What did YOU do to your Explorer today? | Page 22 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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What did YOU do to your Explorer today?

Bilsteins-- last shocks got blown out off roading, hense the damp spots......
there were jackstands!
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This past weekend, I finally got around to working on the brakes. I noticed the front pads were kind of thin when I rebuilt the front suspension a few months ago, but since I don't drive her much, I figured the repair would be down the road some. Well, with hunting season fast approaching, it was time.

I went ahead and got rear shoes along with the front pads so I could possibly address the initial left-rear lock-up when you first hit the brakes in the morning. This has been happening for quite a few years and just happens once with the first stab of the brake pedal.

Front pads were easy and I made quick time of the pad swap. The rear... that took a bit longer!

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I got the passenger rear done first, then set about getting the driver side done. As soon as I took the driver side drum off, I noticed a slight wetness on the wheel cyliner dust boot. Great! As I was searching town for parts, the passenger wheel cylinder started leaking... WTF? :eek:
As it was, I had to hit two different parts stores just for the pads, shoes, and brake kits. Turns out there was only one store (in all of San Antonio) that had wheel cylinders! And it was a different one from the first two! (And this was across three different national chains!)

So, my "couple hour" brake job ended up lasting a total of 6 hours! Final piece of the puzzle was flushing out the old brake fluid with a pressure bleeder, and then I was done. So far, no leaks and the intial drive the next morning showed no signs of the old "lock-up" issue in the rear brakes!
 






I'm digging the magnetic can holder on the quarter panel! Your drink is wherever you need it.
 






I'm digging the magnetic can holder on the quarter panel! Your drink is wherever you need it.
Yeah, I have two of those and they are my second favorite type of koozie! And they will hold a full 16-ouncer stuck like that! Very cool.
I needed that "refreshment" after the issue I had with the wheel cylinders....

Edit to add: I was wondering when someone would notice that!
 












This past weekend, I finally got around to working on the brakes. I noticed the front pads were kind of thin when I rebuilt the front suspension a few months ago, but since I don't drive her much, I figured the repair would be down the road some. Well, with hunting season fast approaching, it was time.

I went ahead and got rear shoes along with the front pads so I could possibly address the initial left-rear lock-up when you first hit the brakes in the morning. This has been happening for quite a few years and just happens once with the first stab of the brake pedal.

Front pads were easy and I made quick time of the pad swap. The rear... that took a bit longer!

View attachment 323597 View attachment 323598

I got the passenger rear done first, then set about getting the driver side done. As soon as I took the driver side drum off, I noticed a slight wetness on the wheel cyliner dust boot. Great! As I was searching town for parts, the passenger wheel cylinder started leaking... WTF? :eek:
As it was, I had to hit two different parts stores just for the pads, shoes, and brake kits. Turns out there was only one store (in all of San Antonio) that had wheel cylinders! And it was a different one from the first two! (And this was across three different national chains!)

So, my "couple hour" brake job ended up lasting a total of 6 hours! Final piece of the puzzle was flushing out the old brake fluid with a pressure bleeder, and then I was done. So far, no leaks and the intial drive the next morning showed no signs of the old "lock-up" issue in the rear brakes!

I just did the same - though my shoes fit so tightly in the drum I had to hammer it in place, and I'm pretty sure it's dragging quite a bit. I have the adjuster on the bottom screwed all the way in...I may have to shave it down some to get them to fit without dragging on both sides.
 






I just did the same - though my shoes fit so tightly in the drum I had to hammer it in place, and I'm pretty sure it's dragging quite a bit. I have the adjuster on the bottom screwed all the way in...I may have to shave it down some to get them to fit without dragging on both sides.
You may want to pull it back apart and look at the shoes again. Try to see if you can tell if they are hanging up at the top or bottom of the shoe pad. It sounds like something isn't seated quite right and that's pushing the pads out.

My first suspect would be the Parking Brake Link which is the long, flat bar that sits just below the wheel cylinder (with the red oval spring on it in my pic above).
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Check to make sure it is seated on the shoes correctly.
 






You may want to pull it back apart and look at the shoes again. Try to see if you can tell if they are hanging up at the top or bottom of the shoe pad. It sounds like something isn't seated quite right and that's pushing the pads out.

My first suspect would be the Parking Brake Link which is the long, flat bar that sits just below the wheel cylinder (with the red oval spring on it in my pic above).
View attachment 323810

Check to make sure it is seated on the shoes correctly.

Fair point. I spent a little while jiggling stuff and tapping it with a small hammer to make sure things were seated back, and I didn't notice anything out of place, but it shouldn't be as hard to assemble as it was...so perhaps I did miss something. I'll take it apart and look again.
 






