The Beartooth JurassEx project has begun!

[BeartoothEx]

Greetings!
I've been lurking here on and off for a couple years since I picked up my Explorer from a CoPart auction - a 1994 XLT four-door, M5OD with manual transfer case and hubs. By way of introduction, I've a pilot - mostly working part-time as a military flight instructor after ten years in the Navy. I've been wrenching and tinkering most of my life, first on a '64 Fairlane, then I've got a '97 F250 Powerstroke (also 4x4 all manual), followed by an assortment of German cars, and recently a Jaaag project car. I tend to get into a lot of things people tell you are best left to "the professionals," so I guess I'm somewhere between that and the fool who rushes in where angles fear to tread.

Anyway, back to the Ex. The odometer reads 68k; I'd be surprised if it's anything other than 168k, given what I've found so far. Unfortunately, I rolled the dice since it was cheap enough, and I wouldn't say I got snake eyes, but hardly lucked out either. It had some side collision damage, that was obvious enough from the listing: one whole rocker panel and probably the rear door at a minimum need to be replaced, plus the rear door corners are rusty. Fortunately, the damage didn't go deeper than the outer rocker panels, and there's no other rust issues I've found.

What wasn't indicated well at all was the mechanical condition. When I picked it up, I was pleasantly surprised that it started right up, a feeling that vanished as soon as I let out the clutch. Whrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! A higher-pitched grinding/whirring noise. It did drive on the trailer on its own power, but I hope the guy who checked didn't last long there and never works on anything automotive-related again, because that noise was very obvious and would constitute "mechanical damage" to any trained ear. I'm almost positive it's the input shaft bearing since the sound only occurs with the clutch out, in all gears, and seems to modulate with engine speed. So my hopes of driving it on and off right off the bat were out since I didn't have room or time to tackle transmission work.

Fast forward a couple years, I've got my shop built, and decide it's time to get going.I got started by flushing the coolant and running through a couple cans of engine degreaser (which I'd be lucky if it got rid of half of it). I just got done pulling the transfer case out, and hopefully the transmission will be out today too; the radiator and water pump I took out already. The bad I've found so far: the spark plugs have been in there forever, have worn to around .070 gap, and a couple have carbon tracking on them. The coolant was disgusting: I've never flushed out rusty silt that bad before. The engine looks original (including the hoses!), but I think the transfer case and transmission have been out. The fan clutch is bad and I think I see some seepage from the water pump, so I'll replace those. Another "I wish I'd known" is it was a smoker's car, but you could tell the interior was just so-so from the listing, so that's just another break that went against me. It probably won't ever be my Sunday / date night vehicle anyway, so as long as I can get the smell out.

The good news is, the oil pressure and leakdown checks both look good. At idle, it'd start in the mid-40s, and drop to the mid-20s after idling 20 minutes or so. I'm sure it'd be lower after an extended drive on a hot day, but then it's long overdue for an oil change and it's got some transmission fluid I threw in. I did a leakdown test, and it varies from 5% up to 13%, pretty well staggered. All closer to 5% would have been nice, but it's nothing like my Porsche that came in at 5%, 30%, 30%, and 55%! And that runs ok, so why not roll the dice on this. It's got no warning lights, no electrical problems I've found so far. The tape deck doesn't work anymore - sadly - so I can't crank my Sammy Hagar tape when I get it going. But I've got what I need to sort the stereo. Oh yeah, even the AC still works! But unfortunately, some b@$tard mice made merry on the blower/evaporator housing (and inside), so the fan doesn't want to blow. Not looking forward to digging into that...

Anyway, I'm hoping to have it going next week. I've got a bunch of boxes from RockAuto, but now I'm wishing I'd added a radiator (mine doesn't leak that I can tell, but not sure internally), fan clutch, 1st-2nd shift fork (since those seem to be a common wear item), and transfer case seals (the rear is definitely leaking, although the others seem fine). I went through the ZF5 transmission on my truck (probably unnecessarily), so at least this isn't new to me. I got the complete kit from Midwest Transmission, and it looks pretty solid: mostly Koyo and NTN bearings, includes the oil slinger, yada yada.

