New guy in AZ

[Kristwitch]

Picked up a money pit for real cheap! Supposed issue is broken timing chain which seems odd for a Windsor... cranking it has verified the issue as timing sounds way off...it is what it is. Anyways it's a 12/96 build mountaineer 5.0/awd it has 172k and it seems pretty solid...just needs a good interior cleaning.

Right now I'm trying to figure out if I want to drill the spot welds for the core support and remove engine and trans like that, replace with new one and bolt the new one in or just pull the hood and pull engine straight up. Either way it looks extremely fun to do all this and hopefully the transfer case doesn't suck that much too pull either.


When I pull the engine and trans, I'll probably swap in an HO cam, do an oil pump, reseal and get a converter for the 4r70w. I'm hoping the trans isn't roached but who knows lol.

here is a link with a couple of pics.
Mountaineer Mountaineer

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! Make a thread with your progress. Do you have an engine crane or access to a lift?

 

[Kristwitch]

Welcome to this forum! Make a thread with your progress. Do you have an engine crane or access to a lift?

Thanks and I'll have to do that! Yes I have access to a cherry picker but no lift.

 

[Rick]

Welcome to the forum. I live way across the Valley in Wittmann

 

[gmanpaint]

Picked up a money pit for real cheap! Supposed issue is broken timing chain which seems odd for a Windsor... cranking it has verified the issue as timing sounds way off...it is what it is.

Cranked and it ran? If it runs (even poorly), it's probably not the chain. Chances are the Cam Syncro went bad. That doesn't require an engine pull.

Welcome Aboard!

 

[Kristwitch]

Cranked and it ran? If it runs (even poorly), it's probably not the chain. Chances are the Cam Syncro went bad. That doesn't require an engine pull.

Welcome Aboard!

Well the PO had all the cam sensor disconnected and the coils. II haven't really tore into this thing yet but I'll see if I can get it running. I've never seen a chain snap on a Windsor...so it seems odd

 

[Kristwitch]

Welcome to the forum. I live way across the Valley in Wittmann

Yeah that's a day trip out there
I miss speedworld!

 

[Rick]

Yeah that's a day trip out there
I miss speedworld!

Man, you have no idea. I moved here for Speedworld.

 

[imp]

Man, you have no idea. I moved here for Speedworld.

@Rick
Many years ago, an old Black guy named Alman Cutright had a scrap and lumber yard in El Mirage. We bought a bunch of lumber from him to build a cabin outside Show Low, used our old Ford school bus to haul the stuff. Later, he bought the bus for use in his church. His daughter was on the town council. Very colorful character, he was. At that time, Wittmann and Surprise were wide spots in Grand Avenue.

We lived thereabouts 20 years. Off-thread, sorry. Miss the old times! imp

 

[Rick]

@Rick
At that time, Wittmann and Surprise were wide spots in Grand Avenue.

Wittmann still is tiny. Surprise is huge
US60/Grand Ave. is now 2 lanes in each direction. They removed the foot bridge over Grand when they widened the highway.

Google Maps

 

[imp]

Wittmann still is tiny. Surprise is huge
US60/Grand Ave. is now 2 lanes in each direction. They removed the foot bridge over Grand when they widened the highway.

Google Maps

@Rick
Continuing northwest, if you have driven the stretch between Wickenburg and the intersection with I-40, you may recall an area which is very rugged and covered with large rock and scenic formations, before you get to Wikieup. In the '80s, bus trips we took from Phoenix to Laughlin, jounced through that area almost on two wheels at times! It was all 2-lane then; today they are touting "Interstate 11" to replace it, some is completed around Boulder City. imp

 

[Rick]

@Rick
Continuing northwest, if you have driven the stretch between Wickenburg and the intersection with I-40, you may recall an area which is very rugged and covered with large rock and scenic formations, before you get to Wikieup. In the '80s, bus trips we took from Phoenix to Laughlin, jounced through that area almost on two wheels at times! It was all 2-lane then; today they are touting "Interstate 11" to replace it, some is completed around Boulder City. imp

Yes, US93 has always been terrible up there. It's a deadly road with people rushing to and from Vegas. Lot's of head on crashes there. Instead of finishing the US 93 widening project that has been going on for decades they decided to start an entirely new route.

