supercharged 5.0 true fire 98 explorer sport

hi everyone, my name is tim . i live in selkirk, manitoba, canada and as if this date that i am posting this, i am 36 years old.

i bought my sport in jan 05 from a local ford dealer. it had 111,000KM's on it. this is the second sport i have owned. it was sitting on the lot for about 8 months before i came along. i am the third owner (i was able to track down the person that traded it in, and they got it from a friend, who bought it new in 98).

i started to do a few things to it after i first got it, then i found this site, and all hell broke lose! i've never been satisfied with something the everyone else has, so i started to tinker with it even more.

mods include

interior

installed factory tilt, cruise, overhead console, auto dimming mirror, full length console, with a message center (it didn't have these from factory).

white face with blue flames indigo gauge covers (they light up blue)
blue l.e.d. everything
white l.e.d. interior lights
Kenwood DDX392 Touch Screen Head Unit
alpine 4 channel amp (all four speakers)
boston acoustic front and rear speakers
alpine mono amp (for sub)
2 12 inch jl audio subs
rockford fosgate cap
passenger side one touch window down mod.
custom transfer case shifter
tripple a pillar gauge pod, housing autometer boost, Innovate LC-1 wideband, and oil pressure gauge
12v power inverter with 120v plug in a 2 usb plugs built into the center console

exterior

BMW E46 projectors, mounted into stock housings using clear lens
6000K HID head lights
angel eye "driving" lights, with 8000k h.i.d.'s
clear parking/corner lights
billet grill (powder coated by Turdle)
blacked out ford emblems
custom front steel 95-98 bumper, with 4 inch round tubes welded in for driving lights
shaved radio antenna
shaved roof rack
black euro tall lights
l.e.d. license plate lights
smoked out 3rd break light
lund rear tailgate spoiler/wing (formally from the truck "blackjack" owned by EF member Spas)
hand made roll pan (made from 3 1/2 rear bumpers, with 1/4 inch diamond plate on the top, and it is removable)
aluminum T/A differential griddle/cover (powder coated by Turdle)
Motegi Mr107 20' rims
goodyear wrangler hp p245/50 r20
1 1/4 wheel spacer in the rear, 3/8 in front
and most noticeable, black with blue pearl paint, and blue true fire (ground effects are black with blue pearl as well)

Suspension

2 inch lowering blocks in the rear, reverse TT in the front (2 inch as well)
Explorer Express rear sway bar
4 door leaf springs
rancho rs9000 adjustable rear shocks
03-05 sport trac spindles with drilled and slotted rotors

performance

5L swap
347 stroker
TFS twisted wedge alum heads
comp gold 1.6 rockers
comp cams CCA-35-556-8 nitro cam
heavily modified edelbrock victor jr air gap intake (which serves as a valley pan now)
eaton m122 supercharger (metco 2.70 pulley, and ASP 8 rib 7 1/4 crank pulley) with custom made mount with bell intercooler core
8 rib serpentine belt conversion using pulleys from a 7.3 powerstroke
custom made 3 1/2 inch throttle body elbow
accufab 75mm throttle body
4 inch intake pipe
PMASS MH90 90mm Universal 3000 KG/HR MAF
amsoil cone filter
F.A.S.T. 60lb injectors
edelbrock fuel rails, trick flow specialties fuel pressure regulator with summit racing fuel pressure gauge
walbro 255lph fuel pump
1/2 inch steel braided fuel pressure line from tank to rail using 8AN fittings
torque monster headers
2 1/2 duel pipes with flowpro duel in and out 2 1/2 single muffler
accel extreme 9000 ceramic 45 degree plug wires with boot protectors
4R70W w/2600 stall with J mod
tuff stuff 200a alternator
tuning made possible with sct pro-racer package, and tuned with major help from member [MENTION=102869]Dono[/MENTION] and [MENTION=81804]4pointslow[/MENTION]
flex a lite duel 12 inch electric fans
big 3 upgrade (4 gauge wires)
meziere innercooler water pump
2 froozenboost innercooler rads

Transfer case

4406 manual shift from a 97 F150
modified stock trans cross member to accept 93 mustang 5L polyurethane tans mount
double cardan rear drive shaft

because of all the "fun" i had doing the bodywork, and some other things to my truck, i have nick named it "evil dora" or if you like, just plane "evil"!
and now the thank yous

my buddy gord leiss, who let this thing sit in his garage for 3 months while i did the body work to it. he also gave me a hand with some of the prep work, and painted it for me

kevin willson for doing the true fire http://affordableairbrushing.ca/

Joe Bukoski for letting me do the 5L/4406 swap in his garage

now people from this site, weather they knew it or not, they helped

BIG THANKS to tara a.k.a. explorersport77 for pictures of her truck. wouldn't been able to build the roll pan with out them!

