Willzilla's 2000 5.0L AWD Turbo Xploder

Hello everyone... My name is Will, I live outside of Memphis TN, and recently (couple week now) purchased Justin146's explorer. She has a little over 100k miles on it but overall is in fantastic condition except for a few issues that he told me about before I bought the X.

Issues were... PCV valve shot and the X pukes oil on itself from the valve cover breather... Exhaust manifold leaking due to broken/twisted bolts (he gave me a brand new set of stainless FMS headers, gaskets, and hardware)... Broken fog light housing... and everything that occurs to a car that has sat for 2+ years, lol.

Anyways... I flushed out the old nasty rusted out coolant and put some fresh stuff in with some water wetter... I drained out the old oil and put in some 5W20 Mobile 1 synthetic oil and filter... Replaced the rigged up PCV valve setup with an '86 SVO Mustang PCV valve.

What I have planned... Replace all remaining fluids (ie tranny, etc)... Replace the rusted turbo piping and most of the couplers (old, cracking, etc)... Replace rotors and pads... HID match the fog lights to the head lights... Hook up the XM radio stuff... Have the exhaust manifold removed and install the FMS headers (header wrapped) and run 2.5" exhaust from each header Y piped together to 3" straight back to the turbo, and 3.5" or so pipe straight off the turbo... And lots more I'm sure.

Current issues... Door locks sometimes don't want to lock/unlock on drivers side with the remote... They click but sometimes won't fully lock or unlock... Odd... But does not happen often and just noticed it.... Big issue right now though is that I cannot make any boost over 1psi... I've already pulled off both the WG and BOV and took them fully apart, cleaned, and put them back together and re-installed them and the issue remains... Checked all couplers and piping and all looks good, I hear no hissing from anywhere either, so... Issue remains, will look into further during the week or this upcoming weekend or something...

Pictures to come... For more of a background on the X check out Justin146's original thread at http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169060.

Thanks!

 

[willzilla]

transfer case also uses mercron 5, you may need to replace the rear wire arm and not just the blade.

Ok, so, just the same stuff as the transmission? Cool. How much fluid does the t-case hold? I read the front and rear diffs each hold about 2 qts of their fluids?

I was reading in a few places about the rear wiper arm got a revised unit because the problem I'm describing being a very common one... Now to hunt down the exact part number.

 

[techieman33]

Ok, so, just the same stuff as the transmission? Cool. How much fluid does the t-case hold? I read the front and rear diffs each hold about 2 qts of their fluids?

I was reading in a few places about the rear wiper arm got a revised unit because the problem I'm describing being a very common one... Now to hunt down the exact part number.

The rear diff holds around 2.5 quarts, front diff around 1.5 quarts, and the transfer case is around 1.5 quarts. If you run synthetic fluids in the rear you may not need the friction modifier. I would just add the diff fluid at first and drive it around a bit, if the clutches chatter than add about an ounce of the modifier, and try again, giving the friction modifier a little time to work itself around to the clutches.

 

[willzilla]

Yeah, the manual calls for synthetic in the rear with friction modifier (i think 3oz or so?) if you have the LSD, which I do... Would it be ok to just play it safe and run that? Rather not have to add, check, add, check, add more, or whatever, lol... Thanks for all the info!! I'd get "reps", but this isn't bodybuilding.com, haha

 

[willzilla]

Also... "Can" you run synthetic up front (would be be "better"?) of the same weight as suggested, 80W-90?

 

[techieman33]

Yes you can run synthetic in the front. You can go ahead and put the friction modifier if you want, less friction modifier just makes the clutches grab a little harder. If you putting synthetic in everything it would Probably be worth finding an amsoil dealer in your area, it's excellent fluid and these days it's a lot cheaper than royal purple, and similar in price to mobil 1.

 

[willzilla]

Thanks... I will look around... I've always ran Mobile 1 in my cars and RP in my SVTfocus... But if Amsoil is good stuff, and cheaper than RP, well... Can't go wrong there... Seems hard to find a lot of options with Mobile 1 where I live outside of the standard oil weights.

