1990 XLT Return to Duty

[JMDone]

I've inherited a 1990 EXT Extended Cab, 2.9L 6 cylinder, 2WD, with~ 122K miles, good body, tires and interior. It has been stored under a So Calif carport since 2017 and not started since with
~ 1/3 tank of gas at time it went into storage.

Am prepared to pull out and exchange as necessary fuel tank, fuel pump and filter and blowing out fuel line as no telling what that gas has turned into by now. Also plan to replace all the hoses and lines in engine compartment as well as service brake cylinders as needed. Drop and clean out any sediment gunk in oil pan is in the plan as well.

Big question is, assuming (?), cylinders have been bone dry for awhile, how to introduce oil into them to lubricate with hand cranking before seeing if it will startup at all.

Any guidance on that question and whatever else I have missed preparing for, will be much appreciated.

 

[Brain75]

Pull the plugs, put 2 tablespoons of oil in each cylinder, hand crank a couple of turns, if everything is turning smoothly fire it up... or at least that was the prescribed procedure for the old old 40's and 50's motors amongst the 48-56 F1 crowd on FTE. You do as much damage or more cranking and cranking away with only oil on the rings (nothing on rockers or anywhere else) as the first 2 seconds before it pulls up pressure from the pump running normally.

Don't get carried away putting a ton of oil in each cylinder, and at least give it 3 or 4 revolutions minimum.

Caveat here, if it starts and it runs, but it shows no oil pressure / oil light is on don't run it for any amount of time hoping it will build pressure - stop and figure out if there is something wrong with the pump.

Kinda funny - I have almost a clone of yours... 1990 2.9 2wd, 5sp manual 110k miles, very good condition... is it tan colored?

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Since 2017?

I wouldnt worry a lot. Mine sat for 12 years and all i did was change the fuel pump and fire it up.

 

[JMDone]

Thanks to all for the guidance, and very good to know there is less to do than I had thought about. About the gas, what does it turn into after sitting in the tank for 7 years? Have read it can rust the inside of tank and send gunk into the injectors. (Left off it's an automatic).

 

[Brain75]

If it was filled with e0 (regular "old" gas / "marine gas" / "recreation gas" ) it lasts about as long as it sat or much longer, if it was E10 or E15 (10% or 15% ethanol), the ethanol will attract water, rip it right out of the humidity in the air. So if it was parked in Tucson probably nothing, if it was parked in Florida with a cracked filler neck the tank would be full of water and have rusted anything steel it touches (fuel lines & fittings)... StaBil fuel stabilizer helps a ton if you put it in when you park it, not much to do now. If the gas is thoroughly contaminated it will come out like a layer of off yellow chunky slurpee and a layer of water...

Conditions of the gas really boil down to how much water it was able to draw into it... if it was perfectly sealed, no leaky nothing you might even be lucky enough to start it on what it has...

 

[Curious Hound]

Thanks to all for the guidance, and very good to know there is less to do than I had thought about. About the gas, what does it turn into after sitting in the tank for 7 years? Have read it can rust the inside of tank and send gunk into the injectors. (Left off it's an automatic).

Fuel filter is supposed to keep trash out of the injectors. It would be good to drain the tank, clean it and refill with fresh. But… do what you think. Might be able to just dilute it with new and run it.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Thanks to all for the guidance, and very good to know there is less to do than I had thought about. About the gas, what does it turn into after sitting in the tank for 7 years? Have read it can rust the inside of tank and send gunk into the injectors. (Left off it's an automatic).

I just dumped 5 gallons of fresh in

 

[bobbywalter]

I just dumped 5 gallons of fresh in

and.....the that heinous ethanol infested fuel crap that stickifies the injectors can cause....

 

[rusty ol ranger]

and.....the that heinous ethanol infested fuel crap that stickifies the injectors can cause....

I did have to replace my injectors....guess i never equated the two.

OP...might be best to atleast drain the tank lol

 

[JMDone]

All very useful information on the what gas is and what it can become with even a thumbnail on gasoline and water chemistry thrown in.
As it was stored in So California, with gas cap on tight, maybe not to much of a worry about water absorption.

To be cautious about it, plan of the morning is to drain the tank, and take a look with an endoscope to see condition inside of tank. Hoping not to see yellow slurpee, or orange rust. Will report on what drains out and the inside of the tank.

 

[bobbywalter]

its whats in the rail you need to be concerned with. from the filter to the return.....i just make an adapter and use a fuel pump to cycle clean first....i also have a little adapter hose to do this whenever i pull junkyard injectors to clean them.. just lock them open with the battery and hose em out one at a time and see what kind of pattern they have... in your case you dont want the injectors to open at all....just flush the system...

if it is good fuel...it is probably just fine....if it is this crap we have in detroit...you are better served hosing it out..

when we were building a LS for young bobs thing that identifieas as a ranger, he was amazed that the cycle we did on the stock rails turned 5 gallons of fuel black AFTER i evacuated it first with air........but it fired right up smooth as silk and has remained that way.

flushing that system before anything gets into the injectors is ideal. the filter does its job well, but from the filter to the regulater the varnish ect can get pretty gooey...

 

[Shran]

I revived a 94 Ranger earlier this year that had sat in a barn since 2017 and found that the engine was locked up tight. Stuck rings probably. I worked it by hand and got it freed up - the fuel was a different story, had about 1/2 a tank and it was nice, clean and reasonably fresh smelling. I don't know how that's even possible but I swear it's the truth.

Couple other trucks I've revived that sat for years just got new tanks right away. The goo was so thick that they were impossible to clean or the tank had a hole rusted in it. On yours it will be a plastic tank and new ones are not available so you'll have to clean it, IF it needs it. I have had good luck with muriatic acid to clean gas tanks but it is really nasty stuff.

 

[bobbywalter]

I revived a 94 Ranger earlier this year that had sat in a barn since 2017 and found that the engine was locked up tight. Stuck rings probably. I worked it by hand and got it freed up - the fuel was a different story, had about 1/2 a tank and it was nice, clean and reasonably fresh smelling. I don't know how that's even possible but I swear it's the truth.

Couple other trucks I've revived that sat for years just got new tanks right away. The goo was so thick that they were impossible to clean or the tank had a hole rusted in it. On yours it will be a plastic tank and new ones are not available so you'll have to clean it, IF it needs it. I have had good luck with muriatic acid to clean gas tanks but it is really nasty stuff.

real gas can usually last for years....wont be perfect and octane will reduce but useable taking it easy....run through a polising filter and stirred with some octane booster is usually just fine..

the new stuff...like e10/15 not so much....though if sealed it can go a few years too as long as it is polished.

 

[bobbywalter]

of course....oil is pretty stabil...

 

[Brain75]

"young bob's thing that identifies as a ranger" pure knee slapping, gasping for breath laughs right there...