Trying to get springs all put back in place caused me to "relocate" a few pieces along the way. ;)
I had to re-set a few things a couple times!
 






Trying to get springs all put back in place caused me to "relocate" a few pieces along the way. ;)
I had to re-set a few things a couple times!

I figured out my mistake when doing the other side - I had the adjuster installed the wrong way. All good now!
 






It's been a while since I've even touched an Explorer, but I was able to get a couple things done this weekend. I had ripped the park brake cables out of my lifted '94 XLT during an off road experience and hadn't gotten around to doing anything about it. I had always had issues with them after the lift for obvious reasons. I had ordered cables for a 94 ranger short bed. They went on perfect and are about 8 inches longer over all. Now I've got a park brake again and I won't have to worry about the cables being pulled by the suspension. It will just be something from the woods reaching up and grabbing them instead!

My 94 limited has had an engine squeak for some time. It squalls and squeals on and off until it warms up. I've had it out and replaced cam bearings amoung other things, thinking that was the case; to no difference. That was several years ago. My vehicles don't get driven much. Long story short, I read on this forum about a guy who had his cam sensor out and found it dry. He had a similar noise. A little engine oil in it's bearing solved his squeak, I thought it was about time I did the same. Off came the hood and upper intake. A small amount of oil and a broken EGR valve body later = no more squeak.

At least I have another little bit to do to an Explorer when Rockauto sends me the parts I ordered. But of all things to work on, EGR tubes and exhaust manifolds are not my favorite choice.
 






Have the motor torn apart....cleaning sludge everywhere for days. Ordering new parts...Porting intakes removed power steering trying to figure out how to make the crank pulley only run water pump, tensioner and fan ... I'll be cleaning all week by the looks of it had a couple gaskets leaked for years.
 






Not today but over the last week or so 1in phenolic spacer 24lbs injectors fixed a few vacuum lines, valve cover gaskets, pcv valve, cleaned everything in and out, little paint here and there, readjusted tps idle stop ect. heater core hoses, thermostat, flushed antifrozen oh and honed/just cleaned up as much of the casting crumbs i could get to in intake.
 






Not today but over the last week or so 1in phenolic spacer 24lbs injectors fixed a few vacuum lines, valve cover gaskets, pcv valve, cleaned everything in and out, little paint here and there, readjusted tps idle stop ect. heater core hoses, thermostat, flushed antifrozen oh and honed/just cleaned up as much of the casting crumbs i could get to in intake.
How are those 24lb injectors working out?
 






actually quite well, i was worried th computer would not compensate for extra fuel but it seems to be doing just fine, im having a slight issue after idling for long periods of time where it seems to get on the rich side but that is because my adjuster i had installed come to find out after 2 days of adjusting and head scratching went bad, but i have another at my pops place ill pull the one off the hot rod if i have too. None the less i only put them on because i already had them for the 5.0 ranger but used differnt ones on it and the ones in the truck had never been changed. The thing i can say most is going from the 4 to 6 hole pattern made the difference and also help the computer figure it all out, more fuel but a much better spray so it still "appears" as less. And when i talk about the idle i did so much at once im still not blaming it on the injectors alone yet, the new tstat seems to be keeping it a bit too cold. So its all still really coming together but i have still a few diff cobra maffs ect to try and spare ecms if i have problems. The actual issue is after idling for a long time 15+ minutes (ac cb radio ect ect on) the idle will start to wobble just a few10ths worth and work its way up to 100s but just give the gas a quick tap it clears its throat and fine again. But that still isnt right so...
 












Any suggestions to solve the weepy valve cover gaskets? I replaced mine with two brand new high quality MAHL gaskets, and they're leaking from the area where the head sealing surface meets the intake manifold sealing surface. I don't know who thought that would be a good design....
 






Lol lol lol yeas imma go with no gasket and a shi****d of black etc silicone all around like a whole 1oz package on each valve cover..haha I'm like thinking the same thing...idk if it will work well. The package shows this technique in Spanish it says what I'm sure is Baja 2000" I think" idk but I seal oil pans all the time with rtv... I'm thinking it's too many angles for a gasket...
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What year is that mines a 91... Where is your engine ground?where's ur auto trans vaccum lines im like huh?
 



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What year is that mines a 91... Where is your engine ground?where's ur auto trans vaccum lines im like huh?

I hadn't reattached the ground yet at that point. Vacuum lines are all tucked back until I got the intake manifold on. Runs like a top now! Just working on other fiddly 30-year-old-truck things now!
 






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