Kirbys 1991 Ranger Build Up and Solid Axle Swap

[Kirby N.]

Back to work on the ranger today. Actually, on a few rangers.

I went to the junkyard first. Spent most of the morning pulling off upper intakes to get a good set of valve covers. Mine are pretty ugly from the poor repaint job I did. I was also missing a plastic piece and I wanted to start over. I tried popping out the plastic piece but it was no go. Ended up busting it and the bracket. So I went on the hunt for a good used set of valve covers.

Ran accross this beauty. First one in a u pull I have ever seen.

The other reason I was searching was that I thought the oil pump drive gear must be different on the 98-2000 engines- because my drive would not go into the 98 engine like it did in my 1991.

So I started with a 1993, removing the valve covers. I also was hoping to get the wiring harness that goes to the injectors and oil pressure sensor etc. Mine was in bad shape when I removed it- though functional.

Turns out the 1993 was a little different. And by the time I got to the drivers valve cover I noticed it had some broken plastics.

On to the next. I pulled a 1991 to get the wiring. Got the upper intake off to realize the wiring had been hacked and someone had redone the coolant sensors separately.

Next I moved to a 1998 to get the oil pump gear out. I ended up taking it all the way down and even taking off the lower intake to get it out. The later engines have a sensor on there.

They look a little different. I mic'd everything and the longer end is the only difference I could find. That shouldn't matter if I use the same shaft.

Turns out it took a little bit of firm force to get the new one in, and this gave me the confidence to push the 1991 in firmly and it was fine. All that for nothing but a little knowledge I guess. I did also order a new O-Ring from Ford. $10 is good insurance to make sure it doesn't leak.


Between cleaning the new valve covers and painting them I started to take apart the timing cover and water pump. With my luck one of the bolts snapped.

I did the old weld a nut to it trick and it came out easy enough.

I stopped on that because I need a puller for the pulley. I wish it was in better shape. Ill see if a new one can be had. So I yanked the oil pan and began the cleanup process on it. I am getting better at cleaning this stuff but it is nasty.

Ended the day with a coat of paint on my new valve covers and on the @Brian1 supports. Stoked to get them installed.

Autozone has this high temp enamel paint in Ford Grey. I am going to paint it all that color. Love the stock color.

I also did find a way to install the plastic spark plug guides. I cut the metal with a grinder- which heats up the plastic. Then I twist the metal to breaking point and the plastic falls out without breaking- partially from the heat. Then I can pop into the new set.

Finished off the day by ordering the parts to do a saginaw power steering pump conversion. Thanks to @Gmanpaint for the inspiration. I was already planning to do new hoses anyway. Might as well do this too.

Pulley from PSC for higher volume at idle: https://www.pscmotorsports.com/psc-pp2401.html

Proquipped bracket for conversion: https://proquipped.com/shop/ols/products/p1-adapter-kit

I am going to call the dealer and see what my price is on a new mopar pump tomorrow. Need a 2006 Jeep liberty v6 pump.

 

[BlackBII]

I've had to use the weld a nut method a number of times and it almost always works. Waterpump bolts are the worst! Good work man

 

[Kirby N.]

I was glad it came right out. I have a week off next week. Going to get some dirt biking in- the rest is for working on the ranger.

 

[Kirby N.]

Lots of updates. Been doing a lot of work on getting the ranger ready for its new power plant and getting the power plan ready for the ranger.

First up, while waiting for the NOS 95 oil pan, I went ahead and installed my old 91 oil pan. This allowed me to continue painting and prepping.

Before installing I did get the melling high volume pump and pickup tube installed

next I got the oil pump drive gear installed. I waited on a new oring from ford- pictured- but it was for the newer opdg with the sensor. it was too big and I couldn't install the current opdg. Got a generic oring from the parts store and all is well.

I then installed the new gates water pump and next up is painting the engine. Rolled it outside and got 3 coats of primer.

Then three coats of paint and clear.

This is using duplicators products for Ford Grey engines.

Then it was on to prepping and installing all the components

Added the newly rebuilt and flow matched 5 hole injectors.

Started replacing all my a/c components. One interesting thing I figured out- I installed the orifice tube backwards. It was completely full of oil and grime. The rest of the system is in good shape. I wonder if that was what caused my ac failure.

