Exploder... good, bad, or ugly?

Caver Dave

Caver Dave

Just holdin' it down here in BFV
Moderator
Joined
Mar 10, 2005
Location
Hooterville (24171)
Long story short... my parents have a 2000 Explorer XLT 4.0L automatic 4x4 that's immaculate (aside from the cruise buttons & console lid looking like a flesh eating virus has attacked). Has 140k, brand new Michelins, and was previously serviced 100% by dealer in GSO (Dad used to work for one of Deans numerous businesses).

Health, finances, disuse, etc. has led them to sell it and it actually fits a need for us... seats 4 adults + gear, 4x4, room for the 90# dog, trailer hitch, etc. versus cramming in my DD/wifes RC Ranger, or firing up the Dually.

Ever since @shawn spilled the beans about owning one, I felt a little better (very little) at the prospect.

Anyway, looking to the collective on issues likely to popup that will need to be addressed, aside from the cankered CC buttons & arm rest...

:beer:
 
2004 V8 4x4 with turd row and 217k USE to be my daily driver from 2007-2014

Now it's used to recon grading work on my acreage, bombing open fields, terrifying @Jason W. as well as shuttle use when the kids are home from college and we all want to go somewhere.

100k services are important. Plugs, coils, water pump, timing.

Both front and rear blend door actuators have taken a shit. It's a plastic spur gear, and it WILL break. Fixed the front....rear stuck on cold, which is fine. Front heat works well enough for the whole interior.

Indoor/outdoor blend door died as well. Ziptie MacGyve fix later and it's fine.

Exterior door handles will break, just a matter of when, and what ice storm will separate you from your accessing the inside one cold ass morning.

I've sufficiently tried to kill this 4.6 and tranny, and it's proven to be a worthy adversary, but the 8.8 sings like a mob informant, and has since day 1.

Use to eat wheel bearings like orange tictacs but hasn't done so in 40k or so

The rear hatch (top one) will crack just below the glass. Again, if it hasn't, just a matter of time

That's about all I can think of that's happened to mine....it paid for itself in the first year of ownership. I'm just simply abusing it till I actually kill it now. And it's resilience is starting to piss me off
 
Exploder = poop.

They earned their nickname for a reason.

I back in the day saw way too many of them with less than 80k with major issues, timing chain, trans, transfer case and front suspension.

Nothing useful to add other than that.
 
Timing chain stuff. Tensioner. I really like the older square style. My father drove a pile of these things after the TBird was dropped. I took one to my prom. The 4.0 is fairly tough the trans however I would tow much over a seadoo.
 
Echoing.

Any Ford OHC motor timing chain guides/tensioner.. the 4.0 sohc requires motor removal to access rear chain & guides. You said v8, what displacement?

Trans are a little weak but not Chrysler weak.

I'd run the piss out of it. If the timing components go out (usually make noise before they fubar the motor), I'd move it on to a new home, but usually I've seen them go out around 150-220.
 
We have the Sport Trac. Salvage title 150,000 er so and the only problem has been the timing tensioner and a fuel line issue thats a witch to fix.
it is a MUST to use factory upgraded parts on the timing chain fix. Parts store parts made it exactly 2 weeks before failing.


Matt
 
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