turdle's mounty moves on | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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turdle's mounty moves on

hello all! well, turdle's mounty has come to maryland. i had been tossing around the idea of a really well built suv that didn't cost a fortune. i have a 97 mounty to tow my racecar and it has been a trusty companion for the last 4 years, but the drivetrain, although very reliable, hasn't been very inspiring. so, i had been looking around for options. i settled on the thought of a 347, but the cost was out of my range...until i read about turdle's mounty up for sale. done deal!

now i need to get going on it. work has been crazy for the past month, so i havent been able to get very far and august isn't looking much better, but i am going to try to squeeze in some time.

i thought about fixing up the new mounty and just selling mine, but with all the body work, reassembly of the drivetrain and electrical issues, it would be far less time to swap in the drivetrain. so, i pulled the engine and trans.

let me tell you, that 4406 is a monster! i dont think its going into mine. the shifter location intruded upon my leg space and i like a stock appearance better, so i'm either going to stick with the AWD or swap in a 4405 control trac and use the v-6 radio bezel with the TC control knobs. need to find out if the control trac can hold up to the power of the mighty 347 tho.

i originally thought that the drivetrain was perfect as is, but after looking into it further, the 3k stall torque converter changes the entire ballgame. i found out that a stall converter isnt good for towing and a lumpy cam is no good for a stock stall. so, they both have to go. i picked out a smaller comp cams stick and a hughs towing converter. the trans is good for over 600tq from stock and the art carr shift kit is a great plus, so that will remain as is. again, the 4406 is NOT going into my truck. the next thing i have been considering is a change in the engine lineup. my mustang is built for american iron, except 1 thing. the 408 lump in the engine bay makes waaay too much power. a 347 would be a perfect size. theres more work involved, but a 408 in the mounty would certainly haul my now lighter mustang! yeah, i know. ive been told a hundred times that the 351 will not fit, but im not convinced. with some block huggers instead of the really wild and tangled mess of torque monster headers, it might be easier to get past the steering column and a/c box. i think the box may need to be modified for the valve cover, but it wouldn't be hard to do. good news is i now have lots of spare parts to test with! the oil pan and CPS arent going to be too much of a problem. i could easily modify the pan i have to fit and the CPS doesn't look that hard. i have access to a lathe. its more work, but it solves 2 problems. 1) i want to have a legal american iron car. 2)i love torque and excellent street manners. i can de-cam the **** out of the 408 to idle smooth as glass while never sweating the hills of PA while towing.

if that doesn't work out, so be it, but it would be a cool project! anywho, thats my story. i hope to share the build with you all! thanks to turdle for helping get this thing shipped to me.
 



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The 4405 will not bolt up to the 4r70w. You will have to go with the AQD t-case or 2wd.

We tried to tell Jon that if he lost that high dollar high stall conveter and went with a milder cam he could have used Turdle to pull his Explore but he wouldn't listen :p:
 






Ah yes yes yes, with the vehicle here in MD, the plans I have set in motion is almost complete. Now to await till nightfall to steal the vehicle....
Posted via Mobile Device
 






I am so happy this went to someone with the time and financial resources to keep it going forward.

Edit
Of all the mods performed to that truck, the 4406 transfer case was by far the best improvement. I would seriously consider using it since the bugs and bolts are all "worked out" so to speak.

JMHO
 






sure, the 4406 is plenty stout, but then the weak link becomes the front driveshaft or the front diff or the CV's? i know i want to build this thing to take on whatever i throw at it, but honestly, the truck is street driven only. its gonna tow in 2wd. its going to drive normally in 2wd (unless i keep the AWD). its 4x4 needs are strickly slippery conditions. i could see the occasional 4x4 drag run though;)
 






oh, and i know that the explorer TC's don't bolt up. 5-bolt vs 6-bolt and 25 spline vs 31 spline. but advanced adapters makes a kit. its more money than i care to spend right now though, so who knows?
 






All I ever "broke" was the driver side cv axle, and, only while gassing it at full right turn lock, on a boulder.
Twice within an hour of each other too. lol


40 minute repair --on the trail.

