Sunday, Jun 19, 2005 at 19:32
Be prepared Johnny it’s a bit long.
Ok I have a 1998 XLT, which is Similar to a 2000 modal.
What you get- Inside Both front
seat’s are fully electric with adjustable air lumber support which you pump up or deflate (There is a air pump under the
seat), Central locking, Cruse /control and power window’s and mirrors duel air bags, Instrumentation is good and all controls are easy to access, Drink holder front and rear, aux power outlet map and vanity mirror light’s for the wife or girlfriend. In the back the seats are comfortable enough and fold down to give you plenty of storage space, the back also has headphone jacks and a radio control panel. And there is more!
The only problem I find is the centre consol is a little small.
The Engine- They come in the 4.0Ltr s.o.h.c V6 and 5.0Ltr V8
The V6 is a good performer 155KW at 5000rpm and 340NM of toque at 3000rpm
It is hooked onto a 5-speed auto, which is good and I have had no problems with and I can’t see you having any problems towing you boat with it ether. Transmission and transfer case oil coolers standard. (I think it was built with towing in mind) (The V8 will go forever Thirsty but.)
Now the problem with some not all of the V6’s without getting into detail is- basically it stated life as a 2.8Ltr and has been bored out to a 4.0Ltr then they thru overhead cam’s on it. The way they set the timing gear up is they ended up with front and rear timing chains and they pulled a shifty when they designed the tensiones and guides. As a resalt if you get a problem with the back timing gear, the motor has to be pulled the front and rear timing has to be striped down and replaced with the updated (stronger) gear. At a cost of $4000 1997-1999 modals, now you can just have the tensioners replaced at a cost of $800 but that is only temporary. The problem usually present’s between 100,000 and 160,000k’s but not on all
explorers (One guy on hear did 200,000K’s in his and never had a problem)
This is why I recommended a 2000 onwards modal as by then this problem had been rectified. (But I Would Still Have A Long Discussion With The Ford Dealer About it Before Buying).
The 4WD system is switch on the fly Hi Range 1.00:1 and low range is 2.48:1, also it has a toque on demand system witch means when in (auto mode) it is 2WD until slip is detected then it will automatically shift some power onto the front wheels then when traction is regained it will go back to 2WD. (Handy for those unforseen situations).
The main problem off road is your ground clearance thus the 2 inch lift for about $1000 installed (New rear springs and bushings Keep the original shocks and wind the front torsion bar up) and with that you can fit 31’s and possibly 32’s the under body is
well protected with bash plates and I have also fitted round stainless steel tube slide rails/ side steps which you loose clearance on but gain protection. The front diff is a Dana 35, which you can buy a diff locker for and the rear is a ford 8.8 like the 9-inch pretty much indestructible.
(Just a side note- If you are really keen there is a 4 inch lift available from the USA)
The fuel tank is 80Ltrs but you can get a long rang tank if needed/ or just use jerry cans. Fuel consumption will sit between 10-15 Litres per 100k’s depending on driving conditions and how hard you work it) Low range heavy sand will be more obviously. It will do 0-100 in less than 10 seconds.
Apart from the V6 S.O.H.C issue it is a solid truck and like i said that is meant to of been rectified by 2000 but still pound the issue with the ford dealer (If you want some more info about it I will post what I know)
If you talk to most ex explorer owners most will say good things about them.
Mine is in the early stagers of that engine problem (and I am looking at some options) as it is a “98” and even know I am looking at $4000 and as people say they are no hero in the bush I still like it (Perhaps I am a idiot). Most people are surprised at how far they will go.
If you have anymore Questions? I will try to answer them
I’m stuffed after that!
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