Learning the Ropes with The 5.4 EB 2nd gen

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Gtempo

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G'Day everyone,

Just got the family (Myself :D) a 04 5.4 EB 4x4 , 130k kms / 80k+ Miles.

New on here so please be kind :) . Sharing in hope to get some kind advice/thoughts on what i have done thus far and also what i am planning to do.

So here we go.

Originally from New Zealand and currently working offshore in Australia, we do not have the Expy only Explorers and personally imported F150,250s and the big boy 350s. So when i arrived in the Philippines a few yrs back i saw for the first time the Expy and straight away wanted one, Fell in love with the damn thing.

Anyways, fast forward to last yr i got the stated EB 04. I have to admit i bought it out of excitement and was very impatient/impulse buy basically only looked at 2 others..

On initial inspection when purchasing it the things i noticed and thoughts at the time immediately were the following,

1. Front tires basically non existent thread and were a smaller size then the rear. Also left front had uneven wear..( no problem probably tierod or steering rack or something ) (different sized tires? wierd but meh..)
2. looked under the body, the front driveshaft to transfer case was missing , both front cv axle gone.(explaination given by the seller was "it was removed to save petrol....) I knew what a whole lot of shit this was but allgood help to bring down the price.
3. The interior smelt like it had lived in a swamp for ages the 3rd row seat had mold on everywhere. But the whole vehicle had no rust whatsoever so no probs.
4. it ran a bit rough missing a bit but plugged in the obd no codes popped up.
5.Engine sounded great,Engine bay looked clean, no heavy leaks whatsover under the vehicle very clean then again im not a mechanic just used my Jedi senses LOL.
6. the seller reckons it has had regular oil changes sparkplugs been down bla bla bla ... whatever..
7.The Stock Eddie Bauer sounds were/are amazing i was impressed to be honest.
8. Aircon was decent.
So thats all i checked and bought it.

So, my instinct tells me i will do what i will do, i started getting a lil anxious ( some may call it paranoid) at every lil sound that was or was not there..

To date these are the things i have done (off the top of my head), not sure if its the right way of doing things trying to atleast establish a personal benchmark of sorts but thats why im here to seek you're guys opinions.

*NEW/Replacement
1.Flushed the coolant with Motorcraft Yellow- proper flushed from brown looking **** coolant to that beautiful luminous green stuff.
2.Transmission Filter Motocraft/ Fluid Mercon v - the fluid smelt funky... real bbq style funky..but not much metal shavings though on the magnet.
3.Transfer Case fluid change Mercon LV - Bloody hell this was empty. I found a very very slight leak almost like a "bleeding type of leak" coming from where the transfercase mates with the transmission.
4.Engine Oil Motorcraft Fully Synth 5w20
5.K&N Oil Filter
6.Thermostat Motorcraft
7.Coolant Reservoir tank
8.washer pump motorcraft
9.Transmission oil pan Dorman
10.EGR (NGK) - cause i am a nobb head and snapped the plastic connectors whilst doing the spark plugs.
11.Heater Valve - Fourseasons - found it was leaking coolant all over my spark plugs position 3 and 4 a shitload of gunk...
12.Drive Belt Motorcraft
13.Turn signal switch - was totally broken
14.BFGoodrich All terrain T/A 265 70R17 - I feel slightly more of a man now.
15.Headlight assemblies R + L, LED Lamps
16.OEM wheel nuts - when trying to take off the wheels holyshit shit we had to weld onto the old lugs and get them off it was ********. nuts were seized up in there like force feeding a toddler brussel sprouts, hectic.
17.Front hood and rear window strutts Rugged Tuff
18.Both rear Aircon Actuators Motorcraft
19. Front wheel hub and bearing assembly
20. Both Tie rod end/arms - alot of play
21. Spark Plugs Motorcraft - Holy shit again im no mechanic but i think they havent been changed in a while..
22. Coils MAS
24. Cut the muffler out and welded strait through - I feel slight more of a man now x2.
25. Got the interior steamed cleaned - Doesnt smell like a smelly man now.
26. Both Puddle lights i cleaned out and DIY'd with aluminium foil cause the chrome pant has peeled off and they were filled up with mold.
27.Fuel Filter Motorcraft
28.Rear Driveshaft Pinion oil seal - National Oil Seal


