My $1500 hooptie came with a Fumoto valve

[01rangerxl]

Back in September my beloved 1994 Explorer was wrecked after someone pulled out in front of it. After a frustrating replacement search, I bought a run/drive $1500 2WD hooptie from a local dirt lot just to have a Ranger based Explorer. 1997 2WD XLT 4.0 SOHC, white with metallic gray lower tu tone. It's actually pretty clean aside from some light fender and hood damage, has 2 original keys, remotes, owners manuals, everything. Even jack and tools.

Anyway, the shop at work finally started on it today since it needs maintenance and ball joints. It wasn't long before the oil changer came up and said "the plug is weird, come look at it." Turns out my hooptie has a Fumoto valve on it. Not a knockoff, a made in Japan Fumoto valve. Also a rusty Motorcraft oil filter. I think it was very well cared for at one time, but wound up sitting and forgotten until it made sense to trade it. It was traded at a Dodge/Jeep dealer out in the country, then a wholesaler bought it at auction, and I bought it from him. The thing has been on a tour of central AL over the last month with ancient oil and filter, tires, etc. The wholesaler did not trailer it, just drove it back from the auction, and it has been driven around since. When the oil changer at work said I needed to look at it, I fully expected some kind of expansion plug disaster, but it was a fully functional legit Fumoto valve. Makes me hopeful for this truck.

 

[bdcardinal]

Score!! Very cool. I still like those Explorers.

 

[dishdude]

It looks like someone loved it. I was out for a bike ride today and saw an early 90's two tone tan Explorer that looked like it just rolled off the showroom floor. Thing was sweet!

 

[daves87rs]

Looks good....pretty good for 1500!

 

[Lyman]

Owned a 99 Explorer with the 5.0 It was one of the best vehicles I ever owned.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I would have fixed the old one. But that’s nice too so much better than anything made today.

 

[CKN]

The pinnacle of the BITOG experience. Buying a beater for cheap and hoping to drive it for 300,000 miles..........

 

[supton]

The pinnacle of the BITOG experience. Buying a beater for cheap and hoping to drive it for 300,000 miles..........

Jealous?

 

[Donald]

The pinnacle of the BITOG experience. Buying a beater for cheap and hoping to drive it for 300,000 miles..........

You drive it first as family car until wife says its too embarrassing for her to ride in. Then for another 200,000 miles until she says its too embarrassing to have on your property. Then sell to a poor college guy.

 

[bcossa2020]

You drive it first as family car until wife says its too embarrassing for her to ride in. Then for another 200,000 miles until she says its too embarrassing to have on your property. Then sell to a poor college guy.

 

[exranger06]

Sorry to hear about the '94. Hope you're ok; that's the most important thing. Let me know if you need any parts. I still have some parts from my '99 that I parted out. You can have anything for the cost of shipping.

 

[01rangerxl]

I would have fixed the old one. But that’s nice too so much better than anything made today.

I would have liked to, it was a really good truck, but the damage was pretty significant. Even though it would still run and move under its own power, the radiator was pushed back into the engine, every part of the body ahead of the firewall was damaged, the suspension was damaged, and the frame was probably damaged. If I had my own shop or free storage space I probably would have kept it, at least to properly part out, but I don't really have enough room to keep a major project like that around. It's going to provide some really good parts for other older Rangers and Explorers though.

Sorry to hear about the '94. Hope you're ok; that's the most important thing. Let me know if you need any parts. I still have some parts from my '99 that I parted out. You can have anything for the cost of shipping.

Thankfully I wasn't hurt, the cab held up really well. Thanks for the offer! I'll let you know.

 

[Vegoose]

Owned a 99 Explorer with the 5.0 It was one of the best vehicles I ever owned.

I had a 98 Eddie Bauer edition with the V8. It was two-tone black & gold. By today's standards, it was pretty ugly but it was also one of the most reliable and comfortable vehicles I've owned. It had a minor exhaust leak when the engine was cold but went away quickly once warmed up. I used it to tow a small pop-up camper all over the western US and never let me down!

 

[350Rocket]

My fiancee was fine with riding in this in the winter. She drives a 2013 Sonata. I only got rid of it for trade on a body and paint job on my 2005 Silverado with 200k that I plan to run for another 300k. Lol.

 

[Rand]

are you sure its the SOHC, both 4.0's were available in '97 iirc.

if so I hope the timing chain tensioners have been updated.. thats a bear of a job.. at least for the rear one.

 

[350Rocket]

are you sure its the SOHC, both 4.0's were available in '97 iirc.

if so I hope the timing chain tensioners have been updated.. thats a bear of a job.. at least for the rear one.

I worked at ford in the mid 2000s and we saw so many timing chain failures I assumed every one of the 4.0 sohc would fail at some point. The older OHV ones would crack cylinder heads. Working there soured me on any of these except the 5.0. Quitting there and going to GM around 2005 made me even more of a gm guy.

Since then I've seen some newer 4.0 sohc last a while and they seem to be pretty solid (still saw us have to put a used engine in a mid 2000s Ranger when the timing chains started rattling at 120k at the independent I worked at a few years back).

Nothing is perfect but I'd be cautious about timing chains on an older 4.0 sohc. The one upside is I've never seen one grenade, they usually just started knocking.

 

[01rangerxl]

I worked at ford in the mid 2000s and we saw so many timing chain failures I assumed every one of the 4.0 sohc would fail at some point. The older OHV ones would crack cylinder heads. Working there soured me on any of these except the 5.0. Quitting there and going to GM around 2005 made me even more of a gm guy.

Since then I've seen some newer 4.0 sohc last a while and they seem to be pretty solid (still saw us have to put a used engine in a mid 2000s Ranger when the timing chains started rattling at 120k at the independent I worked at a few years back).

Nothing is perfect but I'd be cautious about timing chains on an older 4.0 sohc. The one upside is I've never seen one grenade, they usually just started knocking.

I have had really good experiences with OHV 4.0s, the wrecked truck was the third one I had with that engine, and it ran great at 257K miles. Originally I was ONLY considering the OHV and 5.0, and did not know which engine this one had before going to look at it on a whim. I had cash in hand when I first looked at it, but initially walked entirely due to it having the SOHC. After sleeping on it, and given how it ran, I went back and got it the next day. It has 217K miles, NO timing chain rattle at any RPM even when cold, and runs like new. Given the early year and high miles, I think there's no way it hasn't had updated parts installed. I have seen repaired/updated SOHCs with 300-400K on them, and given the overall condition and price, I figured it was worth the gamble.

 

[Rand]

the org. ford recall which was in 2003ish? from memory only replaced the front they only replaced the back if it started rattling too..
I owned a 2002 ranger and we had a 2005 ranger with MT in the family both 4.sohc

The internal clutch slave cylinder on those always failed around 8 years in or 80-120k miles.. like clockwork

 

[jagdriver727]

Nice!
My ‘96 Explorer 5.0 XLT was one of the best daily drivers I ever had. Was my company car from new, I got the option to buy it after 2 years and drove it daily until buying a new Explorer 4.6 Limited in 2006. Kept it around until 2017 when I gave it to a colleague in need of a car, as far as I know he’s still driving it. Had well over 400k at the time.

It was quiet, powerful, extremely comfortable and got reasonably good gas mileage for the time. If I could find another in clean shape I’d buy it in a heartbeat. Hope you get many years of service out of yours.

 

[Falcon_LS]

Congrats!

My only suggestion, if you plan on keeping this truck, would be an all-aluminum thermostat housing from Simmon Autosportz.