Prepping my Explorer for a 3000 mile journey.

[Shogo_swe]

Hello from Sweden!

I´m planning a small roadtrip around the Gulf of bothnia in northern Europe, going from Stockholm to Helsinki in Finland to Rovaniemi in Northern Finland (where Santa lives), then on to Narvik in Norway and down thru Norway and to finaly land back in Stockholm about 2 weeks later.

Just bought a 1995 Ford Explorer and have started to go thru it to make sure it makes the Journey, Didn´t start so good as it on the way home from the seller it broke down, the idler pulley exploded. Have ordered a new one and I hope getting it running again today.

Anyway. Links to threads and general tips for making my Explorer a trustworthy companion on this trip would be much appriciated. I´m changeing all the fluids, new ignitionparts and any low cost ideas for better MPG would be great !

It´s a 1995 4.0 (OVH?) 119kw/160hp engine, 4WD. 112k miles

 

[aldive]

any low cost ideas for better MPG would be great !

Take a look at http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44372&highlight=quest

 

[2000StreetRod]

Check hoses & cables

I suggest that you inspect all of your hoses (vacuum and water) and check/clean your battery cables/connections.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip!

 

[gmanpaint]

When your done with your fluid changes,....

Don't forget Hubs, CV axles, U-joints, plugs & wires, air filter, brake pads & rotors, ball joints, tie rod ends, shocks, tires, & differentials.

Make sure the caliper brackets are good and tight, they are known to work their way loose.

Check the alignment.

Test the 4x4 High & low.

Carry spare bulbs & fuses, and some fluids.

Check to see you have all parts for your jack and drop the spare tire to make sure the cable winch works. That's a good time to check the air pressure on your spare tire.

 

[celly]

Make sure to have a well-stocked toolbox with you. I did a 8,000 km trip last summer and it came in handy on more than a few occasions.

 

[96eb96]

Hello from Sweden!

I´m planning a small roadtrip around the Gulf of bothnia in northern Europe, going from Stockholm to Helsinki in Finland to Rovaniemi in Northern Finland (where Santa lives), then on to Narvik in Norway and down thru Norway and to finaly land back in Stockholm about 2 weeks later.

Just bought a 1995 Ford Explorer and have started to go thru it to make sure it makes the Journey, Didn´t start so good as it on the way home from the seller it broke down, the idler pulley exploded. Have ordered a new one and I hope getting it running again today.

Anyway. Links to threads and general tips for making my Explorer a trustworthy companion on this trip would be much appriciated. I´m changeing all the fluids, new ignitionparts and any low cost ideas for better MPG would be great !

It´s a 1995 4.0 (OVH?) 119kw/160hp engine, 4WD. 112k miles

I would want to goto NordKapp for all that trouble, then you can be on the northernmost road on the planet .

I was going to suggest idler pulley when I saw long trip, Honestly I would replace the second idler pulley in the tensioner (even replace the entire tensioner!). Replace or carry a spare belt(keep your old one).

Check the steel brakelines that they aren't too rusty(especially the back one), be aware they can leak and fail. Check the two small lines on the steering rack for excessive rust, they are not expensive to replace. I had them rot out and dump all the PS fluid.

Service your cooling system. On such a long trip to the middle of nowhere I would keep a spare alternator and starter(even a used one that tests out) . Even some premixed antifreeze and coolant stop leak tablets for temporary use.

A tool kit like others suggested is a good idea too.

Make sure your battery is in perfect shape. Replace if its over 3 years and maybe even hold the old one as a fully charged spare on the trip.

Carry a small air compressor and tire plugs.

 

[Shogo_swe]

Hi Again !
Thanks for all the ideas. I´m putting together a checklist based on your knowledge and knowhow.

I´ve replaced the destroyed Idler Pulley and it seems to be working fine !, the Tensioner pulley was changed a couple of weeks before christmas so I guess it should be ok. But I´ll see to bringing a couple of spares just in case.

Took it out for a testdrive and it runs just fine, seems to go best on highways at around 62mph. And if my calculations was right my 100km testdrive resulted in around 20mpg and that include being stuck in a ditch in 30 minutes, ..would have loved a couple of diff-locks there...and some real snow tires and not these Mud+Snow generic ones. But all in all, very happy with it !

And a Pic.

 

[Shogo_swe]

thermostat shot i suspect... I get no heat in the engine whatsoever. It´s -13C here and it seems to just eat fuel..

Bought a new thermostat today, found a good guide over at fordforums, but I´m not really sure it´s ok to post link to it from here ?

 

[gmanpaint]

Your T-stat would have to be stuck Wide Open for that to happen. The majority of the time, they slam shut when bad, causing it to run Hot.

I would..... 1>Check the coolant mix with a tester to see is it needs replaced, then 2> If that checks out good, I would replace the T-stat with a new one and Burp the system.

The gauge might have a bad sending unit, or be faulty as well.

Worst case is a faulty heater core, which is a real PITA to replace.

 

[corkey]

I have a 96 Explorer with the control trac option too which i figure yours probably is as well,
I made 2 trips last year in the 2200 mile region each, and will share a few of the things i did to get decent gas mileage with mine as well,
Synthetic fluids for the differentials, and transfer case really helped, as well as keeping the speed down and watching the rpm ,which i kept usually between about 2000 to 2300 making the speed about 100 to 110 kph , after that the mileage seems to go away quickly

i had 235x75x15 tires on the Ex the first trip, than went up to a 31x10.5x15 tire, and had to work the pedal much more to keep the mileage up in the really high teens to the 20's for mpg,

also , i know it is kind of nitpicking a bit, but if you are not going to be using the roof racks, shift them as far back as possible or take them off, it does make a bit of a difference in the mpg , most say it is marginal , but for a few mpg over the whole trip it is a little bit of a savings, and less chance for damage of some sort, also if there is going to be snow, makes it easy to clean off the roof saving fuel too , ,

Tires i mentioned already , but making sure they have the proper amount of air in them helps greatly, i ran usually about 36 to 40 lbs of air in the tires.it changes the ride a bit , but well worth it,,

 

[jtjgvle]

My thermostat was bad and the truck wouldn't even get as warm as your gauge shows. I think it was opening at the first sign of warmth. Replaced the thermostat and now it is running about the middle of the gauges range and fuel economy is back to normal, and it is running smoother too.

 

[Shogo_swe]

Hey !

Just came back from a week with skiing in the mountains.. I did some last second preparation and put in a new thermostat.. and voila ! It now runs as it should !

It was perfect in the snow and except the tires.. I would have liked some real studded winter tires on the icy roads..4x4 isnt much help on ice

One morning it was -26C and it started without any complaints

Gas mileage was 18 mpg going uphill and 19.6 going downhill, 4 people in the car + gear. Kept speed at around 62mph and below, 4wd Auto all the time. Seems ok ? did about 750 miles total.