Immediate Future Works.
1. Aircon is gone, considering a whole compressor + condensor kit swapp out need opinion on this .
2.K&N Cold Air Intake
3.Delete current fan and install a Flexi-A-Lite Dual Fan
4.transfercase motor swapout
5.Front Driveshaft and Both front axle shaft new install
6.All pulleys, tensioner, starter motor swap( not often but has happened a couple of times where when i turn it there is like a "skipping sound " so i dont know what that is ive been told possibly a grounding issue or the starter is on its way out?
7.New Rear Diff Oil.
8.Rear Wheel hubs as the previous owners have butchered a couple of the studs

Not so immediate Future works.
1.Finding the rear tube line for the washer cause i have fluid spraying on the front window but none coming out my rear..
2.Power steering pump,water pump,alternator swap.
3.New Power Steering and brake booster reservoirs.
4.I need to source front seat motors, steering wheel(its tired,cosmetics) and some interior panels, the 3rd row seat belts.
5.Repaint the whole thing Original. cant see it in the photos but there a a few scratches and ugly bits
6. All the rubber linning on most of the doors and around the windows..
7.Install 12inch sub somewhere.
8. All 4 Wheels need to be resurfaced as there are wormlike corrosion on them.
9.and a few other things i cant think of at the moment

Why you may ask i am wanting to invest so much, well because in this short time of having it i have learnt so much from this tank, from not knowing nothing at all to now knowing something. I know now a nd been told from mates and online that these can last for ever if treated well. I dont need a bloody new car every couple of years, this will do for till im dead i reckon. The older Taxis (ford falcons)in Australia run the similar or same block with Boss Heads on them if not mistaken and reach well over 500k-1mil km no probs.

This may be common as heck in the Philippines or The United States but its not in Australia or NZ. Also what has encouraged me is the community that has guided me thus far extremely helpful and a bunch of overall good cnts when i have reached out various places and the most awesome youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/FordTechMakuloco amongst others.

The Plan is to restore this to a "fresh state" and also make it into what you yanks call a basic overlander of sorts. I want to bring this tank everywhere, initially around the Philippines and then across Australia.

Sorry for the Long "lord of the Ring" style post. Just wanted to share and really seek alot of advice in the near future.

Cheers In advanced Fallas, You bunch of legends!

p.s. Will post more photos in seperate posts.
 

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Vincent Vega

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Looks like you are off to a good start. A few thoughts:
- Check all front end parts, diagnose the uneven tire wear. The lower ball joints are usually the first to go bad on these.
- Take a close look at the upper, lower radiator hoses, and the heater hoses (passenger side near the firewall). Same with the trans. fluid lines just under the radiator.
- Inspect the fuse panel. Any burn marks or moisture? More of a problem with 03s, but the fuel pump solenoid will go bad especially if it gets wet, causing a crank-no-start problem. The solenoid is soldered to the panel, so you can't easily replace. Might want to carry a spare fuse panel while you are out in the 'bush.'
- The front diff being dry and missing parts might mean it is fried. You will need CVs, seals, probably integrated wheels ends (IWEs), and axle seals, maybe a diff overhaul. You might think about a locking diff. It is a Ford 8.8 inch axle if you want to look into that.
Good luck, keep us updated on the progress.
 
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Gtempo

Gtempo

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Looks like you are off to a good start. A few thoughts:
- Check all front end parts, diagnose the uneven tire wear. The lower ball joints are usually the first to go bad on these.
- Take a close look at the upper, lower radiator hoses, and the heater hoses (passenger side near the firewall). Same with the trans. fluid lines just under the radiator.
- Inspect the fuse panel. Any burn marks or moisture? More of a problem with 03s, but the fuel pump solenoid will go bad especially if it gets wet, causing a crank-no-start problem. The solenoid is soldered to the panel, so you can't easily replace. Might want to carry a spare fuse panel while you are out in the 'bush.'
- The front diff being dry and missing parts might mean it is fried. You will need CVs, seals, probably integrated wheels ends (IWEs), and axle seals, maybe a diff overhaul. You might think about a locking diff. It is a Ford 8.8 inch axle if you want to look into that.
Good luck, keep us updated on the progress.

Im currently back in Perth and going offshore on the rigs again but will go through some of these again once i get back in a few weeks.
Sound Advice, appreciated mate!

