1993 Splash in SC

[Curious Hound]

Finally installed new power steering hoses today. I've had the new hoses in the toolbox since I noticed the leak a few years ago. I had noticed increased leakage on the campiut to Round Mountain. So, decided it was time. I also cut and extended the return line and installed a tiny heat exchanger to cool the fluid a bit. The cooler came from the junk yard a while back and was earmarked for this project. The aluminum portion of thevreturn line needed some r-bending/shaping artwork done in order to point it toward the cooler location. That took some time and patience. The old fluid looked nasty. I did everything I could think of, within reason, to get all the old stuff out. Refilled with type F ATF. Everything looks good so far. I'll test drive it tomorrow.

Not easy to get pictures of power steering stuff in a Ranger engine compartment.

Also, when I went out to start the project, the battery was totally dead. Nothing was left on. The date sticker says 12/19. So I guess I got about as much as can be expected from a 21st century battery. Very disappointing. I have the charger on it and it seems to be taking a charge. But probably needs replacement before our September gathering.

Oh. Ain't that cute?

My access point through the wheel-well.

I'll try the charger. But don't have a lot of hope.

 

[RobbieD]

That cooler is nice.

And it may be on your list already, but I'd add some split loom to the hose in your second picture, to keep that pretty new hose from rubbing.

 

[Curious Hound]

That cooler is nice.

And it may be on your list already, but I'd add some split loom to the hose in your second picture, to keep that pretty new hose from rubbing.

Every place where it's close enough to rub has split loom installed. Other places, it is zip-tied to prevent movement. Thanks for the reminder, though.

 

[SenorNoob]

An Optima only made it 5 years? I get 3 out of the refurbished batteries from Walmart.

 

[Curious Hound]

An Optima only made it 5 years? I get 3 out of the refurbished batteries from Walmart.

 

[Curious Hound]

Dang it. Went out and saw a puddle under the truck. It appears that I knocked the reservoir loose from the power steering pump. That's all I can figure is leaking. All my connections and hoses are dry.

Anybody here know If that is an easy fix? Or should I put a new pump on it? I have no idea how the reservoir is attached and sealed.

 

[RobbieD]

Working from hazy memory here . . .

Try pushing on the reservoir forward, like your reseating it.

On the older Ranger, it's just a big ass o-ring between the pump body and the tank, and the reservoir kinda floats; I think one of the hydro fittings sort of traps it.

A rebuild kit has the big o-ring, or you can try Molykote on it to swell it.

 

[racsan]

still have that pump from the engine I gave you? I think a ‘97 is the same style as a ‘93.

 

[Curious Hound]

still have that pump from the engine I gave you? I think a ‘97 is the same style as a ‘93.

I do. Last thing I did today was pull it's pulley off and take it off. The bracket. I could use that if I need to. But those pulleys are a real PITA to remove and I may have damaged the hole in the shaft. At the very minimum, it's a core ready to turn in at the store.

I also have a different style pump from an E350 van that us part of another back-burner Ranger project. But I would have to create a bracket because it won't fit as-is.

 

[scotts90ranger]

If the reservoir is leaking, put a big ass hose clamp around the base of the reservoir right at the edge, that's where the O ring lives, works great until it doesn't

 

[Curious Hound]

If the reservoir is leaking, put a big ass hose clamp around the base of the reservoir right at the edge, that's where the O ring lives, works great until it doesn't

But that joint resides in a narrow crevice, recessed inside the whole mounting bracket.

 

[scotts90ranger]

But that joint resides in a narrow crevice, recessed inside the whole mounting bracket.

Yeah, I just looked at mine, it's oily and gross but somehow I got a hose clamp in there... I know it leaked more before I did that but that was like a decade ago before new reservoirs were as readily available as they are now...

 

[Curious Hound]

Put a new reservoir and o-ring on the power steering pump. Had trouble getting it on. It's a tight fit. Filled it with fluid and it poured out. The O-ring for the reservoir had squeezed out of the groove somewhere on the bottom. So I took it off and tried again, and again and again. Finally looked at the old reservoir. The inner edge of the mating surface was chamfered. New one was a sharp 90 degree edge. Filed a chamfer on it and everything went together smooth. No leaks yet.

Old Optima yellow top battery is not taking a charge. Won't get past 75% and one cell is much warmer than the others. Thought I ordered a new AGM deep cycle battery from NAPA yesterday. But this morning, realized that I had never finished the transaction because their website was being glitchy. So I ordered one from Summit this morning.

In the mean time, I cut back all my battery cables to find fresh, clean copper conductors. Crimped new ends on. Had to splice on about 16" on the big negative cable. But didn't feel like buying a new cable and replacing it all the way to the engine block. Now all that is ready for the new battery and will be much neater.

And while working in that corner of the engine bay, I broke a nipple off the purge canister vacuum valve. Dang thing is expensive to order new - $35.00-$80.00! Got one from the second junk yard I visited. $12.00. I first bought a newer one from the first junk yard. But don't think it would work. My old one measured 65ohms. The newer style measures 6ohms. I'm thinking they might be triggering it with 5volts from the ecu on the newer vehicles. So I'm out $24 and a bit of fuel for that.

That's all. Pictures when the battery gets here.

 

[Curious Hound]

Installed the purge valve that I got the other day. Then I did an oil change. Then I replaced the heater blower motor.

The blower motor had started squealing the last few times I ran it. Years ago, I had disassembled it, cleaned it and lubricated the bushings. My thought today was to repeat that process. But my OEM blower did not have a plug for the wiring harness. So, getting it out of the truck was going to involve cutting my previous splice out of the wires and splicing them again, making them shorter. BUT... I had a spare from the junk yard. Newer model with a nice plug on the back. So I looked at a wiring harness I had gotten from @racsan years ago and sure rough, it had the mating connector. So I cut that out with a generous pigtail. The rest was simple. Cleaned the replacement fan, including blowing the carbon dust out of the inside. Lubricated one of the bushings with air tool oil. They're bronze bushings and shouldn't need oil. But I like to do it just for good measure. Couldn't get to the other bushing because the newer motor is not bolted together. So disassembly and re-assembly would be sketchy. Stuck it in the plenum. Spliced in the pigtail and plug and, "voila!". It should be good for a few more years.

Newer style blower with plug on the back.

Other end of new motor.

old motor showing leads coming out - no plug.

Wash most of the gunk off the wheel

Little bit of air tool oil right next to the shaft where the pick is pointing

They fasten the wheel with a push-on locking washer thing. You could buy a replacement. I chose to drill a hole and use a cotter pin. The shaft has a flat side. So all this does is prevent the wheel from sliding off.

Plug and pigtail ready to splice in.

 

[SenorNoob]

That connector looks just like mine. I don't remember if it was from the 88 or the 91 harness.