Maintenance, The Preventing Type

[Dave Casillas]

The other half just bought a 2005 sport trac with 12,000 miles on it. I'm going to take an 08 explorer off her hands.
I've had the vehicle under my care for 205,000 miles. In an effort to avoid breaking down on the highway, I'm thinking about three key pumps; oil, coolant and fuel.
I need to change the coolant, so I'm thinking throw a new coolant pump on given the mileage?
Or should I replace the fuel pump? God's knows how times the tank was down to damn near empty...
Or should I throw an oil pump on...

I've not found any other info on what breaks.
I have to travel to northern michigan given my dad is not far from hospice

I don't want any issues with the vehicle.
I will battle what ever mother nature throws at the roads.
Any insight would be appreciated

 

[94Eddie]

It would help if you could tell us what past repairs have been made and at what mileage point they were completed. The same goes for maintenance. What has been your oil change interval, transmission service record, when was the last coolant change made, etc.? Has brake fluid, transfer case fluid, differential fluids and/or power steering fluid ever been replaced, and if so, how long since it was changed? Is the the original radiator still in use and if not when was it replaced? Since you live in Michigan, is it suffering from excessive rust. It the vehicle structurally sound? If you have the V6 model is there rattling at startup? Is the transmission shifting properly. The SOHC V6 engine is not the most reliable. Especially if it has not been maintained well. The 5R55 transmissions are not very reliable either and don't tolerate poor maintenance well. Knowing the above will help greatly in giving you the best advice possible.

 

[Dave Casillas]

It would help if you could tell us what past repairs have been made and at what mileage point they were completed. The same goes for maintenance. What has been your oil change interval, transmission service record, when was the last coolant change made, etc.? Has brake fluid, transfer case fluid, differential fluids and/or power steering fluid ever been replaced, and if so, how long since it was changed? Is the the original radiator still in use and if not when was it replaced? Since you live in Michigan, is it suffering from excessive rust. It the vehicle structurally sound? If you have the V6 model is there rattling at startup? Is the transmission shifting properly. The SOHC V6 engine is not the most reliable. Especially if it has not been maintained well. The 5R55 transmissions are not very reliable either and don't tolerate poor maintenance well. Knowing the above will help greatly in giving you the best advice possible.

The oil has been changed religiously , that's how it's made it to 205k, every 3k full syn.
Coolant, changed at 75k and 150k. It's due.
Plugs and wires just done
Coil pack ordered
Shocks and struts are good
Trans was rebuilt 150k and has new fresh fluid
I have zero rust. I've kept all the external water passages clear of debris and I spray the under side off every 2 weeks in winter including behind the wheel wells.
Radiator is OEM
Hoses replaced prn

What rattle would I be listening for at startup?

Thanks

 

[Dave Casillas]

The oil has been changed religiously , that's how it's made it to 205k, every 3k full syn.
Coolant, changed at 75k and 150k. It's due.
Plugs and wires just done
Coil pack ordered
Shocks and struts are good
Trans was rebuilt 150k and has new fresh fluid
I have zero rust. I've kept all the external water passages clear of debris and I spray the under side off every 2 weeks in winter including behind the wheel wells.
Radiator is OEM
Hoses replaced prn

What rattle would I be listening for at startup?

Thanks

Also, is it a timing chain or belt?

 

[94Eddie]

I failed to mention this in my first post but my thoughts and prayers are with you regarding your father.

Kudos on doing good maintenance. Based on what you have reported I would recommend draining and refilling the differentials, transfer case and flush the brake fluid. I run a lower pressure 16 psi radiator cap, as do many people here. IMO, many of the all too common coolant system failures, especially the radiator, for 4th gen Explorers/Mountaineers stems from the 20 psi OEM cap creating unneeded stress on the system. I have been using a 16 psi cap for years and have never seen the temp needle go even a millimeter above the point when the 20 psi cap was installed. Even in 100+ degree temperatures with the AC on max driving in hilly terrain. Below is a link to the cap I am using. As for preventive repairs, I typically don't do this unless it is a "while I am in there" situation. When I replaced the radiator I had a new water pump installed while it was an easy job. Other things I would look into are sway bar end links/bushings, ball joints, U-joints, etc. I had my struts replaced at 140k miles and was shocked at how much better the ride and handling were as a result. It wasn't a necessary repair but yielded very welcome results.

As for the engine rattle, you would know it if it was there. My guess is your diligent 3k oil changes with synthetic are paying off in spades now. People who don't perform low mileage oil changes have timing chain and guide issues with the 4.0L SOHC engines sooner rather than later. As for the fuel pump, I would keep the fuel level above 1/4 tank and spend the money to change it on some of the other maintenance items I mentioned. Lastly, if you are going to pre-emptively replace something, I recommend the accessory idler pulleys if yours are the original ones. More than once I have had one go bad while going down the highway and it wasn't a good experience. The pulley will lock up and you likely won't have a clue it happened until you smell smoke coming off the accessory belt, if you are lucky. If the belt breaks, it could tear up god knows what. Additionally, I have a good air compressor with a patch kit, a small lithium battery jump starter and other tools in my Mountaineer at all times in case of a breakdown, dead battery or other issues.

Another thing you might want to do is get a AAA account to cover towing, flats, battery issues etc. in case you have a breakdown on the road. I have had an account with them for years and it has paid for itself in towing and assistance charges alone if I didn't have it. They have 100 mile and 200 mile towing packages to chose from. Having this type of assistance, at least during the time you are on the road to see your father, could be very important.

Motorcraft RS76 Radiator Cap[Amazon product ASIN B000C5HRYK]

 

[94Eddie]

Also, is it a timing chain or belt?

Your engine has timing chains in the front and rear of the engine. This makes it a very expensive job to repair (the engine has to come out) when they fail and usually means a rebuilt engine is installed. The good thing is they rarely fail catastrophically and give a warning (i.e. the rattling) well in advance of this occurring.