- "Check all front end parts, diagnose the uneven tire wear. The lower ball joints are usually the first to go bad on these."
I shall do a secondary check , so far the only thing i had found was the tierod ends had heeps of play so i swapped them out, as well as the both wheel hubs wasnt "freewheeling"if that makes sense so i swapped them too. So far so good, went to the garage and got the kind fallas there to do alignments so on, verified everything else with the steering was all good.

"Take a close look at the upper, lower radiator hoses, and the heater hoses (passenger side near the firewall). Same with the trans. fluid lines just under the radiator."
from what i had already inspected all mentioned are in excellent condition, not really brittle still had a decent amount of rubbery flex so to speak and i saw nothing that was too concerning but shall have another look. Will be swapping on the fan eventually so possibly new hoses all round?

"- Inspect the fuse panel. Any burn marks or moisture? More of a problem with 03s, but the fuel pump solenoid will go bad especially if it gets wet, causing a crank-no-start problem. The solenoid is soldered to the panel, so you can't easily replace. Might want to carry a spare fuse panel while you are out in the 'bush.'"

Ok this i havent done so cheers for pointing this out. The only time i did have a look at the fuse box was when my side mirror controls and driver seat adjustment stopped working(blown fuse). From memory nothing really struck me as being crappy but to be honest i wasn't looking hard.

Regarding the fuel pump solenoid i am not sure its related but on 1 occasion when my tank was extremely empty, was on the way to the gas station i pulled hard around the corner and the whole truck shuddered, i shat my pants thinking it was my the end of days or transmission but a mate of mine reckons it could have been the fuel pickup? hasn't done it since? wierd.


"- The front diff being dry and missing parts might mean it is fried. You will need CVs, seals, probably integrated wheels ends (IWEs), and axle seals, maybe a diff overhaul. You might think about a locking diff. It is a Ford 8.8 inch axle if you want to look into that."

I haven't actually checked the front diff mate(another good point i shall do), it was the transfer case that when i went to do an oil change we realised it was very low or possibly almost empty,was leaking oil via the output shaft which is sorted. I have on order from rock auto, Front Drive shaft and the 2 Axle shafts plus transfercase motor swapout to install, depends on the result of installing these, i was possibly going to proceed with a rebuilt kit for the transfer case(Borg Warner 4416 ) seems pretty straight forward ( i think from the youtube videos xfingers) and now that you mentioned it i guess some kind of rebuilt kit for the front diff?

Would something like this be correct and sufficient
SKF SDK311MK? you reckon the master kits available on rock auto will do or would it be a good idea to also get a ring and pinion set aswell?

Actually i found an old reciept in the vehicle of the previous owner sending the expy to the mechys stating that they were complaining of a "whining" sound coming from the front? could this be an indication towards what you are saying? Bloody hope not.. but yeh.


Cheers Again!
 

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Noitidepxe

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Congrats on your Expedition. Yes, given all the money you're putting into your Expy your only alternative is to make it your forever vehicle

I've had my '04 Eddie Bauer 2 wheel drive with towing package for several years. I'll never get rid of it. I had to replace the tires, rear axles and sway bar links and I replaced the rotors and pads at the same time.

The only recurring problem I've had with mine is an overcharge condition which makes me nervous.

This summer I'll replace my leaking radiator and brake booster which whistles at me from time to time.

This is undoubtedly the best vehicle I've ever owned and I'm glad I bought it and not the Chevy Suburban I was looking for.
 

CountrySplatt

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Congrats on your "new" Expy. I have had 3 main issues within mine:
1. Fuel tank has three plastic ports on the top (including fuel pump) and it becomes very brittle with age. There are a people that have posted pictures and videos on how they resolved it. For mine, we had to source a replacement tank and then apply the epoxy to get it to seal again, since the old tank was beyond repair. To test: fill tank FULLY and put on incline facing downhill (10 degrees+ and see if you have gasoline pouring out of the tank). Will most likely be throwing an EVAP System failure similar to the very common fuel cap codes.
2. Moldy smell in mine was being caused by 2 places not sealing... First was the back window seal (not the door, the window). With age, they shrink and don't fit anymore and rain will come in from the top. Second is the driver's side weep hole on top that drains into the A Pillar and into the floorboard instead of out through the door. It is usually caused by a plugged weep hole, and is still an issue with my truck.
3. AC Compressor failed at about 130k miles. I went with a full replacement and conversion to the R134 (original was R12 and not available anymore) and it has been a champ since that change. The old compressor still worked, but would squeak when engaged and figured I would replace/upgrade before full failure.

