Progress on the 2001 Sport

[Goofyexponent]

Well, as I have posted before, I traded my 1993 F250 diesel for a 2001 Explorer Sport.

I took a bit of a loss on the deal, but as I got digging deeper and deeper into the Explorer, I realize that the previous owner was a complete liar and a shady "mechanic"

I started off with a bad passenger rear axle seal. Not a huge deal. I jacked the truck up, put it on stands and went underneath. The oil was seeping THROUGH the diff cover.

I pulled all the cover bolts off, and pried the cover loose to let the fluid out. MILK! So there was water in there!!!

UGH!!!

Anyways, I take the back passenger tire off and see that the flex hose to the caliper was blown...but not leaking?! I found that he pinched the hard line shut about 6" before the flex hose. REALLY?!?!

I pulled the cross shaft bolt, the cross shaft...to find it scored to pieces....but it had new spider gears. Someone abused the crap out of this thing!!

I replaced the bearing, seal and put a new cover, gasket and grey RTV on it and put it back together with a new cross shaft and red loctite on the cross shaft bolt.

As I was filling the diff through the fill hole, I noticed that air was getting pressurized as I used my piston suction/pump gun. I pulled the vent and found it to be plugged solid. So I cleaned it out, finished filling the diff and put the plug back in.

That was just one little issue I found.

The back air shocks had no electric pump, they are rigged to a couple air hoses zip tied to the back hitch. I can deal with that, I got a "plan" to use the 5th shock mount and a Semi truck levelling valve. I want to run on board air (electric compressor, not a little one either) and a small 5 gallon air reserve mounted where the spare tire is.

So I change the oil tonight. He said it "might" be due. I crawled underneath to see what filter I needed, and it was so old it was just a rusty can. I couldn't get a number off it. I went to the parts store, gave them my production date, and they give me the WRONG filter...Back to the store in the wife's car, and went to return it. It wasn't opened (I just had the old one in my hand and ther was NO WAY it would fit in the new filter's box, so I knew it was not right) and they wern't going to take it back. I had a few "words" with the guy behind the counter and they just exchanged it for a more expensive filter, that was the right one.

I pulled the drain plug....and wow. It was either 20 000 kilometers over, or he used straight crude on the last change. I was DISGUSTED!!! But it's all done now, except for the front diff.

The transmission fluid is crystal clear, and does not smell burnt, so it can wait until after the end of January before i pull the Y pipes and the pan. I'm installing a bung inthe pan so I can just let the fluid go without a mess next time.

I ordered the snowbear plow mounts yesterday. So today, I wired the truck up for the plow power wires, the controller box and the remote inside the cab to rais and lower the blade. Not a huge job, but I am glad it's done.

I am having one MAJOR issue however.

I think it's the spark plugs, but let me hear your suggestions.

If i give the truck half throttle, it gets off it's keister and motors along just fine.

If I plant my foot at WOT...the truck BOGS hard and is sluggish.

I am going to wait until I have 6 plugs to put back in it to pull any out and check for signs of leaning out or running rich, but I will be replacing them and the wires, as well as the fuel filter.

Any thoughts?

 

[rickybobby]

could very well be the fuel filter, i would replace it as a maintenance item anyway

 

[1996BLKBauer]

I pulled the drain plug....and wow. It was either 20 000 kilometers over, or he used straight crude on the last change.

THIS made me laugh, hard. I am lead to believe that it would be a fuel filter like stated above, but it could not hurt to change the plugs as well. Like you said the previous owner clearly did not care, so they may have never been changed. A customer that comes in, also has an Explorer, said that his truck was running poorly, and his son hooked it up to a scan tool, said a misfire in cylinder 6, took out the plug to find that the electrode broke off. replaced it, and it was good as new.

 

[Goofyexponent]

THIS made me laugh, hard.

LOL...I'm glad someone got a laugh out of it. I did after I got all the work done to it last night, but at the time I was not impressed.

I am VERY meticulous about my vehicles. I like them clean, running to full potential and most importantly, I pay high attention to fuel mileage. That is the first real key to a problem with your vehicle...a sudden change in MPG's.

I have put in over 800 000 miles of driving behind the wheel of MANY big trucks. Anything from a 195 horsepower DT466 with an 8LL transmission to a 550 ISX cummins with an 18 speed. Listening to your vehicles noises and traits will keep them on teh road a LOT longer.

I appriciate the feedback. I know it's hard to earn the trust and respect of board members. I was a member at Oilburners.net for almost 4 solid years, several thousand posts, wrote a couple tech articles and am always answering questions to newbies and fellow members.

I hope to be the same asset here, as much as I will be a leech for information for the first couple months lol.

Browsing through the forum last night, there appears to be a good, solid membership here, with lots of good information and ideas.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Ford Explorer Ranger Fuel pressure test procedure

Ford Explorer Ranger Fuel pressure test procedure
Welcome to the forum fellow Sport owner!

 

[96eb96]

Bogging could be a dirty MAF sensor. Judging by the condition of this truck quality air filters weren't a priority and it is likely coated. Very cheap and easy to clean!

 

[Goofyexponent]

Bogging could be a dirty MAF sensor. Judging by the condition of this truck quality air filters weren't a priority and it is likely coated. Very cheap and easy to clean!

That's another thing. the factory air box is gone...only the bottom remains. Someone rigged up a "cone coldair intake" on it using hte factory piping and MAF. It's all clean, I hosed it down with cleaner, and it made no difference.

I need to get a factory air box and filter before too long.

 

[koda2000]

i think i would have passed on this one. sounds like it's gonna be nothing but bad surprises and the 4.0L SOHC engine (i'm assuming that's what it has) is the least reliable of the possible choices + if it's an automatic the transmission's kinda on the weak side too.

 

[Goofyexponent]

i think i would have passed on this one. sounds like it's gonna be nothing but bad surprises and the 4.0L SOHC engine (i'm assuming that's what it has) is the least reliable of the possible choices + if it's an automatic the transmission's kinda on the weak side too.

I was thinking the same thing, but I guess from teh digging I have done, the transmission in the 01's were supposedly not as problematic.

I just need to get until spring out of it and I can dig into it over the summer, as the Buick will be on the road again.

Best part of the whole deal, was the guy said the truck needed nothing, and his mom drove it, that's it.

I KNOW this kid flogged it off road. I was prying chunks of mub off the crossmembers with a prybar as the oil drained last night.

He was supposed to take my F250 supercab 4x4, and a rust free rolling chassis crew cab long box 1994 F350 , but I think I'm keeping the F350 CCLB and going ahead with the cummins install on it. This guy took more than enough to make a fair trade, but lied to me about everything.