need help...

fpat · Jun 16, 2009

hi everyone,

I need help to fixed my truck. I have 1985 ford ranger pickup truck with miles almost 700 thousand on body and 400 thousand on engine. I'm right now suffering from low oil pressure and I already change the oil, pressure come up to about 20 minute and drop again to the low of scale. the engine doesn't knock or miss but have slight valve tab. I know this is a solid lifter engine with adjustable rocker. is this engine now a boat anchor or is there something that can be done without major disassemble???

please help and thank you ..

Bubba Bob · Jun 16, 2009

Sounds like a bad oil pump. Low pressure/not enough oil reaching the top end.

99RangerKrazy · Jun 16, 2009

You're motor has almost 400K on it? That's amazing. But yeah sounds like a bad oil pump.

And welcome to TRS!

Will · Jun 16, 2009

Get a cheap mechanical gauge and install it temporarily to get a second opinion.

Is this a sudden thing? You have owned it a while? Engines can last a long time with low oil pressure. Honestly, 5-psi at idle and 15-ish at speed will get the job done, especially with solid lifters. If it's whipped but still running, just use thicker and thicker oil and drive that bastard to the last reluctant turn of the crankshaft and then step gingerly out of the remains, dust off your hat and get another pickup truck.

If it's whipped then the repair is pulling the motor apart and measuring all the clearances to determine which bearings and surfaces are so worn that they are letting all the oil pressure out. I would just repair it though, not rebuild it. If it is running well and the compression agrees, and when you mike the secret internals and they show close to acceptable you might get away with polishing the score marks off the journal with some crocus cloth and slapping some std. bearings in it. I've done that numerous times.

BRUTUS_T_HOG · Jun 16, 2009

that engine... that whole truck is TIRED

swap in a low milage engine because any repairs to a 400,000 mile engine will just be a bandaid

Will · Jun 17, 2009

A band-aid? I don't see it that way. My '91 4.0 ran great but but had low oil pressure when I got it in 2002. So I determined that the rings and valves were still sealing fine and took it apart. The crank miked within tolerance--the rear journal was right on the border, which is the one the wears fastest being as it has the flywheel next to it. The bores were in great shape. So I put standard bearings in it and now, 7 years and 50,000 miles later the band-aid is holding up perfectly.

If the engine is whipped then of course addressing the oil pressure is a waste of time. That's why I say drive it 'till it drops. A low mile 2.8 isn't easy to find so you're looking at swapping to an EFI motor or overhauling (repairing what isn't in spec). A full rebuild, which to me means dropping off the block and heads and letting them have at it, is possibly in order. But I only like to fix what is broken. If it's in tolerance, it doesn't need machining.

mgn465 · Jun 17, 2009

Its no more an alive truck..Its simply dead...Take it to grave yard..

Btw welcome to the forums!!

need help...

fpat

10+ Year Member

Bubba Bob

15+ Year Member

99RangerKrazy

15+ Year Member

Will

Forum Staff Member

BRUTUS_T_HOG

15+ Year Member

Will

Forum Staff Member

mgn465

15+ Year Member

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