Preparations for towing

[Nocturnall]

So I am planning to move to Arizona and am trying to prep my explorer for the trip. I bought a Hidden Hitch, the tougne, ball, gotta get a wiring harness. I'm planning on buying a trans cooler for a 22,500lb load so I think it'll be overkill but I want to be safe because my current transmission has 300miles on it. I'm going to get a remote mount filter as well. Been thinking of a electric fan as well, got one priced that pulls 3,000cfm. Gonna get some lubegaurd and put that in the trans and engine before I leave as well. There anything else I'm missing? I have a 4.0ohv automatic btw.

Also are there any alternatives to Uhaul to rent a trailor? If not I'll probably just pull the explorer emblem off the back and tell them it's a mazda navajo.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

All sounds good, but I wouldn't replace your factory engine driven fan with the efan. At certain times the efan may not be able to keep up where as the mechanical fan can. If you want to add it to your cooler in addition to your stock fan, that'd be OK. Especially if you are moving, I wouldn't want to find out it didn't work well enough once you got underway.

Id borrow a friends vehicle to go get the trailer then take it home and hook it to what you want.

 

[Nocturnall]

All my friends have small cars so I can't borrow anyone elses vehicle. I thought the mechanical fan only moved 2000 something cfm? Less money for me to spend though. I'm not gonna be carrying much. Couple tool boxes, no huge rollar shop tool boxes though, maybe 2 full size beds, and then a plasma tv that's it. Trailer probably weighs more then what I'm bringing with me. Curt hitch showed up today which is crazy fast shipping. I was told it wouldn't SHIP till March 6th.

 

[Nocturnall]

Also my vehicle has had some crap gas milage ever since I replaced the transmission. The vehicle was outta commission for about 3 weeks and ever since it's been down from 260 - 280miles per tank to 220ish. I put some injector cleaner in and I dunno if it's done anything for me yet or not. I have a cold air intake I made out of ducting installed and I'm looking at getting a amsoil filter before I move. Is there anything else I can do to improve my milage before I go? has new plugs, wires recently. Does exhaust help with gas milage or just power? I just want better gas milage.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

The efan may be OK, especially given your light load. For that matter the huge tranny cooler may be a bit much, but Id say that is one spot to overkill for sure. The efan will free up some HP and maybe gain MPG, but I just like a mechanical fan- less chance of failure.

Suggestion for the hitch- tighten the bolts as tight as possible- use the hitch, then retorque the bolts. I've had those bolts work loose for whatever reason- a scary thing! I'd also suggest you double nut the hitch on. Tighten your first nut all the way down, then put a second nut on top of that, hold the first one, tighten the second nut against the first. They will never back of that way.

When you fill out the paperwork for the trailer at UHaul, put it as a Navajo. If they ask, tell them you were rear ended and the body shop used explorer emblems. Or tell them its a Bronco II.

 

[Nocturnall]

I got lock tite, I could always locktite the bolts on there with the red, then I'd need heat to get them back off.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

If your intake setup is not optimum, it can affect mileage. I made my own intake a year or so a go, killed my gas mileage- I didn't understand the principles of how it all worked. I don't have an intake yet, went back to my stock air box.

Some exhaust can gain MPG, but its not really enough to matter. Sure manufacturers claim gains, but I haven't really seen enough difference to justify it. Now, I do like exhaust if done right, more power and sound.

I usually get 200-225 a tank out of mine if that makes you feel any better.

 

[Nocturnall]

With my previous tranny problem I was told to check the mechanical fan clutch which I have no idea what's good and not, I tried moving the fan and it moves both ways spinning, doesn't really wiggle or anything.....which is one of the reasons I was thinking electric fan, that and I hoped it would be a good increase on gas milage because I've heard it'll give like a %15 increase in power.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I got lock tite, I could always locktite the bolts on there with the red, then I'd need heat to get them back off.

I wouldnt do that- double nuts work fine and can be removed if needed. I've had to take my hitch off before would be mad if I had to heat it to remove the bolts.

 

[Nocturnall]

The intake helped a little bit, I was getting 210 at best now I'm 220ish.

 

[Nocturnall]

how big is your tank? Mines 15gal. If yours is 15gal then that really doesn't make me feel even a little bit better since you have an extra 2 cycls and 60 something hp.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Tank is a 21 gallon- I usually fill up with about 16 gallons.