NA4LSOHCBUT [Not ANOTHER 4.0L SOHC Build Up Thread!]

Hopefully this doesn't turn in to a "Jakee" thread , but we'll see....

This is the wife's 1998 Explorer Sport. 85,000 miles and she's decided it's "Mod'n Time"! She's a Daily Driver with some minor mods, but the brakes were completely toasted on a trip to Cali last September. 4,000ft elevation changes on 48 miles of twisting, ungraded dirt roads left us on the side of the road for an hour in a cloud of smelly brake fumes before I got any brake pedal feel at all back.

Obviously, we have our starting point... stopping.

Because it is a Daily Driver, there isn't any room for long down times or trial-and-error "fitting" sessions. Everything has to be comercially available, in stock and easily replaced. Since this is the first time we've EVER had brake problems (this is her second "Sport"), we figured an upgrade was needed instead of getting in to a "big-brake" fiasco. After consulting a half dozen "Pros" from various sites, we came up with a parts list.

Power Slot 8551CSR/8551CSL for the front,
Power Slot 8552CSR/8552CSL for the rear, and Hawk Pads for all.

Well, the ABS light now flashes after a sudden stop, so the parts are on order:

These are the cryo-treated slotted rotors since everyone agreed that the dimples and cross-drilling was more cosmetic than anything else. I was going to get the regular Power Slot rotors and have them cryo'd locally, but I got a good deal on them already done, with free shipping (over 64lbs!). I'll post who/where and how much once I've received them, and I'm sure they meet my needs.

I'll be doing a braking test (data-logged) as-is, and again with just a fluid flush (possible DOT 5), since the fuild is almost 2 years old. After that, the parts will be installed and properly bedded before any other testing happens. It won't be a real side-by-side comparison, since the failures were heat related, but I'm pretty sure we won't get the brakes that hot again here in Seattle.

After the brakes are done, it is a fresh set of intake gaskets and matched injectors, a custom "Y-Pipe"/Cat set up (to get the cats off the trans pan!), a Cat-Back Exhaust and a quality CAI.

The goals:
Better stopping
Better mileage
More power

 

[Fredness]

Amen, brother!

Just trying to spread the word...

 

[Jakee]

Fredness - Wow man...I'm impressed with what you came up with. You need to show me how you did the 0-60 so I can get a more accurate run data!

 

[Fredness]

PM sent!

 

[Fredness]

I am very impressed to see that you are analyzing the data and looking at the obvious...

Pretty interesting that I'm documenting what I thought would be useless dribble, but it actually comes up with hard data and interesting gains.

Here is the procedure I used for 0-60:
Log TPS, RPM and Vehicle Speed (save the profile so you can easily repeat the tests without searching for PID's!).
Use the leading edge of the TPS increase as your start, and the leading edge of the 60MPH mark (staircased line) as your end. When testing, I accellerated past 60MPH (~65) and lifted my foot (see the TPS drop straight to zero?) so I could coast to 60MPH, where I slammed on the brakes. I would LOVE to have the ability to datalog "BOO" (Brake On/Off), so that would tell us EXACTLY when my foot applied pressure to the pedal.

For 60-0:
Use decreasing Vehicle speed at 60MPH to zero and compare to the timeline.

LiveLink3 gives you the exact cursor position if you click the screen, so the time is in the thousandths of a second (.001), good enough!!

 

[Jakee]

This is the best "Back-yard" data I've seen on this forum.

What's next fredness? Turbo? nitrous? supercharger?

Or maybe an intake?

 

[rocket 5979]

Fredness - Wow man...I'm impressed with what you came up with. You need to show me how you did the 0-60 so I can get a more accurate run data!

Jake I already told you how to go about doing this using the Livelink datalogging software well over a month ago. Actually I told you and a few others how to do this a few months before that also. Please tell me that information isn't going in one ear and out another with you?

 

[Fredness]

It would appear so....

 

[Jakee]

Jake I already told you how to go about doing this using the Livelink datalogging software well over a month ago. Actually I told you and a few others how to do this a few months before that also. Please tell me that information isn't going in one ear and out another with you?

Come on Rocket and Fredness, Cut me slack here.

Rocket - Yes, I heard everything you said, so Credit to you for coming up with this. "Pat on the back"

Fredness - Because you already did it, I just asked for details. That's it.

 

[Fredness]

I'm good...
I'm just sharing, if it's old info, great. Only harm was I sucked up a little bandwidth, that's why I'm an "Elite Explorer", big mail box and I get to cover the cost of typing too much.

Like the brake fluid deal, it seems that we CAN"T go over the basics too often as even us "old timers" need a reminder from time to time.

Rocket: Did you show them the "Excel" Dyno?
Jakee: PM sent, see post #27 for my actual verbiage.

