What did you do to your Ranger today? (Part Deux!)

[lil_Blue_Ford]

@JoshT , I had a problem with the cam synchro on my 5.0 build, it didn’t set a code but when I’d get on it hard it would choke. Bushings were definitely worn. I got a parts store one, whole assembly from Autozone. The new one felt pretty good and looked it, claims 100% new build to OE spec. Had to be ordered in. Part # CDLG-FD40S for the 00 5.0

 

[Ranger850]

Sold my Ranger on FBMarket for $500 so I could by another Nissan Pickup truck. As much as i loved the thought of having a V8 Ranger, it just wasn't in the cards for me. As for now, I'm strictly a Nissan guy. Maybe one day I'll drive a Ford again, but until then ...

 

[JoshT]

Sucks to lose a Ranger owner, but hope the Nissan works out well for you.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yesterday was an exercise in frustration…

Still not working on my stuff because I’m still trying to fix my parents stuff. Everything is fighting me. Argh. Then I decided to throw Forscan on their stuff and got a laundry list for both. I’m sorry I looked to see what problems existed still.

Anyway, I’ll continue that today with trying to get a working shift motor in dad’s Ranger then get back to my stuff for a bit. A thought did occur to me that I wonder if I made a mistake when I clocked the rear axle in the Choptop because I heard recently about reconciling angles on driveshafts. Currently the rear axle points at the T-case because that’s what the old axle did. But it’s a single joint driveshaft, not a double cardigan or CV. Supposedly a Tom Woods high-angle. I’m just wondering if all that angle only at the T-case is causing an un-reconciled vibration and that’s my problem… I’m going to look around, I think I have a couple angle shims that I could try. Don’t really want to re-clock the axle if I can help it because eventually I’d like to do an Explorer 8.8 with new gears, this Ranger 8.8 was only supposed to be a stopgap until I could collect gears and parts.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

A thought did occur to me that I wonder if I made a mistake when I clocked the rear axle in the Choptop because I heard recently about reconciling angles on driveshafts. Currently the rear axle points at the T-case because that’s what the old axle did. But it’s a single joint driveshaft, not a double cardigan or CV. Supposedly a Tom Woods high-angle. I’m just wondering if all that angle only at the T-case is causing an un-reconciled vibration and that’s my problem… I’m going to look around, I think I have a couple angle shims that I could try. Don’t really want to re-clock the axle if I can help it because eventually I’d like to do an Explorer 8.8 with new gears, this Ranger 8.8 was only supposed to be a stopgap until I could collect gears and parts.

Well, after doing some digging… I have effed up with pointing the pinion at the t-case. Oops. Guess I’m looking for my shims and hoping that’s enough. Wish I had an extra set of 6-ton jackstands right now, my Ranger is taking up two of them still and the other set got crushed when it fell awhile back. Gonna need tall stands or a lift to get the Choptop squared away.

 

[sgtsandman]

Well, after doing some digging… I have effed up with pointing the pinion at the t-case. Oops. Guess I’m looking for my shims and hoping that’s enough. Wish I had an extra set of 6-ton jackstands right now, my Ranger is taking up two of them still and the other set got crushed when it fell awhile back. Gonna need tall stands or a lift to get the Choptop squared away.

The best I can offer is some either 3 ton or 2.5. I can't remember which are under the Escape at the moment. They probably don't have the height you want anyway.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

The best I can offer is some either 3 ton or 2.5. I can't remember which are under the Escape at the moment. They probably don't have the height you want anyway.

Nope, I have a pair of 2.25 ton and 4 or 5 of the 3 ton stands. None of them do me much good with needing to get the frame of the Choptop supported. Not without a pile of cribbing that I don’t currently have. Even 6 ton stands are a little short, but easier to make work. I’d buy another set of 6 ton stands but I’m kinda in a hole at the moment.

 

[Ranger850]

Sucks to lose a Ranger owner, but hope the Nissan works out well for you.

I still consider myself a "Ford Guy", Maybe my next NEW vehicle will be a Ranger or Maverick

 

[Rick W]

Jack stands. You can’t have too many. I have five or six pair, from a relatively new set, to a set that dates back to the early 1900s, cast iron, that can hold up a Mack truck that came from granddaddy. I also have two sets of ramps, both heavy duty.

Once in a while, when I’m tripping over them because I don’t have many projects going on, I say I should sell all this crap. But the reason I have so many is because I only bought them when I could get them for like $20, and that’s all you can get if you go to sell them. And then I turn around search for one because they’re all under something. Even under the house one time!

 

[01WHTRNGR]

Started the tear down of my engine for replacing the timing chain guides. Really happy with how clean everything is so far (granted I only had time for a few things)

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Well, found my shims… but I’m not sure they will be enough. There’s a pretty good discrepancy. I might see what it looks like but I think I’m gonna have to cut the perches. I’m not sure they will be re-useable. I do still have a few chunks of 1/4” so building new perches is possible.

Also managed to get the canvas for the Choptop patched before it really started raining here.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Don't know if you have it handy but receiver tube (2.5" OD square) makes for super easy perches... I welded two pieces together then used a hole saw to cut out the tube part when I made some for my '90... If you cut 1' of it at 45 degrees in the middle that gives you roughly 7" long perches if I remember right since that's what I did.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Don't know if you have it handy but receiver tube (2.5" OD square) makes for super easy perches... I welded two pieces together then used a hole saw to cut out the tube part when I made some for my '90... If you cut 1' of it at 45 degrees in the middle that gives you roughly 7" long perches if I remember right since that's what I did.

I don’t have any of that on hand but I might be able to get some easy enough and that might be a whole lot easier than cutting and welding flat bits together, thanks for the tip.

 

[Rick W]

Don't know if you have it handy but receiver tube (2.5" OD square) makes for super easy perches... I welded two pieces together then used a hole saw to cut out the tube part when I made some for my '90... If you cut 1' of it at 45 degrees in the middle that gives you roughly 7" long perches if I remember right since that's what I did.

Harbor freight sells those tubes in a couple lengths for like 15 or $20

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Harbor freight sells those tubes in a couple lengths for like 15 or $20

The only thing that I don’t like about the ones HF sells is they paint or powedercoat them and it’s something that needs to be welded in so you have to strip all of that off. I’ve been buying Gen Y stuff for hitches because you can get it bare steel, much easier to weld.

I just need a piece of 2.5” square or rectangle tube with a 1/4” wall for what I’m doing, so I can probably get what I need that price or cheaper in bare steel, I can see if the one guy I know has a chunk or I can see about getting a “drop” from one of the steel suppliers.