Hi. (Sorry this is long - I will try and make it entertaining - although the prices stated are entertaining enough me thinks! lol)

Living in the Philippines means I am not really spoiled for a supply or choice of parts for my 97 Eddixpedition. However, I do have a Ford dealership in my city of Cagayan De Oro. Hoorah! I bought the vehicle as a non running "cheapo repo" so I knew it would need work. It was non running due to an alternator problem, now replaced and running "lumpily". I gave it to Ford and asked them to tell me what it needs. (Who the HELL does THAT in a main dealership???)

They gave me a long list of things I need to replace (essentially the vehicle it seems) and, in general, I said "OK, go ahead". However, before I actually allow them to do that some of the prices made me gulp and so I am shopping around to find equivalent parts at better prices. Hopefully. Living on an island that is effectively a large jungle interspersed with bad roads, terrorists, hookers, squadrons of mosquitoes and the widest selection of vehicles that are not actually vehicles at all does not lend itself to being a place where you can haggle over the price of a set of Ford Expedition brake pads! Although I did get close to striking a deal with a hooker who was selling a stainless exhaust system......

"Front Air Suspension Shock" is one of the parts that needs replacing. Both. So I asked what the problem was and they said only the bushes needed replacement but as they are not available separate from the shocks, they listed two new shocks at - wait for it - 348USD.....each. I'm thinking 696USD to fix worn bushes is a little expensive yes?

But wait, before you say "WHOA man! They saw your white, western face coming a looooong way off through those big plate glass windows!" prices here are either a staggering amount more or a staggering amount less than USA/UK prices. For example, the labour to do both front shocks, and something to do with the "Pitman Arm Assy" (1) and "Idler Arm Assy" (1), is just 47USD. That's cheap right? (if anyone can shed some light on what is likely to be required for those two "assys" that would help me too as the parts prices for them are 105USD and 222USD respectively!! What on earth costs that much??)

Anyways, I found here in the Philippines, 2 x brand new Monroe
32302 Front Shock Absorbers for a "2001 FORD EXPEDITION" and the seller states - "MAY FIT OTHER YEARS (PLS CHECK) - PRICE FOR THE PAIR IS 116USD.".

So, my questions to you very wise Ford Folk here are as follows:-
Will these fit my 97 Eddie? I checked a seller on Ebay, that had a very useful "will these shocks fit my car" calculator, and it said they would fit a 1997 XLT Sport Utility 4-Door variant, but not my Eddie :-( Is this correct or is there a workaround maybe? I do have a Leatherman :-)

If they would be ok, the price is significantly better than the Ford prices :-) Am I right in thinking they must be air shocks? No idea if these are. In a worse case scenario, would the bushes from the 116USD shocks fit my existing shocks? I know it sounds mad to consider paying that for four bushes but you have to appreciate I am a long way from civilization lol.

Finally (sorry about this) maybe there is somewhere in the civilized world that could ship me the bushes for a couple of bucks? I am a man in need here and I am quite happy to pay a few bucks more to any willing part-shipper out there in Americaland who could look after my Eddixpedition needs. Im sure I'm going to be stunned by some future bills so a good, reliable contact for parts would be great.

Did I say finally? Ok, really finaly, I will jot down other stuff on Fords shopping list (partly as i would like your comments and partly as you will find it entertaining):-

BRAKES

Front rotor x 2 (brake discs) 178USD each. Despite the price, this is funny. I asked whats wrong with them. They said "One is destroyed and the other is ok but we must buy them in pairs....so we fit both." I asked to see them. One looked as good as new, the other, that had seemingly been used in all of the 2011 Indy Car rounds with one of the brake pads fitted the wrong way round, was SO worn (a good 5mm!) that if it had done one more lap it would have reached the ventilation holes!! I have NEVER seen anything like that on a car in use! No wonder it was not stopping well.

Front brake pads 169usd
Caliper kit front x 4 - 17usd x 4 = 68usd
Caliper pistons front x 4 - 39usd x 4 = 156usd
Caliper kit rear x 2 - 22usd x 2 = 44usd
Caliper pistons rear x 2 - 36usd x 2 = 72usd
Parking brake shoe - 192usd

REPLACE VEHICLE FLUIDS:-

engine oil (Helix F - 7 x 1ltr bottles it seems - 55USD)
engine coolant (35USD)
brake fluid (31USD)
transmission fluid (Mercon 5 - 13 bottles? 106USD)
Diff Oil (Hypoy 90 - 31USD
friction modifier (8USD). Total Fluids 266USD.

I have the owners manual but I do not see where it tells me what types of fluids I need for the above? Can someone please tell me that which is preferred and its importance? If the engine oil is the right viscosity does the brand matter? Engine coolant? In England we call this water. With antifreeze that I REALLY do not need here!

Obviously Oil and air filter is stated too but fuel filter as well? Summarized, the three filters are 18USD, 25USD and 49USD respectively. So you see why I question the latter.

The plugs seem a big deal from what I have read so I may just let them wind in what they know is right (at 11.50USD each).

There are other things like aircon overhaul, wiper blades and other trivia but lets not go there :-) For your information, the total labour bill (except aircon) is a trivial 325usd :-)

Your comments would be very welcome Expeditioners!

Many thanks!

