-Deathrow Update Log-

[DemonMudder]

Wrote what I know in the description, heard it in the work parking lot, hardly noticed it without the hood up, anything y'all can suggest checking, either way I'll mess with it again tonight after work

 

[WormsExplorer]

It sounds to me like the beginning of the Timing chain tick but I am not sure about it. Does it go away after a while or is it constant.

 

[CDW6212R]

The 302 will jump ahead of the SOHC from the start, it has much better launch power. The SOHC will catch up eventually, but I'd guess around 60mph when the 302's transmission shifts to 3rd gear(wide ratio gap from 2nd to 3rd).

 

[donalds]

I love the REAL info y'all are talking

 

[DemonMudder]

It sounds to me like the beginning of the Timing chain tick but I am not sure about it. Does it go away after a while or is it constant.

Not sure, just got out of work, I can mess with it tomorrow morning, let it run for a bit and see. Better freaking not be that crap

 

[Fix4Dirt]

my timing noise was a bit more metallic than yours, and mine was the main chain guide... so fingers crossed its something different! keep us posted!

 

[DemonMudder]

Does sound closer to either the center, the front or both. 20 minutes on back roads from work, stopped at walmart for some ingredients, about 5 minutes down I got home, I threw it in neutral and revved it as I went a couple times to warm it up. Still makes the sound about the same, not getting any codes still either, which bugs me even more. I swear if it's the timing chains, I do not feel like dealing with that right now. But I will say, a while back when I asked about my start ups feeling a bit aggressive, still haven't found a video of one that sounds the same, and even one of the guys at work heard it and thought I was actually doing a burnout! Cannot tell me that's normal, but its had a funky start up like that for two years, may have gotten worse over time, but if it did, I slowly adjusted and never even noticed I guess. So at least that I wouldn't think is the chains, not going like that for at least the 26k miles I've done since I got her. Any suggestions on something either of those "could", literally anything, just as before with the other engine ticking that turned out to be a spark plug, timing chains is the last resort...

 

[DannyW]

So now I guess the question is, jump up to 4.56s, or go with the 4.30. I don't ever tow anything, not yet at least, found an amazing deal on a mudder that I may have to break on and tow home and around, but other than that. Could go up to the .56 since eventually I'll be lifting her a bit more and once these tires go bad, see about going bigger. Rather than swapping gears again down the line

I went with the 4:56 gears and lockers on 33's.
Gas mileage didn't change much, but i've modded the engine pretty heavily. Avg is about 14 hwy.
This was the engine going back in, and an older pic before the winch.

Agreed! They bought theirs all already setup with lifts and such, mine was all oem. So I can't deny even though they've built further onto theirs, I've still done more! Mine also seems to have less issues than any of theirs, mom has a gem module thats dying in her f150, her bf has a dying transmission in the silverado, brother has to rebuild the top of his engine to fix his burbans constant ticking (already had to replace the transmission and needs to do the same for his GMC Jimmy), and my dads blazer has a transmission that's going; I'm the only one that has a seemingly okay truck, yet they still claim mine's the hunk of junk, even with that V6 that ain't gotten me stuck yet! Yeah, sorry, I still can't let that go, they really need to get off their high horse and really look at what they're driving, or I'll end up picking them up from the side of the road with that V6 they don't like!

Been lurking here since the rear / backup light mysteries of 2021, and have absolutely enjoyed the thread.
Just wanted to throw in an honorable mention for the 4.0
Yes, they can hold their own with some of the big boy v8's when built out. It just takes more dedication. (Read as $)
The 4.0 OHV I have will never be a 6000 RPM banshee, but does make plenty of torque down low.
I currently run a 95 on 33's, 4:56's with ARB Lockers front & rear. Goes everywhere. Gets about 14 MPG regardless of how it's driven.
Here's some engine ****, and an old pic before the winch bumper.

