Subtle differences in the V8 Explorer over the years

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MalcolmV8
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Re: Subtle differences in the V8 Explorer over the years

Post by MalcolmV8 »

I purchased a 2000 Explorer donor and it had the oil cooler.
92 302 Ranger - sold
94 302 Ranger AWD - sold
07 BMW 335xi - tuned, boost turned up, E85 - sold
04 911 TT - to many mods to list. Over 600 All Wheel HP on pump gas - sold
2015 Coyote - daily driver
03 Cobra - 2.3 TVS on a built 12:1 CR motor with ported heads, cams, long tubes etc.
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Re: Subtle differences in the V8 Explorer over the years

Post by cgrey8 »

You are correct, they did ditch the oil cooler on the oil filter adapter thingie Ford put on the Explorer 5.0Ls. And I believe that was in 99 that this happened.

However I noticed differences in my 2 97 Explorer 5.0Ls. One has a tap in front of the throttle body for PCV recirculation. The other doesn't. PCV return came from somewhere else, presumably from the rubber intake snorkel that goes between the TB and the MAF. Interestingly my 1st 97 has the provision cast into the TB. It just wasn't drilled and fitted with the tap for a hose to go on it.

Another change between my two 97s is one 97 had coolant that went to the underside of the upper intake. The other 97 upper doesn't.

A similar difference in the 96s is the EGR elbow is tapped for coolant flow, and others aren't. Both my 96 EGR elbows are NOT tapped. But both have the provisions cast into them. I've seen pictures on the Internet of those elbows with the provisions drilled and fitted.

My guess is these in-year differences were to meet different state emissions standards.
...Always Somethin'

89 Ranger Supercab, 331, ported GT40p heads w/1.6RRs, Crane Powermax 2020 cam, ported Explorer lower, FMS Explorer (GT40p) headers, aftermarket T5 'Z-Spec', 8.8" rear w/3.27s, Powertrax Locker, A9L w/Moates QuarterHorse, Innovate LC-1, James Duff traction bars, iDelta DC Fan controller

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Re: Subtle differences in the V8 Explorer over the years

Post by MalcolmV8 »

Interesting. So either there were differences in the year 2000 or I was sold an older year and told it was a 2000.
92 302 Ranger - sold
94 302 Ranger AWD - sold
07 BMW 335xi - tuned, boost turned up, E85 - sold
04 911 TT - to many mods to list. Over 600 All Wheel HP on pump gas - sold
2015 Coyote - daily driver
03 Cobra - 2.3 TVS on a built 12:1 CR motor with ported heads, cams, long tubes etc.
MD Racing Lean Protection Module
E85

Tuned by MD Racing

https://www.youtube.com/c/MalcolmV8
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Re: Subtle differences in the V8 Explorer over the years

Post by cgrey8 »

Malcolm, if you are insinuating that your 2000 had an oil cooler, then the oil cooler option could've been a regional addition as well. Although I suspect it was probably more related to whether the engine was installed in a 2wd or 4wd/AWD application with the 4/AWD getting the cooler and the 2wd version not getting it. Thus it may be more correct to say the potential to not have an oil cooler was introduced in 99. I don't recall seeing any Explorer engines older than 99 without the oil cooler. But that's obviously not an absolute.
...Always Somethin'

89 Ranger Supercab, 331, ported GT40p heads w/1.6RRs, Crane Powermax 2020 cam, ported Explorer lower, FMS Explorer (GT40p) headers, aftermarket T5 'Z-Spec', 8.8" rear w/3.27s, Powertrax Locker, A9L w/Moates QuarterHorse, Innovate LC-1, James Duff traction bars, iDelta DC Fan controller

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Re: Subtle differences in the V8 Explorer over the years

Post by MalcolmV8 »

Not insinuating. See my post at the top of the page :) lol
But yeah it was an AWD 2000. To be exact it was a 2000 Mercury Mountaineer but same thing different badging but yes it most definitely had an oil cooler between the oil filter and block that I had to remove.
92 302 Ranger - sold
94 302 Ranger AWD - sold
07 BMW 335xi - tuned, boost turned up, E85 - sold
04 911 TT - to many mods to list. Over 600 All Wheel HP on pump gas - sold
2015 Coyote - daily driver
03 Cobra - 2.3 TVS on a built 12:1 CR motor with ported heads, cams, long tubes etc.
MD Racing Lean Protection Module
E85

Tuned by MD Racing

https://www.youtube.com/c/MalcolmV8
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Re: Subtle differences in the V8 Explorer over the years