ExplorerSport77's X "Hotness"

jon a.k.a. Turdle for selling me some real swanky rear shackles, as well as powder coating the diff cover and sending them up to canada. as well as much needed info on v8, and 4406 swaps as well as doing the grill and showing me how its done.

don aka dono for the help with the tuning, and wideband, as well as the supercharger

andy aka ahodges for some parts, and any help i needed for all the go faster goodies

5.0 swap - w/ 4406

jad2411 for finding me a link for my hidden antenna

ryan a.k.a. MustangP51 for doing his write up on making l.e.d.'s for interior lights, and how to make projectors

P51's HID Headlight (Projector) and Fog Conversion (PICS)

and N3ELZ cardomain page for L.E.D. switch and cruise pod mods

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/2002-ford-ranger-regular-cab/page-6
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/2002-ford-ranger-regular-cab/page-12
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/296394/2002-ford-ranger-regular-cab/page-23

bob a.k.a. rwenzing for showing me speedhut's sit for the gauges

Gauges, Custom Gauges, Tachometers, Speedometers, Shift Light, Pod

Buzz4x4 for his write up on blacking out ford emblems

How to Make Your Own Custom Ford Emblems

the late aldive for his write up on one touch down passengers window mod

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=141027&highlight=touch+passengers+window+mod

BIG COUNTRY, for his write up on how to install a auto dimming mirror

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84968

BIG COUNTRY, 98formulaLS1, and Ryon40 for there write ups on how to install a message center

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225017&highlight=BIG+COUNTRY
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80670&highlight=message+center
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245085&highlight=Ryon40

MountaineerGreen for his 4406 swap write up and "Custom" Driveshaft for a 4406 and 4" Superlift on the Cheap " (even tho its lowered

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166726&highlight=awd+4x4+swap
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=185232

Simon, aka blueka for his "pickle" thread, and help anytime i picked the phone up the phone on the 5L swap

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=271813

Jon, aka 4pointslow for any MAJOR technical advice i have needed

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219092

i wish i could find who did the write up on the overhead console install, but here is the link

http://www.explorer4x4.com/overhead.htm

Russ aka NICE59FORDF100 for his help on the wiring, and what to watch out for electronically.

hopefully one day, i will be able to help people on here just as much as the people that i have mentioned above!

plus you know you have done something right when.....

your truck (as well as corkey) wins truck of the month

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=296023

is the feature truck on the fun hump day radio show (starts roughly around the 30 min mark)

http://explorerforum.podbean.com/2011/03/23/19-vroom-zoomboom/

and you drive 26 hours ONE WAY to the carlisle all ford nationals in june 2010 and 2011, and grab second place in the s.u.v. all category!

then in 2014 you go back to the same show you have been to 5 years in a row (nothing by most, but its one hell of a long drive) and take first!

 

[vroomzoomboom]

plot thickens. put the 20s back on the other day. figured i would also drop some gas into it because there was not much left. started it up. no vibration, or nothing out of the ordinary. went for a quick drive around town, once again nothing out of the ordinary. my buddy brought his scanner home with him, so once again we hooked it up but this time went for a drive. at idle, once again, #5 wasnt doing anything, or showing anything. however, when under load all cylinders were fine.
i havent touched a frig'n thing since the last time we hooked it to his scanner.....
i hate that truck some days....

 

[Dono]

"E"
"V"
"I"
"L"

Very strange That vibration was very real.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

"E"
"V"
"I"
"L"

Very strange That vibration was very real.

good point.
it was, now its there, but whats there you would expect from something that has that has the kind of things that are done to that motor

 

[vroomzoomboom]

well, after changing the motor mounts (passengers side involved swear words, drivers side involved swearing throwing tools, and the truck being up on jackstands because yours truely stripped one of the motor mount holes in the block) and putting new coil packs on (motorcraft) this mechanical asshole still shakes and has vibration. now i know this thing doesnt exactly have a small cam in it (hell, dons is pretty close if i am not wrong and you could put a glass of water on the motor), but idk, in my opinion the motor shouldnt move around as much as it does.
you tell me

 

[CDW6212R]

That's a little rough. Is the balancer still straight, timing marks where they should be?

 

[Dono]

Hows the vibration between 3500 and 4000rpm? This vibration is strange,
Why this is happening? You have checked everything that seems logical (Compression, spark, etc.) .
If I remember, your truck always shook like crazy at idle. All I could think is that you have more overlap on your cam?


Stripped motor mount hole? How did you fix that with the motor in the truck? Were you able to drill and helicoil? That must have left that special feeling in the pit of your gut.

 

[boominXplorer]

The only time I have seen a motor shake like that is flip flopped plug wires or a broken valve spring/rocker arm/valve issue (since its clearing up with RPM don't think it would be this). Have you triple checked the plug wire routing? Just putting my $.02 in.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Hows the vibration between 3500 and 4000rpm? This vibration is strange,
Why this is happening? You have checked everything that seems logical (Compression, spark, etc.) .
If I remember, your truck always shook like crazy at idle. All I could think is that you have more overlap on your cam?


