old guy, wife said get a hobby, 94 explorer

[jmczzz]

My diagnostic plug is on pass side near fender/firewall near heater motor/box.

thank you, i am going out to look now will report back, jmczzz

 

[jmczzz]

thank you, i am going out to look now will report back, jmczzz

yes that is definate now the code pluge is there "on pass side near fender/firewall near heater motor/box." where you said, massacre, thank you,
there is none under the dash. now i am confident enough i will learn how to use paper clip jumper wire and read flashes...
jmczzz

 

[roscoe 0202]

'94 is on drivers side between battery and antilock brake I think it has six ports and a loose wire mine has a cover on it
roscoe

 

[jmczzz]

'94 is on drivers side between battery and antilock brake I think it has six ports and a loose wire mine has a cover on it
roscoe

thanks that confirms i got it right. tnk u, jmczzz

 

[410Fortune]

I think you are hitting the rev limiter on that engine possibly, 4200 RPM is ALOT for a OHV 4.0...they make all of their torque below 2500 rpm

 

[imp]

This may be correct for mustang's, but we are in the stock 91-94 explorer forum. There was never a 5.0l explorer offered in these years. They also retained obd-1 until 96.

@bammbamm
Sorry about that! I bounce back and forth between Explorer & Mustang forums, drive both, and get confused easily, I'm so damned old! imp

 

[jmczzz]

not a problem you correctly quailified your reply with "think" twice. that qued me to keep asking, looking, reading, for verification. "alls well that ends well" . I apreciate your quick response and follow up. jmczzz

 

[massacre]

'94 is on drivers side between battery and antilock brake I think it has six ports and a loose wire mine has a cover on it
roscoe

Is it because it’s a sport? My 94 diagnostic port(s) are on pass side. My battery is too lol

 

[bammbamm]

@bammbamm
Sorry about that! I bounce back and forth between Explorer & Mustang forums, drive both, and get confused easily, I'm so damned old! imp

I understand going back and forth between forums. I have to stop myself sometimes as well and check which one I'm on.

 

[bammbamm]

Is it because it’s a sport? My 94 diagnostic port(s) are on pass side. My battery is too lol

Curious to this as well since my diagnostic port is also on pass side.

 

[410Fortune]

I remember the Gen I trucks having the diagnostics plug on the pass side near the heater box....all 91-94 I am pretty sure? Even my 1988 was in this location originally......

 

[jmczzz]

I remember the Gen I trucks having the diagnostics plug on the pass side near the heater box....all 91-94 I am pretty sure? Even my 1988 was in this location originally......

that is where i found it after watching the video, I was confused as well. that happens ... so i just was glad i found it and was greatful for all the input from everybody even... jmczzz

 

[410Fortune]

you will have to be patient with us here, LOL the 94, Gen I explorer is getting older
They just do not build them like they used to, the more generations of the RBV (ranger based vehicle) they build the more we appreciate the old ones.
A 94 Sport is a TANK of a truck
The Explorer sport like your can be one of the most capable off road vehicles around, they are tough as nails and reliable as they come.
Excellent choice for a hobby! Way better then a Jeep!!

 

[gmanpaint]

Those hills out there are extremely steep grades, and long! I know exactly what your talking about.

Those 33's with that 155 hp v-6 is going to need all the help it can get to protect that transmission. The A4LD is known for it's dislike of heat, and failure.

The right gearing is going to be the most help with those tires. I would find the axle code on the door tag, Differential cover, and see what it has stock. If the previous owner didn't do a gear swap, this will assist in finding out what you have, and if you should bother changing them. If the previous owner(s) are of no help, and you want to make sure, you can do a differential fluid change (maintenance anyways), and count the teeth on the ring gear.

A Severe duty fan clutch will also help in cooling. I would make sure the trans cooler is in good condition. Adding a trans fluid temp sensor would be a good idea to monitor it. (Them hills are a trans killer)

If your still running down the vibrations, check the front wheels for tightness after jacking the rig off the ground. Give them a good shake side to side, up & down with a prybar (Ball joints), etc... Take a wheel off, and check the hubs. If manual locking hubs, check the spindle nuts are snug and the wheel bearings are tight in the rotor. If auto hubs, check to see they aren't broken. Cam inside them are plastic, and break easily when aged. If broken, you won't have 4wd.

