Ramblings of life long Ford man

[19Walt93]

I like timing belts just fine as long as they are on freewheeling engines. If the engine is interference- meaning the valves hit the pistons when the belt breaks- I think the engine should have a chain. The 1.5 and 1.6 EcoBoost engines have belts and are interferene engines so broken belt = major engine damage. Ford says the belt is good for 150k but guarantees the engine for 50k. At 2016 prices, it was a $981 job to replace a belt in a 1.6 Escape so how soon do you replace it?

 

[Rick W]

I might consider all those engine choices if my 7.3 ever wears out (130,000 pampered miles). Dunwoody truck: Carries antiques and pulls the jet ski to the lake. I probably don’t drive it 2,000 miles a year. I pull something heavy about every three or four years, probably longer than that these days.

 

[RobbieD]

Dunwoody truck: Carries antiques and pulls the jet ski to the lake.

Now that's a thought.

When you have the "Rick W Signature Series" emblems made for the Ranger, see if you can get a discount on a set of "Dunwoody Edition" emblems for the big truck.

With 3D printing, not only is anything possible; but it can be affordable, too!

 

[superj]

at least the timing belt change interval is long on the ecoboost engines. my bmws were 40 or 60k, i cannot remember which, but i did them at 30k because the sound of hearing the valves get destroyed by the pistons is a terrible memory. sounds like someone crushing soda cans and then your car dies. valves are bent in the combustion chamber, piston tops have little smiley faces on them, and rocker arms are snapped in half.

 

[Rick W]

Now that's a thought.

When you have the "Rick W Signature Series" emblems made for the Ranger, see if you can get a discount on a set of "Dunwoody Edition" emblems for the big truck.

With 3D printing, not only is anything possible; but it can be affordable, too!

It’s a hammer. I don’t get rid of it today because I’m not using it today.

 

[RCC]

Seen boo-coo OHC motors ruined because they're zero tolerance and timing belts were run way over recommended replacement interval. (80K to 100K miles)

 

[RCC]

In good ol' days timing belt break didn't screw up pistons and valves.
Friend's 2L OHC Capri threw worn cam belt so many times I lost count. He just lined up timing marks, put it back on and keep riding.

 

[Danny74]

Screw throw away mentality.
Going to keep 96 Ranger on the road till I'm too old to twist a wrench. Saw FOMOCO pushrod 4.0 crate motor on web I'd love to get. Just $5K...

That's actually a very good deal for 5k, For crate motor. I was contemplating going with the Cummins repower R2.8 diesel. For 8k. But it's a lot more work. I want to have a ranger that will last me forever improper care. Is that crate motor you talk about a one shot deal, or are there others available?

 

[Danny74]

. . . ..wear items should not be something that causes engine failure, IE interference engines. ...

Unfortunately that was the case of my father's car. It's a great care of it it was 12 years old, he had bought it new and what was it all the maintenance for it, and oddly enough we had just spent over two grand getting the transmission fixed, no good 65,000 miles on it and not even a week after we got it back for the mechanic fixing the transmission the timing belt broke and the engine went to put. And it was not due for a timing belt change for another 15,000 Mi based on the last time we had it changed & serviced.

 

[RCC]

My bad Danny 74.
I double checked and factory crate motor is SOHC 4.0.
Jeggs has remanned pushrod 4.0 long block for $2,400 + $800 core charge.

 

[Rick W]

My bad Danny 74.
I double checked and factory crate motor is SOHC 4.0.
Jeggs has remanned pushrod 4.0 long block for $2,400 + $800 core charge.

I remember when you could buy Ford 302 long blocks, and 351 Lincoln by blocks all day long for $750 remanufactured by target, not the department store

 

[Lefty]

They do not make vehicles to last forever. If they make it 10 years or 200,000, they consider that way beyond the design life. You should never have to pull the engine to change the chains. You are supposed to buy a new truck.

I would agree with you. Carmakers understand than most of us only want to keep a vehicle for a certain length of time. They get rusty and dirty. The paint job gets scratched and worn. Minor dents don't get repaired adding to a tired look. The same is true or worse with the interior: scuffs, scratches, stains.

It's the little things that add up. I junked my last truck for the very same reasons. The drive train was just fine, but the frame had rusted out. It was 24 years old. It had lived well beyond its economic life.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I remember when you could buy Ford 302 long blocks, and 351 Lincoln by blocks all day long for $750 remanufactured by target, not the department store

That will pretty much get you one to rebuild now...

 

[Rick W]

I would agree with you. Carmakers understand than most of us only want to keep a vehicle for a certain length of time. They get rusty and dirty. The paint job gets scratched and worn. Minor dents don't get repaired adding to a tired look. The same is true or worse with the interior: scuffs, scratches, stains.

It's the little things that add up. I junked my last truck for the very same reasons. The drive train was just fine, but the frame had rusted out. It was 24 years old. It had lived well beyond its economic life.

I know I may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but that was pretty harsh. OK, I have a few bumps and scrapes, i’m a little worn in the joints, not as shiny as I used to be, except the center of my head. And I know I don’t drive the piston with the same horsepower. But we have to have some respect for those came before us, so to speak…

 

[franklin2]

I would agree with you. Carmakers understand than most of us only want to keep a vehicle for a certain length of time. They get rusty and dirty. The paint job gets scratched and worn. Minor dents don't get repaired adding to a tired look. The same is true or worse with the interior: scuffs, scratches, stains.

It's the little things that add up. I junked my last truck for the very same reasons. The drive train was just fine, but the frame had rusted out. It was 24 years old. It had lived well beyond its economic life.

In any situation, follow the money. They want you to buy a new truck from them,, not keep your old truck running. And that is what most people do, unless it's someone like us who have free labor and repair it ourselves. They must hate people like us. There are some people out there that have never put a new set of tires on their vehicle or set of brake pads. They trade them in before they have to do that.

Someday we might not have a choice and have to junk our old vehicles. Notice how good spare parts are always "discontinued" or "out of stock" lately?