96 4.0 Explorer XLT 4x4 Getting it back on the road

[Josh B]

Not making much progress but keep chipping away at the places I haven't figured out yet
This is as far as I've got, at least had hoped to get the intake manifold free today, but it's Saturday anyway, usually my day off

Here is the final hang-up, that pipe to center left, going in below the IAC ports

I was thinking this was involved but was on the wrong track there I suppose. I won't be able to get the lower intake until I round up some reverse torx sockets, but will go back together with at least the intake manifold gasket replaced and see how it does with that. I may need to get another intake gasket if it needs to be done again, but even having to do it twice will be alright, at least I'll have it figured out by then(maybe )

And here's what's holding it up, wondering if I turned the manifold a bit it would break free

 

[Josh B]

This is the gasket set I have

Is there even an intake manifold gasket in this set?

[/QUOTE]

 

[snoranger]

This is the gasket set I have
View attachment 34625

Is there even an intake manifold gasket in this set?

Yes there is.

 

[Josh B]

Yes there is.

I've been studying into that. It seems the O-ring ones are all I'll need for the upper and there's 6 so I won't need more to do it with the next time

 

[Josh B]

Getting it loose from that EGR riser was no piece of cake but It finally came on out and I got the upper intake cleaned up a bit and ready to go back

Got the top of the lower intake cleaned up a bit too.

That motor sure has a lot of grime around on it, funny that bottom is clean as can be. The EGR riser is also almost tar like, but I cannot see any smoke coming out anywhere? That curl at the top is also part of the reason it's so hard to get off and on

It gets stuck unless it comes straight up, and with that forward curve and the placement of the engine so close to the firewall, and the more than 2 inch bolts sticking up that it must clear to be rotated forward it takes some doing to get it out of there. It will get stuck and there is no way to proceed unless you go back and get it straight somehow, both coming out and going back in, it gets stuck and will not go in

Until you find the right angle, and then it just goes on it, as if nothing had ever happened

Thankfully I got the hardest part together before dark and was left with just the throttle cables, wiring connections and emissions stuff to reconnect, and refill the radiator( had to run a drop light for that, and the temps rapidly fell as I worked on it).

Got it all put back together and reconnected the battery, must have been near 10 last night. Just turned the key on to let the pump run about 3 times to recharge the fuel pressure, and then it started right up, even sounded a good bit better but I haven't got around yet to check for any further vacuum leaks.

Then took it for a 60 mile drive, basically a trip to Wmart and get gas. I'll try and summarize where's landed in a later post

 

[Uncle Gump]

That's called the angle of the dangle... there is a mystery spot you don't know about until you know... then you say... How did I just do that?

30 miles to Wally World... you must be really remote.

 

[4.0blue98]

Yeah that bend in the EGR tube was a pain when I did my upper gaskets. Sort of have to pull and rotate to get it off...

Geez that sounds sort of dirty.

 

[Josh B]

Yeah that bend in the EGR tube was a pain when I did my upper gaskets. Sort of have to pull and rotate to get it off...

Geez that sounds sort of dirty.

It's gummed up pretty bad in some places, even the throttle body back side has that much on it. Had a small can of TB cleaner but it was already half gone and didn't go far in getting it cleaned
I looked around both Wmart stores near here for Throttle Body spray but they no longer stock the full size cans, instead opting for a "package" that has a much smaller size TB with an also much smaller size MAF, for more than the individual cost of the larger cans before.
I haven't looked at auto stores it's probably higher still

I can't figure why the motor has that much inside but the tailpipe shows no emissions at all, and I don't think it's letting it out elsewhere

 

[Josh B]

The intake was quite a trip for me, never been in one before. Not that they're over complicated but one, two, and even 4 barrel carburetors seemed simpler, but mostly due to the congested maze of add-ons on newer systems, including ignition and emissions components along with the fuel delivery system components all pressed in there. But at least I'm getting my feet wet, even though this isn't the best time of year to be doing so, especially without a controlled environment of some sort to do it in.

After getting the upper intake off and realizing the reverse TORX tip bolts I'd read about were looking at me I knew that was as far as I could go this trip so tried to make the best I could of it while in that far.

There are numerous write-ups of the 4.0 OHV having problems with loosely torqued lower intake bolts so I decided to torque those before putting it back together, but had a number of other things to get addressed in there also. One of the front lower intake bolts was under the thermostat housing riser, and I had a new thermostat I hadn't used on the Ranger so after pulling that and getting it all cleaned up and reassembled, bolted it back down and patiently worked at getting the upper intake through the maze of maneuvers necessary to get it set back in place.

