'85 Ranger Restomod

[85_Ranger4x4]

If it comes back, I'd check the plug wires. Sometimes the connector gets seperated form the lead when/if you pull the wires to check the plugs. Putting in the new plug, you could have pushed the connector pack up into the wire and its working good, for now.

I unhooked each wire and reinstalled them 3-4 times before I dropped another $40 on plugs. I really hoped it would be that simple but it made no difference.

 

[Ranger850]

I unhooked each wire and reinstalled them 3-4 times before I dropped another $40 on plugs. I really hoped it would be that simple but it made no difference.

I almost didn't even mention it, but sometimes it's the simplest things we tend to overlook.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I almost didn't even mention it, but sometimes it's the simplest things we tend to overlook.

Hey, I overlooked mentioning I did it and I did it on a hot engine at the grocery store after buying my steak lol.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

So I finally got brave enough to pull the valve cover and check on how the valve seals are doing for #1 cylinder (the only one that really puts stuff on the spark plug)



Thanks to the fancy dual springs a guy can't really just eyeball them...



So using the fancy tool dad made for me 20 years ago to replace the valve seals in my 2.8 I put air into the cylinder and pulled the springs off.



Behind spring #1... yeah I could kinda see the exhaust one and I thought it looked ok.



And behind spring #2... welp, I guess we are done here.



I have tried harder than I probably should have to keep this thing going. #1 must need rings which isn't super feasible to do IMO with boring it and all that which is very much not on the table at the moment.

Sucks but I might just switch to 10w40 and see if I can slow it down more with a little more starch in the oil.

A quart a day or whatever on the road for trail rides really doesn't bother me, I do not want to be "that guy" laying down a smokescreen on the trail though. So I guess we will just see how it goes for now.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have noticed a rather fierce noise from the right side with the hubs locked in on the highway. Leaving the roundup last year it did it and I had to pull over as I couldn't take the noise and then again this year after I put the front driveshaft in I forgot the hubs locked in (used the lockouts to lock the front diff to keep things from turning) and it did it again. Won't do it in the cab with the hubs unlocked and the t-case engaged for some reason.

Its been bugging me and with the big Vagabond trip coming up I gotta get this thing as good as I can get it. So I had the brainy idea of putting the rear in neutral and putting the front in gear with the hubs unlocked to see if I can hear anything at all outside of the truck.

And there it is, maybe with the t-case engaged to the rest of the drivetrain it can't resonate or something I dunno.

So I rip the front wheel off and dive into it.

Spindle bearing is still greasy and the seals were assembled correctly.



However the shaft has seen a better day.



Its been a couple days ago too, after consulting my historical archives it was like that when I put it in. Not sure if I didn't notice it, thought I would just try it and see how it went or what. Its been in the truck since 2019 but with no front driveshaft I only ever really used 4wd on TRS trail rides once a year... until now.



I even went back to when I did the swap in this thread and I don't say anything about it so I guess we shall never know.

I had started a thread about the axle noise in the axle section, @pjtoledo questioned my wheel bearings about if they had maybe spun on the spindle. And there was a little wear on the bottom of the spindle. So now I need a spindle and new wheel bearings. But that can wait a bit...

So ok fine, between here and there I have picked up a spare shaft, everything on it looks great so after a little debate I decide to throw a new cross in it (didn't really feel that bad) and just swap shafts. But wait, more drama around every bend! The friggin telescoping part of the shaft is full of mud and seized.



So I soak and beat and soak and beat and get that apart.



And then I have to salvage the spring from hell off the old shaft. Major PITA, very rewarding to think for this thing to be a functional spare I need to get another spring and put it on as I am not dealing with that in the field. -5/10, do not recommend.



So then I go to slip the new cross in into the new-to-the-truck shaft... looking a little parched in there.



Probably the easiest thing I did today...



Anyway to recap, if I did it right I should have used a different axle stub shaft way back when I wouldn't have had the noise. But if I didn't do that I wouldn't have been dragged into this thing deep enough to know that the two axleshafts were seized together, and I almost just noted the worn shaft to come back to later. I had been intending to pack the bearings but without the noise I wouldn't have started the thread and gotten the info about why the grease was different colors.

This came across my FB feed last week, awesome quote and as I was in a battle of wits fight with a steel stick and losing it struck a cord with me.

 

[pjtoledo]

commenting on just the spring from hell.
disclaimer: I'm strictly a 98+ guy, virtually no time on the older Ranger stuff, but I've been wrenching on rusty stuff since the late 60's.

anyway,
lots of the mechanical devices I used to work on had one-way spring clutches.
those always had a tang at the end(s) that was used to tension or release the spring on a collar/shaft.

the spring in the pic looks like you would basically just screw it up the splines by pushing on the lower end to rotate it
about the shaft, thus releasing tension, and pushing up at the same time.
pulling a spring will tighten it, pushing will loosen it.

they come off much faster if you get some serious skin pinched under the spring. blood is a good lubricant.


arm-chair quarterbacking mode off now

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

commenting on just the spring from hell.
disclaimer: I'm strictly a 98+ guy, virtually no time on the older Ranger stuff, but I've been wrenching on rusty stuff since the late 60's.

anyway,
lots of the mechanical devices I used to work on had one-way spring clutches.
those always had a tang at the end(s) that was used to tension or release the spring on a collar/shaft.

the spring in the pic looks like you would basically just screw it up the splines by pushing on the lower end to rotate it
about the shaft, thus releasing tension, and pushing up at the same time.
pulling a spring will tighten it, pushing will loosen it.

they come off much faster if you get some serious skin pinched under the spring. blood is a good lubricant.


arm-chair quarterbacking mode off now

It is actually intended for a echo weed eater... so it wasn't really meant to be there.