I want to fix everything I can on the ranger while it is down, so I purchased some new front shocks. Fox 985-24-055. Remote resi 14" travel shocks. These will give me a little less up travel and much more down travel. Hopefully this will be the end of my shocks are too short woes. They look nice and the driver did droop more with them than with the old 12" shocks.

next up I started cleaning up the wiring so I could get it installed.

lots of filth and needing new tape. I also found some frayed wires that needed repair and shrink tube.

Installed the new harmonic balancer

All the wires and a new thermostat and housing and new motorcraft wires. Also installed temporarily the new motor mounts that I purchased from @Brian1

Next is saginaw conversion time. I was inspired by @BKennedy and @gmanpaint to do this conversion and I am excited to see how it turns out.

First off, my power steering bracket was a little different. I think it is just an early model thing without the provision to remove the pump without pulling the pulley.

got the cuts metal finished and painted and installed it. I am happy with how it turned out and excited to not had the ford pump whine and ease of steering now.

little bling PSC under drive pulley to raise the volume. Its going to steer nicer now. I also cleaned out the box with some cooler clean and installed new lines.

Thats all for now. I am hoping to get the engine in place this week.

 

[BlackBII]

That's an excellent job on the power steering pump; could be factory. Looks great man. I love seeing stuff like the wiring getting cleaned up and the engine getting painted.

 

[Shran]

You will like the Saginaw conversion. I don't think it makes it steer any easier but the lack of chattering/whining noise was worth it by itself. I had to do the same bracket modification you did and FYI I did not have to modify the AC lines at all like the instructions mention.

 

[Kirby N.]

I hear with the psc pulley it is easier to steer. It remains to be seen, but it wasn’t really hard to steer with 35s anyway. The lack of ford whine will be a huge bonus.

 

[Kirby N.]

so I got it running- but I am having some issues.

Runs great. Started it, ran it for 20 minutes around 2k rpm. Around the 12-15 minute mark when it got warm- i started to notice a little valve noise. not super loud- like a collapsed lifter, but definitely there. I am using lucas 20w50 break in oil.

Is this the correct viscosity?

Should a little valve noise concern me?

I put about 20 miles on it and when I first start it, it is quiet, then I can hear the noise when it warms up. Also, the saginaw pump is strangely quiet too- so that is different- and I am playing mind games like- is it actually loud or is the whine just gone? I think it is loud.

So I put in 5w30 conventional oil.

Same story.

It has about 45 miles on it now. I think there is a problem with the valve train.

I took the valve covers off:

And ran it. Oil squirting from the holes in the rockers. I went to the junk yard and took apart a top end to see if I could have put together the valve rail incorrectly. It is the same both ways.

I saw this in two books, but there isn't any notch that I can find in the shafts- and there is no difference on either side.

I talked to the machine shop, the guy said maybe since he decked the heads .009 to get the warp out, and because we dont know what happened to the block- could have been decked also???- perhaps the pushrods are too long now- just long enough that it is only a problem when they heat up and warm up. He has never heard of too long of pushrods making noise- has anyone here?

Any other thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[Kirby N.]

Been reading a ton. Not sure what to do. Might shim one side and see if it does anything.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Push rods too long would hold the valves open. Would most likely run like shit and bend or break something.

Did you clean and inspect the rockers and shafts? Push rods for galling and straightness?

Does the noise seem like it's across the board or a valve or two?

Have you checked oil pressure hot?

I just have a hard time thinking the noise is from too long of a push rod. Too short... yes.

I think I would get the engine warm TDC a cylinder and check for lash at the valve. With hydraulic lifters there should be zero lash. In fact the lifter should have a bit of preload on it.

 

[Kirby N.]

Yes I used brand new rockers (melling) new shafts (melling), new pushrods (Ford NOS), lifters (melling)

Oil pressure is solid hot and cold. So if there is some lash, pushrods are too short.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Yep...

With no valve adjustment... pushrod length is critical.

 

[Kirby N.]

But with hydraulic lifters there is some room for differences. That is my obstacle. I would have to collapse the lifter to truly measure lash, and I don’t have a spec.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I've cut a bunch of push rods over the years... and most were solid lifter applications. On hydraulic lifters I think I used zero lash plus .060"... I think. I remember calculating threads per inch on a SBC rocker stud then figuring one complete turn of the adjuster nut in inches. Then added that to the length of my adjustable push rod at zero lash. I know this has been discussed here before. These push rods come in selectable lengths don't they... you could measure yours and see what the next longest is. And go from there.

 

[Kirby N.]

Ok. Interesting. I don’t think they come in different lengths. I read something that hinted of it in the factory service manual but I have only found one part number and no mention of it elsewhere.