Progress on the 2002 Explorer Sport Trac

[410Fortune]

Any way to get the oversized torque bit in the bolt head without doing anything?

Any way to just break the intake manifold on thay bolt and remove it anyway?

We should be able to source a sohc intake

Maybe raising the back of the trans a little can gain you some working space?

 

[allmyEXes]

@410Fortune After being momentarily flustered about the back intake bolt situation, I decided to hold off working on this one until I can get the 2002 over to my shop to have access to concrete and an engine hoist. I can't see a way to break the bolt without damaging the intake and the plan, according to my wife, is to fix her existing engine in the truck. So I'm trying to avoid breaking anything. Sourcing a junkyard intake could be a time consuming task and the back bolt on a used intake might do the same that this one did. Replacement intake
So after the radiator and the rest of the peripherals or removed, I can lift the engine up, remove all the motor mount parts, let the engine down to rest on the front cross-member. I might can get that bolt out or at the worse, be able to access the transmission bell-housing bolts. Then I can lift the engine out and deal with the intake bolt. Very early February, someone recommended that I get a swivel head 13mm to use for the bell-housing bolts. I located a 12mm/13mm swivel head ratcheting wrench, cheap, on Amazon. I forgot all about it until today when we were play"guess what's in this package"? The wrench showed up.

 

[410Fortune]

that's a nice wrench!
need a 10mm / 11mm one too
and the 13/14

I have had a "few" SOHCs come through the shop this winter I have a few intakes if you need one

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I'm going to start a translation dictionary for fixfordirt's words.
primaty=primary
ipdated=updated
tensionets=tensioners
i-I
howveer=however
neeer=newer
remembr=remember

sticky? LOL

 

[allmyEXes]

@410Fortune I was looking at a 6 piece set in the same brand. 6 wrenches, 12 sizes from 5/16" to 13/16" for working on the antique classic Mustangs with SAE (standard) for right at $60-. I haven't looked to see if they have a 13/14 or I'd rather have a 14/15 in addition to a 10/11. The one that I bought is 12/13. I rarely encounter a 12mm on the Explorers but the Toyota s have a lot of 12mm bolts.
It will be a while before I get back on the 2002. At work I need to add 14'x14' of concrete slab to make another "shade-tree" spot to safely jack something up or use an engine hoist.

 

[allmyEXes]

Well I'm getting close to this project again. The 97 MM c-n-p conversion has been testy to say the least. My EGR to upper plenum gasket won't be here until after we get to Florida, so there is just a couple of more things that I can do to it for the moment. I have misplaced the vapor return lines but this afternoon, it dawned on me that I may can borrow them off of the 2002 Sport Trac. I'll just have to see.
In April when I was "borrowing" the thermostat housing, I did a test hit on the plastic manifold to try and crack it. The hammer bounced right off of it, and I think that I damaged it trying to pry it off. @410Fortune Jamie says that he has one. If I take out the engine and transmission together, I may not have to remove the upper to do such.
My wife saw the parts list that was nearly $1000 and suggested that we buy a wrecked running Explorer to get the engine out of to repair the 2002. Without her being aware of it, she has sort of opened the door to 5.0 swap. 5.0, 4R70W 2wd. For a minute, I thought about maybe swapping to a last year, 1997 I think, 351W out of a 1997 F-150 but to convert it to C-N-P would be involved but is doable. The only thing that might would be an issue is the valve cover might hit the AC box. A 1" body lift seems like a workable solution for that, but we don't want a lifted truck. In fact, I would like to figure out how to lower it a bit if it can be done without getting the front suspension where the camber can't be properly set. This will be a 2wd street/Interstate truck. Let's just stick with a 5.0/4R70W for now and when I'm 70 something and if I have anything left in me, when the 5.0 gets rebuilt, increase to 331 or 347. So while we are driving back from Florida, I'm going to let her know to be on the lookout for a 1999 to 2001 5.0/4R70W 2wd. 1996.5 through 1998.5 could work too, but I prefer the latest iteration. The pro tuner could work out the extra O sensors, however, the whole package could go in, cats and all and go with a PATS switched off PCM. If all that we can find is awd, I'll have to source a 2wd 4R70W for the project and save the axle and special all-wheel drive/four-wheel drive parts for another truck that would use a 351w and that truck transmission that many of y'all have spoken of often.
Picture of the Sport Trac as of today. I've been borrowing two of the new Firestones off the back of it. I was surprised to see how much the tire size has grown on these trucks in 10 years. I bolted a wheel and tire off of a 1992 Ranger. It is a little short. It is sitting on aa 6" oak block.

 

[Josh P]

For a minute, I thought about maybe swapping to a last year, 1997 I think, 351W out of a 1997 F-150

Now you're speaking my language!

 

[410Fortune]

I want a yellow one so bad!!!!

 

[Josh P]

I want a yellow one so bad!!!!

With a 351W

 

[429CJ-3X2]

I want a yellow one so bad!!!!

In the 11+ years I've owned my Sport Trac, I've seen 1, possibly 2, yellow STs, and I've covered a lot of miles in those years. The 1 sure sighting was local - at the owner's workplace - but not in an area I got to very many times.

 

[410Fortune]

I see them from time to time
The yellow seems to hold up well
The dark green ones with tan interior were really nice too. Have a 04 dark blue xls (extremely less shi8) with grey interior I plan to buildup
We are putting some
Major Miles on this 03 white “stang trac” hauling teenagers all over all summer
I absolutely love the sport trac. With all 4 windows down, ‘moonroof open and the back window down it’s like a convertible truck so handy and rides like an explorer instead of a pickup (like a ranger)

 

[429CJ-3X2]

I saw a yellow '01-03 2 dr Sport on the interstate in Indiana on the way to Ohio Thursday. Those are probably rarer than yellow STs.

 

[allmyEXes]

me and my wife started looking for a donor 1999 to 2001 Explorer 5.0 2wd truck to get every part that we would need to convert to 5.0.
I found a 2000 about 115 miles from me, but the guy is stuck on wanting to trade a motorcycle for it. It has 167k miles on it. I was thinking
about how much it is worth and asked him what he thought it was worth. I said maybe $900 complete with cats and the AC working. It is
one that has been rolled and landed upright. He mentioned that he cut the rear cats off of it. I wish that people wouldn't do that if they
are trying to sell a complete vehicle. Complete means complete. I asked him how much? He said that he would like to get $1500 out of
it. Some of these young guys, 20 to 21 year olds, values, price structure etc. are way off in my opinion. I mean it has been rolled and two
door glasses and both back side windows are busted out too. He tells me that it has a nice interior. MAYBE before it got rained in. That just
seems to be a little too high a price to pay. Maybe it's just me. Me and my wife have about a $1000 price cap for a donor.
Now if he is willing to drive the noisy thing 115 miles to us to prove that it is as good as he says it is, it might be worth a little more than $900.
I don't doubt that parted out that it could be worth more, that is if he has the time to do that. I don't really have the time or energy to
go on a several hour trip to check out a vehicle that may or may not be as good as I'm being told that it is.
We have time to "take our time" looking for a donor and don't have to buy the first one that we find. We're still looking for a 1999 to 2001.

 

[410Fortune]

$750 max lol
167k is still well over 150 and it’s rwd…

Rear cats were worth about $65 each
As long as the primary cats are still in the downpipes you are good to go don’t need the secondaries (as you know)