STOCK EXPLORER! WHERE TO BEGIN?

[2001gtboy]

Hey guys, im new to the boards and obviously not a Explorer owner, but im a FORD MAN, i just ocver the other area . My good friend has a 92 Explorer, and his parents won't let him mods it unless he guys it off of them. He is considering that, but he doesn't know of any mods for his car. I told him i would help him out putting them together, but i dunno jack about off roading mods, since im in the drag and course area. My basic question is, what should he do? He want to do engine mods, since his parent will never see the engine, or maybe hell buy it off but he needs to know that he can actually make something out of it. What are some good website to order parts from?
thanks guys
Alex

 

[Blaine122300]

What I did, Is start in the engine. First I put in a KKM true rev air induction kit. It is just a replacement air filter. www.kustomz.com. Next I put on a Flowmaster Force II cat back system from summit. www.summitracing.com. It has a 50 series flowmaster. sounds sweet. after those 2 mods, I put in a super chip from www.superchips.com. A lot of guys here have the KKM and the cat back system. They do help a lot, and relitively inexpensive. This would be a great way to start. They are all easilly bolt on components, and his parents should not even be aware of them. Heck, they may even like the mods.

Andy

 

[2001gtboy]

won't the exhaust be a lot different? To the point of definite difference?

 

[RTStork]

Yeah, the exhaust would be a little louder than stock.

 

[diablo5969]

Hey, everybody. It's me, I'm Alex's friend that he mentioned. We didn't know we both had found the same message board, but it's all good. (Just a quick correction: it's a '94, not '92.)

But anyway, yeah, I was looking at the KKM parts, but I was also wondering if there was anyone out there who could tell me a little about any intake systems other than KKM. Come on, I know you guys are out there, step forward and show yourself! Let me know about your intake.

And also, when you say the exhaust would be a little louder than stock, how much is a little? Because that amount will most likely be the deciding factor between whether or not I get it.

Thanks!

 

[RTStork]

Other than the KKM intake, about the only other one I know about is the K&N FIPK, but I believe it is more expensive. I wanted the stock look, so I used a K&N filter and cut a big square out of the front of my airbox to let in more air. That and the exhaust made a big difference in power. I'm not sure how loud a exhaust would be on the V6, so I'll let someone that has one, take over.

 

[coltman]

I did the drop in K&N and cut the big hole out of the air box which I would do again. As for the exhaust if I could do it over I would have got a 70 series flowmaster. The 50 is to loud for me. I pulled up all the interior and put down sound deadener and my next step is to spray bed liner on the under carreige around the exhaust. I do like the way it sounds at idke and when you take off but I do not like it on the highway. I wan't to keep it as it did help power and I will be lifting soon and with big tires lose some power.

 

[diablo5969]

Hmm. I guess that means my only choices are the K&N and KKM then. Just out of curiosity, I was talking to a friend with a Ranger, and he suggested looking into systems by Air Raid and another company which I actually have forgotten the name of right now but it starts with a V. (I hate that feeling. Anyway...) His Ranger is a modified street truck, whereas I'm going more towards 4x4. Is there a difference between systems meant for street truck vs meant for 4x4? As in, will the systems he looked at be totally different from the systems we'd be looking at?

And also, being someone who knows nothing about Flowmaster or exhaust in general, I'm interpreting that the higher the series number the quieter it is? Is that right? And also, can you get power without the increase in sound, or do the two always have to go together?

 

[expo5.0]

its important to note that the k and n fuel injection performance kit, fipk is 50 state legal and the kkm is not. Also the fipk replaces the airbox entirely. I would recommend getting hte fipk, a mass air sensor, and some kind of a computer chip. Those mods will make a difference and be impossible for your parents to discover. also there is no difference in the intake parts used in the off road and street products we are discussing. I don't know if your truck is a automatic or not but if it is I would also recommend getting a chip or transmission kit that allows you to improve your automatic transmission so it shifts faster and at more ideal rpms for speed.

 

[Robert]

Originally posted by expo5.0
. . .I would recommend getting hte fipk, a mass air sensor, and some kind of a computer chip. Those mods will make a difference and be impossible for your parents to discover . . .

A big pink air-filter sitting in the space that once used to have a big black plastic box would be pretty easy to notice. Of course you have to open the hood to see it so if the parents never look under the hood, it would be pretty impossible to notice. Unless they are the ones that take it down to get the emissions check and are failed for having a KKM.