This will mostly be a journal thread; I've found a lot of good info here and I don't want to be another guy asking the same question that comes across every month or two. I made a video of it I'll try and get posted, but that stuff is pretty new to me. Still, if I'm missing anything - especially stuff to watch out for on the transmission or that would be wise to tackle while it's all out - please let me know. Right now I'm trying to track down the best local place to get the transfer case seals and fan clutch (I'm not far from Billings, FWIW), and I'm also wondering - if the radiator is indeed a dud - where the best place to get a replacement is. I wish I'd known about the two-row auto transmission option, but at this point I already have a new MT radiator hose, and I'm not sure it's worth the hassle of finding the correct fan shroud. It can get hot up here in Montana, but it's typically not that bad. Well, that's it for now, and congratulations for making it to the end (assuming you didn't skip). No quiz though, unless someone wants one...

 

[RangerX]

Welcome!
Looks like a decent gen1, they can go almost forever!
I thought 1994 switched to a 7 digit odometer, you don’t have that? Earlier years just had 6 digits.
Maybe I missed you mentioning, but if you’re dropping the trans, you would be very wise to replace the clutch, including the slave and the pilot bearing. Be sure to only use LUK parts for the clutch. Rockauto has the parts.
My old Ranger was the same exact drivetrain and went for 370,000 miles before rust killed it. Other gen1’s here have gone further, so it’s a great platform.

 

[410Fortune]

Dual core radiator will use the same hoses and you can trim the fan shroud

You can use a much larger sohc clutch from a 2004 ranger if you are willing to drill and tap 6 new holes in your flywheel.

Welcome! Sounds like a wonderful project truck
Open up the fan blower housing and get the mouse stuff out before you try to run the fan anymore… once the fan burns up the mouse nest you will never remove that burned electrical smell

A/c pro sells some stuff you can use to sterilize and clean out the hvac ducts once you remove the mouse remnants
Good For Removing some smoke smell too

Gen 1 = tank
They are tough! Cheap to own and operate and fun to drive

 

[BeartoothEx]

One of the details I didn't think to mention: I've got a new clutch and slave cylinder. I had half a thought to just keep going with what's in there, but it seems stupid not to at least have one on hand (at around $150 for both). If what's on there looks like new, I might just run it, but I won't chance anything, especially the slave and throwout bearing (had one of those go on my truck, but I hated the first clutch I put in it anyway - thanks for taking my money, Valair). I'll keep the newer clutch option in mind; I remember reading something about that, but mistook it to mean you needed a new flywheel. I'm a big fan of machining the OE flywheel over buying a new one, but sadly, the clutch shop I had the one in my truck done a few years back closed down... What's in there feels smooth, so I'm hoping hitting it with the palm sander and some medium grit sandpaper (100 grit maybe?) to deglaze it will do the trick. I would definitely have liked to have the extra capacity of the bigger clutch, but I don't know that I'd need it for anything. One of those things where either it'll last or I'll upgrade it when it goes.

It's definitely a '94 - manufactured 10/93. I always assumed the 6-digit odo came in with all the changes in '95. I've always wondered why it took so long to go to the bigger odometer - even in the 60s it wasn't uncommon to have one roll over, and some of those cars would roll them over several times. Pretty sure my Fairlane did. I am pretty impressed at how well what I've got runs given the level of neglect, and they're a pretty robust vehicle - other than the transmissions. Ironically, my little brother rents from a guy who also had a 1st-gen Explorer sitting around, so he fixed it up and drove it up here. My sister and brother-in-law drove it for six months or so, then the transmission (A4LD) went out... I'll probably help them get it going when I have the time.

I forgot to get into my rough down-the-road vision for the JurassEx. As the name implies, I have visions of doing a Jurassic Park paint and graphics job. I've painted a car before, so hopefully that won't be a big leap. A lot of the reason I bought it was to have a decent off-roader, although it'll probably be more rough road and winter vehicle than true off-roader. The one place I plan to spend some money is for some springs and the best monotube shocks I can get without getting exotic. I'm thinking of going to 31s - in fact, I found a used set for cheap to try out at some point.

One other thought I've had, since it needs a door or two, cab corners, and a rocker panel - plus the so-so interior - is doing a mix and match if I find another one cheap with a good interior and body. On that, I like the look and feel of the second-gen interior, and I'm wondering if taking the drivetrain and gen I front clip and putting it on the newer one is in the same ballpark as fixing up the body and swapping in nicer interior bits as I find them. I think I read somewhere that people have swapped whole interiors from G2 to G1, but it sounded like probably as much work as making a G2 look like a G1 exterior.

Well, that's it for now, I'd better get back at it. By the way, I keep getting error messages about my email, and nothing's come through from here to my account. Does anyone know of a trick to stop your email from blocking a sender? I've heard if you send an email to an address at that domain, it'll start letting things through, but I can't find any @explorerforum.com email to try...

