2.3L ('02-'11) 2001-2003 Ranger/B2300 Dealer support ended Need help Finding Grommet!!! URGENT

[Uncle Gump]

@Djea3

FYI... moved this to the engine forum.

 

[Djea3]

If I try to chase it down, I find some guys talking about trying the comparable Mazda 3i part LFBL-10-237, but I can see that's literally the example picture you posted before. Have you already eliminated that part as being close, but not exact-fit?

SAME ERA, deleted part as well.
Both Ford and Mazda have discontinued ALL PARTS and ALL SUPPORT for these vehicles. IF a part was used on them and not in the major production lines for Many many years, then it is no longer made. They are deleting all pictures of the parts except very rough sketches if still available. They are also deleting part numbers it seems. My mechanic has the vehicle, I think that there are a couple bolt lengths and a couple with studs on them. 4 or 5 total part numbers for these "grommets". I looked up that LFBL part number and it is defunct as well. BOTH told me 7 years from last production from now on. Think about that! Buy a 60K vehicle and in 7 years you will not have any support.
Apparently FORD/MAZDA think it is ok to just tell their customers to FO.
So, I will never by a GM product in my life. Am VERY CLOSE to adding Ford and Mazda. I loved my series 1 MPV, it was GREAT retired it too early at 190K miles.

 

[Djea3]

Has anyone used versimold to make these kind of grommets? I am concerned regarding the durometer of rubber. The design of this assembly tells me it bottoms out and that creates the correct pressure for the cover to seat and not leak. I am considering making these, used an application called "Tracker" to measure the actual grommet and bolt assembly. I used a few pictures and was able to create a drawing of the actual rubber component. I then decided it could be simplified.....but I need to know how much compression the rubber needs to no leak...that required durometer information. At least SHORE hardness.

 

[Blmpkn]

Dude.. as previously mentioned it's a regular thing for manufacturers to stop parts support after a while. The vehicle your trying to fix is 2 decades old.. being "this close" to swearing off FoMoCo because they don't want to produce a bolt that was only used for a small handful of years 2 decades ago is foolish.


If you need a truck and parts availability is THAT important... you should but a squarebody chevy. every single part right down to the channel select buttons on their stupid old analog radios can be had brand new can't beat that.

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

Yeah man, I don't like missing parts either, but let's be real, what do you expect them to do? Make all the parts for everything, forever? Have an assemly line right now still turning out wooden wheels for the Model T? Ford guarantees 10 years of support. Popular shit sticks around longer, and/or gets more aftermarket coverage. After that, there's always the junkyard, or if you get super attached to something, paying a machinist whatever it costs for a one-off run. 2003 was 20 years ago. Things are going to get discontinued.

Everywhere I look agrees the Mazda number I gave you to try is still in production, and even if they're all wrong, it's got multiple NOS Ebay listings. I would check it out. Report back and help the next guy who needs the same thing.

For my part, I would have jammed two different sized o-rings on there, slathered it in RTV, and driven to the junkyard yesterday to grab a bunch of those bolts for $2 a pop. If I was feeling charitable, I might limit myself to trucks marked "bad motor".

 

[Djea3]

After that, there's always the junkyard, or if you get super attached to something, paying a machinist whatever it costs for a one-off run. 2003 was 20 years ago.

Well, the real issue is Ford/Mazda changing an age old simple design to a 4 piece assembly with adhesive applied gasket into a conical washer and requiring one to purchase the entire assembly. All that was needed was the actual GASKET to be separate. Any aftermarket would have picked that up easily.
BTW, the 10 years is FROM FIRST DATE OF ANY MODEL/SUBMODEL. Federal law is 7 years from last production of MODEL/SUBMODEL. SO it is 7 years. They produced this exact model for 3 years only. They used the same engine but changed everything else.
I wonder if that is another possibility? From what I understand the plastic one will not work not he truck it was used transverse mount only.

 

[Djea3]

Dude.. as previously mentioned it's a regular thing for manufacturers to stop parts support after a while. The vehicle your trying to fix is 2 decades old.. being "this close" to swearing off FoMoCo because they don't want to produce a bolt that was only used for a small handful of years 2 decades ago is foolish.

Well, let's look at this another way. Most people drive 7-12000 miles per year. Most vehicles are designed to run 200-300 thousand miles. 300/12=25years life expectancy (less accidents etc for the unlucky). The cost to drive this truck was maintenance plus about 1000 a year in that case.