 

[2001gtboy]

Originally posted by diablo5969
Hmm. I guess that means my only choices are the K&N and KKM then. Just out of curiosity, I was talking to a friend with a Ranger, and he suggested looking into systems by Air Raid and another company which I actually have forgotten the name of right now but it starts with a V. (I hate that feeling. Anyway...) His Ranger is a modified street truck, whereas I'm going more towards 4x4. Is there a difference between systems meant for street truck vs meant for 4x4? As in, will the systems he looked at be totally different from the systems we'd be looking at?

And also, being someone who knows nothing about Flowmaster or exhaust in general, I'm interpreting that the higher the series number the quieter it is? Is that right? And also, can you get power without the increase in sound, or do the two always have to go together?

i dunno much about the Flowmaster's themselves but all off my Stang owning friends use them, so i can tell you its a great product. ALthough i know that the lower the amount of chambers, the louder it, the more chambers the quieter, although i don't know on the series. I think it may have somethink to do with the type of car, cuz everyone i know has 40 Series.......

 

[diablo5969]

I know the KKM system isn't legal, but that shouldn't be too hard a problem to work around. I do want to get the K&N system, however the only problem is that they do not make systems for the '94 Explorer, that's what's turning me away. My parents never check under the hood of the car, and I'm the one that does emissions and all that sort of thing, so I'm not worried about the mods being easily noticed under the hood. As long as they're under there, it'll be alright. The computer chip and mass air flow sensor have been recommended to me before, I'm probably going to put them on too, but at a later date. Yeah, my Explorer is an automatic. I've never heard of a transmission kit, but it sounds like something that'd be convenient to have.

And I think I'm just going to worry about the exhaust later. I'm going to see how much under the hood stuff I can get away with first. Is the Flowmaster a visible change, like looks different from stock, or is it just a change in power/noise?

 

[2001gtboy]

its probably just a sound and power change. Im not quite sure how low they hang on an Explorer, but it could be fixed if it was too visible. What exactly does a tranny kit do for an auto off roading vehicle?

 

[Spas]

Just my $.02.......I couldn't really afford the KKM, so I just got the drop in K&N filter-it doesn't make a HUGE difference, per say, but the increase in power does happen. As for the Flowmaster, mine's loud as hell, but I got what I wanted from it-an extra kick in the tail to get up to speed. There's a good thread on superchips going on...from what I hear from everybody, they sound like a great idea for additional boost. I hope to get one as soon as I can afford it. So, this X is yours, or does it still belong to your parents, or what?

Are you going to make mods to the engine only?

 

[2001gtboy]

ill answer since he probably went to bed already. His parents own it and pay the insurance, hence he is not suppose to mod it. He is trying to mod it, but keep them pretty well hidden from his parents. He may or may not purchase the car from them.

 

[Spas]

Man, that sucks. Tell him to go buy a lottery ticket, like the rest of us! There's something to be said about having a high paying job, though. If you'll excuse me, I have to go make my house payment....er, I mean Explorer payment.

 

[diablo5969]

Damnit, it's not even 11 yet, I have not gone to bed already. Alright, after that.

But yeah, he got it right, since my dad owns the car he says I can't make any modifications unless I buy it from him. So that means all mods have to be hidden. But I just got a new job, I start tomorrow, so ya never know....

If the Flowmasters do hang low on the Ex, wouldn't that be a bad idea to get them? I mean, what's the point of increasing ground clearance if your exhaust will still hang low?

Also, as far as an intake goes, my plan is going to be to order the KKM system, then at a later date put in an air flow sensor. Just out of curiosity, if anyone out there has done the same thing or has an aftermarket air flow sensor, can you let me know what it is and how well it works? Thanks.

 

[RTStork]

The Flowmaster can be welded in the stock location, so your ground clearance shouldn't change.

 

[Spas]

Flowmasters hang low....? I've never heard of that, unless you have a lowered Explorer. Mine sits high-n-dry, I've never had any problem with it catcing on rocks, speedbumps, Hondas, or what-have-you It is pretty loud though....

 

[diablo5969]

Alright. Nevermind the hanging low thing. I guess that was just me misinterpreting something.

And by the way, I totally know what you mean about those damn Hondas getting in the way. They need to learn to get out from under us!