 

[DemonMudder]

I went with the 4:56 gears and lockers on 33's.
Gas mileage didn't change much, but i've modded the engine pretty heavily. Avg is about 14 hwy.
This was the engine going back in, and an older pic before the winch.
View attachment 427498View attachment 427497

Been lurking here since the rear / backup light mysteries of 2021, and have absolutely enjoyed the thread.
Just wanted to throw in an honorable mention for the 4.0
Yes, they can hold their own with some of the big boy v8's when built out. It just takes more dedication. (Read as $)
The 4.0 OHV I have will never be a 6000 RPM banshee, but does make plenty of torque down low.
I currently run a 95 on 33's, 4:56's with ARB Lockers front & rear. Goes everywhere. Gets about 14 MPG regardless of how it's driven.
Here's some engine ****, and an old pic before the winch bumper.

Glad to see someone else enjoying my chaos! Especially those auxiliary reverse! Working on adding a manual switch to those as well.
I was debating the gear swap, still am, but as said, 4.56s don't exactly like being at 60+ mph, so that's my issue, even 4.10s wouldn't be the greatest but I could deal with that slight change.
You rebuilt at least a good bit of your ohv by the looks of it, that's costly for me since I don't have the place for something like that, don't know anybody that kind of space either, would have to let a shop have their fun taking the dang thing out. If this current thing does turn out to be the timing chains, I'm going to attempt to ride it out, if it finally breaks, I've got a few other vehicles such as cheap little rangers saved off that I can buy for the time being and maybe use as future projects, just to drive to and from work till I can work out doing the V8 swap. I'm not going through the effort of the chains with this one, I like my current engine, I really do, but the V8 is certainly better in the long run, so I'll figure it out even if I have to buy/rent an engine picker and such. Especially since it'll cost me similarly if I take the route I'd like to, meaning donor vehicle, junkyard and rebuild kits. Which honestly isn't a bad idea since my boss is thinking about leaving and working on training me for the position, so yay me if I actually decide to stay since I was working on leaving myself. Better pay, same hours, relatively same job, just a few extra responsibilities. Time will tell, a lot on my plate to decide on, as well as to diagnose, so I'll keep everyone updated on choices and plans I make. But in the meantime, continue some of my smaller projects, like a secret one that'll hopefully done in the next couple weeks when I finish coding, as well as my dang grille lights I've been putting off for months.

 

[DannyW]

Glad to see someone else enjoying my chaos! Especially those auxiliary reverse! Working on adding a manual switch to those as well.
I was debating the gear swap, still am, but as said, 4.56s don't exactly like being at 60+ mph, so that's my issue, even 4.10s wouldn't be the greatest but I could deal with that slight change.
You rebuilt at least a good bit of your ohv by the looks of it, that's costly for me since I don't have the place for something like that, don't know anybody that kind of space either, would have to let a shop have their fun taking the dang thing out. If this current thing does turn out to be the timing chains, I'm going to attempt to ride it out, if it finally breaks, I've got a few other vehicles such as cheap little rangers saved off that I can buy for the time being and maybe use as future projects, just to drive to and from work till I can work out doing the V8 swap. I'm not going through the effort of the chains with this one, I like my current engine, I really do, but the V8 is certainly better in the long run, so I'll figure it out even if I have to buy/rent an engine picker and such. Especially since it'll cost me similarly if I take the route I'd like to, meaning donor vehicle, junkyard and rebuild kits. Which honestly isn't a bad idea since my boss is thinking about leaving and working on training me for the position, so yay me if I actually decide to stay since I was working on leaving myself. Better pay, same hours, relatively same job, just a few extra responsibilities. Time will tell, a lot on my plate to decide on, as well as to diagnose, so I'll keep everyone updated on choices and plans I make. But in the meantime, continue some of my smaller projects, like a secret one that'll hopefully done in the next couple weeks when I finish coding, as well as my dang grille lights I've been putting off for months.

