What Did You Do To Your 3rd Gen Today?

[Limited02]

Washed and waxed the Explorer yesterday. Changed the oil/filter and installed my new cruise control cable this morning because I broke the old one when installing the TrickFlow throttle body. Going to clean the interior later today if time allows. She passed 200K miles last week and still running strong!

 

[ge2655]

Painted the grill, front wiper arms, plastic cowl under the wipers and the six window pillars. Never, ever would I have attempted these projects prior to reading this forum. Thank you.

Oh yeah, if I can do these minor improvements, ANYBODY can.

-Gary

 

[Tyleryac]

I got a much needed car wash

 

[ccm2001]

Greased my Moog ball joints. Wash & waxed, used a carpet cleaner inside,
Also took all my sparkplugs out to properly gap them and check up on them, also changed the enertia switch pigtail
Noticed my tensioner is making noise, next thing on my list

 

[wbrudi28]

over the past week I've changed the following with all OEM Motorcraft parts:

-Front + Rear chain tensioner...no more rattle!
-plugs & wires
-coolant flush
-tstat
-coolant resivoir cap
-fuel filter


just ordered today:
-2.25/1.75 BTF spacers
-BTF UCA


next few weeks need to install those and do my Efan conversion...pretty excited. pic is from last summer

 

[Number4]

Replaced the tstat housing on my 4.0. I used Gates hoses, I recomend using OE on this application. Two of the aftermarket hoses are 'cut-to-fit.'
Another tight fit pita job.

Bought a new temp sensor, but the damn thing wouldn't go in. Put new o-ring on old sensor and reused it.

 

[motc777]

Did something on my 2004 Mountaineer that I've never done on any car...I replaced my front upper control arm, passenger side. Waiting for my driver's side upper to arrive and put that one in.

Did it all with hand tools and PB Blaster. Felt pretty stoked about doing it. I'm an IT guy.

 

[motc777]

Well, Thursday I got the drivers side upper control arm and figured that it would go about the same as the passenger.....that is about where all hell broke loose.

I got to the point where you are to bang up with a hammer on the control arm to separate it from the wheel, and did that for what seemed like 45 minutes...It wasn't moving. Got my brother in law to help and bang it happened. The control arm released!.....while leaving the ball joint firmly stuck in the wheel knuckle(that might not be the right description)

So I got an angle grinder and cut it off. That's when we noticed that somehow it had swollen in the bolt hole. Got a propane torch and heated it up and finally it came loose with no other damage. Got it changed out!

Take it for a test drive and I hear a growling noise coming from the driver's side front wheel area....bearings are bad...fantastic.

Got a new hub with bearing and changed that out today. First time ever doing that job and it wasn't bad at all! Feeling really confident now that with the right tools, can pretty much work on anything on this vehicle. Later on this evening, replacing air filter and cleaning out the power receptacles because they are not making good contact.

 

[wbrudi28]

Feeling really confident now that with the right tools, can pretty much work on anything on this vehicle.

congrats man. the right tools make it very easy to get the job done. they also keep you from breaking other stuff...or hurting yourself.


changed my fuel filter today...full tune up complete. Next up is the BTF lift kit, waiting for that to come in the mail

 

[IPcamper]

Yesterday, while having my daughter out driving, had the radio off for the first time in a long time, and heard a clicking sound from the engine. One of the idler pulleys was going, and the belt was looking worn on the back side. So, today I replaced the idler pulleys and the tensioner assembly and put a new belt on. Nice and quiet now.

 

[drdoom]

Installed the tow hooks and changed the front differential fluid.

 

[drdoom]

Went ahead and changed spark plugs too.

 

[5whiskey]

I had the dreaded "cracked plastic t-stat housing coolant leak." I drive like an old man most of the time, but leaving the house a couple of days ago I decided to "clean the carbon out" by laying in it one time. I looked behind and saw a cloud of white smoke. Pulled over, opened the hood... there was about a 6" crack in the manifold seeping water and everything under the hood was drenched.

Dreading the chore of having to replace the entire intake manifold, what really ticked me off was having to spend the money. Luckily I happened to find an '02 mountaineer at the local pick and pull. It had a manifold with an aluminum t-stat housing. Either Mounty's got this upgrade or it was factory repaired later because it wasn't a dorman (had Ford emblems and part numbers stamped everywhere). I got it and everything else I needed for $50.00. Did the swap yesterday afternoon and all is well again. Today I plan to wash and detail the interior. I think I'll change the front diff. fluid soon too.

 

[drdoom]

Good find, whiskey. Well done.

 

[trucku]

I had the dreaded "cracked plastic t-stat housing coolant leak." I drive like an old man most of the time, but leaving the house a couple of days ago I decided to "clean the carbon out" by laying in it one time. I looked behind and saw a cloud of white smoke. Pulled over, opened the hood... there was about a 6" crack in the manifold seeping water and everything under the hood was drenched.

Dreading the chore of having to replace the entire intake manifold, what really ticked me off was having to spend the money. Luckily I happened to find an '02 mountaineer at the local pick and pull. It had a manifold with an aluminum t-stat housing. Either Mounty's got this upgrade or it was factory repaired later because it wasn't a dorman (had Ford emblems and part numbers stamped everywhere). I got it and everything else I needed for $50.00. Did the swap yesterday afternoon and all is well again. Today I plan to wash and detail the interior. I think I'll change the front diff. fluid soon too.

Can you get a part number off the housing? My thermostat housing, second one, is leaking now.

Found it..yikes $179

 

[ge2655]

Went to local junkyard and picked up a rear bumper step pad to replace a damaged one I had on the vehicle for years.

Cost $12.00

 

[drdoom]

Put on four new 255/70R17 Nitto Terra grappler ATs, plus a well used 265 for a spare. Replaced cracked rim in the process.

 

[Tyleryac]

Picked up car from dealer after TPMS service

 

[drdoom]

New 255 Nittos.

 

[Sweersa]

Pulled the wire boot in the driver's side door jamb aside to check for broken wires, and I found the black ground wire broken in two (this was the cause of my door ajar issue) and some other wires were beginning to break, so I also cut those up and soldered in longer wires between the ends, then wrapped them in heat shrink tube.

Works great now! Door ajar message is gone, and the interior lights go off when they are supposed to and I no longer have to manually turn them off so they don't kill my battery.

Yesterday my dad and I did brakes all around.