What did you do to your Ranger today? (Part Deux!)

[sgtsandman]

Took a closer look at the parking brake cables on the 2011 in preparation for the semiannual preventative maintenence and replacing of things going bad.

The cables connect to a stubby cable that runs through the backing plate. So, I won't have to partially remove the axles like I thought I would.

The boots going into the backing plate did pop out. So, I'll have to address that. They wouldn't press in easily by hand. So, some silicone spray and some tools are probably going to be needed to do the job. We are going to have rain all day. That's going to postpone getting that done a bit.

 

[Rick W]

Took a closer look at the parking brake cables on the 2011 in preparation for the semiannual preventative maintenence and replacing of things going bad.

The cables connect to a stubby cable that runs through the backing plate. So, I won't have to partially remove the axles like I thought I would.

The boots going into the backing plate did pop out. So, I'll have to address that. They wouldn't press in easily by hand. So, some silicone spray and some tools are probably going to be needed to do the job. We are going to have rain all day. That's going to postpone getting that done a bit.

Just my two cents, but you may want to rethink using any kind of lubricant. I would suspect if you are careful and you use tools, maybe some homemade and or used creatively, you can get the boots in place. Of course, clean the boot surfaces and the metal surfaces before doing it. But you know all that..

My tip, something I do pretty religiously, is at several spots, where the rubber attaches to the steel, work in a little bit of that E6000/goop adhesive. It adds a good bond to hold things in place, and it stays pliable, so it’s very resistant to vibration or an occasional tug on it. Depending on the lubricant selected, that lubricant might defeat the adhesion. Some more of this later.

Depending on the application, I just put a few dabs around the edges and I don’t do a complete seal. If it’s anything that has to breathe, or heats up that could cause pressure, leave a tiny bit of venting area.

Lubricant versus adhesive: the adhesive could make the boot slide on easier, and obviously since there is a boot, there is some kind of motion, and the lubricant could keep the boot moving freely, so it doesn’t bind up and pull out. With the adhesive, it may be harder to get it in, but hopefully it holds more strongly, and will last longer.

The best of both worlds might involve using the right “lubricant.“ You could use a sloppy amount of that E 6000, and if you move quickly enough, it almost acts like a grease.

When I have trouble getting tires to seal at the bead, without totally breaking them down, I pry them open, brush out any debris, and then I spray brake cleaner in the gap. The brake cleaner softens the rubber surface and may momentarily makes it slippery, but it also completely evaporates and dissipates in a short period of time. If you did that with your boots, and waited overnight or use a heat gun, you could then pry them back in three or four locations around the perimeter and dab on/in the E 6000.

You could do some test patches with the E 6000 and different kinds of lubricants. The chemical composition of some lubricants may act as a solvent for the E 6000, and not interfere with it bonding.

Finally, like Rustoleum and the E6000, I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned that olive oil is one of my favorite automotive chemicals. I routinely use it for the vinyl tops on the Lincoln’s. It makes them look just as slick as son of a gun or armor all, but you can wash it off with regular soap and water, and it doesn’t leave any residue. I’ve used olive oil as a lubricant on dozens of applications, where I want to clean it off after the fact, just like your boots.

Hope it helps

 

[sgtsandman]

Just my two cents, but you may want to rethink using any kind of lubricant. I would suspect if you are careful and you use tools, maybe some homemade and or used creatively, you can get the boots in place. Of course, clean the boot surfaces and the metal surfaces before doing it. But you know all that..

My tip, something I do pretty religiously, is at several spots, where the rubber attaches to the steel, work in a little bit of that E6000/goop adhesive. It adds a good bond to hold things in place, and it stays pliable, so it’s very resistant to vibration or an occasional tug on it. Depending on the lubricant selected, that lubricant might defeat the adhesion. Some more of this later.

Depending on the application, I just put a few dabs around the edges and I don’t do a complete seal. If it’s anything that has to breathe, or heats up that could cause pressure, leave a tiny bit of venting area.

