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- r14
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2.3L ('83-'97) road trip safe
- Thread starter ugly_truckling
- Start date
-
- Tags
- overheating safety
Uncle Gump
Boomers gotta Boom
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- Joined
- Sep 17, 2018
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- 16,364
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- 601
- City
- Ottawa IL
- State - Country
- IL - USA
- Vehicle Year
- 1986
- Vehicle
- Ford Bronco II
- Drive
- 4WD
- Engine
- 2.9 V6
- Transmission
- Manual
- My credo
- Lead follow or get out of my way
170,000 miles...
You better bring good walking shoes.
You better bring good walking shoes.
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- 1987 XLT 2.9 Ranger
- Vehicle Year
- 2007
- Vehicle
- Ford Ranger
- Drive
- 2WD
- Engine
- 2.3 (4 Cylinder)
- Transmission
- Manual
- My credo
- Achieving nominal awareness, each and every day.
Highway miles are relatively easy on well maintained vehicles.
How’s your maintenance?
How’s your maintenance?
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2025
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- Miamisburg
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- OH - USA
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- Ford Ranger
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- 2WD
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- 2.3 (4 Cylinder)
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- Tire Size
- r14
maintenance is ok, but not amazing. def has an oil leak. i put in about a quart every 3k miles. need to change the trans fluid, and put on new brakes. would do both of those and oil change before going. not sure how to fix oil leak.
Uncle Gump
Boomers gotta Boom
TRS Forum Moderator
TRS Event Staff
⭐Supporting Member
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TRS 25th Anniversary
VAGABOND
GMRS Radio License
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2018
- Messages
- 16,364
- Points
- 601
- City
- Ottawa IL
- State - Country
- IL - USA
- Vehicle Year
- 1986
- Vehicle
- Ford Bronco II
- Drive
- 4WD
- Engine
- 2.9 V6
- Transmission
- Manual
- My credo
- Lead follow or get out of my way
Sorry... I read the original post wrong. Thought you were gonna drive 170k miles.
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2025
- Messages
- 5
- Points
- 1
- City
- Miamisburg
- State - Country
- OH - USA
- Vehicle
- Ford Ranger
- Drive
- 2WD
- Engine
- 2.3 (4 Cylinder)
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Tire Size
- r14
idk, it seems hot after a 1 or 2 hour drive, but the temp guage never goes above half. sometimes it shifts hard into first, but i usually let off the gas right as it shifts and it shifts smooth.
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2025
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- 1
- City
- Miamisburg
- State - Country
- OH - USA
- Vehicle
- Ford Ranger
- Drive
- 2WD
- Engine
- 2.3 (4 Cylinder)
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Tire Size
- r14
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2025
- Messages
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- Points
- 1
- City
- Miamisburg
- State - Country
- OH - USA
- Vehicle
- Ford Ranger
- Drive
- 2WD
- Engine
- 2.3 (4 Cylinder)
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Tire Size
- r14
yea, the driving distance would be about 1800. on the way there probably split into 3 days. on the way back, maaaaaybe split into 2. but mostlikely 900 miles, 4 hrs of sleep/rest, then 900 more miles.
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- 1978 Honda XL350 12v & Electronic Ignition Swapped
- Vehicle Year
- 1988
- Vehicle
- Ford Ranger
- Drive
- 4WD
- Engine
- 4.0 V6
- Transmission
- Manual
- Total Lift
- 4"
- Tire Size
- 245-70-R16
Really only you can answer that question. I've driven mine all over. I have a bunch of work into it too.
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- City
- Dayton
- State - Country
- OR - USA
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- 1990, 1997
- Drive
- 4WD
- Engine
- 2.3 (4 Cylinder)
- Transmission
- Manual
- Total Lift
- 6
- Tire Size
- 35"
The only dumb things I can think of are distributor cap and rotor as well as timing belt within the last 60k miles. Other than that the 2.3L is pretty reliable unless there's some random thing that happens which you will get here and there...
Within the first 6 months I got my '97 going I took it on an 1800 mile trip one weekend, did fine other than the clutch master cylinder giving out half way home... drove the rest of the way not using the clutch...
Within the first 6 months I got my '97 going I took it on an 1800 mile trip one weekend, did fine other than the clutch master cylinder giving out half way home... drove the rest of the way not using the clutch...
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