Yea, the OHV is from the crank up. If I had to do it over it would be the 302, especially since I have a complete running, slightly wrecked doner 96 sitting here waiting for a new lease on life. I only did the 4.0 because EVERYBODY does a 5.0 swap. Kinda-like why I off-road with an Explorer and not a Jeep or Taco
The 4.0 is pretty capable, but I have poured a butt-load of $ to make it do what a warmed over 302 could do. SuperTrick stage 2 heads, custom Cam, bla, bla, bla.
The suspension is a 6" long-travel deal and performs well. I love when the Jeep guys think I won't make a climb, then pass them at the top
-Dan

 

[DintDobbs]

@DemonMudder This thread definitely sees some action! Nice work, looks like you're the type who knows what he wants and makes a plan! That said, you're definitely on the right track, not ditching the SOHC. People can bash it all they like, but the truth is that the Cologne V6 is one of Ford's better designs, in terms of reliability. You'll know the timing chain noise once you hear it. Clacky sound. Whatever noise yours is making, it's not that.

Gears. Everybody wants to change gears when they up the tire size. Good choice. Keep the SOHC and the 5R55E as long as you're not towing anything; that's a recipe for long life, but you won't win any races in it. These trucks aren't designed to go fast, and they don't. Don't even try. The beauty of these things is in the torque control, and for that, you'll go very slowly. Use the shortest gear ratio you can afford; I run super fat 33x12.5's on 15x10's with 1.5" spacers, and I usually get around 15 MPG on 4.10 gears. Since gas isn't an issue for me, I've got 5.13's sitting around waiting to go in, but I have a separate daily.

With this setup on 4.10's I dragged a dead 5,000-pound Dodge Durango around town without even feeling the weight behind my '99 Sport. Torque over speed every day, baby.

"Sport" is another factor: I respect that your 4-door is a great deal heavier than my 2-door, and that should be considered when deciding gears. I'd still recommend the 4.10's since your tires are a great deal lighter than mine. You could probably find a Ranger or Explorer with the 4.10's and pull them yourself at a junk yard, I think the axle code is D but don't quote me on that, and don't assume that the door sticker means factory components are on the junk yard trucks. Always count the teeth. If you want 4.56's or 5.13's, go for it, but you probably want taller since you highway a lot. I think 4.10's is the best bang for your buck, and easiest to come by, easiest solution to all of your problems, and by far the cheapest.

That business of your old junker V6 running better than your family's V8's is no coincidence. It's designed to work perfectly for decades if maintained the way it's designed. They messed with theirs, and wrecked them. Mess with yours, and you'll wreck it. The only way to change it correctly is to change all of it at the same time, and then it ain't an Explorer, so for the price, just buy a separate truck for that. Keep the Ex an Ex, or build some awesome junk like @410Fortune does.

 

[DemonMudder]

@DemonMudder This thread definitely sees some action! Nice work, looks like you're the type who knows what he wants and makes a plan! That said, you're definitely on the right track, not ditching the SOHC. People can bash it all they like, but the truth is that the Cologne V6 is one of Ford's better designs, in terms of reliability. You'll know the timing chain noise once you hear it. Clacky sound. Whatever noise yours is making, it's not that.

Gears. Everybody wants to change gears when they up the tire size. Good choice. Keep the SOHC and the 5R55E as long as you're not towing anything; that's a recipe for long life, but you won't win any races in it. These trucks aren't designed to go fast, and they don't. Don't even try. The beauty of these things is in the torque control, and for that, you'll go very slowly. Use the shortest gear ratio you can afford; I run super fat 33x12.5's on 15x10's with 1.5" spacers, and I usually get around 15 MPG on 4.10 gears. Since gas isn't an issue for me, I've got 5.13's sitting around waiting to go in, but I have a separate daily.

With this setup on 4.10's I dragged a dead 5,000-pound Dodge Durango around town without even feeling the weight behind my '99 Sport. Torque over speed every day, baby.

"Sport" is another factor: I respect that your 4-door is a great deal heavier than my 2-door, and that should be considered when deciding gears. I'd still recommend the 4.10's since your tires are a great deal lighter than mine. You could probably find a Ranger or Explorer with the 4.10's and pull them yourself at a junk yard, I think the axle code is D but don't quote me on that, and don't assume that the door sticker means factory components are on the junk yard trucks. Always count the teeth. If you want 4.56's or 5.13's, go for it, but you probably want taller since you highway a lot. I think 4.10's is the best bang for your buck, and easiest to come by, easiest solution to all of your problems, and by far the cheapest.