C-Clip Eliminator (External) For Shaft & Yoke Assembly

www.therangerstation.com

The od of the splines still has the rough machining from when they turned the shaft before they cut the splines and the spring bites into those very well and is very tight on the splines. I tried to spin it off and it just laughed. So I had to walk it off with two screwdrivers. Almost stabbed myself in the chin once, it was a really enjoyable time.

 

[pjtoledo]

It is actually intended for a echo weed eater... so it wasn't really meant to be there.

C-Clip Eliminator (External) For Shaft & Yoke Assembly

www.therangerstation.com

The od of the splines still has the rough machining from when they turned the shaft before they cut the splines and the spring bites into those very well and is very tight on the splines. I tried to spin it off and it just laughed. So I had to walk it off with two screwdrivers. Almost stabbed myself in the chin once, it was a really enjoyable time.

that sounds like something a true hot-rodder would do, find something and make it work. now that you mention it I seem to recall reading about that spring lately.

brainstorming here for future spring removers, do you think a bearing removal clamshell would help??? or a power steering pulley remover??
I like to rig up or adapt tools for unique situations, if I had a Ranger with one of those axles I'd give it a shot.
how about using a Dremel and grinding a short inside taper on the spring ends?

must confess, I'm getting a bug about this spring. what's the diameter and spline count on the axle?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

that sounds like something a true hot-rodder would do, find something and make it work. now that you mention it I seem to recall reading about that spring lately.

brainstorming here for future spring removers, do you think a bearing removal clamshell would help??? or a power steering pulley remover??
I like to rig up or adapt tools for unique situations, if I had a Ranger with one of those axles I'd give it a shot.
how about using a Dremel and grinding a short inside taper on the spring ends?

must confess, I'm getting a bug about this spring. what's the diameter and spline count on the axle?

The whole thing is a fight, not sure a taper would help much. It is a pretty stout spring too. You cant just pull it over the threads, you would ruin the spring doing that. Getting the end started is pretty easy, inch-worming it one coil at a time 1/32" at a time is where it gets tedious.

Generally you don't remove them, I don't want to wait a couple days for a new spring, winter is going to get here midweek and I would love it have it back on all fours by then if I can.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Proof to my future self that this little harbor freight puller will pull the spindle bearing (cant remember how I did it last time) It only took like 50 tries but eventually I snagged the roller with all three teeth





My bad spindle



My gooderish spindle... custom metalwork by the monkey that pulled it for me. IIRC I found this one laying beside the truck I snagged my spare inner passenger side shaft from. Someone just grabbed the outer and ran. Those two dings are right where the seal lip runs.



My other spare... ain't much. Similar monkey business but more severe.



Cleaned up the splines for both ends of the axle shaft so they telescope like they are supposed to (need to grease and install boot yet though) Just pulled the spindle bearing, I am going to see if I can get a speedi sleeve before get to committed to it.

 

[Curious Hound]

I wouldn't expect the lip of the seal to ride that close to the edge. See how it's polished much further back? I'd be tempted to carefully file down the high spots around those dings and just run with it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I wouldn't expect the lip of the seal to ride that close to the edge. See how it's polished much further back? I'd be tempted to carefully file down the high spots around those dings and just run with it.

The seal pretty much uses it all.

 

[Curious Hound]

I'd run it. No fear. Primary sealing edge on that will be back away from the damage.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

We had holidays.
and then I got sick
and then it got cold
So I really haven't done much to the thing.

So I get to thinking I might as well snag another spare spindle to have on hand just in case down the road if nothing else... and who knows if the other side is any better than this side. I really don't see the point in pulling it apart to see until I have another one on hand.

So I go online, Bronco Graveyard has them for $100. So I do the right thing and snag the slide hammer spindle puller socket off Amazon and figure I will just snag a couple at the JY quick. I grab the tools I used to pull mine apart and head up there today since our high was almost 40*

The only TTB they had was a '93 Ranger. I rip the wheel off with my handy dandy cordless impact... and oh crap. I forgot the older ones have the stupid taper slide pins for the caliper. My '96 axle has bolt on calipers. So I track down a small prybar thing out of a spare tire kit and a small starter and it takes awhile to get the pins beat out like a caveman using a rock. Slip it all apart and the spindle is worse than the one I just replaced. Kinda fits because it looked like the front had been sitting in water before they hauled it in. Couldn't get the tire off the other side but it looked like it had been underwater too. Thanks to the hickup with the caliper pins I ran late enough I couldn't dash across Omaha to their second yard before closing time.

Well gosh dang it I am just going to go buy a new one and be done with it.

And now they are out of stock.

So yeah, we are just making progress in leaps and bounds

While I was sick I did consult my historical archives... likely not a new injury.

PS (which I have apart) as I was taking the axle apart on my bench before I put it in the truck.



And the drivers side (which I have yet to take apart) looks very promising.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Finally almost have it back together.





Just gotta put the wheel back on and let it down and this side is done. A spindle for the other side still alludes me. I tried both yards in Omaha and neither have one. Jeffs Bronco Graveyard shows them but they are out of stock. I did message for an ETA and they said January or February... less that ideal.