Looking for someone who can fix the legendarily bad timing chain in my '98. | Page 2 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Looking for someone who can fix the legendarily bad timing chain in my '98.

Hey, it's nice to know you can damn all like vehicles based on your one vehicle experience.

I have owned a 93 Limited, 98 Mountaineer with every option the Limited has(minus the memory seat), my 99 SOHC Limited, and my newest 98 Limited. I am very familiar with the high option models, my four Lincoln Mark VII's had the same 302 HO/AOD and all options. My vehicles all would qualify as high mileage. None of them have leaked from the timing cover ever, my 98 Limited has seepage at one edge of the oil pan(not worth worrying about).

Seven of these eight vehicles have/had the EATC AC system, with no issues related to it. My Mercury has a blend door issue that I haven't felt like pulling the dash yet to fix. The air ride in all of my Lincolns have been excellent, at 20+ years they begin to need some care, not expensive repairs. The ARC of the Explorers is troublesome if not cared for(you must change the shocks once in a blue moon(nobody does)). Any air leaks will kill the compressor, but nobody bothers to do anything until the compressor dies. Then they conclude the system was poorly designed, and they rip it out.

I added the ARC system to my 99 Limited(not standard from 99-01), and I love it, it maintains the ride height with any load.

All of my many cars have had the 8.8 rear end, none have had any issues besides an axle or bearing(from high mileage). These are very very reliable rear ends, if taken care of. That means the gear oil isn't forever oil, and ignore it. It should be changed as recommended 100k or so, or more often. It costs maybe $50 in parts and oil to do the rear, that's axle bearings/seals, and the oil. Who would argue that's expensive to do at about every ten years? None of my cars have ever had any whine in the rears, none. That's an issue of lack of maintenance, for 10-20 years doing nothing and waiting for a problem to occur.

That is what kills 99% of all Fords, poor maintenance. People think proper maintenance is just driving the car until something goes wrong, and then pay hundreds of dollars for the repair(then do nothing until the next time).

Changing the oil regularly and other fluids occasionally is not proper maintenance. Every vehicle owners manual will have a maintenance schedule in it. Every owner should heed that, it's an excellent source of proper planned maintenance. It isn't perfect, I like to use much better fluids than recommended, better parts if available, cheaper if worthy, and more often as I deem needed. That's why I don't have break downs generally, I put extra effort into my vehicles. In the end I spend a little more(20% maybe) on parts overall, but far far less on labor. And I don't mean paying someone else for labor, I mean the actual time/labor spent working on the car(not the cost).

Please do not bash a car based on your limited experiences, or other's opinions. I have had dozens of coworkers with tons of vehicle problems, and all of these are personal work vehicles(mail delivery). I could endlessly bash various makes or models, but that would be inaccurate, because 90% of those problems were related to lack of proper active maintenance. They drive their cars until they have a problem, and then they work on it. They blame their car problems on the manufacturer, not on the mechanic, or themselves. Don't do that, spend more of your effort taking better care of your cars. Then there will be less trouble, and you can brag about it, while driving trouble free, more. Regards,

I don't think he's "damning all like vehicles". I think he's saying that a 20 year old vehicle that has lots of bells a whistles maybe isn't the best choice for the OP and I tend to agree with him.
 



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He just listed multiple problems with "some" Limited, and it suggests that is with one truck. I don't see any proof in that posting of more than one example. I listed lots of examples of high optioned Explorers, with virtually no issues, none that he listed in his one example.

I don't doubt any old car will have problems. But I take great issue(disaggree) with suggesting every one of these 98-01 302 trucks is going to cost $2000 in the first year. I would not agree that one would cost $1000, but $500 could be possible. I have spent around $400 on my newest truck, which I've put 18,000 very hard miles on. I am not counting my tires or the front drive parts, which I knew of ahead of time(I was told, and the front drive shaft was packed inside the truck). My mail delivery eats tires, that can't be used to add costs to a normal vehicle, and most people will at least factor in tires when they buy a vehicle. This 98 truck is as poorly maintained as any I have ever bought, the PO was a young lady and it was her first car, for seven years she had it. So it got neglected. It doesn't mean the truck is junk or not worth considering. I knew what I wanted was a rust free 98 Limited, and it was basically usable as it was. I drove it home and after about 700 miles, then I took the front drive parts out, and swapped them with known good parts from my Mercury(high mileage, used but trust worthy parts).