That business of your old junker V6 running better than your family's V8's is no coincidence. It's designed to work perfectly for decades if maintained the way it's designed. They messed with theirs, and wrecked them. Mess with yours, and you'll wreck it. The only way to change it correctly is to change all of it at the same time, and then it ain't an Explorer, so for the price, just buy a separate truck for that. Keep the Ex an Ex, or build some awesome junk like @410Fortune does.

I do agree, 4.10s ain't a bad idea, still on the plate, especially after that story with even your sport. But until shes slowly becoming less of a daily, I'm going to avoid anything more than the 4.10s.
The ex will always be an ex, for the most part, it'll still be all explorer either oem or performance/offroad parts (whenever I can find any) for this in specific; sadly I ain't 410fortune, don't have even close to that knowledge or experience and I know it! Only planned thing I'd be taking from a different vehicle all together is the 4406 swap, which would be f150 and expedition parts.
If I were to buy a seperate truck, as said it would most likely be a ranger and at that point it would be more gas efficient than this so I'd probably make it the daily and the ex the project, which then would become less of an explorer by the day, for example with a SAS.
And I do believe for their trucks it was just bad luck and bad previous care, we all take pretty good care of our vehicles, but as said, they bought theirs used and already setup, meaning work had been done and who knows what all that work was. So with the age and miles, those issues were just all beginning to rise up, for example the GEM module deciding to die is apparently a common issue on the 10th gen f150, so she was kind of screwed from the start with that and just never knew.
But I do agree with everything said overall, 4.10s is a great idea for the setup, the 4.0 sohc is great to stick with (at least till a timing chain or something busts a hole in a it), and that I most certainly won't be winning any races with this thing!

 

[DintDobbs]

@DemonMudder Oh, and I forgot to say, mine was around 190k when I yoinked the Durango. Just rebuilt the front end for the FIRST TIME around 186k, both axles and the tranny are still original... and still puts a smile on my face every time.

Keeping it in the family by using Ford parts is the best bet. I'm not going to argue against the manual transfer case, my auto had its moments going in and out of low gear when I bought it, but with regular use and a few flushes of a few different fluids it doesn't seem to have any issue now. When push comes to shove, though, the old-fashioned way is often the best way. I'd love to see how you pull it off, when you do the swap.

@410Fortune is the king of our kind, and has a thread on just about every thing that can be imagined; I read his threads like I play video games, on into the wee hours until the sun rises. Awesome content. @donalds and @Rick are the other two best-known wild men on here to whom nothing seems impossible, but you probably know that already. @donalds and a few others (I forget the names) have managed to accomplish supercharging 2nd-gen SOHC's (few know of Super Six Motorsports and even fewer seem to know the SOHC was also used in the V6 Mustangs), so if you DO want to lay down the cash and slam some ponies, there's plenty of documentation for that... but if she's staying a trail rig, keep her fat, because all that power is just gonna dig holes. Just my 2 cents. I've climbed near straight verticals (no higher than a foot) and speedbumped fallen trees with the stock setup + 33" Nittos, never worried about traction when the torque is controlled so well. Add 50 ponies, and it suddenly becomes a roaring beast which must be tamed. But if you're into that, don't let me change your mind! There's a part of us all that wants to do that, but only the few have the guts!

 

[DemonMudder]

@DemonMudder Oh, and I forgot to say, mine was around 190k when I yoinked the Durango. Just rebuilt the front end for the FIRST TIME around 186k, both axles and the tranny are still original... and still puts a smile on my face every time.

Keeping it in the family by using Ford parts is the best bet. I'm not going to argue against the manual transfer case, my auto had its moments going in and out of low gear when I bought it, but with regular use and a few flushes of a few different fluids it doesn't seem to have any issue now. When push comes to shove, though, the old-fashioned way is often the best way. I'd love to see how you pull it off, when you do the swap.