Lubricant versus adhesive: the adhesive could make the boot slide on easier, and obviously since there is a boot, there is some kind of motion, and the lubricant could keep the boot moving freely, so it doesn’t bind up and pull out. With the adhesive, it may be harder to get it in, but hopefully it holds more strongly, and will last longer.

The best of both worlds might involve using the right “lubricant.“ You could use a sloppy amount of that E 6000, and if you move quickly enough, it almost acts like a grease.

When I have trouble getting tires to seal at the bead, without totally breaking them down, I pry them open, brush out any debris, and then I spray brake cleaner in the gap. The brake cleaner softens the rubber surface and may momentarily makes it slippery, but it also completely evaporates and dissipates in a short period of time. If you did that with your boots, and waited overnight or use a heat gun, you could then pry them back in three or four locations around the perimeter and dab on/in the E 6000.

You could do some test patches with the E 6000 and different kinds of lubricants. The chemical composition of some lubricants may act as a solvent for the E 6000, and not interfere with it bonding.

Finally, like Rustoleum and the E6000, I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned that olive oil is one of my favorite automotive chemicals. I routinely use it for the vinyl tops on the Lincoln’s. It makes them look just as slick as son of a gun or armor all, but you can wash it off with regular soap and water, and it doesn’t leave any residue. I’ve used olive oil as a lubricant on dozens of applications, where I want to clean it off after the fact, just like your boots.

Hope it helps

These are flanged and sort of like a grommet. The adhesive idea might have some merit.

As far as venting, the brake setup is a mini drum built into the disc rotor. Unlike regular drum brakes, there is no lip to "seal" the parking brake from the elements.

So, the parking brakes being able to breathe isn't an issue.

 

[broncc]

Decided today was a good day to learn how to sew. Did a first draft tire cover in cheap cloth before I make it out of boat vinyl. I'm gonna make it look like the original one but fit 31" tires.

 

[Bill]

I popped the stock radio out of the dash temporarily to assess an upcoming replace the stock radio project that will ensue as soon as I figure out what I want to replace it with. I then took a drive to two local Best Buy locations to look at radios. There aren't any stereos there that I found really exciting. A few Pioneer touchscreens that look nice. But, I prefer something with knobs and buttons. I really don't car for using touchscreens while driving. I like the look of the double din radios with the led-like displays, but they feel a bit cheap in the build quality. So, I left undecided. I might buy the Alpine UTE-73BT single din and install that because it's cheap and maybe at some point I'll come across something I really like.

 

[sgtsandman]

I popped the stock radio out of the dash temporarily to assess an upcoming replace the stock radio project that will ensue as soon as I figure out what I want to replace it with. I then took a drive to two local Best Buy locations to look at radios. There aren't any stereos there that I found really exciting. A few Pioneer touchscreens that look nice. But, I prefer something with knobs and buttons. I really don't car for using touchscreens while driving. I like the look of the double din radios with the led-like displays, but they feel a bit cheap in the build quality. So, I left undecided. I might buy the Alpine UTE-73BT single din and install that because it's cheap and maybe at some point I'll come across something I really like.

Have you checked Crutchfield? I just learned recently that they are still around.

 

[Bill]

Have you checked Crutchfield? I just learned recently that they are still around.

Yes, I looked at Crutchfield, Amazon, and other places online. The issue with buying things online that you haven't seen is the pictures on websites are made to make everything look good.

 

[JoshT]

A few Pioneer touchscreens that look nice. But, I prefer something with knobs and buttons. I really don't car for using touchscreens while driving. I like the look of the double din radios with the led-like displays, but they feel a bit cheap in the build quality.

I know what you mean. Did radiop upgrades on my Ranger and F-250 in the last few years.