You can be negative about anything, fine, but don't exaggerate. I didn't, these are very reliable vehicles, assuming lack of serious abuse. So don't buy one that clearly has been mistreated badly.
 






Don, can you list for me multiple first hand examples why 96-97's 5.0s are not worth buying? Just curious.
 






All right, I know this sounds a bit dramatic but my poor girl is gonna have to be sold if I can't find someone. I live in Western Maryland, somewhere around the Cumberland area. Does anybody perhaps live nearby and know of a mechanic or shop who is able to fix my broken timing chain guides and hopefully replace them with the better, reinforced guides?

I would also like them to fix my blend door while the engine is out, and realign my driver's side door so I don't keep getting rained on, but the timing chain is the most important part.

If I can't find someone, then that's okay, I'll be getting something else I suppose. Am I allowed to ask for a recommendation on something that will work good in the snow but also be cheap/reliable?

And preferably without major problems that require complete engine disassembly....

How many friends do you have? Buy a keg, throw a party and lift the frame off. Get a low mileage 4.0 from the junk yard (about$300-$400) and slap er in (easy with the frame off). Fix the blend door and door pins and striker while your at it. Then buy another keg and throw another party to put it back on and celebrate your rigs second life!
 






Don, can you list for me multiple first hand examples why 96-97's 5.0s are not worth buying? Just curious.
The 96/97's have some first model issues, solved for the 98 model year. Ford changed a lot of electrical things after 97, not corrections, but changes that make not much swap across from pre 97 to 98-01. The biggest issue I'd want to avoid is the torsion bar frame mounting. In 95 for the first year of it, the TB key rides directly on the frame, with a Kevlar pad in between. With old age, that pad wears out, and metal to metal creates a noise sometimes. I don't think there is a replacement for that key since Ford obsoleted their version in about 2007. The 98-01 uses a separate frame bushing/doughnut, a part that likely will never wear out. They were $30 the first time I checked on them, but I doubt I'll ever need one.

99 Torsion bar isolator.JPG
 






Thanks for that pic!

You know what, I've been trying track down a rattling in the front somewhere and thought it was the stock ball joints going but there doesn't seem to be much play in them yet. Kind of sounds like a blown out front sway bar bushing when the link is bouncing around but the links are new. You've got me wondering now...

Would you happen to know the technical Ford name for the pads?
 






Just checked them out...

index.php


Can't tell if that's good or bad?

::EDIT::

Nebbermind. Did a search. Hey! That button works great! :thumbsup:
 






That looks fine, actually like it's not original, a key with a new pad attached to it. If you think there's any pad left on them, then I'd be happy and maybe spray them occasionally with a lubricant. The part I posted is called a frame isolator, or close to that.
 






All I've got to really add to this thread is that $2K in the first year of ownership for a 5.0 V8 Explorer is absurd, that's way too much. I've had two 5.0s, the first was a 1999 I turned over, and the second is a 2000 5.0 V8 AWD I bought for scrap price at $200, non running with a title, to recap what I've done to it, I did the ball joints, they were the originals and you could see inside of them from the top (not making that up), tie rod ends, and everything else was just normal maintenance that hadn't been done, but even then it didn't come out over $600 worth of parts and I did all the work. If you buy a good well cared for V8 AWD with matching tires and a good transfercase, I honestly wouldn't worry about it, mine has 258K on it, I would make sure the front drive shaft is in, since that's a classic way to pass a bad transfer case on these.
 






What I've spent on my various 5.0's during the first year of ownership were for things like:

Radiator ($120-$130)
Radiator cap and antifreeze ($35)
Brake pads F/R ($40-$100 depending on quality)
Spark plugs ($40)
Serpentine belt ($40)
Fuel Filter ($12-$15)
Fuel pump and strainer sock ($80)
A/C compressor clutch ($100)

That comes out to around $500 on average, but I did all the labor, so that was free. Add the labor costs and you can easily double or triple the out-of-pocket expense. That's an issue for the OP as he admits he doesn't/can't do his own repairs.

Every used vehicle will have it's own unique list of issues to be addressed, but $500 for parts w/in the first year of ownership seems reasonable. Labor is what gets you. You can pay a shop $300 or more for labor to have a $60 fuel pump replaced. It can cost $400-$500 in labor to have a $5 gasket replaced depending on which gasket it is.
 






