Power.....really looking for a change

[eeexploded]

ok as most know explorers are the fastest thing around, adding bigger tires(like me) only makes you go slowers, ive been searching around this forum, and reading different threads some are useful just i have a few un answered questions, along with what i think a different parts list from most

i am starting with a totally stock 100,000 mile drivetrain, 4.0ohv, a4ld, 3.73 gears.

well here is my parts list

k/n cone filter w/ 3.5" intake tubing, 73+mm mass air flow sensor, 66mm+ throttle body, electric fan 180, 410 cam, hydraulic roller lifters, 21lb fuel inj., ported and polished heads, ported intake manifold, headers, 2 1/2" y pipe back exhaust piping, flowmaster muffler and high flow cat.

im looking for a good solid 200rwhp.... or better yet if you would go over 300lb/ft!

how much does the average porting and polishing of heads cost?
are the roller lifters a good idea?
any other parts i should add?

 

[410Fortune]

bigger tires = re-gear.

200 RWHP with a 4.0L OHV and A4LD in a 4x4 will require alot more then that IMO, by the time you spend all that $$$ your trans is going to blow up, have you considered a V8 conversion?

the 73 mm MAS and 66mm TB will lose you some bottom end, as will the 2.5" pipe. Your $$$ is best spent on the head porting and cam. Not sure what you are talking about with the lifters, pretty sure the 4.0L OHV uses hydraulic lifters already. 21# injectors wont be needed until you have alot of breathing mods and a computer tune, and then your PCM and MAS will have to be calibrated to use the 21# ers. the stock intakes flow pretty well, but you will make most of your power in the head porting and the cam.
Its hard to get an E fan to cool a 4.0L OHV, on the highway and in town its typically fine but crawling in 4x4 low range tends to overheat them


Dont get me wrong I loved my 4.0L and you can get some good power from those mods you moentioned, but the 4.0L is one expensive sucker to build up, and with 100K on your trans I would rather see you re-gear (helps save youe trans) for your tires first and foremost.

 

[eeexploded]

well im done some looking around, im going to get some gears(cough 4.56's cough) since a buddy of mine installed his and is gonna help me out, i also want to do a few minor mods, im gonna start with air flow intake and exit, soo i was thinking, kkm intake, 75mm mas, 66mm bbk tb, headers(heddmansnly if they will help), high flow single cat and highflow exhaust(2.5" after the y pipe back)

how much of a difference am im looking at? i wanted to go for a good performance get ratio with the 33's. will the 4.56 get me off the line good and fast?

ok i know i might be talkin crazy but how much is it gonna take for my truck to chrip 2nd? its a auto to, maybe on a downshift?

 

[410Fortune]

with the 4.0L A4LD, 4.10 and 33" MT's in the BII I could spin the rear tires at sea level. I had all those bolt on's you mentioned and a little bit more.
The OHV is more challenged in the heavier 4x4 ex, but those mods will help it breathe a bit and widen the power band, I was more then happy with them.

 

[eeexploded]

oh and i also found the fordchips.com makes 1st gen 4 stage performance chips. soo ill have to check those out


with 4.56 gears and 33" tires a 4.0ohv, auto, what will my top speed be? right now im predicting its 110mph (since 85mph(speedo) is 96mph (actual) and i pushed it to od)

how much should 4.56s knock of my 0-60(seconds)

 

[BMXunleashed]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
ya not to put a damper on that but an explorer will not do 110mph.... when you regear and have the bigger tires it should correct your speedo and get everything close to stock is what ive been told....

i have all new RA bushings and shocks are good and with my tires all equal pressure and no wind blowing and on a smooth road....with all those good things goin for me an explorer is still scary and always will be at speeds aproaching 90 mph

i really LOVE going fast but its just not safe in an suv.... ive done 110+ mph in sporty cars and its a world of difference because if its built right, you can maintain control

youre better off getting a older 5.0 mustang or 300ZX or 240SX all different animals but can take the speed if thats what you want

 

[stang99x]

The top speed of a 92 Explorer 4x2 with a few minimal mods downhill with a tailwind is 132 MPH, guaranteed. Thats 3.73 rearend too. I know this, I did it. At 132 my girlfriend in her Eclipse then passed me by on here way to 140+ with the other people we were racing down I75. Now, the 95 model I had the governor hit at about 111MPH and I thought the tranny had fallen out of hte bottom of it. Never did that again.

And if you want to go fast, I did 147MPH accross the bridge on I526 in charlestons SC 300 feet over the intercoastal waterway. That was in a 5.0 mustang LX geared with 2.73 rearend, 5 speed, and a plethra of add ons. The only reason I didn't hit 150 was the 140MPH speedo at the time was obviously beyond readable, the RPM's were encroaching on imminent death of the motor, and I thought the GD car was going lift off like the space shuttle and send me to a watery grave.

On to the real reason of this post now. For all the money you could spend on that 4.0OHV, you'll never get where you want to be. Pass up all that stuff and find a blower for it. Trust me, I have been there and done that twice. My 92 2wd was probably the faster of my first three explorers (92, 93, 95) but it still wasn't anything richard petty would harp on about. I had a few tricky dick mods I learned from some old ford techs that go to the grave and never should have been done too. But like I said, without a blower you'll never achieve what it is you want.

