Project Bailed-Out

[KurtECV]

Well I am going to start documenting the diagnosis and repair, upgrades and modifications done to a new rig i acquired over the weekend on a 1000 mile trip to help out another forum member.

A little back story first.

Another forum member on here picked up this 94 Sport, 3.27 gears, 33x12.50 Tires/wheels and a 4" Rough Country lift (The diff-buster ) with the leaf-spring pack (not blocks or AAL).

While on a trip, the transmission gave out on him leaving him and the explorer stranded. Still needing to complete his trip (and obligations to another person.) He decided not to keep the explorer and deal with the transmission problem.

I stepped up to help him complete his trip using my 2002 Chevy Silverado down to Mississippi.

Compensation for helping out, I was given the Explorer, More than likely it has a blow/cooked Automatic transmission.

First off I noticed the Heater Control Valve was leaking pretty good. So i picked one up at a local auto-parts store for $20

Also, the rear left leaf-spring shackle is broken in half.

After getting it home last night I completely filled the transmission with fluid (actually COMPLETELY filled it on accident) It was dark and i figure more wont hurt lol.

With the Heater valve still leaking. I was able to drive it around my property for a few min. Didnt really notice much if a problem. But again, only driving it for a few min because if the leaking coolant.

According to GmanPaint, the 94 explorers went through a bunch of changes (Like the Heater Valve, my 93 sport The Black Pearl does not have this valve).

So i may be asking for help here and there on thinks.

Unfortunately Gman also notified me of the Diff-busting drop brackets that come with these lifts... and (with my luck!) it has happened with the front axle of this rig.

I was planning on swapping the gears from 3.27 to 4.10s very soon anyways, so i am going to look for an explorer/ranger with factory 4.10s and limited slip rear axle and just swap all that over and kill two birds with one stone (as far as the front axle goes)

I hope to be able to find a rear 4.10 LS axle with disk brakes

View attachment 165386

 

[MrQ]

There were no factory 4.10 front diffs available for 1st gens. You had 3.08, 3.27, 3.55, and 3.73. You would need to regear the D35 to get those.

Good luck with your project, sounds like you have a good start.

 

[gmanpaint]

You can find a 4:10 D35/88 from a Ranger. I did for the 94 when I swapped front diff & rear axle.

If you have a hard time finding that diff, I have those 4:10's still, and you swap them in a good diff.

 

[KurtECV]

You're correct gman.

4.10s came in Explorers, Rangers, BroncoII and Areostars.

Both with open diffs and L/S Diffs.

I will try and stay with the explorer axle because of the capacity 3200 (taken from TRS) while the Ranger/B2/A-star had capacities of 2750/2640/2950 respectively.

 

[KurtECV]

Well the first few minutes of having it at the shop with some time to mess with it;

Replaced the heater control valve, it seems I have a vacuum problem to the control assembly. Consistent vacuum, regardless of the control head position. Causing a No Heat condition.

When removing the vacuum line from the valve causes the valve to open, routing heated coolant, into the heater core inducing proper operation.

On the plus side the heater core isn't clogged (admittedly I did not check the floorboard for a coolant leak lol)

 

[gmanpaint]

Yeah, I guess I should have broken that comment down a bit. I used a ranger d35 and a 2nd gen explorer 88 for my swap. I just meant that you can find them in a ranger too. The ttb rangers used a 7.5 version with 3/4" shafts, not the 7/8" shafts in the explorer 88.

 

[KurtECV]

Well the plan (in a perfect world) will be a disk-brake, 4.10 limited slip explorer 8.8. And a front differential to match.

Well thanks to gmanpaint 100% I went from this:

To this:

Unfortunately my cell was dying so no flash.
But the bushings are shot so I might pickup a set for the truck tomorrow.

 

[KurtECV]

While I am thinking about it I might as well add this if anyone needs the axle door codes. I pulled these from TRS

 

[KurtECV]

Well this should be fun... Looking at the vacuum diagram for the no heat issue with the truck; It seems the vacuum to the Heater Control Valve is supplied by the HVAC control head. Vacuum input to the control head is supplied by the Vac-Tree on top of the manifold.

News to me... Well it looks like I will be pulling the control head out and checking things out on that.

First the spring bushings and trans problem are going to be addressed First.

 

[gmanpaint]

Might want to return the new valve, and get another. Might just be bad out of the box.

If it has vac, it should work right. Just a suggestion.

 

[KurtECV]

It has vac all the time. Removing vacuum opens the valve

 

[KurtECV]

So the Heater Control Valve should only be supplied vacuum (blocking coolant flow to the Heater core) in Max A\C mode and Off.

 

[gmanpaint]

Ahh, well... What the French toast... You would have thought that the PO, would have said it had no heat. I have yet to mess around behind the dash controls, so no help here. Per the norm, pictures of anything found with the fix please. I might yet have to deal with this someday.

Always something with these rigs!

 

[KurtECV]

Now i could see having the vac line disconnected and you would have heat... that would be a quick winter fix if you needed it.

I assumed the line popped off when i was removing the old one but it may have been disconnected.

Rockauto has the window gear with plugs for $22.xx (price for two) with shipping.. local auto parts store has them in stock for $19.xx EACH!

I need a rockauto discount code lol

 

[410Fortune]

Discount code sent via PM

 

[410Fortune]

Yes same truck! Woooohoooo it will become legend now! I was hoping to see the old guy catch a break but this Sport apparently is not for the brand new hobbyist, instead it needed a true blue blooded Explorer nutcase

I have a gen I heater control valve plumbed into my 1988 BII, no vacuum to it though, I just use a ziptie to hold it closed during the summer and cut the zip tie (allow flow) during winter......it worked so good I never plumbed the vacuum switch, manifold vacuum, etc...........my gola was to keep the heat out of the cab during summer

 

[Cole94]

(Accidentally deleted my post.)
For context to the previous post, I had asked if it was the same truck from the thread Wife said get a hobby.

 

[KurtECV]

I did an ebay search last night and found a HEAT ONLY Hvac control for like 50 buck OBO and i might pick that up.

The reason: My 93 sport has AC/Heat and the control head works fine... my 93 (The Black Pearl on here) only has heat now because i removed the compressor, and am going to a non-AC box from a ranger when i do my motor swap.

I will have to do some research and see if the 93 and 94 share the same control head. If they do i will order the Heat only one from Ebay and swap parts around between the two trucks.

 

[KurtECV]

Seeing how this thread is gaining some attention; The plan for this rig is to make it into a nice resto-mod.

Keep everything the way it is, get some rust repair done on the rockers (or cut them out and throw on some simple square tube sliders, that sit flush with the doors, no step). And just keep this rig simple and clean.

I have the Black Pearl to go all crazy with LOL

 

[Cole94]

I look forward to seeing it come together.