"Red Bull"

Red Bull
(Bandit #7)

Specs:

1998 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer
5.0 V8
4R70W
4.10 D35 Open
4.10 Ford 8.8
Manual 4406
BFG All-Terrain's 285/75/16 (33's)

Mods:

Engine
302 bored .030 over (306)
XE264HR Cam
Dual Valve Springs
OBX Headers
Machined GT40P Heads
Red Powder Coated Intake, Oil Pan, and Valve Covers

New:
Injectors, valve seats and seals, lifters, pushrods

Steering
2003+ Sport Trac Knuckles
Mevotech TTX TRE's

Brakes
Sport Trac Brake Upgrade:
-12" Rotors (Front)
Ceramic Brake Pads

Lighting
6000k 30w LED's
Clear Headlight Corners and Lenses

Suspension
Warrior Shackles
Add-A-Leafs
2" Torsion Twist
1" Body lift
Bilstein 4600 Shocks
Mevotech TTX Ball Joints and Upper Control Arms
Extended swaybar links

Interior
Limited Steering wheel with redundant radio and digital temp controls
Digital HVAC
Custom leather upholstery (red leather in place of perforated leather)

Electronics/Communications
CB Radio

Exterior
Custom chili pepper red Paint PPG concept
Tupperware removed and holes welded up
"Serious Explorations" license plate frames front and back
Cut and re-welded front fenders 5" to clear larger tires
Limited Color Keyed Front Grill
Painted Rear Bumper
Chopped front bumper bed-lined

Sound
JVC KW-NT300 Nav/DVD/CD head unit
PAC adapter for steering wheel controls
Kicker DS68 6x8 Coaxial speakers
OEM 8" sub
SiriusXM

Exhaust
Flowmaster Super 44

Replaced:
Fuel tank
Cats
Tailpipe
Leaf Springs
Steering Rack
Inner Tie Rods
Front 4.10 Diff
Water Pump
CPS and Synchronizer
Radiator
A/C System
Front O2 Sensors
Muffler
Wheel Bearings
Multiple Fuel Pumps
Motor Mounts
Transmission mount

Rebuilt
Transmission
Engine

Kris' Old Registry

 

[MrQ]

So, I have been considering getting a new"er" vehicle for the paddock. I need something that has a bed.

At work about 3 years ago when I started in my new position, I managed to salvage one of the fleet 2012 F-150s for a shop truck. Sales guy who used it before trashed it. Destroyed the rear diff, cracked the transfer case, front suspension was nearly non existent and the interior needed a good cleaning, but I saw the potential. I was wanting to get rid of the 07 Tundra we had (for a crew cab it was cramped, it only had a 5.5ft bed, it made a huge clunk sound when you stopped from the transmission, and it was a gas hog) so I had a conniving plan to buy it out from under the company once everything was fixed and it aged out of the fleet. So I convinced my boss to put about $5k over it in the past 3 years. We have only put about 4k miles on it in that time. I am this close to getting it as an '18 F150 was rotated out and is scheduled to become the new shop truck... well, before this whole pandemic started.

That's a 3000lb honing machine it's carrying.

2012 F150 SuperCrew 6.5ft 4x4 XLT
226k
5.0 Coyote V8
3.73's
Off-Road package
Locking rear diff
Rebuilt 6R80
Bedliner
Backup sensors
Cluster LCD display
Previous user put in a leveling kit
5 passenger seating
Sync
Cloth
Sliding rear window
Auto darkening driver's side view mirror (love this)
Auto rearview mirror
Trailer hitch

Since I got it 3 years ago:
New front suspension
New rear suspension
New Brakes F+R
265/70/17 BFG All-Terrains
New blower motor
New transfer case
Rebuilt rear diff
New windshield
New coil packs
New spark plugs
New battery

I was quoted $9k last year which is a damn steal.

Only thing is this truck is so long (20ft) it won't fit in my garage (albeit by only ~6in) so Red and Stripe would still have their shelter. It weighs 3.5 tons and it takes up two parking spots at the local Home Depot.

