new to the "fleet" 98 xlt 4x4 with 151k miles

Got it as a toy since it has rusted out rocker panels and needs ALL the maintenance caught up. it looks to cost more to fix than the 97 I have with bad head gasket.

5.4l looks like it has a 4r100 trans (bigger pan than the 4r70w that my 97 has)

4l and 4h do not work yet, little red thing hanging down from xfer case

needs tires and has a busted rear brake line

it doesn't look like it has the trans cooler (little rad on pass side that my 97 has)

it groans sometimes when I take a turn and if I slowly make a turn in a parking lot I can hear the tires squeak

there is an exhaust leak on right bank that sounds terrible and i believe is causing a misfire. haven't looked at obd data to confirm.

so, for 1000 it's not too bad. I don't know how hard it is to fix the rust but the brake line and exhaust leak are sure to be an adventure. I will post pictures as they become avail.

Welcome to the site

Mr. 10K

10K-Watts said:

Welcome to the site

Mr. 10K

Click to expand...

thanks but I've been here for a couple of years already lol

Update.

4x4 works don't know about awd but 4lo and 4hi work

rear diff appears to be welded or just stuck, sharp turns in the grass result in groaning noise then the slower tire suddenly spins a bit as if to unload the stress

body is rusted pretty bad, it gets into the floor pans in a couple spots.

rear brake line is rusted out but has been worked on before,

I am considering finding another 4x4 expy that has a bad motor/trans but good body and just swapping. I don't know right now but it appears I have a turd on my hands so i will finish fixing the green $400 expy then move on to this one

I wonder if the driveline binding is because it's stuck in 4wd. My 2000 was doing weird things while turning and I pulled fuse 104 in the underhood fuse box. That released the 4wd but eliminated the transfercase so it was only 2wd. For me, the Brown Wire Mod got me back whole again:2wd most of the time, 4wd with the switch when I need it, and then the BWM switch gives me a4wd when I need that (which is never).

Start with the fuse. It's easy and free.

a little more looking around and there is too much rust to deal with. how difficult 1 - 10 would it be to just get a diff expy with bad motor and just swap that all over then scrap this rusty one and sell parts like the xfercase if the reciepient of this motor doesn't need one. this of course after I get the green one back up as my daily?

ExplorerTom said:

I wonder if the driveline binding is because it's stuck in 4wd. My 2000 was doing weird things while turning and I pulled fuse 104 in the underhood fuse box. That released the 4wd but eliminated the transfercase so it was only 2wd. For me, the Brown Wire Mod got me back whole again:2wd most of the time, 4wd with the switch when I need it, and then the BWM switch gives me a4wd when I need that (which is never).

Start with the fuse. It's easy and free.

Click to expand...

if the 4wd was stuck could the front drive shaft turn free when the key is off (after shifting to 2wd)?

I did a test in some wet grass and in awd it takes a second to get the fronts to spin, then in 4hi they spin and I can hear the click and jerk into 4lo and back to 4hi.

either way the rear tires bind in a turn an the slower tire gets pulled faster. I may dissect it when I pull the motor and trans to put it in a different body/frame truck with a dead motor.