Recent content by MISTERgadget

  1. MISTERgadget

    "Thunder" 1998 Expedition Build Thread .... fixed pics!!

    They're ARH headers for a Lightning, yes
  2. MISTERgadget

    "Thunder" 1998 Expedition Build Thread .... fixed pics!!

    If you're gonna spend the money, my vote would be to wait till the 2018+ is in the cards. You could also spend $10k on the 2001 and have a very sweet and unique 1st Gen, and keep the other 25K earning for you in the stock market.
  3. MISTERgadget

    "Thunder" 1998 Expedition Build Thread .... fixed pics!!

    Thanks man! It has been a long road. A lot of little stuff to iron out. Swapping all the wiring turned it from a 3-4 month project into a yearlong slog... and two big kicks in the nuts that are coming in future posts [emoji23]
  4. MISTERgadget

    "Thunder" 1998 Expedition Build Thread .... fixed pics!!

    The passenger side gave me a little more drama.... the heads I got ported were used cores and at some point, somebody wasn't so nice to the exhaust manifold threads... There was another one that was even worse....I definitely regretted not taking a thread chaser and tap to all the holes while...
  5. MISTERgadget

    "Thunder" 1998 Expedition Build Thread .... fixed pics!!

    Next challenge - getting the headers in. Again silly me figured, you already had them on, how hard can it be to just get them back in? ABS module was still out on the driver's side, so it was pretty smooth except for a couple of the bottom bolts that are tough to reach. Getting my hand...
  6. MISTERgadget

    "Thunder" 1998 Expedition Build Thread .... fixed pics!!

    Spent a little time getting the interior more buttoned up and here's what the engine bay looked like at this point Now for a quick sugar rush to power through the rest of the fuel system plumbing. I'm using 60# injectors with stock 5.4 fuel rails (they're all the same for...
  7. MISTERgadget

    "Thunder" 1998 Expedition Build Thread .... fixed pics!!

    Changing the output shaft on a 2wd transmission requires disassembling it completely. Either way, that wouldn’t do the trick. It’s just too long. The Lightning yoke is on the steel DS for now, eventually I’ll probably take it to a DS shop to have the aluminum DS shortened and fitted.
  8. MISTERgadget

    "Thunder" 1998 Expedition Build Thread .... fixed pics!!

    So I had everything ready to do my fuel system stuff... and then nerves set in....before I did my fuel system plumbing, I wanted to practice on something that felt a little less critical....although it's still a fire hazard so maybe it's all in my head. Added the 5/8-18 IF to -6 AN adapters...
  9. MISTERgadget

    "Thunder" 1998 Expedition Build Thread .... fixed pics!!

    Next up, plumbing! I started with the suction end of the fuel system... my original pump was not gonna cut it to feed enough fuel for all the air that Whipple can push... A Walbro 450LPH pump went into place after some tweaking of the stock bracket. I also drilled out the wiring pass...
  10. MISTERgadget

    "Thunder" 1998 Expedition Build Thread .... fixed pics!!

    Those are vintage harbor freight from circa 2003... when all their stands and hoists had this awful ***** orange finish on them. They don’t build em like they used to!
  11. MISTERgadget

    "Thunder" 1998 Expedition Build Thread .... fixed pics!!

    So, in the continuing saga of "this should bolt right in" and then reality tells you no :chair: I had the OE Aluminum driveshaft out of my Lightning also sitting on the shelf. The spec sheet says the Expedition has a 119" wheelbase and the Lightning has a 120" wheelbase... I figured that must...
  12. MISTERgadget

    "Thunder" 1998 Expedition Build Thread .... fixed pics!!

    Next step was getting the transmission in. It's always a nerve racking how high you have to get these to clear the trans jack and the bellhousing on a 4R100. Every time I tell myself I'll buy a better trans jack, and then when it comes down to it I keep using the harbor freight cheapie :Big...
  13. MISTERgadget

    "Thunder" 1998 Expedition Build Thread .... fixed pics!!

    I went over it in one of the posts and it might have gotten lost a little in the whole explanation... but basically, all the wiring swap work was to be able to use a Lightning PCM and control a 4R100. 1. I got a deal on a used built 4R100 that’s normally $5000 new, and buying a E4OD built to...
  14. MISTERgadget

    "Thunder" 1998 Expedition Build Thread .... fixed pics!!

    Got the donor completely torn down... ...and then began the process of cleaning everything up and getting everything organized. It's deja vu all over again in taking this apart... Oh, and remember what I mentioned about the 99 making some things easier? The 99 used an airbag module...
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