I call it the White Elephant. being completely ironic of course, since this thing is far from useless and it's worth exceeds its value.

I have another vehicle for which that phrase is becoming quite apropos.

Right now I'm waiting to see when they will rotate it out and sell it off. Hoping for a better price than last year since it's now 8 years old.

 

[410Fortune]

geesh at 226 it already needed all of that!? that thing has been beat
Hoping to see a stellar price
I want the engine and maybe the 6r80

3000#+ in the bed of F150? LOL max is like 2200# whoopsies

 

[MrQ]

geesh at 226 it already needed all of that!? that thing has been beat
Hoping to see a stellar price
I want the engine and maybe the 6r80

3000#+ in the bed of F150? LOL max is like 2200# whoopsies

The previous user had a habit of abusing his vehicles, he went through three before he was fired and every one was ragged out. Under my care it has not been abused and been pretty much restored mechanically. It rides like a dream, the steering is tight, and until I pull into a parking spot or make a u-turn, you really don't realize the size.

It's not very often we use the truck for the heavy weight. If it fits and we are only moving stuff from our storage about a mile away (spring rate is soft so it looks worse than it is) then we'll use it. Otherwise, If I'm carting anything bigger and heavier for a longer distance, I'll grab our F350 SuperCrew flatbed dually with the 6.7 diesel (24ft long x 8ft wide). That thing is a monster; a pain to drive, an even bigger ***** to park, and is a pig on diesel. Plus the ride is crap, my spine hates when I drive it empty, so when I can I avoid driving it.

 

[MrQ]

Been putting off working on Red, just because I am tired of f*cking with him or vis-versa.

Finally picked up the new lifters and have had them sitting in oil for almost 72 hours (I am taking zero chances). Plan is to install them after work today and start buttoning everything back up. Fingers, toes, and chest hair crossed this fixes that damn ticking.

I need to get my hands on some Motorcraft LV transfer case fluid for the 4406. Before I attempt to change the rear bearing I am going to just change the fluid. I was reading that a little slop is normal on the slip joint. If the problem continues, out comes the t-case.

 

[MrQ]

I started putting the lifters in last night, but something just seemed off on the ones I was replacing. I decided to just crank the motor over with the starter and record the valvetrain in action with my camera. There is a new lifter on the exhaust valve on cylinder 1.

After looking at these vids for a bit I noticed something on the cylinder 1 intake valve. It seemed that after being actuated it was still slowly coming back up.

@410Fortune and @CDW6212R can you take a look at the videos and see if I'm off?

3 new items by MrQ (Daniel)

photos.app.goo.gl

 

[410Fortune]

I run Mercon III / Dex in my 4406 t cases
The 4406 came out in 1996 LV did not exist then........... mercon V is too slick for chain transfer cases so I just run regular ATF AKA Mercon III

Now downloading your vid

 

[410Fortune]

the friggin exhaust valve on +1 keeps closing after you shut it off??? lifter bleeding down?
Are these the new lifters we are looking at?

 

[MrQ]

Maybe I mixed up the valves on cylinder 1. The very first valve is the one that concerns me, it has the old lifter (which I cannot remove for some reason). I replaced the lifter with a new melling unit on the valve right behind it that has the new rocker am.

 

[CDW6212R]

It's hard to tell if the valves are moving after the cranking stops, I think I see the #1 exhaust valve settle up just a hair in the first video.

 

[MrQ]

So the consensus is that I am looking at the #1 exhaust valve lifter for replacement?

If so...I'm going to have to pull the head. I was thinking I may have to do this and @Kris Guilbeaux confirmed it. I was seriously in a bad mood last night... Red is pushing me to the limit of my patience and beyond.

After doing some thinking I finally realized that 90% of this is my fault, not Red's. It's easier to blame an inanimate object for my mistakes rather than taking responsibility for screwing things up.