@410Fortune is the king of our kind, and has a thread on just about every thing that can be imagined; I read his threads like I play video games, on into the wee hours until the sun rises. Awesome content. @donalds and @Rick are the other two best-known wild men on here to whom nothing seems impossible, but you probably know that already. @donalds and a few others (I forget the names) have managed to accomplish supercharging 2nd-gen SOHC's (few know of Super Six Motorsports and even fewer seem to know the SOHC was also used in the V6 Mustangs), so if you DO want to lay down the cash and slam some ponies, there's plenty of documentation for that... but if she's staying a trail rig, keep her fat, because all that power is just gonna dig holes. Just my 2 cents. I've climbed near straight verticals (no higher than a foot) and speedbumped fallen trees with the stock setup + 33" Nittos, never worried about traction when the torque is controlled so well. Add 50 ponies, and it suddenly becomes a roaring beast which must be tamed. But if you're into that, don't let me change your mind! There's a part of us all that wants to do that, but only the few have the guts!

Very true, they are the kings of all of this, glad to see them reply here now and then with some advice, always taken like a gold coin! Honestly, supercharging this one like a few have done, did actually save off a kit for it, would help with the offroading a bit (if used wrong, yeah, definitely dig some holes!), gives me some more low end torque and hp for getting out of a tough spot, up a hill or onto something. And now I'm so torn between all this: just 5.0 swap it, or fix mine up right, throw in some 4.10s, get a manual t-case for it and maybe supercharge it for an extra bit of torque, at the cost of timing chain issues every like 150k miles or more. Probably cheaper and certainly easier overall with the second route, but the dang timing chains....that was a reason for slightly debating the 4BT cummins swap like very few have done, which 100% will not happen due to the work that has to be done to do that, just the torque you can get setup out of that thing would be so nice to have! Really wish the SOHC had more aftermarket option, as said its decent little engine overall, the chains being the only real big downfall to them. I'll sleep on it, work on some smaller projects as said, and decide from there, 5.0 is still on the table, but overall, even with the not so nice v6 sound it has (looking into a nice exhaust setup now), I like my engine and I definitely am still leaning towards it until I can get another vehicle for a daily. I appreciate all of the tips and facts there, honestly every opinion here matters in deciding how the hell I go around doing this, going to a fun next couple weeks of planning, man I need some mud therapy, guess I'm taking the truck out maybe on monday to get a little dirty!

 

[DintDobbs]

@DemonMudder Smart guy, always taking it slowly and doing your research! You're young; once you're my age, you'll not regret taking the time to do things right. Wish you were a few states up, I found some fire/service roads the other day and am also itching to get out and see what's good. Sand pits, mud pits, water crossings... miniature playground out there. Perfect for the size of these Ex's, because the big oafs in their Excursions and Silverados can't fit through to tear them up.

For the sake of our kind, go find some dirt! Happy trails!

 

[DemonMudder]

@DemonMudder Smart guy, always taking it slowly and doing your research! You're young; once you're my age, you'll not regret taking the time to do things right. Wish you were a few states up, I found some fire/service roads the other day and am also itching to get out and see what's good. Sand pits, mud pits, water crossings... miniature playground out there. Perfect for the size of these Ex's, because the big oafs in their Excursions and Silverados can't fit through to tear them up.

For the sake of our kind, go find some dirt! Happy trails!

Will do, gladly at that! I'd certainly rather take my time and do something right than rush it and have to redo the whole thing over again. Trails are much nicer up north, I'm sure, probably nicer hills too. Some trails nearby that even were tight for mine, got some nice pinstriping from it literally like a month after having it painted! Also an issue though since I'm in a family of big trucks, they don't fit where I do, meaning I do need to invest in a winch in case I get stuck somewhere they can't really get to, or they just ain't out there. But I know those trails pretty well, so I'm ready to sling some mud and continue to break in the new nittos, since its actually rained a few days now! Also, just looked at your build, really nice looking! You're right about those fender flares, only reason I don't have any yet! Surprised you found the superlift kit, I ain't seen it anywhere in a while, overall it looks nice on the 33s!

 

[DintDobbs]

@DemonMudder Well said, well said. I've considered a winch too, but there are... alternatives, and hand winches are always a thing.