Stripped motor mount hole? How did you fix that with the motor in the truck? Were you able to drill and helicoil? That must have left that special feeling in the pit of your gut.

the vibration is still there, not as bad when i showed you mind you, but there, and ya, i have checked everything i can think of.
how did i fix the hole with the motor still in? believe it or not, there was lots of room to get up in there with a drill and drill bit and a tap. for what ever reason the coil would go in, but the bolt wouldnt once the was in. even had a buddy who is a mechanic and knows his stuff try and he couldnt figure out why (and yes it was the correct tap, and coil). till he finally got pissed of with it and said screw it. the hole is tapped, put a bigger bolt in it and be done with it......i didnt even think of that for 3 days......

The only time I have seen a motor shake like that is flip flopped plug wires or a broken valve spring/rocker arm/valve issue (since its clearing up with RPM don't think it would be this). Have you triple checked the plug wire routing? Just putting my $.02 in.

i did a compression check and all the holes are within 5 psi of each other. ive checked the wires probably 5 times and they are going to where they should. ive even gone as far as checking the ohm reading on them before putting them on and they were all good.

 

[delexploder]

that's pretty rough, ive seen a wiped cam lobe do that

 

[ahodges]

So it clears up with RPM and runs strong? It just seems rough at idle? It is really hard to tell if that is shaking more than mine or not. What RPM is that running at in the videos?

 

[vroomzoomboom]

thats around 800-1000 rpm andy

 

[vroomzoomboom]

that's pretty rough, ive seen a wiped cam lobe do that

see, i was wounding about that to. how would that happen with a roller cam?

 

[delexploder]

I've seen bad cams bad rollers stuck lifters , in your case possible block twisting , im not convinced thats what it is but from your video im sure something is wrong , your vibration isnt rythmic like a big cam ,

 

[Dono]

And....Out comes another motor.

 

[4pointslow]

A worn camshaft lobe should cause low compression but would pass a cylinder leakdown test.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

cant remember if i did a leak down or not, but i do know i did a compression test. i think i might redo it again just to make sure.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

im going to knock on wood because with my luck after i post this, it will probably do it again. was nice, and had some time yesterday so i crawled under evil to see if there was anything rubbing the body or frame that would cause the vibration in it. i almost to me looked like the transfer case moved closer to the fuel tank. i cant remember how close it was in the past (cant find any pictures) so i dropped the crossmenber down and slotted the holes to move it about a 1/8 or so over to the passengers side. i had also noticed the last time i drove it that i only had air coming out of the defrost and not the floor or dash vents. found one of the plastic lines going to the ball at the front of the fenderwell melted and collapsed. with those found i took evil for a ride and the vibration seems like it has pretty much vanished.....for now but i can drive it without worrying something will break due to vibration. the shake at idle is still there however. that will take a little time to figure out

 

[vroomzoomboom]

after banging my head trying to find the vibration, tonight i did another compression test. all cylinders were almost 180 across the board (i think highest was 185 and lowest was around 175). then did a leak down. all of them read 10 on the gauge. so ok i thought to myself. there isnt any damage or anything wrong there. i my buddy joe (who is a hell of a mechanic) told me to maybe try pulling the belt off. there might be a small chance that there might be a problem with the supercharger, or something else and to see if its still there. nope. same deal. when i went to put the belt back on however, i did see this.

there shouldnt be shinny marks on the balancer.....dammit....if i am not wrong that might be my timing tab rubbing it, and i have not been anywhere near that part of the motor. i sent him a pic. he came back with "main bearing going?" i sure as hell hope not, i thought to myself. i did change the oil in it last weekend and did see a tiny bit of shavings (and i mean a tiny bit. i also saw faint swirls in the oil so to me i would think the rings are still seating because there might only be 5000kms on the motor or 3100 miles). i know a few have mentioned the balancer in past posts. however i dont think i will rule out bearings just yet. i did have a insanely tight belt on all last summer, but have a little looser one on now. crappy thing is, it was supper nice today (like t shirt nice) and tomorrow they are calling for SNOW! so i guess this will have to wait for a few days so i can pull it off and get a better look at it. at the same time if i do have to yank the motor, im not really too mad. the pan gasket has leaked ever since i pulled the timing chain cover off when i had a no vacuum problem (which tuned out to be a kinked vacuum line going to the gauge...)

 

[4pointslow]

Check to see if the balancer bolt came loose, the one that holds it to the crankshaft.
If you are lucky maybe that is all that is wrong.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Check to see if the balancer bolt came loose, the one that holds it to the crankshaft.
If you are lucky maybe that is all that is wrong.

k, we will rule the bolt being loose. why? i have no luck lol!