Yes you can run synthetic in the front. You can go ahead and put the friction modifier if you want, less friction modifier just makes the clutches grab a little harder. If you putting synthetic in everything it would Probably be worth finding an amsoil dealer in your area, it's excellent fluid and these days it's a lot cheaper than royal purple, and similar in price to mobil 1.

 

[willzilla]

Reading around it appears I should be fine without any friction modifier if I run mobile 1 or amsoil in the rear... Like you said I will give it a whirl and it looks easy to just add a dab if it chatters!

 

[willzilla]

Looking at the AMSOIL transmission fluid... This won't blow up the transmission or anything as it's "not?" MERCRON V?

 

[techieman33]

Looking at the AMSOIL transmission fluid... This won't blow up the transmission or anything as it's "not?" MERCRON V?

their site reccomends the Synthetic Universal Automatic Transmission Fluid, and if you click the more info button it says that it is compatible with mercron V, there are people on this site running it and I've never heard of anyone having issues.

 

[willzilla]

Sounds good... Purchasing a 6 month trial, as well as:

2 qts SAE 80W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube (for front diff)
3 qts SEVERE GEAR 75W-140 Synthetic EP (for rear diff)
2 qts Synthetic Multi-Vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid (for t-case)

Total was $93, shipped... Cheaper than Mobile 1... Without the 6 month trial membership the cost was a little over $100 shipped.. Nice!

 

[willzilla]

Going to do the transmission fluid in a few months.

 

[techieman33]

Didn't need to have it shipped, you could have probably found someone local to sell it to you.

 

[willzilla]

Didn't need to have it shipped, you could have probably found someone local to sell it to you.

Yeah... shipping was only around $7... The closet person was about 40 minutes or so from me... Add that to my laziness and $7 wasn't too bad Lol.

 

[techieman33]

ah ok, cheaper to pay shipping then.

 

[willzilla]

ah ok, cheaper to pay shipping then.

Yeah... Wasn't bad... The preferred customer discount is HUGE.

 

[willzilla]

The powerstop brakes are still stopping the Xploder on a DIME, and look brand new (zero rust)... Awesome

 

[willzilla]

More issues/to-do stuff:

- Figure out why the front driver side door lock sometimes does not fully unlock (via remote) and i have to almost force twist and turn the key in the door to get it to fully unlock.
- Mess with the driver side window, it kinds of go up/down a little sluggish and leaves streak marks.
- Fix crack in my windshield from some idiot in a truck tossing a rock into it from his back tire while he was racing around. Crack is a small star and then a 2-3" branch crack from it... Going to use http://www.crackeraser.com/store/983543/?sitecookie=1a09fcade2c29cde27168150fe4042be and hope for the best! Lol.
- TIRES! And maybe new black/gun-metal rims.
- Mess with the hatch... Sometimes it does not want to close completely (latch down into place).
- Hook up wiper fluid reservoir.
- CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN!!! Inside & out, lol.
- I'm sure a lot more...

 

[willzilla]

Ok... Front hubs have been replaced... Much smooth/quieter! Hooray!

Had power steering issue that cropped up (shuttered at low speed when turning the wheel and the power steering pump was very noisy) but went away a few days later.

Should be done this week or early next week:

* copper plugs (gapped .033)
* new plug wires
* vac leak figured out/resolved
* exhaust mapped out/priced: FMS header install, 2.5" pipes Y'd immediately to 3" back to the turbo through a single muffler, no cats, and 4" right off the turbo... Still weighing options on what muffler to run
* t-case, front diff, rear diff replaced with fresh AMSOIL fluids
* fresh synthetic oil and filter
* fog lights replaced with new housing and new super white bulbs
* measurements taken on charge piping and all new piping, couplers, clamps, etc, priced

 

[Xeek]

if you buy another wiper arms thatll work. not sure what the its made of on the '00 but on my 91 my rear wiper didnt make much contact and creaked/banged around. i just bent the arm some and tested the wiper and eventually got to to work perfect

 

[willzilla]

if you buy another wiper arms thatll work. not sure what the its made of on the '00 but on my 91 my rear wiper didnt make much contact and creaked/banged around. i just bent the arm some and tested the wiper and eventually got to to work perfect

Yeah, I am just going to pick up a new one... It doesn't look too much like something I could bend very well... I think the arms are only like $20 or so online.