exploder intake swap for my 91
- Thread starter whitebeast
- Start date
Michael Yount
Mustang Master
What year Explorer? What's done to your 91?
Unless your 91 is significantly modded, there's no benefit to "boring" (porting?) the Explorer intake. If you have emissions inspections (visual and/or sniffer) to pass, you'll want the early (95-early 97) Explorer intake as it is equipped with egr passages just like your stocker. The later intake (late 97-2000) has no provisions for egr, so you'll have to do something with that equipment on yours if his vehicle is a later model. Also, the Explorer intake has no provisions for the egr spacer coolant return line - so if you want those functional, you'll have to drill and tap the lower for it; similarly there's not a provision for the ACT sensor (in the #5 runner on the stocker) - so you'll have to drill and tap for that, or lengthen the harness and relocate it to some other part of the intake air stream. I put mine in the elbow just before the throttle body. The vacuum ports/sizes may not be exactly the same, so be sure to carefully mark every vacuum connection so you get them all hooked back up properly. Also note that some of the vacuum ports on the intake are internally blocked - you could put a hose on them, but they're not 'live' - so check to be sure you're actually hooking them up properly. If you're swapping intakes with your dad, you have all those potential issues in reverse (you'd have to 'plug' the stock ACT location, etc.)
The coolant has to be drained below the manifold level, upper hose off, bypass hose off, distributor out of the way, everything disconnected including the fuel rail and injectors (new gaskets, new o-rings) -- be a shame not to replace the t'stat/gasket while you're in there. Two guys working with power tools who've worked a lot on these engines - I think you could make the swap in 2 or 3 hours. The average home mechanic? I'd allow all day.
Unless your 91 is significantly modded, there's no benefit to "boring" (porting?) the Explorer intake. If you have emissions inspections (visual and/or sniffer) to pass, you'll want the early (95-early 97) Explorer intake as it is equipped with egr passages just like your stocker. The later intake (late 97-2000) has no provisions for egr, so you'll have to do something with that equipment on yours if his vehicle is a later model. Also, the Explorer intake has no provisions for the egr spacer coolant return line - so if you want those functional, you'll have to drill and tap the lower for it; similarly there's not a provision for the ACT sensor (in the #5 runner on the stocker) - so you'll have to drill and tap for that, or lengthen the harness and relocate it to some other part of the intake air stream. I put mine in the elbow just before the throttle body. The vacuum ports/sizes may not be exactly the same, so be sure to carefully mark every vacuum connection so you get them all hooked back up properly. Also note that some of the vacuum ports on the intake are internally blocked - you could put a hose on them, but they're not 'live' - so check to be sure you're actually hooking them up properly. If you're swapping intakes with your dad, you have all those potential issues in reverse (you'd have to 'plug' the stock ACT location, etc.)
The coolant has to be drained below the manifold level, upper hose off, bypass hose off, distributor out of the way, everything disconnected including the fuel rail and injectors (new gaskets, new o-rings) -- be a shame not to replace the t'stat/gasket while you're in there. Two guys working with power tools who've worked a lot on these engines - I think you could make the swap in 2 or 3 hours. The average home mechanic? I'd allow all day.
88stangmangt
Active Member
Michael Yount
Mustang Master
The "Exploder" is a nickname affectionately bestowed upon the Ford Explorer -- probably something to do with it's Bridgestone-related blowout/rollover problems, genetically connected to the original Ford Exploder - the Pinto.
It's basically the same manifold performance-wise as a Cobra or GT40 intake. It has a different appearing upper casting than the Cobra, but they flow similarly. And all 3 share the same lower intake.
It's basically the same manifold performance-wise as a Cobra or GT40 intake. It has a different appearing upper casting than the Cobra, but they flow similarly. And all 3 share the same lower intake.
blkstangman88
New Member
- Apr 6, 2004
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Michael Yount
Mustang Master
Depends on the year - 95-early 97 are the GT40 irons (just like Cobra); late 97 through 2000 are GT40P's.
blkstangman88
New Member
- Apr 6, 2004
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I got mine off a 96 Explorer with the 19# injectors and 65 MM throttle body for $250.
The ACT (Air Charge Temp) sensor will probably need to be moved. The GT 40 manifold isn't drilled & tapped for it to go into the intake like the stock manifold was. There is a boss cast into the GT 40, but a machine shop will have to drill & tap the new manifold. The best spot for the ACT is the air box if you don't do the drill and tap thing. You get to cut and splice the 2 ACT wires in order to make them long enough to reach the air box. Solder the wire extensions on the existing wires & use heat shrink tubing to cover the splices. Offset the place where you cut the wires so that you don't have a big bulge when you put heat shrink over the 2 wires to cover & protect them. The air box gets a hole (5/8" or so) for the ACT drilled about 1 1/4" down & 1/1/4" in on the front top side near the upper radiator hose. A brass fitting nut from Home Depot or Ace Hardware secures the ACT into the air box.
If you are very clever, you will find that the ACT connector comes apart so that you can remove the pins. A very small screwdriver releases the lock in the front of the center insert, while another small screwdriver inserted in the back pushes it out. Once the center insert is out of the connector shell, the pins come out easily. New pins are available from AutoZone in a $5 electrical pin kit for Fords. Crimping the pins on the extender wires saves you from having to splice them twice: once to put the connector on and once to extend the wires.
6 ft black 18 gauge wire
6 ft green 18 gauge wire
6 ft 1/4" heat shrink tubing
1 ft 3/16" heat shrink tubing
Use the TPS and IAB from your old throttle body. All the EGR passages were there and fit OK. Use you old fuel rails and regulator. You will probably need a new EGR spacer adapter and gaskets. Without the EGR spacer, there is no place to mount the throttle linkage support bracket.