Agreed.

As long as the engine and transmission are fine, even one with over 200,000, you really can't go wrong with a 2wd 5.0. A high mileage AWD adds another layer of complexity and problems imo and is not needed. I just assume if it has AWD and over 200,000 then the the transfer case is bad, how I see it anyway. I've only had one (amongst 12-15 i've owned, can't remember) AWD I haven't had to deal with vibration or front end issues, and that was Joe Dirt's Deuce. Go figure right?:rolleyes: Why the hell did I sell that truck anyway :banghead:

Brakes, ball joints, endlinks, coolant hoses a sensor here and there, fuel pump... there isn't much that goes wrong that cant be fixed by any novice and inexpensively. Corroded wires and water pump (coolant system) are probably the biggest pain. Most likely a bolt will snap off in the block but I've replaced them with just gooping up the broken bolt and putting it back in a they never leaked, no need to go through the trouble extracting the bolt. A grounding kit will most likely help if your having goofy electrical issues. Change the transmission fluid and add some lubegaurd unless the seller give you a receipt that is was done in the last year or two. I wouldn't worry at all about the rear unless the trac-lok is giving you issues, but fresh fluids is always good. Look under the oil cap and make sure it's not a sludge motor. Eventually chuncks along with metal shavings from wear with get sucked up into the oil pump and wipe it out. 9 times out of 10 it's going to have a header leak, if it's not too bad live with it. Replacing it can go very bad if you live in the rust belt. Another reason to buy southern cars. If many of the bolts do snap off in the head, just weld that sucker on there, if its a high mileage beater who cares anyways. A neglected coolant system is bad bad news and unfortunately most are. People will get a leak somewhere and instead of fixing it right away they keep topping it off with water. Then enters corrosion (inside walls) and poor heat transfer (head gaskets) and once it gets below freezing the radiator cracks or the freeze plugs pop out of the block. I once looked at a 2000 limited and the radiator was half full and rusted bad! I pointed this out to the college girl who was selling it (who got the rig from her grandma) and she said "I alway make sure its filled but you have to have the engine running before you check it" Doh! :banghead:Another problem we have in the north is brake lines rotted and blown out or calipers seized. This is entirely due to never replacing the brake fluid and moisture in the system. Easy way to do is is get a big bottle of brake fluid and just suck out the reservoir with a baster and replace with fresh fluid as often as you change the oil. Not the "right way" to do it but its better than nothing and will help.

See, not much to it really. As far as door locks, windows and latches, shifter bushings, cruise control switches, blend door etc, well thats a whole nother story.

:chug:
 






@Centaurus5.0 Oh there's a ton of things that can and do go wrong, but that's the price of owning an older vehicle. The plus side is low property taxes and relatively low insurance costs.

I agree with you 100% regarding AWD. It adds a level of complexity and extra weight, which adversely effects fuel economy. The one we owned was actually a mistake, previous owner said it was 2WD and even though I'd looked under it before buying it I just didn't notice that it was an AWD. If I'd noticed it was AWD I would not have bought it as it's just not necessary where we live.

In the 3.5 years we owned it I ended up having to replace the front axle bearings and seals, replacing the rear driveshaft seal and having to rebuild the front driveshaft CV joint. The front diff cover also leaked, but I just couldn't see removing the front diff to fix it (easier to ad gear oil once a year). Other than the AWD related issues it turned out to be a pretty reliable vehicle, but not as reliable as our 2WD 5.0's. Just before we sold it I replaced the water pump, A/C clutch and idler pulleys.
 






All I've got to really add to this thread is that $2K in the first year of ownership for a 5.0 V8 Explorer is absurd, that's way too much. I've had two 5.0s, the first was a 1999 I turned over, and the second is a 2000 5.0 V8 AWD I bought for scrap price at $200, non running with a title, to recap what I've done to it, I did the ball joints, they were the originals and you could see inside of them from the top (not making that up), tie rod ends, and everything else was just normal maintenance that hadn't been done, but even then it didn't come out over $600 worth of parts and I did all the work. If you buy a good well cared for V8 AWD with matching tires and a good transfercase, I honestly wouldn't worry about it, mine has 258K on it, I would make sure the front drive shaft is in, since that's a classic way to pass a bad transfer case on these.
I don't know about South Carolina, but here just about any trip to the garage starts at $1000 or so. Except for warranty or recall work, none of my vehicles have been there in the last two decades, but I've heard enough from other people. My ex's 1997 Grand Marquis had the very common crack in the plastic intake manifold. She called me in panic, because they quoted her over $2000 to fix it. I managed to talk them down by removing all manner of unnecessary work that they wanted to do. Still, she spent over $1000 to replace a $200 part. A seized front caliper ended up costing in the same vicinity after they did a four-wheel brake job. When the ABS controller and HVAC blend door failed some years ago she simply gave up on fixing them, because the repair cost came close to the value of the vehicle. And then the fuel pump failed, and so on, until she ditched a really nice car with a perfect drive train, not a dent and not a bit of rust.
If this was my car, I would have fixed all its problems for under $1000, but it's a very different story if you can't.
 