 

[410Fortune]

Luk hydraulics only
If you are going to do all the labor you want to out in quality parts. I will only install
Luk on these rigs… with good reason

The sohc 4.0
Engine 97-11 is basically still the old 4.0 underneath. In 02 they went to a large clutch and a self adjusting one at that. So it became possible for us to use the larger sohc clutch on the earlier ohv. Basically you lay the the pressure plate on your current flywheel and with the alignment tool you can mark the 6 bolt hole
Locations needed… drill and tap them and now you can run the larger sohc self
Adjusting clutch. It has a waaaay better grip and much better pedal feel.
Same slave cylinder

The 98-2000 ohv already had an 8 bolt crank, same as the sohc, so for those engines you can just
Bolt on the sohc flywheel, no drilling, tapping needed. The clutch I use is for a 2004 ranger edge 4.0 luk from rockauto, a little more expensive then the one you have there…. But well worth the upgrade

91-94 has the same
Body from the a pillar back as the 95-97 and only the hatch and rear cab windows changed 98-01
Gen ii seats fit easily
I like 03-05 sport trac seats nice upgrade

Can’t wait to see this gen I buildup
I’m doing a 92 right now, getting a v8 and 5 speed as well as a solid front axle

 

[BeartoothEx]

Well, it's not as bad as I thought it'd be...

It's worse! You can tell the bearing was overheated before it failed because the oil catchermagig has some melting where it interfaces with the case. The rubber plugs on the top cover are gone, by the way, but hard to tell if they were just replaced when the clutch was done, or if work was done to the transmission. The clutch in it is a Valeo, and the slave cylinder was replaced too - it's an FTE, which is also what the new "LuK" slave and throwout says (well, actually the throwout bearing says Valeo). I'll have to see how much material there is on the friction disk and whether I can find a production date on anything to tell me when that clutch was put in; it might be worth using that up, although there's also the option of keeping it as a spare. I'm ambivalent on LuK vs. Valeo: I've got a Valeo in my truck, it's pretty smooth, and it holds up fine with upgraded injectors, HPOP, and a chip.

Going back to the transmission, can anyone identify the metal piece in that first picture? It came out on the drain plug after the transmission was maneuvered around several different ways to be washed. Of course there was a lot of shavings and bits from the bearing, but that looks like it came off something else. Maybe it'll become obvious once I have it apart. The shift forks look pretty nice, so that's one less thing. Let me know what you think of the gears and teeth; I feel like I might be fine with just the countershaft and input shaft, but I do see some wear on the sliders and gears - mostly on second gear and reverse (I think; the rearmost gear). Before I start ordering parts, I'm going to call around and see if I can find another core. I did some calling a while back and came up with nothing, but there are a couple more places I could try. With all that shrapnel, I'm a little worried about other problems cropping up.

Anyway, everything was pretty filthy, as expected. What serendipity then, that a month ago I picked up a half-dozen cans of engine de-greaser from Wally World for a buck each! I don't know why so cheap, but that stuff helps; some grime just laughs at it, but if anything helps, it's usually that (the Gunk brand). To get to the finished product in this case, however, involved a pressure washer and getting myself very wet and spattered with grime. Totally worth it, though, not to have to deal with grimy hands every time you touch it. Hopefully tomorrow I can get things torn down and figure out what all I need. I have to wonder, though, am I likely to throw more money into this transmission than it's worth? I know I'm not likely to pull one from a junk yard that works perfectly, but if I can get a better core for $300 or so, maybe that's the wise choice? It does look like most parts are still available at least. Of course, if anybody's got a good countershaft or other parts, I'm all ears.

Thanks for the encouragement, @410Fortune! I'll keep my eyes open just in case a better body and interior pops up, but that might be wishful thinking. I found one on CoPart with a nice interior down in Casper, but there are some signs of rust, so it's not likely to be worth building around. I'll definitely just fix up what I've got and pick and swap parts as I go unless I luck into the perfect candidate soon. Along those lines, can you put the TTB under a Gen II? I figure the TTB is going to be easier to lift a bit than the IRS, and probably a lot tougher. And I think those are rack and pinion? Maybe best just to stick with what I've got...

