1988 4x4 ranger first pick-up project

[JoeLeFou]

Older cars will sometimes rust out around the windshield.

it doesn't have much rust around the windshield other than where the sun visor is bolted to, just hope there isn't any under the blacked out chrome trimming. for sure will check if there is any when the windshield will be replaced,

Good luck and best wishes with it man, keep us up to date

Thank you will for sure give updates when I get things done even tho I'm sure this project will take at least 2-3 years to be as close as where I want it to be especially with the other projects I have in mind or currently have ( having my own land/house/garage/workshop probably the biggest one )

 

[JoeLeFou]

Yesterday finally had enough time and courage with my buddy to remove the tranny, it was fairly easy even tho the bolts on top where such bs to get to. Removed it pretty much whole and didn't have to remove the exaust yay.

Right now in the process of cleaning it and will check/ repair what's wrong with it.
As of now only have 1 broken bolt on the oil pan and threads on the bellhousing for the starter.

Also sandblasted and painted the 4H/4L/N/2wd gear selector bracket and shifter and also the transmission shifter, will do the crossmember and the transfer case skid plate later this week since it got pretty late.

Some thing I have noticed is the amount of play in the input shaft not really sure if it's a to spec amount or not

 

[Josh B]

You'll need spec information from elsewhere sir, but those top bolts are best reached from top front with a ratchet wrench, I use a 9/16" here, you might use a metric. Piece of cake, or at least it certainly helps
In fact that entire job benefits with a 1/2 by 9/16 ratchet wrench. I use a Snap-On I found crossing a RR track (Circa 1993)

 

[Josh B]

I haven't said hello Joe, although I noticed your name soon as I saw it.
In about 1984 I was passing through New Orleans for a couple of days and spent one of them at the New Orleans worlds fair. Canada had a very impressive pavilion there with a rather lengthy film of the French/Indian/European mixture that landed in Louisiana in the late 17, early 1800s. It was a fabulous rendition of their heritage.
Seems a large number had left Canada for Arkansas, even though they were not certain exactly where it was, they landed mostly in Louisiana, and came to be known as Arcadians.
I am southern by birth, Okie by the grace of God, but the years I worked in the southern oil fields mostly offshore TX and LA gave me a great respect for the French and Indian peoples, and that Canada pavilion was a wonder in itself

 

[JoeLeFou]

You'll need spec information from elsewhere sir, but those top bolts are best reached from top front with a ratchet wrench, I use a 9/16" here, you might use a metric. Piece of cake, or at least it certainly helps
In fact that entire job benefits with a 1/2 by 9/16 ratchet wrench. I use a Snap-On I found crossing a RR track (Circa 1993)

used a 13 mill socket and wrench it worked like a charm other than busted knuckles, only one of the 4 on top was properly tightened though.

came to be known as Arcadians.

Acadians have a pretty strong accent, I bet you could recognize them as Acadians within a few words. they even have pretty much their own language mixed in with French

 

[Josh B]

I worked with one guy who was totally there, really a great fella. We had a crew of misfits on the rig once who were placed there after theirs burnt, lousy bunch to be around really, but one was bragging about his being Cajun etc, and anybody north of I-10 was no way one, well the guy I worked with came in the galley to eat and they were talking some crap. He said "you speak French?" and started rattling off a bunch of it, they just just got real quiet, I thought it rather comical. The good ones were great folks

 

[JoeLeFou]

Not bad at all everything seems fine other than a shit ton of oil being there, my guess is either the oil pan has a leak or the heads gasket that are leaking. I know one is bad so maybe oil squirt out of it?

New vs used

Will be getting harder to work on it when it's so cold ouside 🥹

 

[Josh B]

My brother and I rented a house from the people whose house we had grown up in from our father renting it for years. I had a Honda 100 and he had a Honda 350.
The woman was the one who minded the rentals and she dropped in one day, my brothers 350 was in pieces in the kitchen, the motor sitting on the table, parts too in the sink.
My bike was in the middle room torn apart.
She just came in, looked around, talking as if nothing looked out of place, she had about 12 kids of her own, their father had been with the railroad all his life.
After she looked around a bit she just said bye and went on

 

[JoeLeFou]

My brother and I rented a house from the people whose house we had grown up in from our father renting it for years. I had a Honda 100 and he had a Honda 350.
The woman was the one who minded the rentals and she dropped in one day, my brothers 350 was in pieces in the kitchen, the motor sitting on the table, parts too in the sink.
My bike was in the middle room torn apart.
She just came in, looked around, talking as if nothing looked out of place, she had about 12 kids of her own, their father had been with the railroad all his life.
After she looked around a bit she just said bye and went on

I'm sure she has seen worse with one of the 12 kids lol

 

[JoeLeFou]

Okay lil update and trouble of course 🫠 reinstalled pretty much everything with new tranny mount, painted crossmember, new polyurethane bushings (provided by my workplace/ made for free yay) also painted the skid plate and the 4x4 selector. Everything went smoothly other than a bolt on the transfer case I have to install (transmission mount is in the way ) filled the tranny with oil, bled the clutch only need to test now BUT check oil light comes on for some reason.

So filled up the engine oil with a quart or so and still comes on check the sensors everything seems fine with a quick look. Could the check oil also be for the transmission or transfer case?

After a few try to start it the dash lights are dim as **** and the gas gauge just doesn't move at all so most likely the battery is low..

Oh also the fucking light switch (left of steering wheel) confuses me so much no matter what position I leave it there is always a light on, is there like a timer like in new cars that after a while it turns off or am I just tripping?

 

[scotts90ranger]

The check oil light is a one wire sensor going into the side of the oil pan, it only does that, the wire is probably just grounded somewhere or something, wouldn't worry about it...

The headlight switch, all the way in is headlights off, turning is dimming of dash lights, once you get to the detent and turn past it (don't remember if CW or CCW) the dome light goes on, that's all the headlight switch does, first detent pulling out is parking lights all the way out is headlights. There is no timer at all on pretty much anything...

 

[JoeLeFou]

The check oil light is a one wire sensor going into the side of the oil pan, it only does that, the wire is probably just grounded somewhere or something, wouldn't worry about it...

I checked that after reading from other forums but it didn't seem damaged or grounded through the wire touching bare metal, I guess I'll recheck monday after I recharge the battery. Should it start even if the check oil light is on?

first detent pulling out is parking lights all the way out is headlights.

I'll make sure monday but I think the cargo/bed light stayed on no matter what the position of the switch was or something like the drl were on but not the cargo light (no key in the ignition and all doors closed)

 

[JoeLeFou]

Doing a code check and honestly I dont understand the codes at all seems like I get 212467(11111 after code got repeated twice
So either 21, 24 and 67 or 212 467 but 467 doesn't seem to really be a xode for anything so the 2 digit codes seem more logical ...

ECT out of range?
IAT out of range?
And park/neutral circuit fault?

Last one seems like it could be the problem for my no start...

Also found a lone connector that leads to who knows where ‍

 

[JoeLeFou]

Found the problem, clutch switch is my no start problem, for now I shorted 2 wires so that I could try to start.. andddd original problem is still there (starter grinding on flywheel and not engaging)
So checking for a way to change either timing (engagement before spinning) or if I can add some sort of shim or just get a new starter and go from there what do y'all think?

 

[JoeLeFou]

I've got it running, starts on a dime even when it's cold it idles at around 1100 rpm but after a while it goes down to 900/1000, took it for a ride around the block and fill it up. It sounds rough tho going above like 2000rpm it just sounds like it's gonna explode, pretty sure it's only because the head gasket are leaking so .