A pet peeve of mine is the new bridge over the CO River. It took longer to build a damn bridge in the 21st century than it did to build the damn dam in the early 20th century. We go to Vegas every year for SEMA and the delays were really bad. Today it's a nice cruise to Vegas once you hit the Nevada border. 93 is still missing miles of two lane road. The worst section, between Wickenburg and somewhere around Nowhere.

 

[gmanpaint]

I'm not surprised the road never got finished Rick. Our infrastructure was a thing to behold at one time. Now it's all a political scam to raise taxes, and misappropriate the funds for who knows what. Just look at the toll roads that was supposed to fund them, then close. Ha! yeah right, still going like the energizer bunny.

Meanwhile, China is building 6,000 miles of new roads and elaborate bridges........EVERY YEAR! So many in fact, that the roads are built faster than they can add fuel stations to keep up. They have more miles of new hwy, than anybody in the world.

Mind boggling part is they didn't even have a public hwy system 30 years ago. Whats our excuse?

 

[Josh P]

Eventually 93 will be interstate 11. The original idea for I11 was to build a port in mexico and make route from Yuma to Canadian border using Us 95 on the AZ side to bypass California. I'd bet 93 becomes a freeway from before the northern parkway makes it to grand ave.

 

[Rick]

In the meantime:
Study: US 93 most dangerous highway in country

It's a popular road you take to drive from Phoenix to Las Vegas, but the U.S. 93 has another title: the most dangerous highway in the country.

Between 2010 and 2016, there were 70 deadly crashes on the highway with 90 fatalities, according to data.

 

[imp]

In the meantime:
Study: US 93 most dangerous highway in country

It's a popular road you take to drive from Phoenix to Las Vegas, but the U.S. 93 has another title: the most dangerous highway in the country.

Between 2010 and 2016, there were 70 deadly crashes on the highway with 90 fatalities, according to data.

@Rick
Truly amazing! That stretch between PHX and I-40 has had numerous upgrades done in short pieces over many years. Between Kingman and Hoover Dam, I don't know much about, haven't driven it in years. It used to be a very dreary stretch of straight-line 2-lane. imp

 

[Kristwitch]

I have still not Been over the new bridge going over hoover dam. Last time I was in that area the bridge was still being built.

 

[Kristwitch]

WHere do we post our project updates? In the before and after section?

 

[BrooklynBay]

You could post it in there or in the 1995 to 2001 Explorer section.

 

[imp]

Picked up a money pit for real cheap! Supposed issue is broken timing chain which seems odd for a Windsor... cranking it has verified the issue as timing sounds way off...it is what it is. Anyways it's a 12/96 build mountaineer 5.0/awd it has 172k and it seems pretty solid...just needs a good interior cleaning.

Right now I'm trying to figure out if I want to drill the spot welds for the core support and remove engine and trans like that, replace with new one and bolt the new one in or just pull the hood and pull engine straight up. Either way it looks extremely fun to do all this and hopefully the transfer case doesn't suck that much too pull either.


When I pull the engine and trans, I'll probably swap in an HO cam, do an oil pump, reseal and get a converter for the 4r70w. I'm hoping the trans isn't roached but who knows lol.

here is a link with a couple of pics.
Mountaineer Mountaineer

@Kristwitch
Nice appearing outside! I bought one banged-up with a bent front torsion bar RH side. Had to hammer it out, straightened it in my axle press, went back in with a new lower arm, tracked real nice. The guy had slid it down an embankment.

You can't beat the old OHV 5.0! imp