Explorer Swap - it's alive! But oil in header after initial fire up?

[1buckeyefan1]

So thanks to everyone that gave me the courage to undertake an Explorer swap.. it's been sitting for about 3 years now and came back to life last night. I wanted to preface, this is my first ever engine swap.. so just about every stage is a learning step.

The engine came out of a 2001 Mountaineer/Explorer. I drove it a good bit before I took the engine and 4r70w out and began assembling my bronco around it. had 121k miles on it, ran fine, no smoke, etc. I sent the harness off to EFIGuy, had him delete PATS, EGR, Evap, etc. While the engine was on the stand, I replaced timing chain, oil pump, water pump, etc. But didn't break it down any further.

So I went to start it up last night.. put about 2 gallons of gas in it and couldn't get it to prime (23gal w/ tanks inc PA-2 internal pump). dumped about 7 gallons in and got it to sputter. Then found the gas leaks. Turns out my BCBroncos fuel line kit needs to be torqued down to the point where I had to put my foot on the frame for leverage.. had leaks in almost every connection. problem solved.

Had to also torque down my power steering fittings a bit more too. problem solved.

My biggest mystery now is that i'm getting black oil coming out of the passenger side headers (nothing on the driver side).. and it's smoking like Andrew Dice Clay in the 80's.. I've only ran it for like 30 seconds, so i'm not sure if it's something that was residual from my replacing oil pump, rotating it on the stand, or something larger?

My initial thought is to pull it outside and let it smoke for a bit (5 mins) and see if it burns off? But don't want to do any residual damage.

Next thought is to remove the valve covers and see if the valve seals might need replacing? The explorer didn't smoke though when I ran it a few years ago.

The PCV valve is new, as is the plumbing to the intake.

I'm hoping that it's something simple that I screwed up in reconnecting things.. hopefully someone with more experience can chime in?

I have to say it's very satisfying to hear it run after sitting for 3 years. it idles very smooth, starts right up, etc. I'm shocked it started up this easy..

 

[72ford]

Good job on the install, I’d pull it outside let it run up to operating temp. You could just have oil in combustion chamber. As long as you don’t have knocking sounds or high pitch squealing noise you should be fine to run


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[Timmy390]

Good job on the install, I’d pull it outside let it run up to operating temp. You could just have oil in combustion chamber. As long as you don’t have knocking sounds or high pitch squealing noise you should be fine to run


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I got oil in my combustion chambers when I had my W out one of the 10 times I had to pull it. Flipped it over on the engine stand (oil was drained) to fix a pan leak and when I fired it back up.....SMOKE BIGTIME......I freaked out at first......no knocks or noise so I let it go........it got less and less and less as it ran....then all gone.....

Tim

 

[904Bronco]

Congrats on hearing her fire up.
I tend to agree on what is being said above, pull it outside, fire it up and let it get to operational temperature.
Fill all your fluids to the required levels and monitor temps and oil pressure.

 

[tasker]

congrats on a major milestone!! that is awesome and looks nice and tidy!

 

[BanditBronco]

Make sure you have a fire extinguisher on hand while you let it come up to temp. Oil around the exhaust is one of the fastest ways to a fire. I am sure you will be all good, just be prepared and safe is all I am saying.

 

[1buckeyefan1]

Make sure you have a fire extinguisher on hand while you let it come up to temp. Oil around the exhaust is one of the fastest ways to a fire. I am sure you will be all good, just be prepared and safe is all I am saying.

Yep, that was my biggest fear.. especially when I found a few fuel leaks. had about 3 different extinguishers lined up at arms reach.

I'll keep everyone posted as I make progress. I'm really hoping this is something that will burn off..

 

[1buckeyefan1]

Got it outside and up to operating temps. Smoke eventually subsided after a few minute... then came back when i shut it down and fired it back up. I think it will eventually burn off. I'm pretty sure it's the old oil, since it's dark black.

I'm also a little puzzled on how the Oil pressure and Temp gauges should be wired up? I've read enough to know I need to use the Bronco sending units.. but EFIGuy's harness has engine bay leads for both as well as in-cab leads (for the original gauge cluster? or can these only be used for aftermarket clusters?) I thought to myself.. easy enough, use original sending units and hook up EFIGuy's harness then back to the original gauge... I did this and the Oil pressure went to 0 and I freak out. I swap it with a mechanical gauge and it's right at 60, so it's a gauge issue. Temp gauge pegs right away, but i'm pretty sure it's not that hot (halfway confirmed with a handheld temp gauge), so I also believe it's a gauge issue

So do i run the EFIGuy leads from the senders to the ECU, then run my painless harness leads back to the cab? Ie, run two wires off of each sender: 1.) to ECU 2.) to gauge cluster? I've read back through a bunch of threads and it's not really clear.

