Driving with a coolant leak from the timing cover

[98FordLove]

I may have fixed it, hold on.

 

[98FordLove]

New ball joints feel much better now. Got new front shocks in too.

CEL is finally out.

 

[EB4X]

Glad to hear some good news / resolved issues...

 

[98FordLove]

Glad to hear some good news / resolved issues...

Same here, thank you to everyone on here. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you guys.

I had a feeling a bad fuse may have been causing the CEL. I asked my mech yesterday about it and he said no it's not a fuse. I went on Just answer.com last night, talked to a Ford mechanic and he said to pull fuse 11 from the hood. I did and what do you know it was broken.

The ride is night and day better, feels tighter and much more safe and less sloppy.

 

[98FordLove]

Was told these are the wrong lugnuts for my rims. Does anyone else here use open end nuts here? What's concerning is notice how the nuts don't go all the way so the back is flush to the rim?


I looked into at the store and the shop said you can get closed and open. But what comes from factory?

 

[98FordLove]

Thinking this is the correct lugnuts that should be on them.

 

[XLTrunner]

Those original lug nuts are correct and same as on my '98 XLT. They aren't supposed to tighten up to the shoulder.

 

[98FordLove]

Those original lug nuts are correct and same as on my '98 XLT. They aren't supposed to tighten up to the shoulder.

Okay thank you, good to hear this. So you have the open end nuts too on your 98? Wonder why on these trucks, design maybe? Good to hear I don't have to buy another part.

When I saw that the lugnuts didn't go very far into the threads, it worried me.

 

[XLTrunner]

Yep...open end. Who knows why they fit like that...but, you're good to go.

 

[98FordLove]

Yep...open end. Who knows why they fit like that...but, you're good to go.

Thanks for the reaffirmation. I was on edge about it but just had to make sure.

 

[CDW6212R]

Was told these are the wrong lugnuts for my rims. Does anyone else here use open end nuts here? What's concerning is notice how the nuts don't go all the way so the back is flush to the rim?


I looked into at the store and the shop said you can get closed and open. But what comes from factory?

View attachment 328188

Those are the proper original lug nuts. Those have been used on many different Fords.

That shoulder on them is for other wheel types, which had center caps that attached to those shoulder edges. Those are very strong lug nuts. The older Explorers had much smaller lug nuts, about 2/3 the size of these.

 

[98FordLove]

Those are the proper original lug nuts. Those have been used on many different Fords.

That shoulder on them is for other wheel types, which had center caps that attached to those shoulder edges. Those are very strong lug nuts. The older Explorers had much smaller lug nuts, about 2/3 the size of these.

Thanks, good to know this. Never seen lug nuts this small especially on a truck.

So no point replacing these lugnuts for new ones of the same type/size despite my OEM's being rusted on the outside? Don't lugnuts wear down over time?

 

[CDW6212R]

What matters is the cone seat surfaces, just glance at them each time they go on, to be sure there is no galling or roughness. I got some of those nice same nice ones from a junkyard ages ago, to put on my 93 Explorer. you should see the old smaller kind, they easily weigh just half of what those you have do.

 

[98FordLove]

What matters is the cone seat surfaces, just glance at them each time they go on, to be sure there is no galling or roughness. I got some of those nice same nice ones from a junkyard ages ago, to put on my 93 Explorer. you should see the old smaller kind, they easily weigh just half of what those you have do.

Thanks. Not roughness from when I saw yesterday having them put back on. Not sure on the galling though.

I'm surprised lugnuts can last 25 years. Would think these are regular maintenance parts that wear out over time.

 

[CDW6212R]

The aluminum wheel cone surface is more fragile, but you hope you never see that worn.

 

[C420sailor]

As long as the nuts are properly lubricated and torqued, they should last indefinitely. Use a torque wrench to tighten, NOT an impact (torque sticks are bullshit).

I use anti-seize on the stud threads only, and torque to 100-110ft*lbs.

 

[1998Exp]

As long as the nuts are properly lubricated and torqued, they should last indefinitely. Use a torque wrench to tighten, NOT an impact (torque sticks are bullshit).

I use anti-seize on the stud threads only, and torque to 100-110ft*lbs.

Hmm, where did you find the recommendation to lubricate? Lubrication changes the ratio between the torque and the bolt preload. When you lubricate and still use the specified torque, you are over-stressing the bolts; perhaps by as much as a factor of two. Try this: Bolt Torque, Axial Clamp Force, Bolt Diameter Calculator | Engineers Edge| www.engineersedge.com

 

[C420sailor]

Maybe I’ll try 90 then. I think dry spec for our lugs is 120.

I never lube the seat—that’s a recipe for overtorque.

You can do what you want, but where I live, salt water and salted road corrosion is fierce. Before I used anti-seize, snapping studs off was a semi-regular issue. Never had a problem since. In a dry or low-salt environment, I probably wouldn’t mess with it.

 

[XLTrunner]

I've never used anti-seize, but the effect from road chemicals is real. Thankfully, the protective center caps have mostly eliminated that threat. I will use my impact to remove...but, ALWAYS hand tighten them with my 4-spoke tire wrench. After decades of removing/installing wheels, I have a pretty good feel for proper torque. Never stripped one or had one come loose, yet.

 

[98FordLove]

Is this normal? Notice how the middle spindle doesn't spin and then only spins when it sounds like the heater/ac clutch coming on and you hear a tick sound when it stops spinning. This only happens when the heat is on. I've never seen anything like this.

I never noticed the tick sound before until I changed the number 11 fuse under the hood 2 days ago. It seems the heater/ac clutch is now fully engaging with a new working fuse. Amazing what a new 15amp fuse does. Glad the CEL is out.