When you purchase a vehicle you do NOT KNOW when the last year of that exact configuration will be produced. In fact they sold with this exact engine, but not this configuration and never told a single buyer and never mentioned it in any sales specification! In fact I purchased this truck used, not knowing that the CONFIGURATION of the listed same engine used for over a decade was changed significantly enough to make the model OBSOLETE within one year really!

Now monetize what has changed in the last few years though legislation:
In today's terms: spend 60,000 for a truck. You must now assume that Parts will not be available by law (regardless of anything a dealer told you the law is clear) for your exact model and configuration in 7 years and the vehicle will have zero value regardless of mileage. SO: 60,000/7= $8570/year.
Now look at mileage: 7X12=84000 miles. 60,000/84,000=$71.5 cents per mile VS: almost every vehicle I have owned looked like this;
25000/300000miles =$8.3 cents per mile.over 15 to 20 or more years.
I am going back to Toyota. I can get any part from the dealer or after market on every Toyota I have owned from 1976 on!

BTW if anyone is using a new truck or vehicle for business, verify the 7 year and you can deduct huge amounts because you can prove that you have no way of assuring repair parts.

 

[lowspeedpursuit]

When you purchase a vehicle you do NOT KNOW when the last year of that exact configuration will be produced.

Does that matter? Assume you have 10 (or maybe 7) years of parts for sure, and beyond that you play it by ear. The average age of American vehicles is apparently 11 years, so that's pretty decent coverage, and the average person doesn't do their own work anyway. Again, your truck is 20 years old now. Ford could double (or treble) their coverage and you'd still be on your own.

In any event, here's another discussion and another comparable part that you can actually try. I'm confident you can put this motor back together between generics and the aftermarket; you have to just start trying stuff.

 

[Roert42]

Ford refuses to support your engine because they will not sell you the grommets.

Yet they offered to sell you the bolts with the grommets on them?


Yes, it’s unreasonably expensive, but that what you get at the dealership. If they would sell you the grommets alone they would probably still want $7 a pop.

The pleasure of owning and maintaining an old automobile. Your on your own and you get to figure it out or walk.

Industrial equipment tends to change design and become obsolete on about a 5 year rotation.

Same goes for cars, they have to fight for market share by constantly “improving” and updating their designs. Service is only a means to an end. Ford makes money in spite of their after sales departments not because of them.

 

[Blmpkn]

The average U.S vehicle owner drives 15k miles a year, and the majority of vehicles most certainly are not engineered or intended to last 200-300k miles lol.

Ford.. the people who have the best selling vehicle of all time.. engineer their crap to last a target 150k miles. That would be the average schmo's 10th year of ownership.. which isn't bad considering said average schmo will keep their new vehicle an average of 11 years.

You're an outlier. Things aren't tailored to suit the outlier. Outliers need to spend 60$ on some valve cover bolts, it's just the way of the road Ricky.

 

[Djea3]

Ford refuses to support your engine because they will not sell you the grommets.

Yet they offered to sell you the bolts with the grommets on them?

You did read well. Neither FORD nor Mazda make the bolts any longer, nor the plastic intake manifold, nor the manifold repair kit etc. They are not available and in fact they will not even give me the complete list of part numbers as there seem to be 4 different bolts with grommets involved. They literally told me that they no longer support this vehicle in any way. They seem to be REMOVING these bolts called grommets from their parts lists and diagrams altogether! Think about that. The aftermarket can not create what they do not know exists.
Many parts are being made by aftermarket for these engines, however not for these two models with three model years.

 

[Djea3]

In any event, here's another discussion and another comparable part that you can actually try. I'm confident you can put this motor back together between generics and the aftermarket; you have to just start trying stuff.

that Audi part looks as if it will fit directly. I am hoping that the grommet portion is removable in some way so that I can use the stud bolts as well. This is exactly what I needed to begin repair. Now to verify the quantity and get to work. Thanks.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Here's a last-ditch suggestion if you really can't find those grommets. It involves some work.

Some auto parts stores and old-school hardware stores (Ace, True Value) sell small sheets of thick rubber and other gasket material, often as a roll. Maybe you could make your own grommets from that.

I keep an old leather punch around for little projects like that. It can cut holes in sheets of rubber, fiber, etc. I've been in a bind and had to make my own gaskets before, and that punch is handy for bolt holes.