 

[lars]

Got it outside and up to operating temps. Smoke eventually subsided after a few minute... then came back when i shut it down and fired it back up. I think it will eventually burn off. I'm pretty sure it's the old oil, since it's dark black.

I'm also a little puzzled on how the Oil pressure and Temp gauges should be wired up? I've read enough to know I need to use the Bronco sending units.. but EFIGuy's harness has engine bay leads for both as well as in-cab leads (for the original gauge cluster? or can these only be used for aftermarket clusters?) I thought to myself.. easy enough, use original sending units and hook up EFIGuy's harness then back to the original gauge... I did this and the Oil pressure went to 0 and I freak out. I swap it with a mechanical gauge and it's right at 60, so it's a gauge issue. Temp gauge pegs right away, but i'm pretty sure it's not that hot (halfway confirmed with a handheld temp gauge), so I also believe it's a gauge issue

So do i run the EFIGuy leads from the senders to the ECU, then run my painless harness leads back to the cab? Ie, run two wires off of each sender: 1.) to ECU 2.) to gauge cluster? I've read back through a bunch of threads and it's not really clear.

I'm not sure how Garry wires his harnesses, but I can say that if there are wires in your Painless harness (there almost certainly are) for oil pressure and coolant temperature, use those. If Garry puts wires in his harness for that purpose you can ignore them. Neither should connect to the ECU in any way. The computer does need a coolant temperature input, but it gets that from the Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor that is in the steel coolant pipe at the front passenger side of the engine.

For the gauges, use the stock coolant temp sensor, screwed into the hole on the front left side of the lower intake manifold. Oil pressure in the stock location.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Engine was on the stand...
You probably had it rolled over doing the service work on it. Oil creeped past the rings and got into the combustion chambers. I would call smoke normal until you get a chance to drive it a little bit. Not just idling in the garage until the temp gauge comes up, actual get out and drive it and get some cylinder pressure and loads on the engine.

Sender matches the gauges. There should be 2 temp senders on the engine, one for the computer the other for the gauge.
There should not be anything special about the wiring. If not sure, put one lead from a digital meter set to continuity on each end of what you think is the wire for the gauge (disconnected from the gauge and the sender). If you have continuity, that is the right wire. If you don't, you don't.

 

[904Bronco]

As Lars said Factory Bronco sending units for oil and temp. There is a split on the Temp sending units around 1975, so there are two different ones available.

Garry's wires - all they are is the factory wires (correct Ford colors Red/white strip (temp) and Green/white strip (oil)) from the Explorer harness. They will do the same job as the aftermarket wiring harness. I use Garry's, and then I have the aftermarket harness wires for running other things or signal wires for relays, etc.

 

[1buckeyefan1]

Thanks guys! I figured i'd outsmart myself and use all new sending units when I had the engine out.. now that I know Garry's wires are just pass-thru's, i'm questioning if I bought the right ones.

Here was the oil pressure sender I used. I remember searching quite a bit to avoid the large one that requires an extension to avoid the explorer oil filter.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1540300828...d=link&campid=5335857059&toolid=20001&mkevt=1

And here is the coolant sender I used. Was supposed to fit 74 Bronco:

Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance

If anyone has had better luck with different sending units, I'm open to suggestions.

Or does anyone happen to know the part # for this Explorer v6 oil sender extension?
https://classicbroncos.com/forums/threads/stock-oil-pressure-sender.165493/post-1731003

 

[lars]

Coolant sender link doesn't work. And what you thought is an oil pressure sender is actually a switch for an idiot light, not a sender for a gauge.

Try these:
https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Temperature-Sending-Unit/bronco_More_Engine_Parts
https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Oil_Pressure_Sending_Unit/bronco_More_Engine_Parts

 

[jamesroney]

Coolant sender link doesn't work. And what you thought is an oil pressure sender is actually a switch for an idiot light, not a sender for a gauge.

