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Ford Explorer Community - Maintenance - Modifications - Performance Upgrades - Problem Solving - Off-Road - Street
Explorer Forum Covers the Explorer ST, Explorer Sport, Explorer Sport Trac, Lincoln Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer, Mazda Navajo, Ford Ranger, Mazda Pickups, and the Ford Aerostar
One was rusted so I replaced it from a junkyard donor. Funny, in the few years I have owned my Explorers I have only found one good nerf bar. I like the look so I think I will just have to get more power out of the engine.
The Mopar hood scoop is coming off this spring, got a smaller one that will hopefully look better.
How much clearance is there between the stock M90 pulley and the hood?
It looks like the belt wrap on the power steering pump pulley is less than 90 degrees. Have you had any problems with the serpentine belt slipping at full turns and low vehicle speeds?
Would it have been necessary to modify the PCM location with the M112 installation?
Not much clearance between stock pulley and hood but it did not rub on my Ex.
No problems at all with the power steering, ever. Before I made the bracket and pulley below and to the right of the supercharger, the belt was wrapped a different way and did not get a full wrap on the altenator. Now with the extra pulley added and the belt wrapped the way it is now, everything is holding tight. Even at 6000 rpm's with 13 lbs of boost.
The only reason I moved the pcm, was due to a clearance problem with an experimental plenum that fit under the hood. The stock lightning plenum sits on top so PCM is not in the way. The hood is though, had to cut a huge hole in a spare hood and put a scoop on it to use that lightning plenum.
I just had a windshield replaced in my Explorer. If anyone needs any glass work and you are in the Philadelphia area, go to Ajax Auto Glass, 6250 Passyunk Ave. Philadelphia,PA 19153. This was the third windshield they have done for me in different cars of course. The price is right, the service is outstanding!!!! Only cost me about 167.00 when most places charge way more. Also why you are there, stop by the Gourmay Dinner and have an awesome breakfast that wont break the bank!
Good to hear, positive stories on service/work etc seem to be a thing of the past. Last windshield I had done was very okay. They scratched the pillar I assume while setting the windshield (not the Ford). It is only in the clearcoat but I cannot get it out. This was the second windshield I had done by them, first time was perfect, which is why I went back.
And back on topic, Congratz on your placement!!! Very rare if ever do I hear Explorers winning trophies!
I was a mechanic for over 16 years, now an Instructor (7yrs). I still do all my own work (outside of windshields). It is hard for me to let someone else work on my vehicles but installing windshields is an artform that I dont possess. I had a couple windshields replaced by Ajax Auto Glass before and they did a fantastic job then too. When I find a place that can do work for me that I am satisfied with I will stick with them and give credit where credit is due.
Sorry to hear about that scratch, glad to hear it was not the Ford though!
Yeah I know what you mean about explorers and trophies. Whenever I race I get all kinds of questions like "Is that a V8?" I love the expression on their faces when I say "no, its just a 6 cylinder". To tell you the truth, I dont need any trophies, I just like staying in the race as long as I can.
This is an impressive build! It has given me a little more faith in the 4.0 sohc. Getting into the 13's with a supercharger and tuning without ever going inside the motor is pretty cool.
The 4.0 is a strong little sucker! I cant beleive it has held up to what I have been doing to it. And it had 104,000 when I put the first super charger(M90).
The M90 fit under the hood with a little cutting of some metal that was not seen from the outside of the hood.
Wish i could get that m112 to fit under there without a hole and hood scoop.
The transmission has held up fine so far. At the track I stand the converter at about 1800 and floor it when the lights ready. I wont floor it from a roll on the street because these transmissions dont know what gear they want to be in sometimes. So far, no problems with it yet.
We will see what happens this year!
The transmission finally let loose. I was doing a 4wd burnout and really beating hard on the Ex. It was at the last race of the year at ATCO Raceway.
I had already run a 13.85 and was trying to beat that run if possible.
I saw 3,000 rpm's with all 4 tires smoking,then Drive felt like neutral. So did manual 1. Reverse worked, and so did manual 2 (which is really third gear).
4th and 5th worked so I drove it home shifting from manual 2 to Drive at higher speeds. Tore it apart to find bad sprags (one way clutches). Waiting for parts to show up so I can put it back together.
I didn't see any comments in your thread about transmission upgrades. If it was still stock then it has held up pretty well considering what it has been exposed to. Do you plan any upgrades or just to repair it?
The transmission was completely stock, no mods. Right now I am just fixing it with used parts off ebay.lol.
Later I might pick up a trans from a upullit yard and look into upgrades.
Max boost was 14lbs with M112 off Lightning. I plan on trying out a M112 off a 03-04 cobra to see if I can do away with my ugly hood scoop and have a more stock apearance. Have to put that off for a while though.
@ Dono,
There are two one way sprags(clutches). I broke both.
Wished I had seen both broken the first time I removed the transmision.
LOL
I was looking for the rear one to be bad and I found that. Put it all back together and still had problems. Tore it back out, found the O/D Sprag bad as well. It was locked up between the surrounding hard parts so I didn't even know it was there. Whoops.
At least it is good now, all gears work, and no leaks.
