2.3L ('02-'11) 2003 Ranger 2.3 Rebuild

[JoshuaDonMusk]

Hey guys, im new to the forums and new to the 2.3.

Today im here to ask how difficult/expensive it is to Rebuild these Duratec 2.3's, as i am on a tight budget.
Here are the details;

Engine has 85k miles and developed a knock after i let my sister use it for a month or so (she obviously didn't change the damn oil)
I assume this to be Main bearings, as pulling the valve cover and cams out, i can see tiny metal shavings in the oil and has an audible knocking when running.
The cams looked to have normal wear on them, but i still plan on replacing the cam bearings (i believe that's what there called)
I have rebuilt a ford 302, 351, and 300, so this overhead cam stuff is kind of new too me.
In the past, the engine did have a bad vacuum leak that took me a while to figure out (it was the plug in the intake manifold where the flapper rod ends) after that, it ran great until i was told a "weird knocking noise" was coming from the engine.

In this rebuild i plan on obviously replacing all the bearings and gaskets, and will replace the pistons as they are pretty cheap. i have not taken the head off yet, still working on pulling the valve cover off. If the cylinder walls look good, im going to commit to rebuilding, if not, than it would be out of my budget to either bore out or get sleeves. I will also replace the studs and bolts, hopefully getting some ARP stuff for it.

Thank you for your advice and patience

 

[franklin2]

Here are your used options in North Carolina.

2003 Engine Assembly Ford Ranger	TIMING COVER BROKE, COULD NOT RUN, *3 MONTH WARRANTY*	​	X​	RAN300	$300​	B & D Motors USA-NC(Roaring-River) Request_Quote 336-984-4343 Request_Insurance_Quote	214​
2003 Engine Assembly Ford Ranger	2.3L (VIN D, 8th digit, 4-140)GOOD GOOD GOOD	​	X​	R53	$950​	HRM Auto Salvage, LLC USA-NC(Lexington) Request_Quote 336-300-7827 Request_Insurance_Quote	217​
2003 Engine Assembly Mazda Pickup Not Rotary B2300	RUNS GOOD.PLUS CORE	122,865​	A​	C8	$1450​	Teo's Motors and Auto Parts USA-NC(Smithfield) Request_Quote 919-600-8764 / 919-300-6448 Request_Insurance_Quote

 

[Josh B]

Good luck with it man but I wouldn't blame the lady, they're not "motor minded", you should have changed the oil before you gave it to her

 

[JoshuaDonMusk]

Good luck with it man but I wouldn't blame the lady, they're not "motor minded", you should have changed the oil before you gave it to her

i do not blame her completely, i put off the oil change until after she was done with it. and learned my mistake! hopefully the block is good enough to replace bearings all around.

 

[JoshuaDonMusk]

Here are your used options in North Carolina.

2003 Engine Assembly Ford Ranger	TIMING COVER BROKE, COULD NOT RUN, *3 MONTH WARRANTY*	​	X​	RAN300	$300​	B & D Motors USA-NC(Roaring-River) Request_Quote 336-984-4343 Request_Insurance_Quote	214​
2003 Engine Assembly Ford Ranger	2.3L (VIN D, 8th digit, 4-140)GOOD GOOD GOOD	​	X​	R53	$950​	HRM Auto Salvage, LLC USA-NC(Lexington) Request_Quote 336-300-7827 Request_Insurance_Quote	217​
2003 Engine Assembly Mazda Pickup Not Rotary B2300	RUNS GOOD.PLUS CORE	122,865​	A​	C8	$1450​	Teo's Motors and Auto Parts USA-NC(Smithfield) Request_Quote 919-600-8764 / 919-300-6448 Request_Insurance_Quote

thank you franklin i hope i dont need to go this route but this is very helpful

 

[JoshuaDonMusk]

not lookin good so far. i couldnt find an auto parts store near me that had the sockets needed to get the head bolts out sadly.

 

[pjtoledo]

2.3 Duratecs don't have cam bearings. the head and caps have machined bearing surfaces.
the main & rod bearings are an aluminum alloy. looks just like what's on your finger.

user DaveH recently did a full rebuild, search his posts.

 

[JoshuaDonMusk]

2.3 Duratecs don't have cam bearings. the head and caps have machined bearing surfaces.
the main & rod bearings are an aluminum alloy. looks just like what's on your finger.

user DaveH recently did a full rebuild, search his posts.

Would it be smart to replace the cam caps while im at it? (not cam bearings, thank you )

Thank you for the advice, will do!

 

[pjtoledo]

that would depend on the wear. got any plastigage?

 

[JoshuaDonMusk]

that would depend on the wear. got any plastigage?

I do. i will see how it is when i wake up in the morning tomorrow. cranking on my 86 f150 right now since i dont have a torx t55 bit on me for the headbolts.

 

[JoshuaDonMusk]

having a hard time taking the crank pulley off, any advice?

The plastigage checked out. races are good to reuse.

 

[franklin2]

You should have threaded holes in the pulley where you can put a puller on it and pull it off. Don't grab it around the outside edge in case it has a ring around the outside bonded with rubber. The autoparts stores sell the balancer puller. It's also handy for pulling steering wheels.

 

[JoshuaDonMusk]

Sorry for the late delay, as I have been dealing with both mustang and ford brake issues recently. I decided today I was finally going to get the head off and get to crack her open.
Taking the head off, I noticed the cylinder walls were A-OK and that there were no top end problems! I am now getting ready to pull the engine. Any advice on pulling these little 2.3’s out? I plan on taking the hood off.

 

[pjtoledo]

remove the oil filter mount. it hits the motor mount pad.

 

[JoshuaDonMusk]

pulling the engine, well attempting too. and im wondering, how the hell do you get the torque converter bolts out