Just to recap why these things really happened:

Hood latch failed (should't have remove the safety latch)
EGR gasket leaked causing a rich condition (my fault plus the weird OBX EGR tube)
Exhaust header gaskets leaked (should have put better ones on to start with)
Replaced two scored rocker arms (I should have inspected them when I took them off)
Valve seals were wrong size and required replacement (I should have double checked with the machine shop that I gave them the right seals)
Front main seal failed causing oil leaks (should have removed the rust from the damper snout before re-install)
Transfer case vibration and seal leak (should have kept on top of the fluid level, I knew it leaked a little)
Heater hose blew (I knew they were old and Kris recommended I replace them)
Hood latch release cable seized and replacement melted on the header (first was age, second was me not watching where the cable would end up)
Replaced one spark plug wire that melted on the header (again, should have looked more closely at the wire routing)
Repaired the TPS wire that melted on the header (see above)
CV shaft seal leak (just age)
Power steering rack leak (rushed and re-used a bad seal)

And now bad lifters that require me to pull the head. (not sure how this happened, maybe mfg defect?)

Regardless, it's time to get back at it, fix the rest of my mistakes, and try not to make any more.

 

[410Fortune]

not sure you have a bad lifter.....we just saw that one rocker arm settle in the video, I do not know enough about these things
In the video everything else looked fine. Cyl 7 kept spitting something out the intake side of things which I thought was weird, but my internet is slow and the videos were still a little "pixleated"
Im still trying to wrap my head around your aftermarket heads not allowing the corner lifters to be replaced!! PITA!! I hate the v6's for that reason and now your 5.0? Dang!

I really like your style, we all get frustrated with these things, but if everything was fixed properly the first time then we wouldn't learn SHI& from the skoo of hard knocks. And if we go around blaming the trucks then again we would never grow..... you are a wise man!!! So I like it! hang in there she will reward you

 

[MrQ]

I did notice what looked like vapor that was shooting out of the two middle ports on the heads. I traced them to their location in the lower intake and they are blocked off. I have no idea what they are for. It might be water vapor from the heads sitting open for a few days, regardless the engine sounds healthy enough. Surprisingly it turns over easier without the intake on than with it.

The heads are straight up OEM GT40P heads off another Explorer 5.0, they were just reconditioned before install.

 

[410Fortune]

I should say "reworked heads" not aftermarket Im a slow learner

 

[CDW6212R]

I also don't know enough to condemn that lifter. I would work hard to get it out or at the least inspect it thoroughly as well as I can, fingers only etc.

That exhaust gas that was coming from the small center ports, that's from the EGR passages, in most 80's and 90's heads. The 96-97.5's still feed the EGR through those, the late 97's to 2001 those do nothing. The intake has no EGR passages intended for use, the EGR is external through the EGR pipe and intake elbow etc.

I have read of some SBF lifters not coming out with the heads on. That seems to vary by brand of lifter and heads, some must be a hair taller or heads with less space etc. I might get out a grinder and clearance some space from the head if it could help.

 

[MrQ]

Ok, I opted not to pull the head, so I started putting everything back together. I stopped after the lower intake install. Apparently at one point some of the red seals in the injector plugs fell out. I needs to run by the jy to grab new ones since I can't seem to find where they went.

I am now leaning toward an exhaust leak from the EGR tube connections causing my ticking. I plan on sealing the threaded connections on either end with that copper sealant and then try to get the tube to seal. Still a stupid design by Ford. Wish there was a flexible version of that tube somewhere. It would make my life a whole lot easier.

Also the engineer who designed the small thermostat to water pump hose should burn in hell.

 

[410Fortune]

vaseline for the small hose, makes it much easier to get it in there

Are you using the accordion style EGR tube? I do not have trouble bending them into shape, sometimes even do slight bends in a vise to get them to line up better, when running headers or intake spacers the EGR tube always needs some "fine tuning" to fit.
The copper high heat exhaust stuff might seal up in there for a while but eventually it will burn out
The EGR tube should seal up with no gasket maker, it has flared fittings on both sides!
Two weeks ago I solved an egr leak in a 98 Ranger 5.0 I built by replacing the stupid adapter that goes in the pass side manifold... after ordering in the wrong part twice I finally found the correct replacement and part number: Dorman 917400

If you have a mechanics stethoscope you might be able to pin point your leak, otherwise look for signs of black soot

 

[MrQ]

No, I think have to use the one that came with the headers since it has a different shape than the Dorman one, but where is this accordion style of which you speak??

