Converting From Ford

[Goat]

Owner of now two 2002 Ford Explorer's here. Quite honestly I am fed up with Ford. My Dad got me a Oldsmobile Ninety Eight Regency Elite when I was 16 and that car with the 3800 motor is the most reliable car I have ever had. I am eagerly ready to switch back to GM.

I am looking to buy specifically a Yukon GT. Quite hard to find. I've got my eyes on one(has some rust) but the odometer says 116,000. I am ready to pull the trigger. I've got just two questions that maybe this forum can help me with.

The GT I am looking at has a 5.7 TBI in it. Can anyone give me some feedback in the reliability and power of this motor?

Also can you compare it to the 4.6 V8 I currently have in my Explorer. My explorer seems pretty peppy for its size and I don't want to compromise this if I don't have to.

Thanks guys in advance, I have already found wonderful info on this forum!

 

[swathdiver]

Well, I don't think any GM engines are going to be as good as those Buick's were for reliability, they are still on the road in droves. So are the newer LS engines. But the truck in question is old school generation 1 chevy small block, low rpm, high torque, not high winding like today's Ford and GM offerings.

The 5.7 in question makes about 210 horsepower and 310 foot pounds of torque. It too can be a reliable engine, certainly simpler than the engines made today.

If you like it, buy it. It's suspension will certainly be more reliable than the Exploder's!

 

[east302]

Just a suggestion, but I wouldn't be afraid of a road trip to find one without rust.

Not sure where you live, but a no-rust deer camp two-door would be around $2-3k here (Mississippi) and $6+ for a nice clean one that's pretty much turnkey.

I believe that GMC ran their two-door through 97. Either TBI (92-95) or Vortec (96-99) is a good choice. If you look at a 96+, check for coolant in the oil and verify that the lower intake gaskets have been replaced. Most probably have by now, but some of those low-mileage vehicles may have slipped through.

 

[97WhiteYukon]

I say ditch the Ford. Then again I'm biased. Old trucks will need attention sooner or later no matter what it is, but if your picking between an explorer and 2 door Yukon I'd go Yukon without hesitation. 97 was the last year of the Yukon, but the 2 door Tahoe goes to 99. Basically the same thing besides grill and emblems. Not sure about the Yukon GT differences.

 

[swathdiver]

I say ditch the Ford. Then again I'm biased. Old trucks will need attention sooner or later no matter what it is, but if your picking between an explorer and 2 door Yukon I'd go Yukon without hesitation. 97 was the last year of the Yukon, but the 2 door Tahoe goes to 99. Basically the same thing besides grill and emblems. Not sure about the Yukon GT differences.

Is this the one that was stolen?

 

[Larryjb]

I have a Lesabre with the 3.8 and while the engine itself is great, GM can't seem to make a bullet proof tranny. And when FWD goes south, it's a huge headache. My 92 Mercury Grand Marquis with the 4.6 V8 was the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. Now, I know Ford has trouble with blowing out spark plugs in some years, but there are work arounds. I have the 2008 Explorer which, supposedly, has solved that problem. I also have the 2002 Tahoe. The Explorer is more fun to drive, but I think the Tahoe is a better workhorse. Time will tell about reliability.

 

[97WhiteYukon]

Is this the one that was stolen?

yup, that's the one, probably sitting somewhere in pieces now

 

[swathdiver]

Those Buick 3.8s and 3800s are some of the most robust engines GM ever produced, especially the 3800s!

And Larry, time will tell? Time has shown that they are all still running! The newest you mention is ten years old now. A sixteen year old Tahoe still going, like the '92-'96 F-150, there are plenty of them still on the road.

Well Chris, I hope you get her back or get it settled soon so you can move on. It stinks.

 

[Larryjb]

Those Buick 3.8s and 3800s are some of the most robust engines GM ever produced, especially the 3800s!

And Larry, time will tell? Time has shown that they are all still running! The newest you mention is ten years old now. A sixteen year old Tahoe still going, like the '92-'96 F-150, there are plenty of them still on the road.

Well Chris, I hope you get her back or get it settled soon so you can move on. It stinks.

I am very optimistic about my Tahoe and Explorer. My father has the 97 Tahoe and it's still going, although he's neglecting some of the accessory repairs such as AC, and other little things. I just don't have time to take care of those things for him.

I'm surprised you are fed up with your '02 Fords. Do any of them have the V6? (I would agree that Ford can't seem to build a reliable V6.) Are you having trouble with spark plugs blowing out? I would agree that's annoying and potentially costly, but I do remember reading up on a more permanent repair. It seemed to involve a new insert ( http://www.timesert.com/html/triton_repair2.html ). It may be expensive, but permanent. I understand that the Heli-coil repair is often good until the next time. I've learned that all vehicles have their nemeses. The 5.3 L has exhaust manifold bolts that rust out, intake manifold gaskets that fail, so they're not perfect. Most of these problems, as far as I know, are easy to fix. The Transaxle on my Lesabre was a nightmare to fix. You have to drop the entire engine/tranny to get into the valve body to make any repairs.

I will say my father had his Tahoe tranny fail and had to be rebuilt once. I was leaking tranny fluid from my Mercury AODE tranny, and had it rebuilt when it was 15 years old. I suspect mine didn't actually need rebuilding, but around here if a tranny gets even the slightest sniffle, they want to rebuild for $4-5000. Huge rip-off schemes around here.

 

[PG01]

Funny, we have lifetime members ‘CONVERTING TO’ ford