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]

Any way to use the internal map just to get it running?

i had asked that when they were on the phone. the answer was i would have to run a vacuum line to the ecu but it wouldnt be tuned properly for my set up. that and for me to run a line while they were on the phone would have taken time. i am booked in with them on Wednesday at 7 to try again.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

for what ever reason i cant post a video that i took with my phone, off of my phone to here so, after getting the stones to go out and fix the problem with the map sensor (signal wire pulled out of the terminal). i was able to unhook the wires going into the ecu that way i had just enough wires pulled up past the blower and was able to fix the problem. i wanted to make sure it was working so i grabbed my laptop to have a peak. sure enough, now showing a signal. as i was sitting there curiosity got the better of me, tuned the key to start and watda know? the pita actually fired! not only that, it ran, idled and had throttle response! wanted to get a video of it, shut it off, grabbed my phone and recorded it all over again. it cranked then BOOM, a backfire loud enough to wake the dead (you can hear the exhaust actually ping in the video......the one i cant post that is..). so now i buttoned everything up, changed the oil (which had a nice colour of grey to it, not good) and wait till wednesday for the hood to hate me all over again.

 

[410Fortune]

Getting closer!
What do you think is causing the grey oil?
It ran!! I see this as good news!

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Getting closer!
What do you think is causing the grey oil?
It ran!! I see this as good news!

i am thinking that it has been over fueled (it did smell like gas) that its a mixture of oil and gas in the oil. im also hoping the motor isnt hurt but i believe it is because i have blowby coming from my vent tank. even if the motor is hurt, i just want to get it running. i have my spare 347 i can drop in it if it comes to it, and fix this one.
or, i am somehow getting coolant in the oil. the reason why i also say that is i just put water in the rad for now incase i had to pull everything apart. that way i can drain everything and not worry about antifreeze going everywhere, or having to buy more of it. the think i have notice however is i will fill the rad, leave the cap off overnight and the next morning the level has dropped and not stayed topped up not knowing if its burping air out with the cap off, or leaking someplace.

 

[410Fortune]

Drain that oil! All the cranking leaves a ton of fuel in there
Hang in there let’s see her run!!

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Drain that oil! All the cranking leaves a ton of fuel in there
Hang in there let’s see her run!!

Oh I have. I’ve changed the oil in that thing probably 4 times since may

 

[Rick]

for what ever reason i cant post a video that i took with my phone, off of my phone to here so,

If you can't upload direct to the forum. Upload to Youtube and link.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

today was the second tune try with moe's. it started off as both of us dropping the ball on the time (they are a hour ahead of me and had said 7pm.....their time so when they called, i was not ready! lucky i got it together fast so they could start. explained that i found the problem with the map, as well as adjusted the throttle plate (was idling at 1100 because of a adjustment made before). started it up, and it ran kinda rough. they were making adjustments, but i still had to hit the throttle for it to run which i found strange, then it stalled. tried to crank it again, and was wanting to backfire. this didnt seem right to me. as i am tying to start it, for what ever reason i didnt hear the fuel pump kick in (a holley terminator will cycle the pump no matter when you turn the key on, and for any amount of time you want). pulled the really to check for power, which it had, and when trying to jump the relay, nothing.......
fuel pump $hit the bed.........
i never thought of it, but it is about 10 years old. walbro made a good pump, but they told me to go to a aeromotive stealth 11540 (340 LPH) that is on its way from summit.
i cant make this up. i swear this truck just wants to sit in the back yard getting fat and lazy.

 

[410Fortune]

Holy smokes! Battle on
When is next tune scheduled?
Before I drop the tank I usually send battery power directly to the pump through the connector back at the frame rail to ensure the pump is dead and it’s not a wiring connector outside the tank

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Holy smokes! Battle on
When is next tune scheduled?
Before I drop the tank I usually send battery power directly to the pump through the connector back at the frame rail to ensure the pump is dead and it’s not a wiring connector outside the tank

Didn’t book one just yet. I’m goi g to get back to them on the weekend when I get a tracking number and go from there. It normally takes summit a week to ship stuff here. I would have also started trouble shooting as well, but they had a good point. I’ve had that pump for ten years and now I think about it I bought it used. That and it’s a 255LPH. Pump and I have had a lot of people say I should get a bigger pump, more so after I put the m122 on and 60 injectors. He had also thought I ran out of gas because before it died he said I had around 14 psi where I had 41 before

 

[410Fortune]

Yep 14 psi ain’t gonna cut the mustard

 

[vroomzoomboom]

evil had a identity crisis today.......