Not to hijack, but there's a story about those hideous home-made flares... I've got the proper ones to put on now, but too lazy to bother doing that when these hideous ones work so well, and they will never, ever, possibly, under any circumstance, fall off. It takes years off my life looking at them, though. I still hate myself for losing one of the original ones, since they're impossible to find now. With your stance slim, I'd say never get the flares; I go as fat as possible with everything, and with the tires stuck out so far, anything I drive over ends up on the windshield without them. But that stance saved me from a roll over the other day, so I'll take it.

Your build is way cleaner than mine, and I can see from your posts that you use it well and use it often!

 

[DemonMudder]

@DemonMudder Well said, well said. I've considered a winch too, but there are... alternatives, and hand winches are always a thing.

Not to hijack, but there's a story about those hideous home-made flares... I've got the proper ones to put on now, but too lazy to bother doing that when these hideous ones work so well, and they will never, ever, possibly, under any circumstance, fall off. It takes years off my life looking at them, though. I still hate myself for losing one of the original ones, since they're impossible to find now. With your stance slim, I'd say never get the flares; I go as fat as possible with everything, and with the tires stuck out so far, anything I drive over ends up on the windshield without them. But that stance saved me from a roll over the other day, so I'll take it.

Your build is way cleaner than mine, and I can see from your posts that you use it well and use it often!

I actually quite like the idea of the xenon flares, now they would be mostly for the looks though, but they are just about indestructable from I can find. I do agree on widening my stance, looking into spacers even though I'm not a huge fan of them Didn't have a whole lot of options for wheel offsets, so mine have 4.5 for backspacing and -6 for offset, which do stand out further than stock, even with them being wider, but I did want further. Curious on how you almost rolled yours! Just shows how much more offroading yours sees than mine, need to go back and reread your build, curious about that fog light setup with just the bumper reinforcement.

 

[donalds]

Dig holes
You ant kidding my wife loves that thing

Don't forget about @4pointslow
He helped with my build
Very smart fella

 

[Fix4Dirt]

@DemonMudder This thread definitely sees some action! Nice work, looks like you're the type who knows what he wants and makes a plan! That said, you're definitely on the right track, not ditching the SOHC. People can bash it all they like, but the truth is that the Cologne V6 is one of Ford's better designs, in terms of reliability. You'll know the timing chain noise once you hear it. Clacky sound. Whatever noise yours is making, it's not that.

Gears. Everybody wants to change gears when they up the tire size. Good choice. Keep the SOHC and the 5R55E as long as you're not towing anything; that's a recipe for long life, but you won't win any races in it. These trucks aren't designed to go fast, and they don't. Don't even try. The beauty of these things is in the torque control, and for that, you'll go very slowly. Use the shortest gear ratio you can afford; I run super fat 33x12.5's on 15x10's with 1.5" spacers, and I usually get around 15 MPG on 4.10 gears. Since gas isn't an issue for me, I've got 5.13's sitting around waiting to go in, but I have a separate daily.

With this setup on 4.10's I dragged a dead 5,000-pound Dodge Durango around town without even feeling the weight behind my '99 Sport. Torque over speed every day, baby.

"Sport" is another factor: I respect that your 4-door is a great deal heavier than my 2-door, and that should be considered when deciding gears. I'd still recommend the 4.10's since your tires are a great deal lighter than mine. You could probably find a Ranger or Explorer with the 4.10's and pull them yourself at a junk yard, I think the axle code is D but don't quote me on that, and don't assume that the door sticker means factory components are on the junk yard trucks. Always count the teeth. If you want 4.56's or 5.13's, go for it, but you probably want taller since you highway a lot. I think 4.10's is the best bang for your buck, and easiest to come by, easiest solution to all of your problems, and by far the cheapest.

That business of your old junker V6 running better than your family's V8's is no coincidence. It's designed to work perfectly for decades if maintained the way it's designed. They messed with theirs, and wrecked them. Mess with yours, and you'll wreck it. The only way to change it correctly is to change all of it at the same time, and then it ain't an Explorer, so for the price, just buy a separate truck for that. Keep the Ex an Ex, or build some awesome junk like @410Fortune does.

agree with this! one note: the axle code for 4.10 Limited Slp is D3 afaik... and as much as I want to go v8 someday, I do owe alot to the sohc too! its taken me everywhere Ive wanted over 320k miles and 23 years!