 

[Darrman]

Yeah, they can go pretty fast down a straight highway, I got popped at 113 by a cop in my first x. It was a bone stock 4x4 xlt, with one tired 4.0 in it.

 

[spdy0001]

Well my 91 sport 4X4 5spd / 3.73 rear is pretty much stock as far as power except for my dynomax catback which isn't much of an add on. I can burry the speedo with out even trying on stock tires. It actually seems quite stable at those speeds and the only thing I worry about would be any emergency manovers. As others have said though if you wanna go fast get a car. My 03 Acura CL type S will run right up to the 147 speed limiter with out trying. The speedo goes to 160 so I would like to know how far past that speed limiter it would go. I won't be finding out though cause these speeds are not needed for public roads.

 

[410Fortune]

my BII with the 4.0L would do well over 100 MPH, with bolt ons, 4.10's and 33" tires, no problem

 

[BMXunleashed]

im sure it will do 100 but do you feel safe doin it? i was just saying because it is an SUV and things get touchy at that speed like steering and trying to stop at 100 could be scary too.....


i was more concerned about being safe that anything

like i said, i LOVE to go fast but i would rather be safe while doing it...ya know?

 

[410Fortune]

I wouldnt have done it if I didnt feel it was safe at the time.
It is not something I make a practice of thats for sure but there are some roads and highways I have done it on.

the BII is pretty stable and handles better then you may think it capable of.

 

[stang99x]

Lets respond individually to these:

The speedo goes to 160 so I would like to know how far past that speed limiter it would go. I won't be finding out though cause these speeds are not needed for public roads.

DOn't be a puss. Nothing was ever achieved by dogooders and rule followers. Straight interstates are the perfect place to check top speed. Especially when traffic is light and cops are scarce. My moms 500sl mercedes reads up to 160, and I have had it up to 127 on I285 (the interstate that circles atlanta) in heavy traffic and been passed doing it. Remember Nicholas cage. You are the car.

im sure it will do 100 but do you feel safe doin it? i was just saying because it is an SUV and things get touchy at that speed like steering and trying to stop at 100 could be scary too.....
i was more concerned about being safe that anything
like i said, i LOVE to go fast but i would rather be safe while doing it...ya know?

Do you feel safe? Is your car maintained optimally. When I was 15 I got a job at Jiffy Lube (hey, we all gotta start somewhere) I maintained my vehicle to the utmost standards, with fluid changes and mechanical knowledge learned from other techs there and the firestone accross the street. I would have run that Explorer until the motor let go and never felt uncomfortable in it. There is one thing I DON"T skimp on, and thats my vehicles. I am an auto afficianado. I have owned well over 100 vehicles and I am only 27, and I am not rich. I work on everything myself, and wouldn't push it past its limits if I didn't think it could do it. That being said, only you can predict your vehicles behavior based on its maintenence, however, nothing is impossible and a car can break at any time.

the BII is pretty stable and handles better then you may think it capable of.

I have had three of these. ONe of the biggest pieces of chit on the road. I buy them only when cheap to make a quick buck. Most use them for hunting vehicles nowadays. I wouldn't drive a brand new one of those trucks over 90MPH

 

[Darrman]

I have had three of these. ONe of the biggest pieces of chit on the road. I buy them only when cheap to make a quick buck. Most use them for hunting vehicles nowadays. I wouldn't drive a brand new one of those trucks over 90MPH

Lol, I do not want to get beat down by the BII owners, but I gotta agree to some extent, I have owned two of these, I think a '87 and a '92, they both made me paranoid. I would buy another to play around in, but not a chance in hell of a D.D.

 

[95offroadx]

my "suv" will do well over 100mph.. and its got lift to. and guess what.. i feel safe doin it, come to think about it, it only starts to get a viberation at D now. haha

 

[410Fortune]

thats right a stock BII handles like ass I should know I spent 11+ years with one as my DD as I built it.
My truck is far from stock

That was part of the challenge when building the underdog of all Ford 4x4's

 

[stang99x]

More power to you bro, but underdog is an understatement. Even my 88 year old grandfather flipped one of those ****ters over a few years back.

 

[410Fortune]

knowledge is power
Under the BII body what do you think you will find?
A full frame very similar to an early bronco
Lighter body with a slightly higher center of gravity and slightly less wheel base.

Would you call a built early bronco a "****ter?"
How about one in stock form?
Maybe but it still has potential
I try to build them the way for should have and using all the latest upgrades

I have had that truck sideways backwards spinning sliding, etc and never had an issue




Understatement or not the frame is still Ford and its still a bronco

 

[94xlt4x4]

I had a stock bII, an 88 eddie bauer. the only suspension mod i ever did to it was swapping x springs in the rear. never had any trouble with it handling, and had it "somewhere past 85" more than a few times. sure it's not a sports car but its certainly no "****ter". i felt every bit as comfortable driving that truck as i do my x, if not more so, and i drive them both HARD

 

[stang99x]

Its like a CJ7 with a higher center of gravity and a ****ty suspension and 4x4 system/. But like I said, more power to you. There are lots of cars I like that most others hate. If thats what you like, then its what makes you happy. I love the Gen 1 explorer, and think it was the best one they ever made. Most people have gotten to the point that they don't like the gen 1;s anymore. It was my first, and my second. I love'em always