Simple and rugged is what I really need here. It's not going to be a commuter, so as long as it doesn't beat you up like my truck on nasty stuff, that's the main thing. I'm also not looking to win any races, so the complexity of the SOHC or cramped engine bay that comes with a 5.0 swap don't seem worth it. Some amenities, like good AC and seats you can sink into after a long hike will go a long way (Ford really hit a groove in the mid-90s on that stuff; too bad it seemed to go the way of flashy and chintzy by the mid-00s), but it doesn't have to be a Lincoln. I'll have to see if I can find the Sport Trac seats... Lastly, I do want to know more about the two-row radiator. It looks like the lower hose comes off that at a downward angle vs. straight off for the MT radiator - is that not the case? Trimming the fan shroud would be no problem for me, so if all I needed was the radiator itself, another $50 for 20-30% more cooling would be a no-brainer.

 

[410Fortune]

Not really a thing to out a ttb under a gen ii, better to just stick with the rack and pinion ifs setup
They are easy enough to maintain and parts are semi cheap, they ride good and hold up well to a rough road

 

[BeartoothEx]

Makes sense; I figure if it was a bolt-up thing, someone would have done it. I lean more towards the TTB because I hear it's more rugged and has more headroom for off-roading. Still, I might consider building off a second-gen. I probably won't start the bodywork until next spring at the earliest, so we'll see if any good candidates show up.

Anyway, I'm digging into the transmission, and it's obviously been apart before. The big nut on the output/main shaft has divots in a couple spots on the inner ring you mash into the groove to lock it, plus marks from an air chisel. I'm taking off to visit family tomorrow, so I've gotta get it down the rest of the way to figure out what I need or if I need to find a different core. It seems mine definitely means a new input shaft (already have), countershaft, and probably main shaft (guessing it chewed up the nose) as well as third gear. I'm also seeing some wear on the second and reverse dog teeth, although it's the same or better than what's in my truck, which I can live with even though it does mean it's got a couple quirks.

Going back to the M5OD, I'm thinking it'd pay to find a better core. I might be in less just buying a new main shaft and countershaft, but it'd be nice to eliminate the concerns about secondary damage to the needle bearings and such. That said, I might not have a choice; so far I'm not finding anything near me. I'm not sure if I'm just getting into a range where the yards aren't carrying stuff anymore, or if it was a high attrition rate on these. At least most of the gears are ok on mine; it's not like all the moving parts need to be replaced.

 

[410Fortune]

Smart plan

I am going to ttb a sport trax but I will likely start with a ranger ttb frame

There have been some gen ii on this forum that went to a ttb using a frame grapht, or by seriously chopping up the factory frame and engine cradle
They ended up with a lot of un necessary work and in some cases a serious hack job.
I learned from those guys who went before me I will be better off starting with the ranger frame and box it, make it fit the sport trac body instead of the other way around s

 

[BeartoothEx]

Well, I might have no choice but to dig up another transmission. I finally finished getting it apart, and the bearing definitely spun in the case. Also, I might know what went wrong: there was quite a bit of RTV on the bearing retainer flange, including a decent gob in the oil passage. I don't think it was blocked, but probably restricted.

I also found a chunk of aluminum in the case that I can't figure out the origin of. I don't see anything broken off inside the case. I also figured out what that little square piece of metal was; in the damage to the input shaft and forth gear, one of the slider catches for 3rd/4th broke and the pieces fell out. Anyway, is there anything to be done with a case that's had a spun bearing? You can see it formed a bit of a ridge, and I can't see how it could be welded or epoxied and made square again, but if anyone's successfully fixed this kind of damage, let me know. The bore for the lower bearing has some damage too; not sure how that might have happened.

Also, I forgot to mention that the syncros look like new. I suspect someone did some work to it, and it burned up in pretty short order.

 

[BeartoothEx]

So one option might be a M5OD R1HD; I found one online within driving range, and maybe there's even one closer to home. I'm finding conflicting information on simply swapping tailhousings: one thread here simply says you can't, but it references @BonesDT, who actually says you can if you removed the reluctor for the VSS from the output shaft and tape over the snap ring groove when installing the seal. List of Useful Threads - Everything I know about the M5OD-R1 & BW1354M There are differences in the shifter, but it should be manageable. I assume the write-up I read on how to would have mentioned swapping the top cover if that was an option. Anyway, please let me know if there's any reason I should avoid the R1HD.

Going back to the transmission I've got, I've been going over in my mind ways I could maybe install a race using bearing retainer (like Loctite 660). But I think there's just too much chance that it ends up ****ed, or out of alignment enough to cause problems. So now my plan is to call a machine shop or two and see if they have any bright ideas to maybe weld that up or somehow repair what I've got so the race and go in straight. Failing that, I might be doing a little driving to pick up contestant number 2.

 

[RangerX]

Here’s a thread on it that may have some useful info How to replace a M5OD-R1 with a M5OD-R1HD - The Ranger Station