Is it worth holding on to the old eng?

[the old wallflower]

So I bought a 1992 Ranger with the extended cab and the fancy paint job and the factory wheels. I think it's a an STX and the body seems to be in very good shape including the interior. The guy i got it from ( I've know him for several years) was doing a final tune up on it when the eng caught on fire. It burnt some wires and more. He tried to fix it and couldn't fix it so he sent it to a "shop" to have it fixed. First it was a compression issue so they pulled off the rt head and had it "fixed". As of this date I still haven't even got a chance to drive it. I tagged it 8 months ago. Now he is telling me that the motor is trashed. HERE is the question... Is it worth trying to keep the original engine and having it rebuilt or get a new long block or just a used 4.0 motor? It's a great looking truck and appears to becoming a classic. I have a big Nissan Titan but at my age I truly have no need for a big truck and this one is " just right" I hope. Should I fix it or as the spouse says just dump it. My friend spent the money I gave him for it a long time ago and now he is broke and it may be 2 years before I get my money back from him. Any suggestions???

 

[superj]

What engine is in it now?

I got rid of my titan and moved to an 04 ranger and was very happy with the size and gas mileage of the ranger versus the titan. I really liked the titan but it was to big for normal city use. Mine was a 2017 texas titan.

I now have my 04 ranger and i also have a 2024 ranger, which is probably my favorite truck of all the trucks i have ever owned. Its an stx which is an xl with rims and carpet, basically, ha ha ha.

That my titan towing my ranger home from colorado springs when my son got out of the army in feb of 24. He borrowed it because his car didn't do well in the snow up there.

 

[gaz]

@the old wallflower
While the lifters for these OHV 4.0l Ford 60° V6's are overpriced, the engines are definitely worth rebuilding, especially if a couple key area's are addressed to improve the efficiency of the stock powerplant. Both better fuel economy and higher work levels can easily be produced.

I suggest rebuilding it with a little extra, purposeful machine work as long as it can be accomplished for less than the cost of a crate engine. I have experienced no problem accomplishing this.

 

[97RangerXLT]

Why is it trashed? literally what is wrong with the engine? if it has damage to the heads, you can put a new set of heads on and you might be alright. if it is lower engine issues or damage, then you are talking money. I honestly would look at a used 4.0 or reman (get a reputable reman company) and see what that costs, ask a shop if the current engine is rebuildable and what that cost would be. if the rebuild from a local reputable shop is within a few hundred or maybe even 1000 of a national chain reman, I would entertain going the rebuild route. having "matching" numbers on a 92 Ranger is probably not going to increase its value any... so whatever you do, go with the route that best suits you financially.

if you go the used route, keep an eye out for wrecked Rangers, (rear ended or Tboned) the engine was likely running when it was totaled. if you can find that with a decent engine, that will be the best bang for your buck, especially if you get the whole truck for 500 or 1000 bucks. part out what you don't need to recoup some of that cost.

AJ

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Why is it trashed? literally what is wrong with the engine? if it has damage to the heads, you can put a new set of heads on and you might be alright. if it is lower engine issues or damage, then you are talking money. I honestly would look at a used 4.0 or reman (get a reputable reman company) and see what that costs, ask a shop if the current engine is rebuildable and what that cost would be. if the rebuild from a local reputable shop is within a few hundred or maybe even 1000 of a national chain reman, I would entertain going the rebuild route. having "matching" numbers on a 92 Ranger is probably not going to increase its value any... so whatever you do, go with the route that best suits you financially.

if you go the used route, keep an eye out for wrecked Rangers, (rear ended or Tboned) the engine was likely running when it was totaled. if you can find that with a decent engine, that will be the best bang for your buck, especially if you get the whole truck for 500 or 1000 bucks. part out what you don't need to recoup some of that cost.

AJ

This.

Also, if you find a private person selling a wrecked Ranger or one that the frame rotted out but still runs and drives with the same vintage as yours (89-92 but you may be able to use up to a 94 since the cab style changed but the dash didn’t). A whole donor vehicle is the easiest and fastest solution to an engine fire. It gets you all of the replacements for your damaged bits. I’ve been down this road before (Choptop). The bad thing about throwing used engines or transmissions in is that you never quite know what you’re getting. I’ve had them last 50 miles and I’ve had them last for many thousands of miles. Best way if you have the time and cash to do it would be to get the engine and trans rebuilt. Go through all of the suspension and axles and stuff and fix it all up. Be a big input up front, but then you should be good for at least a solid 5 years if not longer before it will need anything serious.

 

[the old wallflower]

Ok so the motor in it is a 4.0 When rebuilding a Mustang or Camaro you want matching numbers. It appears in this case that is not the case. I am not sure what is wrong with it. It's not hard to do a dry and wet check on compression. Don't know why they pulled the head and now say it runs if you pour oil in that side. Anyway I will have it towed home so after my spinal surgery, tomorrow, I will take my time and see what is wrong with it. ill drop a few pics when i get it home. Parts wise its cheaper to rebuild it if I did it myself but at my age that not going to happen so either order a short block or find a used 4.0. Thanks for all the input.