Yesir!

Not to say there are not good ones out there, just that the odds of finding one in that hasn't been ridden hard or abused is harder to find. One that's been in not to harsh climate swelter heat down south, not towed long distanced with and not hammered on like a race car and has had good tires with maintained air pressure would make all the difference. Like the transmission, heat is it what burns our the viscous clutch in the 4404's. Another thing about 96-97 AWD's is the double cardan front shaft which are problematic when it comes to vibrations as most of us know, but as far as a 2wd, I wouldn't turn a deal on one down just because of the torsion pad issue. They do save you from the external egr pipe cracking issues and splitting exhaust manifolds.

If the OP didn't need the space or towing power and just need something cheap and dependable that gets good mileage, you also can't go wrong with a 3.0 vulcan ranger with a 5-speed. A least taking the transmission out to do a clutch is a 1 man operation. Coolant changes are critical in those though too and can have many problems i not maintained. the 2.3L/2.5L have the timing belt and can cause problems and head cracking from overheating but as long as they are not beat on, I know a guy who got 300,000 out of one in a mustang.
 






Okay everyone, sorry I disappeared for a while. I've just began to work on losing my weight, and every morning I've headed down to the nearby mall to go walking, along with some other stuff, and my family's been busy doing some stuff.

I have good news though! My grandparents, it turns out, had been stubbornly looking at some garages, and they have found someone who says they can fix the car reasonably cheaply and not only that, he has done it before so he should know what he's doing. This is gonna be happening around September, so I still have a while to wait. I might be keeping her after all! I've been hoping that once those chains are fixed, I've taken care of the Achilles' heel my explorer has. Is there anything else to keep my eyes on aside from the fuel pump, which I've heard talk of failing here on the forums?

When it comes to the mechanic, I was going to ask him four things:

1- Please use the reinforced timing chain guides if you can find them
2- Fix the blend door while you have the engine out
3- Check the wiring (I think the wiring is why my washers and the check engine light somehow broke each other, yeah?)
4- Adjust my drivers side door (It's lopsided, it's in too far at the bottom and sticking out at the top and I sometimes get rained on)

Also, this isn't much of an issue in the scheme of things, but my spare tire seems to be a mess. Supposedly, I'm to stick the tire jack in the hole at the bottom of the back door, and wind it down, but there's no mechanism in there. My tire has seemingly never been taken care of, which is weird considering the good condition of the rest of my car. It's flat, I can smoosh in the side of it with my hand, and the rim on it is just like my other rims but quite rusty. When I get around to working on it, how can I fix that mess?

Also, as someone who lives in that wonderful part of the country where anything held outside for 10 seconds starts rusting, how can I keep my explorer from falling to the same fate as our 2005 minivan which is about half rust and half van? It's already got two little spots of rust, and I guess what I'm asking is, what's the easiest way to try stopping it that me and my novice experience can do?

I guess that's most of it, sorry for my load of questions...
 






How many friends do you have? Buy a keg, throw a party and lift the frame off. Get a low mileage 4.0 from the junk yard (about$300-$400) and slap er in (easy with the frame off). Fix the blend door and door pins and striker while your at it. Then buy another keg and throw another party to put it back on and celebrate your rigs second life!

Well, I actually know a few guys to do this with, but... one, I'm 19, so the kegs would be an issue, and two, there's no Junkyards around me :mad:

I've wanted to get to a junkyard so I can get a bunch of minor parts I need (Fog lights, rear wiper bolt cover, grille, back window pistons, and so on) but nooooooooooo the nearest one is miles away and they have like, one explorer. Sigh....
 






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