Dans 94, RCSB, 4.0, 4x4, 5spd

[Dantheman1540]

Been messing with the cooling system in this thing a bunch but I think I’m making some progress so I figured I’d update this thread.

I still drive it to work most of the days out of the week, but haven’t hit any good offroad trails in awhile. I did install a cool inline pre-radiator coolant filter to catch rust chunks. I replaced the water pump and heater core, and change up how I mounted the resis for the shocks in the front. I welded up some little mounts and they are clamped just above the spring bucket on each side. This keeps them further from the tire and looks cool especially with the stickers on them.

Really really close to pulling the trigger on a JD32 tube bender so I can re do a lot of stuff in this truck with much lighter and stronger tube. I think dropping 75-100# off the front and back will do wonders for it. Also want to redo the sliders and the way I want to do them, along with, a bed cage I think I can stiffen the frame considerably. Which might help the horrible bed to cab flex.

 

[DRanger024]

Truck is looking great! I somehow forgot you put new wheels on it. They look awesome with the red.
How fine of particulate is that coolant filter good for?

 

[Xombi]

If the shop that sold you the motor will let you, rob what you can from the Explorer, if you haven't done it already.
Does the Explorer possess possible upgrades?
Best of luck on the journey.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Truck is looking great! I somehow forgot you put new wheels on it. They look awesome with the red.
How fine of particulate is that coolant filter good for?

Thanks! I’m really ready to cut a bunch of weight off and redo most of my fab bits.

Not sure on specifics for that filter, it’s definitely nothing like the passive (oil filter style) filter I had on it for a bit. I’d say this will catch stuff the size of a coarse grain of sand or larger. When I looked into the radiator the tubes seems consider larger than that so it “should” keep it from getting clogged more. Which is good because it’s still getting hot so I ordered a new radiator. If this doesn’t fix it then it must have some engine issues I’m not finding.

If the shop that sold you the motor will let you, rob what you can from the Explorer, if you haven't done it already.
Does the Explorer possess possible upgrades?
Best of luck on the journey.

All that’s long gone unfortunately, and I never actually got to see the explorer so the shop could have fed me a line of crap and the motor could have 500k miles lol.

 

[DRanger024]

Thanks! I’m really ready to cut a bunch of weight off and redo most of my fab bits.

Not sure on specifics for that filter, it’s definitely nothing like the passive (oil filter style) filter I had on it for a bit. I’d say this will catch stuff the size of a coarse grain of sand or larger. When I looked into the radiator the tubes seems consider larger than that so it “should” keep it from getting clogged more. Which is good because it’s still getting hot so I ordered a new radiator. If this doesn’t fix it then it must have some engine issues I’m not finding.

I noticed mine starts to get warm running at highway speeds in 5th, like 75 mph plus. It will cool right back down if I back off and down shift to 4th. The block was full of crap when I got it from my buddy. I'd be curious to see if anything is floating around in it.

There are a lot of things I'd like to redo on my truck. Unfortunately, I don't have the tools I'd like to or the time!

 

[Dantheman1540]

Well it’s not the radiator so I’m guessing the motor is phucked. Tried to do leakdown test but threaded adapter didn’t have long enough threads and ace didn’t have anything that would work either. I’m going to move forward assuming the heads are crack and the bottom end ain’t living its best life.

Which unless something crazy happens like a free OHV falls into my lap, I’m going forward with a tdi swap.

 

[Dantheman1540]

I guess I need to retract that last statement about it must be the motor causing the overheating issue. I wheeled this truck for about 6 hours yesterday including an hour at 60mph to get to the forest and back and here’s what I found.

If I leave the AC off the truck never gets passed N unless I’m just senselessly womping on it where it will jump to O-R momentarily then right back down to N or below. If I turn the AC on it starts to warm up within just a few minutes. This doesn’t matter if I’m doing 3mph in 2lo crawling some tight trails, bumping down trails at 30-35mph, or cruising the forestry roads at 45-50mph. If I turn the AC on and let the temp climb all I have to do is turn it off for a few minutes and it’s back down to N or below. So this is clearly an AC issue.

Gonna check pressures here in a few minutes, maybe it’s over serviced and the condenser is getting hot and heat soaking the rad?

Anyway had a great trip yesterday, took a buddy who recently bought the most stock looking XJ I’ve ever seen on his first off-road trip. He did good and his Cherokee impressed me. It’s Florida so not like there’s a ton of hard obstacles but it bumped along everything in 2wd like I did. Just couldn’t maintain much speed without bottoming out constantly due to completely clapped out suspension.

 

[Dantheman1540]

AC pressures couldn’t be any better at 74* ambient, I might check them later today when it’s 95* but I doubt it will change. Condenser temp is only 75-85 right now as well so that rules that out.

Could it be that I sealed the gaps between the radiator and condenser with foam? I thought that would help the fan draw through the radiator and condenser together better.

 

[Dantheman1540]

So instead of working on fixing the cooling issues I decided to buy a distraction, and strap it to the roof.

Just being silly, but I did finally buy a small AL boat like I’ve been wanting all year. I wanted something to extend the range and cargo capacity of my paddle board and this fits the bill. I can take it down trails with no trailer, I can fit two people and a dog, I can easily paddle it with oars for a workout, and I can slap a small out board or trolling motor on it easily. I paid $300 to a ten year old boy who’s had it for a year and used it to fish the canal behind his house! Best I can tell since the HIN plate is difficult to read. It’s a 1970-80s sears 12’ riveted Jon boat. Should move out pretty good with a 5-9.9hp out board and I think I have a lead on a 5hp Honda from a coworker cheap.

The whole idea is to be able to take it with me to some of the cool isolated spring fed lakes, ponds, and creeks I find out exploring. Florida is no stranger to body’s of water and this is gonna be perfect to shoot across lakes to small islands, and maybe rip a lip or two along the way.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Found a sweet primitive launch site into a beautiful creek nearby and had to check it out with the little Jon boat. Boat did great, truck did great, both did great together! I may have forgotten the boat was up there at one point and hit some whoops hard! Nothing broke or fell off tho.

 

[Dantheman1540]

Nearly 200miles of driving today in this truck. It started as a trip an hour away to sell some Vtread tires to some guy who literally begged me to bring them to him. I got there and saw lots of off-road toys in the yard and he fancy’s himself a “builder-fabricator”. Not sure about that one but he gave me directions to his local testing grounds which didn’t disappoint! It was a little more flooded than I like but was still beautiful and had some cool trails.

Then I took a looonnnggg stretch of power line trails east closer to the west side Ocala National forest which I haven’t explored much. I did a lot of hopping from one pond/lake to the next, wetting my worm in each hole. Then I found a ludicrously tight trail, honestly it wasn’t marked whatsoever but I think it was a 4wheeler or hiking trail. I had to bounce over a dozen or two fallen trees, endure brutal scrub oak pinstriping, and chance directions multiple times because I was blocked in, but I finally found my way out.

All in all a great day! I picked up 6 bags of trash, and only broke the selector knob off the passenger side hub. Cheap plastic crap, I’d kill (or pay a lot of monies) for those all metal Warm hubs that are long since discontinued. Oh and almost forgot, I did forget to bring an M18 battery and didn’t know that until all tires were at 15psi so probably 150 of those miles were at low tire pressure which wasn’t as bad as expected at 60mph.