 

[RobbieD]

As far as I've determined, RBV engines don't have a VIN stamped into metal anywhere, tying it to a particular truck.

I've never seen a VIN stamped on a Ranger/Bronco II/Explorer motor, at least through '94, nor have I run into mention of it in any factory manuals. A "calibration label" is the only thing I've seen.

Perhaps somebody else can confirm, or deny?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

As far as I've determined, RBV engines don't have a VIN stamped into metal anywhere, tying it to a particular truck.

I've never seen a VIN stamped on a Ranger/Bronco II/Explorer motor, at least through '94, nor have I run into mention of it in any factory manuals. A "calibration label" is the only thing I've seen.

Perhaps somebody else can confirm, or deny?

I know there’s a number that tells you the year I think of the block. It’s towards the back of the block on the drivers side I think.

I understand the desire for matching numbers on something collectible, but fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your take of it, Rangers haven’t really become collectible except to us enthusiasts. The Bronco II is supposed to be on the way up in collectible status and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that.

 

[the old wallflower]

So low and behold after they towed my ranger back home the vin shows it is a 3.0 not a 4.0 like i was told. My first guess is the "mechanic" that was working on it may have believed it was a 4.0 and tried to set it all up as such. Today is the first day I am allowed to move around after the spinal surgy. I have family coming in the next few days to check on me so I will try to figure if its a 3.0 or a 4.0 I'm going to try to al least get it turn over and move it one spot over in my driveway today. from there i guess I will figure where on this site to go for more info. I'm not sure what auto trans is in it. thanks to all!

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So low and behold after they towed my ranger back home the vin shows it is a 3.0 not a 4.0 like i was told. My first guess is the "mechanic" that was working on it may have believed it was a 4.0 and tried to set it all up as such. Today is the first day I am allowed to move around after the spinal surgy. I have family coming in the next few days to check on me so I will try to figure if its a 3.0 or a 4.0 I'm going to try to al least get it turn over and move it one spot over in my driveway today. from there i guess I will figure where on this site to go for more info. I'm not sure what auto trans is in it. thanks to all!

A pic of the motor should be enough for one of us to identify it. The motors were somewhat distinctive to those of us who have worked on a bunch. Chances are good though that if the VIN shows a 3.0, then that’s what’s in it. The 2.9 and 4.0 shared the same transmission essentially but the 3.0 had its own bellhousing pattern and so did the 2.3, so to swap to something other than a 3.0, the transmission would have to change. If you’re going to change both, most people opt for a 5.0 because why not get some more power if you’re going to do all that work.

Trans will be an A4LD for that year. I very highly recommend a shift kit, new fluid and filter, and adjust the bands at the minimum. There’s a few other things that can be done to the valve body beyond that, plus you can add an extra auxiliary cooler and a pan with a drain plug. All of that can be done in the vehicle. The A4LD was notorious for problems but I think a lot of that was caused by abuse, neglect, and heat.

 

[gaz]

@the old wallflower
Never talk to or go back to the mechanic that thought that your 3.0l was a 4.0l!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Door may have been swapped if you are going off the VIN on the door...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Door may have been swapped if you are going off the VIN on the door...

There is that too, verify the VIN on the dash plate.

 

[Rick W]

I may not be the right guy to chime in on this. Couple of the members here have noticed that sometimes I don’t go all original on my builds….

I have had some pretty nice and exotic cars over the years where every little detail makes a difference. You said the truck is very nice. How nice? Is it literally showroom condition or close, every little tiny part and screw, no fraying anywhere around any of the edges of even the ashtray?

With all respect to the community, matching numbers are a very interesting and desirable concept, but I’m not sure how it would affect the value of your truck when you start looking for somebody to wave some cash in front of it. If the truck is in great shape and it runs well, it will draw a good price. Unless it’s absolutely pristine perfect, I can’t see going to the trouble and cost of rebuilding the original engine affecting the sale price someday, unless, again, you take it back to that showroom state.

The other factor, we all have it to some degree, it’s just what we like to fool around with, and our bragging rights. If it’s a big deal to you and your buddies, go for it, that’s what the hobby is all about. But if you’re wondering if you should throw extra cash into rebuilding a 3.0 for money you’re going to get down the road, I’d rethink that one.

And I’m far from an expert on these things compared to most of these guys, but I thought the common opinion was that if you had a 3.0 with trouble, what would be worth the extra money would be a conversion to a 4.0 which is a significant upgrade, and it isn’t that hard to do. I may be wrong on that one.

Anyway, as always, my two cents, I hope it helps

 

[SenorNoob]

3.0 to 4.0 is pretty hard for a bolt in swap. Might as well go 5.0 at that point...