 

[rocket 5979]

I'm good...
I'm just sharing, if it's old info, great. Only harm was I sucked up a little bandwidth, that's why I'm an "Elite Explorer", big mail box and I get to cover the cost of typing too much.

Like the brake fluid deal, it seems that we CAN"T go over the basics too often as even us "old timers" need a reminder from time to time.

Rocket: Did you show them the "Excel" Dyno?
Jakee: PM sent, see post #27 for my actual verbiage.

Jake, I don't care who gets props for any idea here. It is not like people are paying money for information. What I get tired of is when people ask question, get answers, and then continue to ask the same questions again. I see that as being lazy (not bothering to pay attention) and wasting peoples time. I don't mean to be harsh with you Jake, but that is just how I see it.


Sorry Fred, I didn't want to seem like I was trying to rain on your parade so I didn't say anything about the Excel dyno, but now that you ask me I don't think that excel dyno holds much weight in the real world from a scientific standpoint. That is just a guesstimate of power which is very subjective to lots of other outside factors governing how much is actually made.

 

[Fredness]

Like I said, I'm good....

I absolutely see your point about it being a "guesstimate", but the cost of the "Excel" dyno was $0.00, tough to argue with that. And since it can be repeated, it may be good enough to convince the "other half" on the costs of mods. This brake test was good enough that the wife refunded me the $53. That alone was worth the effort!

When I make a trip to the real dyno, I plan on data-logging the run and comparing, I'll be sure to post both here.

 

[rocket 5979]

Like I said, I'm good....

I absolutely see your point about it being a "guesstimate", but the cost of the "Excel" dyno was $0.00, tough to argue with that. And since it can be repeated, it may be good enough to convince the "other half" on the costs of mods. This brake test was good enough that the wife refunded me the $53. That alone was worth the effort!

When I make a trip to the real dyno, I plan on data-logging the run and comparing, I'll be sure to post both here.

The 0-60 and the brake tests I feel are accurate enough in the logging software, my concern didn't lie there. It was with the "dyno" numbers alone.

You are right with the convincing the other half part. Gladly I am fortunate enough to have a certain understanding with my wife that she doesn't question my expenditures on vehicular performance. However, I can see that the "dyno sheet" that you did can provide enough evidence to better influence the decision of the other half in other peoples situations. For that use your sheet will serve good purpose.

 

[foxy]

I may be sticking my neck out here but that's me .Guys lighten up will you, don't take thing' so seriously life is hard enough unless you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth and even then you can be pretty lonely mate ,keeping the other half happy is a big plus KEEP THE WIFE HAPPY MEANS A HAPPY LIFE,I'm just grateful just to read this info and benefit by it ,as I've been investigating brakes and having to go to the US from Australia to get decent pads and brakes for my ex says a lot about you people so enjoy life be happy

 

[rocket 5979]

I may be sticking my neck out here but that's me .Guys lighten up will you, don't take thing' so seriously life is hard enough unless you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth and even then you can be pretty lonely mate ,keeping the other half happy is a big plus KEEP THE WIFE HAPPY MEANS A HAPPY LIFE,I'm just grateful just to read this info and benefit by it ,as I've been investigating brakes and having to go to the US from Australia to get decent pads and brakes for my ex says a lot about you people so enjoy life be happy

Everyone is lightened up in here. It was just a simple misunderstanding on Jake's part. No big deal.

 

[Jakee]

Yesterday was a bad day, today is better.

Keep up the good work fredness.

 

[Fredness]

Glad everyone's better :E
Here are the tentative plans:
95% sure:
-Volant CAI
-Y-Pipe mod or custom
-Mandrel bent exhaust w/ FlowMaster SUV 50 series Delta flow (FlowMaster reps talked me out of the 70 series big block saying it would be larger, heavier and no major benefit noise wise).
-0% injectors
-Lower intake O-Rings
-UDP (all)
-Electric fan (Flex-a-lite 180)

Would love to do, but need more aftermarket support:
-'02 "Lunchbox" upper intake, TB and TC - Downside: NO Volant!

 

[Jakee]

fredness - I think you'll chage your mind about the "lunch" box intake once you see how long the runners are on the one you have.

 

[Fredness]

I think the Volant will be enough on the factory parts that I won't want to mess with a new upper manifold. I'm thinking TB and leave the stock intake alone.

 

[Jakee]

I agree - I have the stock intake off right now just checking it out. It really doesn't look all that bad.

I guess the newer breadbox intake my yeild a little more torque but...I'm not sure if it's worth it.

 

[aldive]

-Mandrel bent exhaust w/ FlowMaster SUV 50 series Delta flow (FlowMaster reps talked me out of the 70 series big block saying it would be larger, heavier and no major benefit noise wise).

The Flowmaster 70 is night and day different in sound; i I have used both. The 70 is much quieter, you really don't hear it all inside the truck except on very hard acceleration.