Then realized I was yet to have torqued the lower intake bolts, ADHD can be an interesting journey
So I took it back down, including the thermostat housing and it's near unreachable bolts.

Used a half inch 10-150lb torque wrench to get the 16lb torque they needed(book calls for 15-18 so I went low side of the middle to get 16). They were all stuck at first, but I first turned them downward with an average size 3/8 ratchet to get them free, then moved to the torque and began pulling them on down.
Some went possibly a turn and a half, but the "click" seemed to be about the right torque.
That was far as I could go without having the reverse torx socket to continue taking it farther apart.

After getting it back together around 9pm and filling the radiator I went for a drive.
It seemed mildly improved but still has most of the problems it had before to some extent.

It still seems very short on power, spiting and occasional backfire under acceleration, although not quite as bad as before. Were it an earlier design with a distributor I'd be trying to adjust the distributor timing at this point, because that's how it would seem with earlier engines, but am kind of lost with the technical details and operations of the newer systems

Actually believe it's guzzling gas more than before

 

[Josh B]

Well, I've driven it 65 miles since replacing the upper intake manifold gaskets and re-torquing the lower intake bolts and giving it a fill-up.
It's running like crap and used a half tank.

has 3 codes
174- Bank 2 lean
715- Turbine/Input Shaft Speed Sensor Circuit (confirmed)
P1151- No DTC Definition Found - See Service Manual (confirmed)

I pulled the accessory belt today and let it run while I tried finding the vacuum leak sound using the hose to me ear. It seems to be coming from the intake area from either side but holding the hose anywhere around it or inside it doesn't pinpoint a specific leak location that I can find

 

[4.0blue98]

That's some strange stuff!!! All that carbon buildup can't be good. I'd be tempted to dump a 20 oz or two 12 oz bottles of Techron in that 1/2 tank you have left and take it for a brisk run. I'm starting to wonder if the ECM is screwed up.

So if there is still an intake leak it's affecting bank two which is the drivers/left side. I thought if the intake gaskets are bad or fuel pressure was low there would be a 171 and 174. The p1151 is a Ford specific code. Here's a link: p1151

Sounds like it corroborates the 174 code. Maybe a bad O2 sensor??? Guessing here.

 

[Josh B]

Thanks Blue.
I had put new sensors(O2) on the Ranger about 6 months ago and recently swapped them over to the Explorer.
Looking over the list of possible causes on that link you posted is a possible vacuum leak, which I've been trying to locate, but hit a glitch on my last attempt due to no reverse torx socket to complete the removal of the lower intake manifold. I'm hoping to find one soon but not sure when the weather will allow another chance to tear it down and replace the intake gaskets.
I don't currently have a fuel pressure tester, so can't really test that yet

 

[Josh B]

Getting a couple of more days of decent weather, after realizing today was looking fairly nice I caught the mid-day news and weather and they promised 2 more, so I took off to Texas side to see about finding a reverse TORX socket.
Checked at ABC, AZ, O'really's, and an old hardware store uptown where I also had to get a regulator and some hose. All I found at any of them was the set so decided I'd head back home the other direction and checked a pawn shop and then NAPA.
This is the little jewel that kept me from getting any closer to replacing all the intake manifold gaskets last time, an E7, almost 5bucks but NAPA came right up with it. I've live my whole life without needing one of these, so didn't figure I'd jump on a whole set right now. It's a 1/4" drive, hope that'll be meaty enough to break them loose

I've never been into a fuel rail before but hopefully the Ford, Haynes, and Chilton's will help.

I got new O-rings for the injectors but didn't get anything to clean them with :/ (love my ADHD! )

I was having a problem getting the oil dipstick tube out before (even had a strap around it's attachment arm and a 4ft pipe propped on the brake booster, pulling that with my left, and wriggling it around with my right and it didn't want to budge.
Any suggestions most appreciated!

Should I re-torque the head bolts while I'm in there?

 

[4.0blue98]

I wouldn't touch the headbolts. That's strange with the dipstick tube. I thought it would just pop out with an O ring in there. There isn't a hidden attachment somewhere?

I would think the 1/4 E7 should be fine. They probably aren't that tight but go easy.

 

[Uncle Gump]

+1 on leaving the head bolts alone...