I normally hang out in the Dentside forums but thought I may have some luck answering some questions in here. I have owned a couple of Explorers in the past both of them were the 4.0's but have never had any experience with a Mountaineer. I just found an '05 that the price is right on but it needs a motor. He says that due to an oil leak the bottom end has issues from being run out of oil. He claims it is still driveable enough to test the trans and 4wd. It is a V8, the guy says its a 5.4 but I thought the Mountaineers had a 4.6??? Any insight? Also, what sort of fuel mileage should I expect from the V8? Are they known for tranny issues like the Explorers? Any other issues I should be aware of? Have had great luck on Explorers so thinking the Mountaineer should be a good rig too. The guy wants $1000 OBO and it shows 158,000 miles. I just looked on Rock auto for a quick price on a long block and they want $1800, with a 3 year, 100,000 mile warranty so if I could pick it up for $6-700 I think I could come out alright on it. I am a professional mechanic so swapping in a long block is not an issue for me. Body and interior are nice. Just don't want it to turn into a money suck...........
Thanks in advance for any and all help!!!!

 

Wow........No input from anyone?

 

You're correct, the Mountaineers came with the 4.6L SOHC engine. If the dude selling this Mountaineer claims to know what the issue with the engine is, and that it's a common problem, but doesn't even know what engine the truck has, I'd be VERY hesitant to take his word on anything related to that Mountaineer. For fuel economy there really isn't much difference, when driven gently, between the V6 and the V8. If you enjoy power though and like to accelerate aggressively, your fuel economy will suffer more with the V8 than with the V6. Like any vehicle, your driving habits will have a greater impact on fuel economy than the number of cylinders. If you know your way around an Explorer, a Mountaineer would feel natural to you.

The Mountaineer from a powertrain, drivetrain, and even interior is a twin to the Explorer so they will be prone to the same transmission issues as the Explorer. The Aviator is really the only truck of the group that has differences in engine, transmission, suspension, interior, and body panels.

-Rod

 

Thanks for the response!