Another Ford WTF.

[Blue Shift]

Time to hate on Ford a little bit.

I was working on a 97' Mercury Mountaineer, AWD, 5.0. I was changing fluids when I went to pull the tranny pan and change the filter. I yank on the filter and it comes off in my hands, when I notice this plastic piece laying in the tranny pan - sorta mushroom shaped, or maybe like a fat, round nosed pistol bullet on a stick. The head of it had an O ring in a groove, obviously as some sort of seal. So I'm like "Oh shit! I didn't see where that came from, now I can't put this back together till I figure it out..."

Long story short, I spent forever examining the innards of the box, trying to find where it came from. I finally took forever to get cleaned up enough to use the computer, and find that this piece is put in the tranny to seal it at the factory. It gets pushed into the pan when they install the dipstick, and stays there forever, or, until somebody finds it and tries to figure out in vain where it goes.

Is it really that hard to just pull the plug out on the assembly line instead of purposely littering the pan with garbage?

[Atilla the Fun]

I'd suspect the pan is already in place when the trans arrives at the vehicle assembly line, but not so the dipstick. And considering how most Ford longitudinal automatics get the fluid from the pan to the pump, it doesn't seem problematic. It might slightly affect the fluid level reading on the dipstick. I agree there should be some sort of sticker on the pan to avoid stressing whomever finds this thing, but otherwise it seems fine to me.

[Indy]

I've been working on my '97 Exploder also. 4.0 SOHC, 4WD. Lost two little plastic inserts on the shift fork in the transfer case, effectively knocking it out of gear until I pulled it apart. Brilliant idea, putting $0.05 brittle plastic inserts in an oil environment as the bushing for the main shift mechanism. Fuck you, Ford, really.

[jelly2m81]

My mother had a 96 Exploder, I feel your guys pain.

Had to put a head gasket in it ( 4.0L ), who the fuck do they get to design these things, think the book time was like 11 hours for a head replacement...

The glorified wipermotor they use to shift the transfer case fucked up and locked the front and rear driveshaft while she was driving down the road... yep, piece of cheap shit plastic or mica board they have for a position sensor fell apart in it, had to buy a whole new shift motor for 500 bux.
Couldnt keep auto locking hubs in it, switched those to manual locking ones from an 80's bronco II.

Thankfully she was able to trade it when the transmission started acting up.

[Blue Shift]

Yeah, this thing happens to belong to my mother as well. I don't know how I've managed to keep the damn thing running, but it hasn't been for lack of effort. The 97'+ Mountaineer is all time AWD, and so far hasn't blown the transfer case, though it seems to be a known issue...

So far, along with everything else, the front drive shaft has failed twice. There's a normal U-joint on the diff side, and a CV joint on the transfer case side. Well, the boot on the CV breaks, it gets filled with grit, then fails. Then you buy a 375 dollar rebuilt unit, and the boot promptly fails again. Scared the shit out of me, cuz this time, it sounded like it was coming from the transfer case, and was making a gnarly noise. I scooped out the rocks and grit, cleaned the shit out of all the balls and the cage and pot, put it back together (all still tight somehow), and used a cut down Fiero CV axle boot hose clamped on, and what do you know, the noise is completely gone and it's working fine.

Who gives a shit about NVH, if the 50 cent boot on your fancy CV joint end of the drive shaft breaks and ruins it all? It's just like the DPFE (differential pressure feedback, EGR) sensor problem it had - basically a sensor that checks to see if the EGR is really working. Which then fails and sets a check engine light when the EGR is probably working anyways. Could they really not have just used standard U joints on each end and call it a day? Bastards.

[Atilla the Fun]

I'm not really a Ford guy, but I do own 2 of them. And this is my third Fox-chassis Mustang. I really don't hate the Windsor engines, but I want more power than the production 302 blocks can survive. he 351W is big, heavy and expensive, but if the current aftermarket heads for it still existed but the GM LSx V8s had never come along, I'd have stroker 392Ws in everything. The C4 is light and strong, the aOd can be strong, but both are poorly geared. The only thing Ford ever got right was the 31-spline 8.8, and that uses all the bearings from GM's passenger-car 12-bolt axle.

[Indy]

My driveshafts are really quite hilarious. One shaft end had 12 point bolts, one had torx cap screws, and one had standard 6pt bolts. Common. I swear this thing was designed by about 2,000 people all doing their drawings on an etch-a-sketch and shipping them to each other via US Post.

As far as transmissions...The 4R55 and 5R55's used in the Explorer are a joke. You could think they could put in something real instead of leftovers from the PINTO.

[jelly2m81]

I remember those front drive shafts, my brothers 87-ish Bronco II had one, he went through 2 or 3 of them because of the boot failing, they weren't cheap.

I know we did or were going to change it to an older front drive shaft with universal joints but there was something about the yokes and for the life of me I cannot remember if we switched it or not, was quite a few years ago now.

[Atilla the Fun]

My driveshafts are really quite hilarious. One shaft end had 12 point bolts, one had torx cap screws, and one had standard 6pt bolts. Common. I swear this thing was designed by about 2,000 people all doing their drawings on an etch-a-sketch and shipping them to each other via US Post.

As far as transmissions...The 4R55 and 5R55's used in the Explorer are a joke. You could think they could put in something real instead of leftovers from the PINTO.

WTF are you smoking? The 5R55S is used in the '05-up Mustang GT, and has proven to be surprisingly strong. In fact with proper reprogramming, the 5R55S is perfectly capable of surviving superchargers and slicks. TCI offers upgraded versions rated past 800 HP. I realize the SUVs are a little bit heavier and have a lot more wind drag, but if you're having problems, you're being abusive. And neither trans is even an evolution of whatever came in the Pinto, let alone a leftover.

