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]

well, if your alt crapped out, if i am not wrong, a ohv v6 one is the same as the 5L trucks. i would also agree your miss is prob due to low voltage. you have afr heads correct? i think those are the regular heads, and not like the "p" heads.....i think. i also have the heat socks on mine. you can even see in a few spots where it touched the headers.
hmmmm I80 is only 20 mins from you? do you know what day your driving out? maybe i will stop by if your leaving the same day, but i have my room booked for wed. before the show. want enough time to clean evil up, and hit the swap meet early.

 

[gmanpaint]

Tim,
Is your charger pulley a tiny bit farther forward then the rest of the pulley's?

 

[ahodges]

well, if your alt crapped out, if i am not wrong, a ohv v6 one is the same as the 5L trucks. i would also agree your miss is prob due to low voltage. you have afr heads correct? i think those are the regular heads, and not like the "p" heads.....i think. i also have the heat socks on mine. you can even see in a few spots where it touched the headers.
hmmmm I80 is only 20 mins from you? do you know what day your driving out? maybe i will stop by if your leaving the same day, but i have my room booked for wed. before the show. want enough time to clean evil up, and hit the swap meet early.

I'm planning to leave out Friday morning. I don't have enough vacation time to leave any earlier. If you think you'll be passing through in the evening, you are more than welcome to stop by.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

gregg, now that you say that, i think i did push that pulley in a little to far when i first put it on. i will have to check the one thats on it now and see. might do that today if it warms up a little more.
andrew, i normally pass by there around, i think noon. the last years i stop in chesterton the first night. i try like all mad to get thru chicago the first day, cause i hate the traffic there.

 

[ahodges]

Haha. I understand your feels on Chicago. If we don't meet up I'm sure ill see you at the show.

My SC pulley is almost right up against the snout and it rides on the pulleys correctly and just misses the snout support bracket.

 

[CDW6212R]

The alternator is the same for the 302 and the SOHC V6, the old OHV 4.0 uses a different unit.

Don't drive much with any low voltage, it will kill electrical parts if it gets too low. I once tried to drive an 85 Lincoln to a friend's house(16 miles) to get an alternator, and the fuel pump was hurt when it got below 9 volts. My battery was already partly discharged when I left, so it didn't take long to suck the battery down too low.

 

[ahodges]

Yeah the 4.0 OHV used a ford 3G and the 5.0 and SOHC used the 4G. I'm picking up a new one tomorrow.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

so i am having some belt issues now for what ever reason. the belt wants to walk off the power steering pump. dont know what i did to it. i changed one idler pulley (went to the stock one in the stock location) and to a 114 inch belt, and now all this happens. when i was doing this, the belt tensioner broke, so i had to get a new one as well. grrrr.

 

[blueka]

get it fixed!!!!


Si

 

[vroomzoomboom]

i wanna! need to go for a ride now that the snow is melting, and the 20's are back on!!!

 

[ahodges]

Double check your pulley alignment. See if your supercharger pulley is sticking out farther than the rest by some. Back in the picture you posted I noticed that the belt was riding out towards the front of the idler between the supercharger and the powersteering pump. My belt rides towards the rear of that pulley and my supercharger pulley is no more than 1/16" off the snout of the SC.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

yea, its sticking out further. i dont know why it decided to do this now. i even had don measure the one that came from EE that i gave him, and its the same thickness.

 

[ahodges]

Well the shaft is tapered. Maybe the inside taper of the pulley you're using is slightly smaller than the other ones?

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Not sure. One thing I am hoping (praying) on is there is a build up of never seize on there, and needs to be cleaned off. If not, I guess I will need to shave the back side of the pulley.

 

[Dono]

Yes, belt allignment seems to be an issue. I had the same issues with mine. It is tough to take an aftermarket mount and have the SC pulley line up almost perfectly.

For me, the belt was too close to the motor. I found reversing the SC pulley when installing it put me in pretty close alignment.

Tim, It looks like your issue is the other way, so this wont help.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

Yours was the first thing that came to my mind. I did try flipping the pulley, but it would be rubbing the snout, and there wasn't enough threads on the shaft to start the nut on the end. I know there is a simple solution to it, and it is looking me in the face, I just have to find it, that's all.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

ok, so after 3 hours of farting around with this thing, i think i may have it licked.
came home from work (once again, this was gnawing at me all day to) pulled the pulley off, cleaned all the never seize off it and the shaft and put it back on. no dice. grab a 2x4, drill a hole in it to clear the shaft, and hammer (not full swings) it on. nope. pull it off again, and bust out the grinder. not a easy thing to do when you know this little chunk of aluminum is worth $100. ground off around a 1/8 inch, slap it back on, and start it up. it stays in place!!! YAHOO! so i take it for a ride (a tim test drive, more on that one in a sec) and come home. pop the hood, and the damn thing walked again. frustrated, i put all my tools away, and i am just about to walk back in the house, and figure if i do that, it will have beaten me, so back at it i go. take it apart again, but this time i start looking at the power steering pump. everything else the belt stays in the grooves, but the pump. grab the output shaft, and i can pull it in and out. turns out, this was the problem (great to, because 1, i dont know if there should be play in these, and 2 this thing is less then a year old). what i did was put 3 washers between the pump pulley, and the pump. start it up, it stays in place. go for yet another "tim" test drive, come home, pop the hood, and it didnt move! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
now for the test bag drives, errr, test drives, i now have the summer tires back on. my street, and a few around me are dry with not a lot of sand on them at the moment. when i pulled out (in 2wd) i let it roll, then nailed it. looked behind me, and see not one, but two solid black strips on the ground. turn the corner, let it get into second, then nail it again. it kicks down to first, and absolutely obliterates the tires. i hope once it warms up, it starts griping a lot better, cause i really dont want to replace tires every two years.....

 

[corkey]

better find out about these,,

 

[Dono]

Congratulations of finding the issue Tim!
I really think in 2wd you are going to gave a traction issue, no matter what temperature it is.

 

[ahodges]

Wow, congrats, I know the feel of getting beat down by it but then when you finally figure it out victory is that much sweeter!

Man, I don't understand how you are haveing that much traction issues/ that much torque! I guess I didn't build mine with 0-60 in mind, just all around torque and power. You know what they say, if you build it to be good at everything, it won't be great at anything. I've never had mine downshift to 1st and light the tires up like that. I can't wait for track times!!!!!! I'll probably have to put $800 worth of tires on mine after this year lol