Found a '94 Ranger

Hey folks,

I've been surfing the site for a while (great site Jim!) and am finally making my first post (how's everyone doin?)

Anyway, my bro-in-law is a Ford dealer in NJ, so I get the "family and friends" treatment (why we haven't taken advantage of it before is beyond me...). I asked him to keep an eye out for me for an older ranger in great shape, and he called today to say he just got one on trade-in. It's a '94 4x4 (e-trans. case I think) ext. cab w/ 4.0 and 5 spd. w/ 165k mi. I haven't seen it yet (live in NY) but he says it's in great shape.

Besides the usual used car routine, anything special about this year/model I should keep an eye out for when I go to look at it? I'd like this thing to last for a good long time. Previous owner is a mechanic by trade, and supposedly took very good care of it. I'm a little concerned about the 4.0 w/ 165k, as I hear older ones can have head or other top-end problems (I was hoping for a 3.0 that would just last forever...)? My other concern is the slave cylinder. I'm not real clear on whether the owner pointed it out, or the shop found it, but he says the slave cylinder might need replacing in a few thousand miles. On 4.0, stick, 4x4 '94's is the slave cylinder in the bell housing (meaning I'll have to do the clutch and everything else while it's apart), or is it outside (meaning cheap fix)? The clutch has 30k on it so I'm hoping I won't have to replace it just yet... Oh, he also put manual hubs on her

Thanks a lot in advance! Oh, by the way, this will be a DD truck to get to work and back, make home-depot runs on weekends, pull a few (light) toys down the lake once in a while, etc. No plans for wheeling if that makes a difference. Thanks again!

-Bill

Hello, and welcome to TRS. In my opinion, 1994 is one of the best years for Rangers. It's still OBDI, no air bags, and otherwise old-school electrical system. Good chance it has R134a air conditioning, too ('94 was the changeover year). 30k is not much on the clutch, and hopefully the slave cylinder was replaced, too. If the truck is as good as it sounds, and you can get a good deal, I'd jump on it if were me.

Thanks, that's what I like to hear! I looked through the tech library, and it looks like the slave cylinder is in with the clutch I'm not sure why he thought it would need replacing, but the way my brother said it made it sound like it's a "when", not "if."

I agree that older/simpler is often better (cheaper and easier to maintain - I'm half hoping it's got hand crank windows and no power locks), but why do you like OBDI over II (or did I miss the point?)

Where is the clutch-point on rangers typically? On the only one I ever drove (different ranger) it seemed outrageously high to me, but my experience is all car-based, not truck. Am I just used to car clutches, or should they be similar? Pedal travel didn't seem like it was that much more, the engagement point was just a LOT higher than I've ever seen. Just curious what I should expect.

yep, internal slave, once you're there it's a piece of cake to change though...

yep, the clutch is supposed to engage about 2" from the top of the travel, that's how hydraulic clutches are from my experience (all two of them, my ranger and my girlfriends S10), they'll engage there from new until the day they slip...

harriw said:

I agree that older/simpler is often better (cheaper and easier to maintain - I'm half hoping it's got hand crank windows and no power locks), but why do you like OBDI over II (or did I miss the point?)

Click to expand...

Mainly personal preference. OBDII does offer more diagnostic capability, but with a few more sensors than OBDI. I think OBDI does an adequate job, and there's less parts which can go bad. So to me, it's more cost-effective if you're keeping the truck forever.

Actually, the '95 and later interior electrics are more of an issue to me. I don't like the Generic Electronics Module (GEM) systems, versus old-school direct wiring. And while air bags are great safety devices, I'd rather take my chances, rather than keep yet another system maintained in an older truck.

So, it's really a matter of personal preference, and priorities. My trucks are purely and simply just "transportation", they're paid for, and I do all of the wrenching when it's needed.

i would go for it, i got 225,000 on my 94 and have almost no problems. and it was maintained like shit from the previous owner. what dealership is it? im in jersey, dont worry im not interested in buying it from under you lol

my first ranger was a 94 with the 2.3 and i beat the snot out of it and put 100k on it changing the oil once.. burnt about 10 sets of tires of it and the guy i sold it to still drives it today. had 200k when i sold it

One common problem to look for is the rusted rear shackles. Look for pictures on the forums.