[jelly2m81]

WTF are you smoking?

Uhh retard, we are talking about Mountaineers, Explorers, 4.0L's and that junk, not mustangs, 5.0, or 5.8's.


Your on a different subject.

[Atilla the Fun]

You're not really that dense, are you? a 5R55S is a 5R55S, whether it's configured for 2wd or 4x4, the guts, and thus the strength, remains the same. Wake up.

[jelly2m81]

You're not really that dense, are you? a 5R55S is a 5R55S, whether it's configured for 2wd or 4x4, the guts, and thus the strength, remains the same. Wake up.

If thats's such a wonderful transmission, how comes they have a high failure rate in the 4X4's?

[Blue Shift]

I talked to a driveline shop who said they could make up a double U joint upgrade driveshaft to help with the problem. Hopefully we'll never need it. My modified Fiero CV axle shaft boot seems to be holding up well as well. The damn thing should be fine as long as the boot never fails..

Of all the things that haven't blown up, the transmission seems to have survived so far. Fluid looked oook with its first change at 130K (oops). I think it's an E4OD, don't know anything about Ford, except what I don't want to know. The transfer case fluid looked terrible - blacker than, well, insert your own non PC epithet, and it had tons of silvery metal powder in it. Not so good at all.

More and more lately, I'm wanting to build a carbed 383 and install it in a ~72 stepside Chevy truck and call it a day... Last forever.

[Indy]

WTF are you smoking? The 5R55S is used in the '05-up Mustang GT, and has proven to be surprisingly strong. In fact with proper reprogramming, the 5R55S is perfectly capable of surviving superchargers and slicks. TCI offers upgraded versions rated past 800 HP. I realize the SUVs are a little bit heavier and have a lot more wind drag, but if you're having problems, you're being abusive. And neither trans is even an evolution of whatever came in the Pinto, let alone a leftover.

You need to do more research on the 5R55's.

C3 -> A4LD -> 4R44/55 -> 5R44/55

All incremental upgrades of the same design concept.

[Atilla the Fun]

everything I do "know" about the 5R55S comes from the Mustang magazines that I buy at Wal-Mart. actually, those are the source of 99% of everything I know about any Fords at all, beyond working on the half dozen Fords I've owned. Why in hell would any person with a genius level IQ give a rat turd about any Ford other than a Mustang? I can tell you: Love of a person who happened to come by one, due to some reason or other. I don't know personally know anyone who owns any Ford that isn't a Mustang, I never have.
See, this is what I type when you attack me. We should stick to more interactive discussion, not this childish attacking that most of you guys keep doing to each other.
Blue, sorry we drift off topic. No hijack intended.

[Indy]

everything I do "know" about the 5R55S comes from the Mustang magazines that I buy at Wal-Mart. actually, those are the source of 99% of everything I know about any Fords at all, beyond working on the half dozen Fords I've owned. Why in hell would any person with a genius level IQ give a rat turd about any Ford other than a Mustang? I can tell you: Love of a person who happened to come by one, due to some reason or other. I don't know personally know anyone who owns any Ford that isn't a Mustang, I never have.
See, this is what I type when you attack me. We should stick to more interactive discussion, not this childish attacking that most of you guys keep doing to each other.
Blue, sorry we drift off topic. No hijack intended.

Dude...calm down. I wasn't attacking you, just letting you know what the history of the 5R55 is, and that they are NOTORIOUS for failure in the Explorer/Mountaineer app due to pump failures and poor or outdated band/valve body design. That's what I know.

[Atilla the Fun]

Yeah, I typed the first 5 or 6 lines before realizing I was all worked up, so I went and drank a Pepsi before typing the rest of that. I apologize. Now, it stands to reason that Ford understands that both the truck apps and the Mustang GT apps all need the best possible guts in the 5R55S, and I'd bet all the cash I can get my hands on that the pumps, bands, frictions, et cetera, are the same. I'd also bet the same that all these issues you've heard of are from guys who don't keep the stock wheels and tires, or who go off road like they're in the Baja 500, or both. Going to big tires is a warranty-voiding thing anyway. The only thing I can't see is why they don't offer the Power Stroke's auto trans in every other RWD and $WD chassis they make, including the GT500 Mustangs that everyone is modifying past 1000 rwhp. It's not like buyers wouldn't pay extra for the peace of mind. And whatever the option would cost, it would still be cheaper than the current solutions.

[KurtAKX]

The 5R55S is used in the '05-up Mustang GT, and has proven to be surprisingly strong. In fact with proper reprogramming, the 5R55S is perfectly capable of surviving superchargers and slicks.

False.

[Atilla the Fun]

The 5R55S is used in the '05-up Mustang GT, and has proven to be surprisingly strong. In fact with proper reprogramming, the 5R55S is perfectly capable of surviving superchargers and slicks.

False.

NOT false. I hang out at the dragstrip, I talk to my fellow Mustang owners, whatever I'm driving on any given day. I know what a stock 5R55S with a good programming will do, I've seen it for myself.
With a modest blower kit and slicks, guys are getting into the high 12s, uncorrected, at the drag strip in Magna.
Your refusal to believe doesn't change the facts. Better to join the real world.

[befarrer]

My girlfriends mom has a 97 Explorer with the 4.0 SOHC, try changing the fron o2 sensors. The sensors are easy to get to, but the connector is impossible. they put it above the bellhousing behind the engine. my dad was the one working on it, he could get 1 finger on the plug but was not able to unplug it, he tried from all angles, thee is like a 1'' gap around it, and the plug is like 10'' in that gap. We ended up just cutting the wires and splicing in the new (to us, from a wrecker) O2 in.