QUESTION FOR ALL REGARDING SOHC

[DOCMORGY]

Hello All

Am I insane, or have other SOHC owners found that their Explorers are alot harder to modify than then OHV models? I have a '91 Navajo that I basically just added upgrade after upgrade to & never had a problem...no check engine lites or problems (I have a helix power tower, Granatelli MAF, K&N drop in & Bullet cat-back exhaust)...it has 151K miles & runs great, gives me 17 mpg in mixed driving & starts reliably even though I only drive it for a few weeks at a time once per year.

My '01 Explorer Sport, on the other hand, has been a bear to modify. Put on Apten chip, nice upgrade...put in K&N drop in & now have check engine lite. Reset ECU & runs okay again. Add Gibson cat-back & now have check engine lite & no running (stalls). Turn off Apten & now it runs great. Add Granatelli MAF (Apten still off) & check engine lite again & poor running. Remove Granatelli & runs fine again.

Am I nuts or is this model just particularly difficult to modify? What are anyone else's thoughts & advice since I'm tired of buying mods & then leaving them in the box. Don't know if I still want to attempt the EE supercharger despite their stellar reputation.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
cm

 

[Alec]

Part of it isn't the SOHC per-se, but that in 96 Fords went to the OBD2 computer system, which has much more control over the truck than the OBD1 system.

Have you been resetting the computer when you install every mod? If not, then that's part of the problem. Fords need the computer reset at every mod or else the computer can freak out.

As for the MAS, that can be a problem with any vehicle, especially with Granatelli. I hear they often don't program the part correctly and their sensors can go bad quickly. If you wish to try the MAS again, EE sells the ProM unit.

I'm sorry for your problems, but they do say the most problematic part of a vehicle is usually the loose nut behind the wheel

 

[SiLenZe]

the most problematic part of a FORD is the loose nut in the engine bay the factory forgot to tighten

 

[DOCMORGY]

Yeah, I always reset the computer after each mod...I even installed one of those great little "green knobs" onto the battery negative post to make this easier...few turns & pull the fuse out of the link & you are disconnected. I usually leave it off overnite to ensure the ECU is reset. But, this hasn't cured any of these ills. I guess I'll have to take these mods individually & rather than install several at once, just do it slowly & see how the truck responds. Actually, the Gibson exhaust & KN drop in have really made a positive difference, so I may stick with these mods for a while. As for the Granatelli, I don't know about the perception of poor quality...I know that the one I installed on my Navajo is 4 yrs old now & I haven't had a problem, but once again, that is the old ECU style & that may make a difference. As it is, I'll probably send the Granatelli back & just wait for the supercharger, since it apparently comes with a larger MAF unit already (no sense in having two). Thanks for response.

My nuts are always tight, BTW