I used the stock water lines on the Explorer manifold and they connected up to the EGR without any problems. I made a “U” out of ½” copper pipe and sweat soldered it together. Then I used it and some hose with clamps to bypass the leaky heater I have. You don't need heat very often here in Central Florida...
The vacuum lines you need are 1 small line for fuel pressure regulator, 1 small line for A/C,1 small line for EGR and another small line for the smog pump. One big line at the back goes to the vacuum tree for the power brake & A/C, the other big line goes out the front for the carbon canister. In a pinch, one of the small lines can connect to the spare port on the vacuum tree.
The stock Explorer linkage didn't come anywhere near fitting, so I made an adapter plate for the throttle linkage so I could use the 65 MM throttle body.
This is what I did:
Make a drawing of the position of the old throttle body linkage arm and its angular position relative to the centerline of the throttle body. Remove the ball stud off the explorer TB to make way for the adapter plate. Drill and tap a 10-32 hole in the linkage parallel to the TB shaft. Make an angle bracket out of 1" angle iron 3/8", drill a 3/16” hole in the center of each one of the legs. Then bolt it on where the hole was drilled & tapped. Then make a circular adapter plate out of 1/4" thick aluminum to bolt the two linkage arms together. Then bolt the aluminum plate to the existing linkage, and the angle bracket. Next mount the arm with the ball stud off the old throttle body on the adapter plate using the drawing to get the angle correct. You will need an aircraft type countersink for one of the bolts that secures the plate to the explorer linkage arm. It ends up being under the arm with the ball stud for the linkage. It works great and looks neat.
A trip to the welding shop with the explorer TB and the arm from your old Mustang TB would probably accomplish the same thing. I didn't have access to a welder, so I fabb'ed the plate in my shop. I took about 1.5 hours to do it, it was a measure, cut, and fit type of operation.
Also see http://www.veryuseful.com/mustang/tech/engine/ConvertingExplorer65mmTB.pdf for modifications to adapt the 65 MM Explorer TB to a Mustang
The ACT (Air Charge Temp) sensor will probably need to be moved. The GT 40 manifold isn't drilled & tapped for it to go into the intake like the stock manifold was. There is a boss cast into the GT 40, but a machine shop will have to drill & tap the new manifold. The best spot for the ACT is the air box if you don't do the drill and tap thing. You get to cut and splice the 2 ACT wires in order to make them long enough to reach the air box. Solder the wire extensions on the existing wires & use heat shrink tubing to cover the splices. Offset the place where you cut the wires so that you don't have a big bulge when you put heat shrink over the 2 wires to cover & protect them. The air box gets a hole (5/8" or so) for the ACT drilled about 1 1/4" down & 1/1/4" in on the front top side near the upper radiator hose. A brass fitting nut from Home Depot or Ace Hardware secures the ACT into the air box.
If you are very clever, you will find that the ACT connector comes apart so that you can remove the pins. A very small screwdriver releases the lock in the front of the center insert, while another small screwdriver inserted in the back pushes it out. Once the center insert is out of the connector shell, the pins come out easily. New pins are available from AutoZone in a $5 electrical pin kit for Fords. Crimping the pins on the extender wires saves you from having to splice them twice: once to put the connector on and once to extend the wires.
6 ft black 18 gauge wire
6 ft green 18 gauge wire
6 ft 1/4" heat shrink tubing
1 ft 3/16" heat shrink tubing
Use the TPS and IAB from your old throttle body. All the EGR passages were there and fit OK. Use you old fuel rails and regulator. You will probably need a new EGR spacer adapter and gaskets. Without the EGR spacer, there is no place to mount the throttle linkage support bracket.
I used the stock water lines on the Explorer manifold and they connected up to the EGR without any problems. I made a “U” out of ½” copper pipe and sweat soldered it together. Then I used it and some hose with clamps to bypass the leaky heater I have. You don't need heat very often here in Central Florida...
The vacuum lines you need are 1 small line for fuel pressure regulator, 1 small line for A/C,1 small line for EGR and another small line for the smog pump. One big line at the back goes to the vacuum tree for the power brake & A/C, the other big line goes out the front for the carbon canister. In a pinch, one of the small lines can connect to the spare port on the vacuum tree.
The stock Explorer linkage didn't come anywhere near fitting, so I made an adapter plate for the throttle linkage so I could use the 65 MM throttle body.
This is what I did:
Make a drawing of the position of the old throttle body linkage arm and its angular position relative to the centerline of the throttle body. Remove the ball stud off the explorer TB to make way for the adapter plate. Drill and tap a 10-32 hole in the linkage parallel to the TB shaft. Make an angle bracket out of 1" angle iron 3/8", drill a 3/16” hole in the center of each one of the legs. Then bolt it on where the hole was drilled & tapped. Then make a circular adapter plate out of 1/4" thick aluminum to bolt the two linkage arms together. Then bolt the aluminum plate to the existing linkage, and the angle bracket. Next mount the arm with the ball stud off the old throttle body on the adapter plate using the drawing to get the angle correct. You will need an aircraft type countersink for one of the bolts that secures the plate to the explorer linkage arm. It ends up being under the arm with the ball stud for the linkage. It works great and looks neat.
A trip to the welding shop with the explorer TB and the arm from your old Mustang TB would probably accomplish the same thing. I didn't have access to a welder, so I fabb'ed the plate in my shop. I took about 1.5 hours to do it, it was a measure, cut, and fit type of operation.
Also see http://www.veryuseful.com/mustang/tech/engine/ConvertingExplorer65mmTB.pdf for modifications to adapt the 65 MM Explorer TB to a Mustang
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