Post by MalcolmV8 »

I even found a pic of when I got the motor out and in the garage

Image
92 302 Ranger - sold
94 302 Ranger AWD - sold
07 BMW 335xi - tuned, boost turned up, E85 - sold
04 911 TT - to many mods to list. Over 600 All Wheel HP on pump gas - sold
2015 Coyote - daily driver
03 Cobra - 2.3 TVS on a built 12:1 CR motor with ported heads, cams, long tubes etc.
MD Racing Lean Protection Module
E85

Tuned by MD Racing

https://www.youtube.com/c/MalcolmV8
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Re: Subtle differences in the V8 Explorer over the years

Post by Dave »

I can sure believe that the oil cooler was a regional thing or maybe what was in stock. Still wondering about this motor I have and the harnees I have here. Return fuel system (shows as a 98), has the three pin connector for the CPS (That looks to be from a couple of years but the wiring diagram says '98') and then the MAF connector has the six pins that show it as a '99'. Looking at Autozone parts for the '99' CPS, they list both a three pin and a two pin connector. Not sure what Ford did and when.
Dave
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Re: Subtle differences in the V8 Explorer over the years

Post by cgrey8 »

I got some more details that I didn't know about from a guy over on the EECTuning.org forum about Explorer engines.
TwinSCs wrote:The smaller injectors weren't until 99, that's also when it changed from a hall effect cam sensor to VRS.

96-97 transmissions are the same, with the exception of the DTRS. 96 (and early 97) used an 8 pin MLPS, at some point in early 97 it was changed to a 12 pin DTRS. 96-97 both had the VSS. The EGR type was changed mid-late in 97 IIRC as well as the TPS plug.

In 98 PATS came about and there were some internal transmission upgrades that lasted through 2001. The internal wiring for the transmission solenoids changed as well despite using the same plug as 96-97. 98+ all received the VSS signal from the ABS controller.

99-01 They went to the 17# injectors at 65 psi and changed the cam sensor.

That's all of the variations I can think of at the moment, but I keep finding more as I go along.
...Always Somethin'

89 Ranger Supercab, 331, ported GT40p heads w/1.6RRs, Crane Powermax 2020 cam, ported Explorer lower, FMS Explorer (GT40p) headers, aftermarket T5 'Z-Spec', 8.8" rear w/3.27s, Powertrax Locker, A9L w/Moates QuarterHorse, Innovate LC-1, James Duff traction bars, iDelta DC Fan controller

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Re: Subtle differences in the V8 Explorer over the years

Post by Dave »

I've actually seen the cam sensor both ways on a '98', one has two wires vs three. Rockauto sells both for that year. Think the external difference is a ground. Had to explain why and when some things changed other than Ford was getting rid of an obsolete motor and parts.
Dave
'66'Ranchero 302/5 speed
2015 Stage 3 Roush - rated at 670 hp
2000 Ext Cab/4 door swap project
2000 Ext Cab/4 door, Summer beater
2000 Ext Cab/4 door, Winter beater
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Re: Subtle differences in the V8 Explorer over the years

Post by cgrey8 »

The difference between HALL and Variable Reluctance (VRS) is not minor. The software, and possibly the hardware, in the EEC, I would think, would need to be different unless they designed the input to be Hall or VRS capable. The shape and intensity of the wave received from the sensor is different so the EEC has to be able to expect that. It's interesting that they made this change in the middle of a year. But they seemed to do that alot with the Explorer 5.0L. There's numerous little things that have been identified that are different between similar year Explorer 5.0Ls.

What I don't get is I thought HALL technology was better. But as came up in a different thread over there, it seems Ford has experimented with at least 3 different cam sensor designs over the years with the simplest one being the one that came on the earlier Explorer 5.0Ls and the more complex ones being what they put on most of the mod motors and a few others. Keep in mind, I'm only talking about the sensor part, not the spindle part. Obviously an Explorer sensor is going to be physically different than what would go in a mod motor. The Explorer sensor has to be shaped like a TFI distributor. Other engines that were never designed to use a distributor, but were designed with a cam sensor in mind are shaped very differently.
...Always Somethin'

89 Ranger Supercab, 331, ported GT40p heads w/1.6RRs, Crane Powermax 2020 cam, ported Explorer lower, FMS Explorer (GT40p) headers, aftermarket T5 'Z-Spec', 8.8" rear w/3.27s, Powertrax Locker, A9L w/Moates QuarterHorse, Innovate LC-1, James Duff traction bars, iDelta DC Fan controller

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