It isn't in my story, but my oldest son drove through about 200ft of barbed wire and fence posts using telephone poles 3ft into the ground, and all I had to do was remove the bumper and cosmetic pieces then replace the slashed tires. I have put another 30k miles on it since then without any real issues. I now have 215k miles on it, and it is solid as a rock. Cost of Ownership is amazingly low for a Ford, much less being 18yrs old. Enjoy!!
 

Hamfisted

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YOU are a man of adventure !
Pull the windshield washer hoses off the washer pump and have an assistant hit the rear and front wash switch while you watch the washer pump outlets. If you see washer fluid jetting out of both pump outlets when selected you may have a broken rear washer tube somewhere in the cabin and that may be giving you that moldy smell. That has been an issue with some Expeditions. If no fluid jets out from the pumps rear outlet replace the pump.
You inspected the INNER tie rods for play right ? Because they wear out 3 to 1 over the outer tie rods.
The wheel hubs require engine vacuum to "free wheel" . So you have to test the hubs with vacuum applied ( engine running ? ).
There is also a brake caliper piston retraction spring on each caliper. Many shops and DIY'ers leave this spring off when doing brake pad replacements because they can't figure out how it gets re-installed. Make sure your calipers have this spring.
The previous owner was an idiot. Removing the front drive shaft and axles doesn't do squat for fuel mileage.
In that hot climate I would recommend a 10w-30 or 10w-40 synthetic oil and motorcraft filter. Not the 5w-20 stuff.
Inspect the front radiator support area for rust. This is a very common failure area of the front chasis. Spray it down with rust stop and inhibitor.

Did you already install the Dorman tranny pan ? I would've recommended the PML aluminum deep pan instead, especially for a 4x4 in that environment. Maybe in the future you'll be able to do the upgrade. You have the 4R100 tranny right ?

Ford 4R100 PML Deep Aluminum Trans Pan





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Jb14

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Welcome to the forum. Just a couple of recommendations sue 5w-30 oil. The 5w-20 ford recommends was for them to meet certain federal criteria. The second is regarding the cold air intake. You may want to research if it would have any benefit on a stock engine. I have played around with different setups other than stock and ended up with no performance or MPG increase, in fact, it was the opposite, and now run the stock set up. Just my observations. Enloy
 

BlackCoffee

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Ok this i havent done so cheers for pointing this out. The only time i did have a look at the fuse box was when my side mirror controls and driver seat adjustment stopped working(blown fuse). From memory nothing really struck me as being crappy but to be honest i wasn't looking hard.

Regarding the fuel pump solenoid i am not sure its related but on 1 occasion when my tank was extremely empty, was on the way to the gas station i pulled hard around the corner and the whole truck shuddered, i shat my pants thinking it was my the end of days or transmission but a mate of mine reckons it could have been the fuel pickup? hasn't done it since? wierd.
The fuel pump relays on the back side of the fuse panel circuit board are a known problem. Depending on how comfortable you are with soldering in the relay chip, a number of YouTube video's show the repair. If you are not comfortable with that, you can replace the panel. I did the former. If you remove the panel and inspect, you will see if it is overheating. You have the time and milage to do a precautionary replacement and it won't be wasted money. When it goes bad, the engine won't run. There are ways to get it home, but in your hot environment I would replace the panel.
 

BlackCoffee

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I haven't actually checked the front diff mate(another good point i shall do), it was the transfer case that when i went to do an oil change we realised it was very low or possibly almost empty,was leaking oil via the output shaft which is sorted. I have on order from rock auto, Front Drive shaft and the 2 Axle shafts plus transfercase motor swapout to install, depends on the result of installing these, i was possibly going to proceed with a rebuilt kit for the transfer case(Borg Warner 4416 ) seems pretty straight forward ( i think from the youtube videos xfingers) and now that you mentioned it i guess some kind of rebuilt kit for the front diff?
Rebuilding the transfer case is pretty easy. Make sure your rebuild kit has the front seal between for the drive shaft to the front differentials. It develops leaks.

Also, check all the vacuum lines and check valves leading to the front hubs to make sure they are intake. There is a vent riser that looks like a broken hard line, but it is the vent.
 

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