F-250 came first and chose an Android based double din with it. Selected Android based because I liked the idea of the versatility and wanted the ability to run ForScan Lite. It's all touch screen with a few soft touch buttons on the face, but I also got the steering wheel and used that for basic controls. Unfortunately I have been unsatisfied with the speed of the headunit and the default android screen mirroring, so only used basic radio functions.

Ranger got a much nicer Alpine unit with the add on PowerPack amp. IMO it worked much better and I discovered that I liked proper android auto. Wanted navigation and I keep SiriusXM for my cart and wanted to be able to stream from my phone. Doing that sucked with the android, but worked great with the Alpine. Unfortunately I have discovered that I do not like the touchscreen only and soft touch buttons. I want a volume knob.

After the experience with AA in the Alpine, I found athird party solution for using it on the Android. HeadUnitReloaded. The app costs a few bucks, but the head unit actually works like a proper AA headunit now. Still annoied by the sluggishness of the Android unit, but I can live with it now. Also got a large screen Anbdroid to install in my car, but it has knobs and buttons, haven't decided if I actually want to install it or not.

All that to say, at the very minimum, my next radio installation will have a volume knob. It will probably be in dad's 2002 Ranger. He wants an in dash backup camera, handsfree calling, and better ability to stream music from his phone. I think he's gotten a little spoiled by the tech in his 2021 F-150. We havent decided on a unit yet.

Also if you go double din, I recommend the FMK552 install kit. It's sold by a few brands with the same part number. PAC and American International are a couple. It allows for installing the radio a lot more flush similar to the stock radio, where the standard Metra or Scosche kit end up pretty recessed.

 

[JoshT]

Today (technicall yesterday now)I had a few hours to work on the truck. Started out with finishing what I started with the few hours I had yesterday. In case I didn;t mention it, I had started on installing the OBX headers to the V8 swap. Thanks to lack of clearance, I struggled most of that time getting a few bolts started, but managed to get all of them in and run down finger tight. Well all except cylinder 4, I had missplaced the hardware for connecting the 2-piece flange.

Today I finished installing the headers to the V8 swap. Got the lower intake manifold installed and torqued, along with the injectors and fuel rail. Got the 98 camshaft synchronizer and position sensor swapped out for the 2000 one. Got the engine harness routed back over the engine and connected to the sensors installed. The front acessory bracket are hung on the engine. Also swapped out the ECU before I forget and try to start it on the 4.0L ECU.

When I can get back to it, I'll probably be going underneath to finish up odds and ends on the transmission, install starter and its harness, and get a start on exhaust.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

This morning I had the rather dubious honor of repairing the fuel line on the green Ranger for like the third or fourth time now. Of course the temps plummeted from a balmy 50-ish to 33 overnight with a stiff breeze. I was still at my buddy’s place after a lengthy fight to fix a cracked floor joist and just crashed on the couch last night. Anyway, got up, threw a couple things in the Ranger and took off this morning. Made it all the way to the end of the block around the corner and up to the stop when she quit on me. After a no-go on a restart (not even a pop), I popped the hood and started troubleshooting. No fuel at the rail. Fudge. Can’t tell for sure if the pump is going. Checked fuses, swapped relays, nothing. Called my buddy while I was trying to work out the problem and he got up and got his truck going and ran some tools and parts over, most important being a floor jack and jackstand because I don’t fit under a lowered Ranger. Had a guy stop and ask if he could help so we got it shoved into a parking lot thing before my buddy got there. By that time I had also discovered the puddle and loose fuel line under the truck. Of course, it started siphoning my tank so I had to struggle to reach far enough under to get it kinda back together (blew off the filter).

With some help from my buddy got it back together for now. I was trying to save a couple bucks and some time and didn’t replace all the fuel lines when I had some issues with them and ended up replacing the front line entirely. Should have just spent the time and money because now it keeps biting me.

Oh yeah, I also have an exhaust leak because somehow the two front drivers side header bolts have decided to back out. Something else to deal with. At least I don’t have the AC hoses in yet because I can’t find them. Might have to Locktite them in or use some lock washers or something.

