i need your opinions please

[glfredrick]

Something like a leaf in there won't do any damage. It will just get oil soaked and likely crushed, and end up in the filter. No cause for alarm.

Now, if you run it without an air cleaner, and suck up every bit of dirt, leaf, and grass, you will definately ruin an engine... It's like adding sandpaper! But, one leaf - no biggie...

 

[raptor86]

yeah, i know about dirt getting into the engine through the intake and its bad effects (always keep my k&n clean) but i wasnt sure about it being in there. I was afraid the leaf my end up clogging some tiny oil holes/ports and basically defeating the purpose of me chanign my oil every 2k and always warming up the engine. My friend showed me what a top end looks like when the engine is abused and oil is changed and from what i saw, its a thick layer of crud covering everything. Any holes for flow have no chance of flowing. thanks for the reassurance.

 

[glfredrick]

BTW, one other thing that you can do to make sure that your engines don't crud up like the one your friend showed you is to use some other oil besides Pennzoil. I have replaced three engines for other guys this year - each had spun rod bearings and each owner used Pennzoil exclusively. My machiest backs up my contention (and I ran a number of oil tests some years ago - do a search for oil testing threads on this forum), all of which tell me that Pennzoil is to be avoided at all costs. Same goes for Fram filters.

 

[raptor86]

wow, i never heard about that penzoil problem. My uncle always told me to switch around oil brands every once in a while because they have different additive which is prety much what i do. THe manual says to run 5-30 year round....i usually run 5-30 with Lucas in the winter 10-30/10-40 with Lucas in the spring/fall and sometimes i run 20-50 in the summer for the high rpm highway driving. I always try to buy fram cause everyone told me those were the best. Geez, all this time i was going outta my way cause i thought i was doing good and i was actually possibly hurting my truck. jeez.

even if i do the slightest torsion bar twist, the amount of lift i get is proportional to the amount of suspension travel i lose, correct?

Im about to be at 60k miles, other than pcv valve and tranny flush, what other maintenance should i do/have done? thanks for all the help so far, i really really appreciate it.

 

[raptor86]

o, i forgot to ask you. What do you think about those engine cleaners/degreasers? ive never cleaned an engine before (an automobile type) other than wiping it with a wet rag. IM afraid to just take a hose to it. any opinions on this? will it help or do any damage? thanks

 

[raptor86]

so any amount of torsion bar twist will lead to decreased suspension travel, correct?

 

[raptor86]

actually nevermind. Im gonna keep the X mostly stock. Hopefully itll hold up for 3.5 more years. Then hopefully ill be able to afford a tacoma. thanks for all the help.

 

[glfredrick]

About degreasing an engine - I regularly take a pressure washer to mine... Won't hurt anything as long as you don't flood the inside of the engine with water (and you might want to avoid the electronics and alternator - cover them with tin foil or plastic).

And, the TT thing - the amount of travel is sort of proportionate to the amount of twist. The first inch or so doesn't make that much difference, but as you start twisting farther, you will start really loosing flex. It is sort of like a lever - near the fulcrum the change is not so much, but at the far end of the lever, the change is drastic. A little bit of twist doesn't amount to much, but more starts changing things out near the bump stops.

All you are trying to do is gain enough clearance for the 31's. Any more than that and you will need an entire new front suspension system and that is likely out of your price range right now.

 

[raptor86]

ughhh. Everytime i decide to keep my X the next day i go out and see a million yuppy suvs in my town with these females driving them with these gigantic engines they dont need (nissan armada) and i feel like pulling my hair out of my head. Sorry guys, im sure it sounds like theres something wrong with me...but yuppyness and suv's are a major pet peeve. I dont know if i said it before, but im all for gas guzzlers and big engines and big vehicles if there used to their potential. (500 hp viper...use all the gas u want and drive the piss outta that...same thing goes for all you offroad diesel guys.)

This needs to stop. I cant think straight. To be honest, a true suv (the oldschool kind...if i can call it that: pre car chassis and fulll ind. suspension) is more perfect for me than a pickup cause i dont have much use for the bed part of the truck however i do have use for the increased load capacity in the rear end. I live in/near a yuppy town (actually ten minutes from my house is an area where alot of celebs and millionaires live.) to be perfectly honest, i was perfectly fine driving around my 94 s-10 blazer with 330k miles on it...cause it WAS A TRUCK

i want to like my X, i really do. But everytime i see some soccer mom or businessman in his escalade or land rover i feel like im categorized as one of them. Id even be embarassed to be stopped by a cop becasue id just look like some yuppy rich kid whos in daddy or mommy's SUV and uses it as a CAR.(to get around town) btw, i paid for half my X)
O and also, not to mention when to pull up to the lot in motocross tracks with all these people in their lifted rams and f-250 and i feel like a meatball...in my gold/champagne four door explorer.

How much suspension travel do i have in stock form? About how much will i lose if i raise the front end an inch or two? thanks for all the help and advice especially you, glfredrick. I need somebody to straighten me out.

 

[glfredrick]

So "un-yuppie-ize" it...

A few samples from the photo gallery (grabbed at random).

AND:

FIND YOURSELF ONE OF THESE TO MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE A MAN...

 

[raptor86]

yes sir, that would DEFINATELY be un-yuppyizing it. Thanks for the info and help. I had a long talk with my step mom and she helped me see things more clearly. The thing to do for me is just accept the truck for what it is (put some more stickers on it) and wait til i get outta college with a good paying job and then ill decide where to go from there. Thanks again for all the help and im sure ill still be posting every once in a while with technical difficulties, etc. again, i appreciate the time everyone took to post.

and da*n, those are some sick explorers. Are there any places to do that in the tri-state New York area? jersey or something?