and involved.

Good luck.



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DOGMAN
91 4dr 5sp
5.5" Superlift
"Downhill is just uphill in the opposite direction"

 

[napnetdot]

Just for pure sake of saying it, what if the head has been cracked? how long can i use the engine before it dies. What are some things i can do to make it last during its last leg? Im not 100% sold on it being a cracked head or blown head gasket yet but it mite be.

 

[Rick]

Stop leak may prolong the inevitable if it's a cracked head.

 

[Tony91Sport]

For your sake, do NOT use stop leak. I did, and when it wouldnt work anymorei had a real problem, it clogged the pitcock for the radiator! Now that was a mess. If your talened enough, you can take you head off, and get it checked, it could just be a blown head gasket, if youre lucky. If not, then its alot cheaper to replace the head and not the engine. Good luck.

Tony 91 Sport

 

[REDDOG]

Regarding the trans, have it re-built by a good trans mechanic. DO NOT BUY A RE-BUILT. The re-built (aka:"NEW") trans you buy are not always re-built very well. You may save some $ up front but will buy another trans before a properly re-built will go out.

If you use a fuel injector cleanr, as stated above, use a Chevron Techroline product. I did some construction work at a refinery that made all the engine additives in gas and asked the techs some questions. Officially they could not post results of the different product because they made them all, but the recommended on the side the Techroline over other fuel additives for the other companies. Interesting place, They would bring in approx. 10 of the same engine and run each one on a different fuel for months while monitoring everything on them. They then would record the data for the individual fuel & additve companies.

Rambling on, sorry.

Wish you luck.

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REDDOG
94 XLT 4X4 4.0L SOHC
125,000
Stock, Stock, Stock

 

[napnetdot]

im not so worried about the transmission. with pullin a bass boat, offroadin, and normal city driving (there is a redlite every 10 feet it seems in tallahassee and they are not synched!) im not too surprised the fluids a lil dirty. as for checking the sparkplugs, ugh thats going to be fun. my engine compartment is so cluttered. i'd have tot ake apart half my stuff to get to it. anyone know an easy way to get to the sparkplugs? i dont like taking apart my only means of transportation very much

 

[Navajo Joe]

I had a small leak in my heads and I put about 1/4 of a tube of stop leak in and it hasn't leaked a drop since. I wouldn't suggest using a whole tube but 1/4 to 1/3 shouldn't be enough to clog up anything.

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91 Navajo 4.0
Bosch Platinum plugs, K&N air filter, modified air box and Bilstien shocks.

 

[napnetdot]

welp it seems all my fears were for naught. The O2 sensor was my major problem. Had it replaced and a major tune up (why not?). Now its driving fine! fixed some other problems i had too. Thank the good Lord it wasnt a blown head gasket or anythin! didnt find coolant anywhere. Thanks for the help yall

 

[sbrawner2]

Wups nevermind.


[This message has been edited by sbrawner2 (edited 04-25-2000).]