If the rear springs are resting on the bed you have a problem.

It's easy to fix, but seems a lot worse than it is (use it to get a better deal IMO)

Good luck!
Welcome to the site!

vincedia said:

One common problem to look for is the rusted rear shackles. Look for pictures on the forums.

If the rear springs are resting on the bed you have a problem.

It's easy to fix, but seems a lot worse than it is (use it to get a better deal IMO)

Good luck!
Welcome to the site!

Click to expand...

Also, it's about 50-60 dollars for you to fix each one, yourself.

This is all great stuff guys, thanks a ton!

Many of you have hit on this, but the one thing I'm concerned about is how long this truck will last (165k is higher than I was hoping for - I was aiming for 100k).

My goal is to get rid of the focus that I'm not really fond of (useless in WNY winters), eliminate that monthly payment, and outright own a ranger that I actually like, that will last me for the next 10 years and 100k miles.

I'd been looking for a 3.0 since they're legendary for longevity. How long do the 4.0's typically last? Obviously the ranger frames last, since there are plenty of them out there at 200k+, even 300k+. But I see an awful lot of craigslist/ebay/autotrader ads out there where the 4.0 has been replaced by 200k. Any thoughts? Maybe replacing the engine at 200k isn't such a big deal if you can get another 100k out of the truck after that?

Almost forgot - Sea Breeze Ford in NJ - by Wall/Belmar. It isn't even on the lot at the moment, but I've got a deposit on it so no worries.

I'll see if I can get my bro to have a compression test done. He's gonna have the shop go over the whole thing, and take a good look the slave cylinder too. Well... I doubt they'll actually drop the tranny and LOOK at it... but you get the idea. If he can't/doesn't do a compression test, can I do that just with a simple pressure gauge (loaned from the local auto store)? You just remove each sparkplug (one at a time), connect the gauge, and run the engine right?

So not that I expected anyone on a ranger forum to steer me away from this idea, but I did want to make sure I'm not crazy hoping to get a second life out of this truck.

One more thought - how bad is it really to drop the tranny on a 4x4, 4.0, ext. '94 (presumably to replace a bad slave cylinder, and I guess all clutch components while I'm in there)? If it needs replacing, I'd very much prefer to do it myself, since the whole point here is to save money.

I consider myself to be quite handy and am at very much at home with tools in my hands (mostly woodworking and electronics/electrical), but my auto experience to date really only consists of brakes/rotors, oil changes, some suspension work, and various odd projects. I do have a compressor and impact wrench and am pretty well stocked in terms of mechanics tools. Guess I'm asking how much direct experience is needed, and how easy it would be to royally screw things up. Or is it, as some have suggested, really just a matter of putting the time, effort, and elbow grease into getting it done? I'll definitely get a haynes manual, can probably get a loaner tranny jack (I have a regular floor jack I could probably use if I can't get one), and can get some help from buddies (with similar experience levels) if needed.

For what its worth, unexpected hang-ups seems to be the norm rather than exception for me with these sorts of projects (rotors that take 3 days with PB blaster and sledge hammers to break loose, defective torque wrenches that destroy wheel studs, seized suspension bolts whose heads sheer off instead of breaking loose, etc.) On one hand, I'm kinda used to that BS - I'm largely self-taught in terms of auto mechanics, so I wind up learning the hard way sometimes. On the other hand... What's going to go wrong this time??? (sorry for the long post - I tend to ramble)

I think you'd be able to drop the trans if you need to, Like anything else on a Ranger its not to hard. But being in NY with the rust and all i'd expect it to take some time, and have a good jack and a buddy on hand to help pull it out and put it back it, being a 4x4 with the T case make it a little heaver and awkward to handle by your self.

harriw, you've got the right background and the right attitude; with a decent repair manual and this website, you can do just about anything on that truck yourself.

Thanks for the vote of confidence! I just might give it a shot.

Had another thought - it looks like the 3.0 and 4.0 use this same transmission - that means if the 4.0 dies, there's no reason I can't go get a junk-yard 3.0 and bolt it right up to the same tranny, right? Looks like they use the same alternator too, and I read somewhere the airbox is the same... Probably other common parts too.

Any other tips, tricks, or things to look for on a '94? I really can't thank you guys enough for all the input.

-Bill