[cajunfj40]

Hello all,

OK, so I'm still driving this thing. Averaging around 18mpg commuting. Gets about 2,500-3,000 miles before it starts to intermittently miss and idle rough, then I change the spark plug on #3. Last time that happened, I tossed a spark plug anti-fouler on it, now I get an odd noise that seems engine-speed-related. Could be pinging? Dunno. Need to get some round-tuits together and yank that anti-fouler to see if it changes. Ran great for a while despite the noise, now it's rough again - and sooner than last time.

Found a slight coolant leak around the thermostat housing, tightened the bolts, stopped it. No more coolant smell. Doesn't seem to be using any coolant right now, which is odd if it has a crack in the head. Burning oil smell seems gone, too - guess what was leftover spillage after I redid all the manifold gaskets and valve cover gaskets finally burned off?

Picked up a 1997 Explorer, also a manual trans, including renting a truck and tow-dolly, for under $600. It has about the same mileage, and the engine is a drop-in swap except for some sensors and such. Fully compatible with the stock computer, Y-pipe, etc. Has reciepts for a new clutch, new hydraulic throwout bearing and master, resurfaced flywheel, new front hubs, new brakes all around, new shocks all around, fresh fluids, etc. Think it also has a new EGR valve, too. Has a bad transfercase, is why it was so cheap. Plus it's got no rocker panels left and a crappy flat-black rattle-can paint job. It also has freshly rebuilt axles with 4:10 gears, new seals, and an LSD in the rear, plus a set of lift rear shackles, and a set of basically new Kenda Klever MT 32x11.5R15 mud tires on new black steel rims with the right backspacing. They fit the wheelwells nicely, only a bit of rubbing evident. Some extra tightening of the torsion bar adjusters in front was done to level it out and clear the tires.

It was cheaper to buy the whole truck than all those new parts would have been - the tires and wheels alone would cost about that!

Bought it to get the engine so I could refurbish that one, and then just do a like-for-like engine swap over a weekend. Being able to work on the engine on a stand outside the vehicle will be much easier than trying to swap heads in the truck. Plus I can get to *all* the seals, so the darn thing won't leak at all. Not sure whether to splurge for new rocker arms/pushrods while I have it apart - these things have bad rocker oiling, so they wear the pushrod sockets and tops of pushrods out, making for a ticking noise that sounds like a lifter that hasn't pumped up yet. Hopefully this shortblock is sound.

No success on doing a leakdown test yet - mainly because no time to do it right. Too much going on, and it is a royal pain to get the sparkplugs out to do. Anyone have any experience with a good swivel or universal type 5/8" spark plug socket? I can get a "plain" one - standard universal joint type connection built into an overall ~3" long socket so I can get a wrench right up and personal with the socket, or add extensions as needed. Then there are the beefier "impact" style ones, an inch or so longer, that seem to be a ball and socket type joint that can't flex as far. Then there's the "magnetic swivel" ones, basically the same as the impact ones but less heavy duty and a bit longer - minimum is I think 4", but have 6" and 11" ones.

Added it all up a few weekends ago - net all-in including fluids and chemicals and gloves and whatnot, not including tools, I've got about $3400 into the pair of trucks. Sunk costs, but this is supposed to be a "hobby restart" - if I could find time to do anything. House projects piling up, etc...

Lots of plans. Too many plans. Need to simplify. This isn't really the "right" truck, so it isn't worth sinking a lot more money into, but it is cheap, and I already have it. I just need to plan out the build to get it done with a minimum of hassle and additional part spend. I have all the right parts to put together a midly lifted beefy mud-tire equipped truck, with an LSD rear and proper gearing for the tires. I only need to spend on some bushings and gaskets and rubber parts for engine mounts and the like, plus maybe a few trim pieces. Got to test the power steering pump to see if it is less noisy than mine, and if it is, it gets swapped in, too.

Ecomodder-related content: When I swap out all the bits, I'll be draining and re-filling fluids, so I'll get to do a synthetic swap! I also have a spare radiator and fan shroud, so I can cobble together and test-fit an electric fan setup in the spare truck that'll be easy to drop in when I do the engine swap. Parts Truck came with a reasonably OK fairly new DVD-player type stereo that has bluetooth, and speaks iPhone, so it will display whatever app your phone is using. I can get one of a number of vehicle gauge applications and a dongle and have a good screen for gauges, if at radio level. Or craigslist it and put the cash towards a ScanGauge and a phone cradle.

At some point I should dig around and find a cheap 12V power steering pump, just enough to keep air out of the system to avoid deathwobble. Then I can try EOC.

Aeromods - I can probably remove the roof rack easily enough. Parts truck has all the factory skidplates my truck lacks, so those will go on and provide places to hang coroplast or similar material "full-length skidplate templates" AKA aero belly pans. Question: any advantage to a "high in the rear" rake vs. level for aero? I have found that the rear air "helper shocks" my truck has need about 40-50psi in them to keep the truck level - I think someone twisted the front torsion bars up for a lift. Swapping from the helper shocks to a lift shackle will make for a non-pressure-dependant 1 to 1.5" lift in the rear vs. stock. Some kind of quick-disconnect airdam could be in the offing, too. Might be interesting to test A vs B with an airdam for my commute.

Already running at ~40-42PSI on the tires. Due to the hard ride, I had to stop driving on the dirt road, though, even though it was an effective shortcut of relatively constant 35mph vs. stop and go on the 55mph paved road. Right rear leaf spring shackle is cracked in two spots and bending a bit - best to keep from hammering it so it can last until I put the lift shackles on.

General eco-driving, well, not doing much of anything right now. My schedule is totally messed up, watching tenths of an hour, so I'm "going with the flow" instead of setting the cruise. Should be able to fix that in about 3 weeks or so, at least. Oddly, it hasn't affected mpg that much, if at all. Even with some hard pulls out of my subdivision to get up to 55mph ahead of traffic. I know putting the lower gears and heavier/wider mud terrain tires on will sap some efficiency, so I'll have to put some work into eco-driving to get that back. Should be an interesting game.

That's enough yammering for now.