Try these:
https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Temperature-Sending-Unit/bronco_More_Engine_Parts
https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Oil_Pressure_Sending_Unit/bronco_More_Engine_Parts

Also gotta watch out for the later model "idiot gauge" feature. The make a sender that has a fixed resistor in it. So at 0 psi, it reads infinite ohms to ground. At 10 psi, it reads some fixed value of ohms to ground. That value of ohms corresponds to "normal" on a gauge in the dash. So yeah, they take an analog instrument, and feed it with discrete inputs. Some people call that digital switch a sender. As you correctly point out, it isn't.

 

[904Bronco]

I have always repurposed the Bronco factory oil sending unit extension. Available from any of the Vendors.

For clearance of the Explorer front dress, it will be turned so the sending unit is pointing back some instead of straight up as is found with the factory brackets/PS pump.

 

[lars]

^^^^ what 904 wrote. Here's a link: https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Oil_Pressure_Sending_Extention/bronco_Oil_Pans

I can vouch for the senders I linked in my post above, and that extension. Those pieces, bought from Wild Horses, are on my Bronco and working just fine.

 

[1buckeyefan1]

Thanks guys.. have an extension and oil & temp senders on order.

Now I'm also getting power steering fluid puking out the bottom of my PS box (seemed to be ok when parked 5yrs ago). Looks like i'll be shipping it off to West Texas Offroad this week for a rebuild too.

 

[jamesroney]

Thanks guys.. have an extension and oil & temp senders on order.

Now I'm also getting power steering fluid puking out the bottom of my PS box (seemed to be ok when parked 5yrs ago). Looks like i'll be shipping it off to West Texas Offroad this week for a rebuild too.

I am totally lost now.

You now have the mechanical prowess to do an engine swap, and you managed to make your Bronco run...but you are scared of installing a $15 seal into your steering box?

If it was OK 5 years ago, then it is perfectly OK now. The seal just dried up over time, and needs to be replaced. It is easier to change that seal than almost anything you've done on your Bronco. I would say it's easier to change that seal than it is to swap the oil pressure sender. (OK, mild exaggeration.) But I could swap that steering box seal on your bronco is less than 10 minutes.

Pull the steering box, pull the pitman arm. center the box. Do NOT touch the 5/8 nut on the top cap. remove the 4 cap screws with 9/16 heads from the top cap. push the sector shaft out the top. Remove the lower snap ring. Take a screwdriver with a bent tip and drive out the old seal. Install the new seal with a big socket and a mallet. Reinstall the sector shaft. Reinstall the box.

Take the money you were about to waste for shipping both ways and the cost of a rebuild, and place a $5.00 wager on the University of Michigan to win the National Championship. Then send the rest to me.

 

[1buckeyefan1]

I am totally lost now.

You now have the mechanical prowess to do an engine swap, and you managed to make your Bronco run...but you are scared of installing a $15 seal into your steering box?

If it was OK 5 years ago, then it is perfectly OK now. The seal just dried up over time, and needs to be replaced. It is easier to change that seal than almost anything you've done on your Bronco. I would say it's easier to change that seal than it is to swap the oil pressure sender. (OK, mild exaggeration.) But I could swap that steering box seal on your bronco is less than 10 minutes.

Pull the steering box, pull the pitman arm. center the box. Do NOT touch the 5/8 nut on the top cap. remove the 4 cap screws with 9/16 heads from the top cap. push the sector shaft out the top. Remove the lower snap ring. Take a screwdriver with a bent tip and drive out the old seal. Install the new seal with a big socket and a mallet. Reinstall the sector shaft. Reinstall the box.

Take the money you were about to waste for shipping both ways and the cost of a rebuild, and place a $5.00 wager on the University of Michigan to win the National Championship. Then send the rest to me.

Alright, thanks for being the voice of reason and talking me into replacing the seals. I had read a few threads last night and even found this thread/article last night..

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/129-0801-saginaw-steering-box-rebuild

but 1st timer syndrome struck me and instead dropped an email to west texas after reading many other threads praising their service.

You're right.. the kits are fairly inexpensive and if it's almost as easy as obtaining a degree from UM, then i'll take the plunge. Does anyone have a preference on seal kits? So far I've found EDELMANN Part # 7858 and Gates part # 351140. Is it best to get it a full seal kit, or simply a lower seal kit (which my local Napa happens to stock)

btw, the OSU vs. UM game is still a pretty fresh wound. Hoping we meet each other again in the championship.

 

[bronkenn]

btw, the OSU vs. UM game is still a pretty fresh wound. Hoping we meet each other again in the championship.

I can't believe you want to go through that again...