20 for a healthy guy. I doubt you will see an issue with a weak link considering what your plans are.
 






hmmm, maybe. it would be nice to just put it in there with no additional cost. i just really don't know about that shifter. Jon, even though you said it wasnt an issue for you, i can't help but think its gonna get in my way. maybe i will mock up a shifter in my truck while i drive it and see if it gets annoying. the alternative would be the electric shift and smaller gas tank. i do have to pull my tank for the 255 pump, so its not extra work on that end, but a smaller tank would suck for long trips.
 






Wow, I wasn't aware Jon was trying to sell Turdle again. Well being here in MD maybe I'll get to see it. It would have been great if there was some way I could have gotten Turdle being that my favorite animals are turtles.
 






i have made my decision and started the process. the 347 is going into the mustang and the 408 is getting shoehorned into the mounty. so, i have some parts i can't use any more that i want to sell. i can't seem to be able to post in the parts for sale, so i will do it here.
torque monsters
art carr 3k stall converter
bbk 351 mustang swap headers
351 msd pro billet dizzy
g-force t-5 for 94-95 w/.79OD(includes .59OD gearset)
hr custom billet core comp cam: intake-.360 lift, 242@.050/exhaust-.375 lift, 248@.050/112LSA(grinds: 3317F/3318F)
email me for pics and info: pufferfish1974atyahoodotcom
 






so, i pulled the 408 from the mustang and am starting to swap the timing cover, water pump and motor mounts. i am going to put the mustang back together first. i am on the hunt for some used parts to get the 347 in and running. i need a stock t-5 (g-force isn't legal for AI), 10T 10.5 clutch disc, 302 dizzy w/o TFI, road race oil pan/pickup and 302 longtube headers. if anyone has a lead, let me know. once i have the parts, its gonna take about a day to get it in and running. then it goes out of the garage and the turdle goes in to use as the test fit rig. once i get all the custom fab done, its getting pulled and dropped into my mounty. i did decide to stick with the 4406. i am going to shorten the shifter though, because it does get in the way of my leg. i talked with andre from edge converters and he is going to get me an awesome converter for this setup. i just need to decide on the cam first. i think it should be a similar lift as the cam i am selling above, but with alot less duration. if someone can tell me how to post pics, i will keep everyone in the loop on the project. i know there have been other 351w swaps, but has anyone done it in a fully street version?
 






Subscribing. Donut forget pics.
 






im going to try my hand at loading pics now that i am a paying member.

these should be pics of the 347 just plucked from turdle and the 408 about to be pulled from the mustang.
 

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it worked! its going to be kind of annoying cuz all my pics were taken from my iphone. so, they have to be uploaded sideways and they are grainy.

well, here is the 347. it looks like a well built engine. all i am doing to it is resetting the cam to 0 degrees and swapping over the timing cover and water pump. since both engines are set up with 42lb injectors, tuning should be minimal.
 

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project update:
the 347 is prepped and ready to go into the mustang. i am just waiting on the headers to arrive. gotta wait til wednesday:( until then, i am going to start on the 408 to get it prepared to be installed in the mounty. i need to fab the cam sensor. i have the original and a stock 351 dizzy ready to be frankensteined together. i also need to tear out the old cam. i have picked out a new cam and TC. still need to buy them.

once the mustang is together and under its own power, the turdle can move in and i can start test fitting. does anyone know if there was a stamped steel explorer 5.0 pan made in any of the years? i would like to use a stock pan and 351 pan to make what i need.
 


















If I wasn't trying to buy a house, I'd buy those Torque Monsters in a heartbeat. I'll have to admit, I'm dying a little inside seeing the Mounty all ripped apart, but at least you have some great plans.
 



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i know. i originally intended to use the drivetrain as is, but it just works out better for me this way. i get 2 problems solved (needing a legal engine for racing & needing better towing capability for my mounty) with one vehicle. and honestly, if the turdle was even close to being a useful daily driver, i would have used it. its got so many problems/missing parts that its just not worth it. but actually, since mine is green, it fits the turdle name better than a black truck anyhow!
 






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