Explorer motor.

1994gt · Mar 1, 2016

Got quite a few parts in yesterday. Injectors, fuel pump, cam, timing chain and cover, and 1.6 roller rockers to name a few. Also got the ford racing head gaskets with new bolts and the 3/8" intake spacer to use the new injectors. Began cleaning the block and got most of it done. The block is a 93 that supposedly has 65k miles on it. The bottom end seems all good and the bearings seem good as well. Just need to finish up some cleaning and then can slowly begin assembly. Need to find another oil pan as the one that came with it was dented from sitting on the ground in the guys garage. Also had a timing cover bolt that was broke in it. Had to drill it out and retap the hole. Wasn't fun and took some time but came out good. Still need to replace the springs in the heads but it's coming along slowly.

1994gt · Mar 5, 2016

The head gasket kit I bought comes with new head bolts as well from lmr. One of the shorter bolts is a stud bolt. Looking at my engine in in 94, I can't see where that bolt goes. Anyone know? Is that a fox body car thing or am I missing somethings?

RichV · Mar 5, 2016

Should go on the passenger head, lower, closest to radiator. Foxes have a ground wire/lug there.

Firefighter181 · Mar 5, 2016

Seen you mentioned both the TFS and E cam, what did you end up going with?

1994gt · Mar 5, 2016

Went with the trick flow stage 1 cam and 1.6 rr. Went with the 24# injectors and the 255lph fuel pump. Still have a few things to get but I have the big ticket items. Still trying to find a used oil pan but no luck. Just may have to buy a new one. In the cleaning phase now before I do any assembly. Cleaning the gt40 intake and fox valve covers today. Still a bit to go but as soon as assembly begins I'll be posting pics and after pics of the intake and valve covers after they are painted as well.

Firefighter181 · Mar 6, 2016

Copy that.

1994gt · Mar 6, 2016

Just spent a few hours cleaning up the upper intake and the fox valve covers. Smoothed the casting marks and the roughness out of the upper and got the valve covers down to bare metal. Need to tap 1 more hole in the upper to plug an extra vacuum port. Still trying to decide on what color to paint everything. Car is dark green with a tan top. Was just thinking of doing black wrinkle paint with the fins on the intake polished but it just seems to blah. What are your thoughts on color options?

Firefighter181 · Mar 6, 2016

I pretty much have the same car. Here is my engine bay:

1994gt · Mar 6, 2016

That's looks pretty clean. I was wanting to do something different than ford blue though. Just had a thought of painting the block and heads black and the valve covers, intake, and cai either green or red metal cast. Not sure if I want to paint the accessory brackets black or the same color at the intake. Want to paint my alternator as well.

Firefighter181 · Mar 7, 2016

Thanks! I'm a bit preferential to the Ford Blue. A black and slightly brighter green may look cool. The alternator is pretty easy to take apart and paint. Just need to be gentle popping pulley and the front case off. I took the time to re loom and tape pretty much all of the engine harness, little stuff but made a big difference in how the motor looked when done.

1994gt · Mar 16, 2016

Media some progress over the last couple days. Cam is installed, timing chain and cover is as well along with the water pump. Waiting for my 1 pc oil pan gasket to arrive and then the bottom end is complete.

Im going to be using the foxbody valve covers as they look nicer then the stock 94 ones do. I read that there is clear and issues with the oil filler neck. Some solve this by putting the right valve cover on the left side to where the filler neck is now on the rear drivers side. If I do this do I need to run a vent tube from the fitting on the oil filler tube all the way around to the air intake? Or is there another option for using these? Staying with the stock throttle location so I'm not going to go with the flow set up.

1994gt · Mar 16, 2016

1994gt · Mar 16, 2016

1994gt · Mar 19, 2016

1994gt · Mar 19, 2016

Bottom end assembled. Lifters and heads on. Looks like the putting the right valve cover on the left side won't work unless I use over a 1" intake spacer which I'm not doing. Only going to use a 3/8" spacer to just clear the new injectors. So I need to get the intake elbow yet and mock up the throttle body set up to see what kind of fabrication I need to do to clear the filler neck. Then I can paint the intake and valve covers. Going to be painting the block and heads hopefully tomorrow. Just going gloss black on the block.

TrickVert · Mar 27, 2016

I'm late to the party here, but it looks like you're making good progress. I'd expect this combo to make around 275 RWHP and 300 Tq. if properly tuned. You *might* get away with just a "calibrated" MAF, but a tune will give the best results both in peak power and drivability.

On the Fox valve covers: Mock everything up, and see if you have clearance issues. Some people do, some don't. The main problem points are usually as follows:

1) Oil fill to throttle body/IAC/intake tubing
- Solutions
a) Cut a section of the filler neck out, re-weld to make it shorter.
b) Cut filler neck, remove pie-shaped section, re-weld at an angle.
c) Cut filler neck, add radiator hose elbow "extension."

2) Roller rocker clearance
- Solution - Grind/remove internal bosses and ribs, and remove/modify oil fill baffle.

3) Alternator bolt
- Solutions
a) Grind valve cover for clearance
b) Replace hex bolt with button-head fastener

If the Fox covers you have are not from a '93, you will likely have to grind the insides as noted. Issues 1 and 3 are a craps shoot. You may experience them, or you may not.

Andy

P.S. I assume you know you'll also need longer bolts.

Addermk2 · Mar 28, 2016

man... this thread makes me miss the simplicity of a fairly stock or mild build.

Sometimes I wish my cobra was still stock.

1994gt · Mar 29, 2016

Got a lot of work done today. Everything is mocked up and then took back apart and painted. I got lucky and the fill tube just barely cleared everything. Just had to do some modification to the oil fill baffle and a boss on the inside. Roller rockers installed as well.