 

[Turdle]

You know you like it

 

[vroomzoomboom]

You know you like it

i was meh on it. didnt know if i did, didnt know if i didnt. all i know it that i will be shelling out close to 1500 in tires for my ranger.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

long winded update.
pump came in on Wednesday. i found out why they call em stealth pumps. it had me worried when i turned the key and couldnt hear it running. one look at the gauge and it showed 40psi! i almost thought i had a problem someplace else.
i then rebooked a tune session with marty at moe's speedshop for yesterday.
yesterday finally came. as they are trying to get it to start (its backfiring and also not wanting to idle) i can see people gathering at my neighbours (the ones i dont really care for, more on that). marty had asked me to pull a plug and send a pic. turns out the were foul. he askes for me to change them, and text him when finished (keep in mind, this is on a saturday, and its 2pm his time). i then ask my neighbour if they are having a birthday party for her son because i might be making some noise, and the truck might backfire as well as i have someone that is tuning it from GA. her response in a real sooty voice.
"well you have been working on it for years. it probably wont start anyway. you should get help" and walks away.
that pissed me off.
i told marty that we will have to book another session. "what is your schedule tomorrow (sunday)"
me - "huh?"
marty "we have to do tuning for another customer tomorrow, so while we are here we can fit you in if your available?"
hell yea im available!
so this morning they (marty, and his partner jeff harris. no, not one of the former mods, here but i did have a laugh at that) started tuning. after a min or 2 "ok, fire it up"
turned the key, and it came to life! i was stunned! so about 15ish mins they turn around and say "ok, lets take it for a drive"
me once again "what???"
"lets take if for a drive so we can do live tuning"
i didnt know that was possible, but hey, i havent drove it for a year and a haft so im down! drove around for another 15 or so mins, no highway however. i have a vacuum leak that i have to deal with because the brakes are not so great. otherwise it actually drove pretty good. when i came home they told me to do some more driving around when i have a chance and also to let it do some learning and book another session.
so the long uphill battle good and evil, good one, and evil was forced to finally be driven again, whoohoo! just in time for winter too......
i can also say up yours to my twit of a neighbour that i canceled tuning so they could have their kids birthparty outside. her attuited is going to cost her now however (sorry for that rant btw).

 

[donalds]

Yes its alive
Now take the kids next door for rides
That will show the Karen

 

[Turdle]

Man, this is good news. Im so happy for you Tim!

You should have asked the neighbor if she had time to talk. Her expression would have been priceless

 

[410Fortune]

Woooooooooohoooooooooooooooooo

So Much relief!!!

What’s next? Sort out the brakes? Keep tuning? Drag race?

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Woooooooooohoooooooooooooooooo

So Much relief!!!

What’s next? Sort out the brakes? Keep tuning? Drag race?

yup.......

but i am going to drop the oil first. the plugs were foul, so you know where all that gas went. cant smell it too much, but im going to do it anyway. then next stop, car wash. its drove me nuts looking at this thing that dirty sitting in the back yard for so long lol

 

[vroomzoomboom]

dropped the oil, it didnt look or smell bad at all. but i wasnt going to chance it. i also got lucky. i found a 90 degree plasic fitting i have that connects 2 vacuum lines had laid down on the header and melted along with the line going to my boost gauge, and the vacuum line that controls the valve on the supercharger came off. after fixing those, i have brakes again! im also going to have to get them to set the idle up a little higher. in gear its around 600rpm. too low. i also don't think it has as much snap down below, but then again tuning isnt finished.
with all that said, started it up, and headed to the car wash (and thank god!). gave it a good once over and went for a little ride around. one headlight wasnt coming on, but when i got home for what ever reason it started to work again (i do truely hate when that happens).
otherwise no issues as of yet. not sure how much time i will have this week to drive it, might be facing a ton of overtime. funny, drive the truck, make no money. make money so i can drive the truck......at a undetermined date