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Valve Cover And The Explorer Upper Intake Clearance

  • Thread starter Thread starter flyingtexan
  • Start date Start date May 30, 2013
F

flyingtexan

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Dec 25, 2004
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Washington Twp, Michigan
May 30, 2013
#1
  • May 30, 2013
  • #1
I'm having some clearance issues with my Explorer (GT40) upper plenum and my driver side valve cover. Does anyone make a valve cover without a breather on the driver side cover? My problem is the upper plenum is hitting the breather. I have a stock hood so I'm leary of raising the plenum up anymore (already have a spacer in place). Ford Motorsport makes a breather less cover but what about adequate crankcase ventilation?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
 

mikestang63

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Aug 27, 2012
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May 30, 2013
#2
  • May 30, 2013
  • #2
uh. the breather goes on the passenger side.

This is my Explorer setup. It fit fine under the stock hood before I swapped out hoods.

View attachment 128534


View attachment 128535
 
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bird_dog0347

still married haven't seen testicles in years
15 Year Member
Jun 7, 2012
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May 30, 2013
#3
  • May 30, 2013
  • #3
My explorer intake fits on there with the stock valve covers, same setup as above... just not as clean. The vacuum ports on the bottom of the upper plenum do make contact just a tad with the valve covers and if I ever get taller covers I'll need a spacer.
 
F

flyingtexan

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Washington Twp, Michigan
May 31, 2013
#4
  • May 31, 2013
  • #4
mikestang63 said:
uh. the breather goes on the passenger side.

This is my Explorer setup. It fit fine under the stock hood before I swapped out hoods.

View attachment 128492


View attachment 128493
Click to expand...
My Oil filler port is on the passenger side, where yours is, breather is on the driver, you must have different valve covers. I'm not even seeing a breather in the pictures you provided and your manifold is different from mine. Mines a GT40 as mentioned in my post.
 

65ShelbyClone

Founding Member
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May 31, 2013
#5
  • May 31, 2013
  • #5
flyingtexan said:
My Oil filler port is on the passenger side, where yours is, breather is on the driver, you must have different valve covers.
Click to expand...

What valve covers do you have then? Stock EFI don't have any openings on the driver's side.

I'm not even seeing a breather in the pictures you provided and your manifold is different from mine. Mines a GT40 as mentioned in my post.
Click to expand...

You said you have an "Explorer (GT40)." They're not the same thing. Mikestang63's intake is an Explorer intake. If yours doesn't look like that, then it's not an Explorer intake. The only other possibilities are Cobra and the actual GT40 that is tubular. Which one do you have?
 

mikestang63

SN Certified Technician
Aug 27, 2012
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May 31, 2013
#6
  • May 31, 2013
  • #6
flyingtexan said:
My Oil filler port is on the passenger side, where yours is, breather is on the driver, you must have different valve covers. I'm not even seeing a breather in the pictures you provided and your manifold is different from mine. Mines a GT40 as mentioned in my post.
Click to expand...

Then you don't have the stock 5.0 valve covers. Also, you said you have an Explorer(GT40) intake. Mine is from a 96 Explorer. Yours should look similar if it is an Explorer intake. My stock valve covers and Explorer intake are polished, that's all.

You really need to post some pictures so we know what you have, because it ain't what you think it is. Do you have the breather tube from the throttle body attached, and to what? That is an important part to help evacuate crank case gases.

Explorer intake



GT40 intake



Cobra intake


STOCK intake and Valve Covers- notice the filler/breather tube location.

 

wyteelx

Founding Member
Apr 17, 2000
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May 31, 2013
#7
  • May 31, 2013
  • #7
on my explorer intake it did have 2 vac ports on the bottom driver side that almost touched the valve cover. cut em off ,drilled and tapped for pipe plugs, put in threaded pipe plugs.
 
F

flyingtexan

Member
Dec 25, 2004
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Washington Twp, Michigan
Jun 4, 2013
#8
  • Jun 4, 2013
  • #8
mikestang63 said:
Then you don't have the stock 5.0 valve covers. Also, you said you have an Explorer(GT40) intake. Mine is from a 96 Explorer. Yours should look similar if it is an Explorer intake. My stock valve covers and Explorer intake are polished, that's all.

You really need to post some pictures so we know what you have, because it ain't what you think it is. Do you have the breather tube from the throttle body attached, and to what? That is an important part to help evacuate crank case gases.

Explorer intake



GT40 intake



Cobra intake


STOCK intake and Valve Covers- notice the filler/breather tube location.

Click to expand...
What I have is the second picture with the comp blue and red valve covers, rag around the breather, that's my intake system. Thanks in advance.
 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
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Massachusetts
Jun 4, 2013
#9
  • Jun 4, 2013
  • #9
You can't use a breather on an EFI system. Those are for carbed cars. Any air inside the engine needs to pass through the MAF to get there. Breathers allow air to bypass that..which isn't a good thing.

Sounds like you have carb version valve covers. You'll need to get EFI covers which only have the passenger side oil fill port.


If your intake is the version with individual runners, than that is a true GT-40 intake. Has nothing to do with Ford explorers, so using the word "explorer" is confusing to some.
 
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