Peter - Promise to link you up with some cool startline HD drag racing vidz from Santa Pod UK as a thankyou....as imma videographer :-)

 

I have spent a lot of time in the Philippines and learned the hard way about the infamous "skin tax" You are a brave man to give the dealer a green light on all those repairs, lol

Is it running now after the alternator repair?

This listing says 97-02 expedition has the same front air shocks;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EXPEDITION-N...item35b39321b5

If you have the time, you should get someone to put together a balikbayan box of parts for you. For $70 from the West Coast, you can get a large box, any weight to the Philippines. Only catch, it takes 4-6 weeks.

 

Hi Terry. Yes, I actually bounced down the road in a most unpleasant manner with an uneven engine rhythm and a ride similar to a three legged pig (thats a guess as i have never actually experienced that). Well, I said go ahead but only when I have sourced the parts. Unlike any other dealership I have encountered, the really nice guys here allow you to buy all the bits and turn up with them (even have them sent there) for them to fit at remarkably low labour charges. But the price of anything to do with vehicles here is outrageous. I have just sent the above shopping list (without the entertaining blurb) to RockAutos in an email hoping they may be able to just pack the lot in a box and ship it here. But if i can get those shocks to fit, that would be great.

I love the truck though, and as my background is a 22 year ownership of successive Jaguar Sovereigns, I am in desperate need of a somewhat smoother ride to stop my bodily organs swapping places during every trip I make!

Thanks for responding...even if you did not respond to my queries...its nice to know someone cares :-)

PP

 

Peter, can't help you with all your questions but hopefully some of this will help, all info per Haynes book. Engine oil: I show 6 qts with the oil filter change; as you said if viscosity is right then just a preference issue. My husband would have a fit if he heard that, as he is a diehard Valvoline fan, so we HAVE to buy that. Cooling system: (need to remember that it's coolant/antifreeze and also a lubricant, so definitely not just water) depending on engine size I show 4.6L v8 standard-15.7 qts; 4.6L heavy duty-19.9 qts; 5.4L v8 20.8 qts. Transmission: automatic: 4R70W-13.9 qts; E40D: 2wd-15.9, 4wd 16.4qts (this is all from dry...and Mercon 5 is the standard), if manual tranny 3.75 qts. Transfer case: 2.0qts-Mercon. Front diff 3.6 qts; rear diff 5.7 pts. Per Haynes-diff fluid is different for front and rear: front-SAE75W-90 GL-5 lubricant; rear-SAE 75W-140 GL-5 synthetic gear lube and it states add 4 oz friction modifier to 8.8 inchand 9.75 inch rear axles, for 10.25 inch axle add 8 oz.

Prices up here in Indiana are going to be a lot different than down there, of course. Fuel filters are an issue it seems with the expy, at least from what I've seen on here, so probably would go ahead on that one and seems price isn't too dissimilar there. The pads and parking brake prices are exorbitant to me. Just replaced front and rear pads and rotors with parking brake on my jeep and wasn't even close to what you are being charged, did them myself so was auto parts store prices. Maybe because not on hand and have to ship? And as to labor up here, labor is 55-75 dollars per hour, so much better for you. Don't know if any of that helps, but hope it does. Good luck and hope that one place you got ahold of can help you out. Let us know how it goes.

 

Hi Lookeee :-)

Many thanks, you have informed me of a few things I did not know and confirmed a few things I found out recently :-) top marks!

I have made some progress and told Ford to go ahead but not with parts supplied by them! They are very understanding here and let me supply my own parts :-) I doubt many western dealerships would allow customers to do that!

So, I found (in Manila via the internet)
a single front disc (rotor) for $128
Front pads (both sides = 2 pairs) for $56
oil filter $10
Fuel Filter $13
Air filter $13
8 plugs $72

I paid the Ford prices stated in my initial post here for the brake kits but actually inspected the brake caliper pistons and thought they looked ok! So I said clean them up and reuse them. the mechanic said he was concerned about that as there is some "ceramic" material involved in those? Is there really? The abnormal previous owner/mechanic had fitted the pistons without the dust caps/seals! The square cut seal was obviously fitted but not the covers that stop all the muck and dust getting onto the seal! Doh! Is there anything special i need to know about these particular caliper pistons that sets them apart from all the others I have cleaned up and reused in previous vehicles? To my mind, if they clean up with a smooth surface and slip in and out easily before the square cut seal is fitted, when they are then fitted with seal and dust caps they should be ok! Im certainly not planning on replacing ALL six of my caliper pistons (two each front and one each rear) just because this mechanic thought it would be "advisable". UNLESS someone here gives me good cause to?

Im going to go with the Ford recommended fluids all round. Its so hot here, the roundy roundy parts get enough of a hammering without adding to their tough life by being a cheapskate on fluids. Im also told the water additive has an anti boiling element! In the UK I had to add the opposite...antifreeze - which they never heard of here lol.

OK, finally, as Im a man of my word, those drag racing videos, one for 4 wheel folk and one for 2 wheel folk can be seen here:-

Santa Pod Raceway - Nationals 2010 - Videos - Clever Captures - Sport & Event Photography | SmugMug

Give them a while to load up as they are big! But the HiDef is pretty cool so you wont find full screen HD online in many other places from The Pod :-)

ENJOY!

Peter