If you want to have a read, on just about everything that can go wrong on a 94, click the link below that says "Pugly". It has been there, done that!

 

[410Fortune]

Excellent post gmanpaint!!! Pugly!!

You can also find your gear ratio simply by rotating a tire and counting the rotations of the driveshaft.
3 and 1/4 turns = 3.27
3 and 3/4 turns = 3.73
A little over 4 turns = 4.10
4 and a half turns = 4.56
almost 5 turns = 4.88
over 5 turns = 5.13

Was there ever a 3.55? I cant remember, almost all the Explorers I deal with are either 3.73 or 4.10 (4wd stuff)

If you have an open differential it will take twice as many turns, so 7.5 turns = 3.73, 4.25 turns = 4.10 and 9 turns = 4.56
it will be quite obvious
I make a mark on the d shaft and a mark on the tire, jack whole rear axle up in the air (both tires off the ground), put truck or t case in N and start turning

 

[roscoe 0202]

all of my diagnostic ports were on passenger side until they moved the battery to drivers side my 94 is on drivers side
roscoe

 

[massacre]

I would check front axle u joints, mine were completely frozen.

 

[jmczzz]

what i have found so far *
rear diff tag code top line;; S 6 2 2 0
second line 3 27 8 8 4 4 2 4 as the door axle code was for a not LS 3.27C that seems to NOTmatch the first 3 digetsof the diff tag and i guess the next 2 digets tell me it is a Ford 8-8.
I got under and tried to turn the front axle. in neutral then in park no 4x4 light on after I twice did reverse for 20 30 feet or so. I could not turn the axle at all. what i have read so far from searches indicate the front auto hubs have not unlocked. I put it in H 4x4 and it felt like it was in 4WD. I did hear the shift motor in the rear area clicking.
does this "not turning at all" mean as suggested in a searched thread I need to disassemble and clean the auto locking hubs?

Questions;;
1.should i change the tires from the 33 12.50 r 15 it has on now?
can I pit smaller tires on the 12.50 x 15 wheels or do i need to get narrower wheels?
should I go back to stock size wheels and tires to get road driving mostly and snow driving on the asphalt. up high power and not mess up auto trans?
thanks jmczzz

 

[gmanpaint]

First you need to figure out what gears you truly have, either 3:27 or 3:73. 410Fortune explained how to do that, using the driveshafts, or you can count teeth on the ring gear.
33's on 3:27 is not a good combo for your hilly area. 3:73 is not optimal, but better. The right combo for keeping the engine in the stock power band is 4:56 with 33's. If it is 3:27, I would either change the tires to the stock 235's, or re-gear to at least 4:10 with the 33's. 4:10 ratio gears came stock in the Explorer and can be found used, for a simple axle swap for a few hundred bucks. 95-01 8.8's have disc brakes, and are a better setup if you did that. Front diff is a bit more involved to swap, but it is also a direct bolt in. Gear swap can cost upwards to $1k per axle at shops. Using stock axles, with you doing the work, can be done for less than $500 total. Cheaper if you really shop.

I highly doubt you have 12.5" wide wheels. Stock wheels are 7" wide, and most aftermarket wheels are from 8"-10" wide. A 12.5" wide tire can fit on those.

Are you turning the front axles or the front driveshaft? Both wheels off the ground?

As far as the hubs go... Both tires need to be off the ground when you spin them. Your front differential is open carrier (stock), and the wheels should spin in opposite directions if both axles are locked by the hubs. If only one wheel spins freely, both hubs are not locked. If the front drive shaft spins while turning a wheel, that hub is locked. If an auto hub is engaged when free spinning by hand, it is jammed. Auto hubs only engage when power is given from the transfercase to the front driveshaft. If the hub is broken, it can't transfer that power to the wheel, even if the front drive shaft is turning the gears.

My suggestion is to ditch the auto hubs, and swap to the manual hubs. These are stronger, and more reliable. You sacrifice being able to go into 4wd from a push of a button, as you have to get out, and lock the hubs manually, but it is a small sacrifice to make. There are how to write ups here for that easy swap.

 

[massacre]

I’ll second the manual hubs. Also if you if you do have 3.27 gears and decide to regear I would be interested in buying your old 3.27 gears for the Dana 35.