I was thinking of sealing the fittings that thread into the EGR and the header, not the flanged ends of the tube. As of right now, I have to partially unthread the header fitting to get it to the right height for the tube to thread on. Basically I am forcing everything to fit and that may be causing a leak path in the process.

 

[410Fortune]

I UNDERSTAND THAT!!!!!!!!!!!! BEEN there do that all the time
It is pretty important it all lines up straight,
Usually I have it tight to the EGR valve and drop the intake on top of the engine then finagle the EGR tube into place on the header and tighten it down. Some trial fits and slight bending may be needed

Forget my accordion style comment, apparently they don't sell that one anymore!

most 5.0 exhaust leaks after installing engine are usually from the stupid ball flange header to down pipe connections
I loosen both pipes, all 4 bolts. Get lots of LIGHT in there so you can see, then line up the pipes so they are perfectly in the middle of the "ball roundness" and then sink them down evenly, tighten a little drivers, tighten some passenger, etc until they are tight.....but not too tight! If you bend those flanges they will never seal again....
I have a trick if you have a leaky ball flange that wont seal
I fought and fought the headers on my BII to stop leaking, pretty sure I overtightened the pass side at first making it hard to get it to seal up....finally after about 10 years I found a solution. Chevy exhaust gaskets These soft metal rings go in your downpipe flare before you put it up to the manifold... they will seal up any leaks

 

[MrQ]

I UNDERSTAND THAT!!!!!!!!!!!! BEEN there do that all the time
It is pretty important it all lines up straight,
Usually I have it tight to the EGR valve and drop the intake on top of the engine then finagle the EGR tube into place on the header and tighten it down. Some trial fits and slight bending may be needed

Forget my accordion style comment, apparently they don't sell that one anymore!

This is exactly what I did. Getting that stupid header fitting to line up and so the tube can thread on is half the issue of putting the upper manifold back on. I was looking at using something like this and cutting out a section on the Dorman tube to put it in and clamp it in place (Don't want to mess up the OBX tube, just in case it all goes FUBAR). Gives me some more flexibility. Since it's good to 1000°F (SS) it should handle the exhaust temperatures fine.

 

[MrQ]

Well, it's two and a half months later and Red is back together again. Ticking noise is still there, but it largely goes away after a few minutes of driving, then I just get to hear the awesome Flowmaster Super 44 rumbling.

He still has some issues, like the oil leak that I cannot find for love or money, the aforementioned exhaust tick (arghh!), and then of course the general pops, clunks, and bumps that come along with a maxed out TT on a 22 year old truck that can only claim the body as original hardware.

Seriously, I was thinking about this the other day, but the only things that are original to the ACTUAL VIN, is some of the interior and body and three of the wheels.

List of non-original parts as follows:

Frame ('98 Ex)
Engine ('00 Mounty)
Transmission ('00 Mounty)
Transfer case (?? F-150)
Front differential ('00 Limited)
Rear differential (?? Limited)
Steering knuckles (one each from an '04 and '05 Sport Trac)
Driveshafts (Front ?? 5.4 Expedition, Rear ?? Expedition)
Leaf springs (New)
Torsion bars (?? Sport Trac)
Hood (??)
Fenders (??)
Grill (95-98?? Limited)
Paint (Kris Guilbeaux)
Front bumper (99 Mounty)
Steering wheel (?? Explorer)
Door panels (?? Explorer)

Plus a bunch of other little stuff. Between, the original owner, @Kris Guilbeaux original rebuild, modifications, and upgrades plus my mods and upgrades, over the past 22 years there is only about 20% left of the original '98 Eddie Bauer.