Guess I’ll be ordering parts to replace the rest of my fuel lines…

 

[Rick W]

Any job worth doing is worth doing twice, or something like that.

I’ve been there, fortunately, not in a while, but it always sucks. Sorry for the trouble.

You said the hose popped off the filter. Sometimes when I’m putting a hose on a smooth fitting, I will run a tubing cutter around the fitting in two or three places, not to cut it, but just enough to put little grooves in it, that will help hold the tubing. Sometimes I ruff it up a little bit with the file. It can be done quickly, and of course doesn’t cost anything.

The other thing is to shoot the inside of the tubing, and the outside of the fitting with some brake cleaner, and slide it together and button it up before it all evaporates. It momentarily softens the rubber, but will add to the grip when it dissipates.

That’s two or three suggestions I think. You might want to go slow, and just use one suggestion each week when you fix the fuel line that week, and then see which ones work out best in the long run.

Seriously, praying for you, hang in there, don’t let it get to you!

 

[superj]

I put one of those tailgate extender cage deals on my ranger. It was originally for a nissan titan but i cut out some from the inside so it fit and bought the mounting brackets on amazon for 12 or 13 bucks. The cage thing says amp research and thats who the brackets came from. I trimmed the feet down on the part towards the top so the bed cover closed without hitting it and its great.

 

[Maritime Drag Racing]

COPIED FROM ANOTHER RACER
Saw this on Facebook and thought it was cool enough to share for all of you non-racers out there.

The calm before the storm.... Doing the burnout before my round, where I'll go against one other person, and it's either me or them, one of us will win and continue on, the other will go home. Drag racing is not for the faint of heart, or a weak ego... It's brutally stressful.
Unlike other sports, especially other motorsports, where one has time to correct their mistakes, one has time to improve, one has time to struggle and maybe conquer, and crawl back from behind... In drag racing, everything is compressed into one moment, where just a few seconds is literally broken down into hundredths, thousandths, and even ten thousandths of a second. The intense focus involved to deal with such tiny fractions of a second is hard to comprehend, much less perform.
It takes 0.1 secs, a tenth of a second to blink one's eye quickly, that's the equivalent of an entire day to a drag racer. Now break that tenth down 10 more times, to 0.01 sec, a hundredth of a second... that's like an hour to a drag racer. Then break that hundredth of a second down 10 more times to 0.001 sec, a thousandth of a second... that's where drag racers live, in the thousandths of a second.
Trying to react in a world in a thousandth of a second, is an incredibly small world, almost a quantum world. A place where normal humans can't even comprehend, but where drag racers live. Drag racing is being able to predict how long your car will react to your reactions before the light tells you to react, a drag racer has to predict when the future will happen, and calculate when to react before the future becomes the here and now... all in thousandths of a second. And that's just the start of the race, at the end of the track at the finish line, is another separate race, being able to cross the finish line within a specific hundredth and thousandth of a second, while going very, very quickly.... And in the end, one can win or lose by 0.0001 sec, ten thousandths of a second. It's beyond difficult, beyond stressful.
Anyone who says drag racing is easy, doesn't have a clue... time is squeezed down into such a tiny compressed reality, that there's no time to correct any mistakes, you either do it perfectly, or you get sent home. So sitting in the staging lanes waiting your turn, is where you try to get into the zone, the quantum zone.

 

[ericbphoto]

COPIED FROM ANOTHER RACER
Saw this on Facebook and thought it was cool enough to share for all of you non-racers out there.

View attachment 107294

The calm before the storm.... Doing the burnout before my round, where I'll go against one other person, and it's either me or them, one of us will win and continue on, the other will go home. Drag racing is not for the faint of heart, or a weak ego... It's brutally stressful.
Unlike other sports, especially other motorsports, where one has time to correct their mistakes, one has time to improve, one has time to struggle and maybe conquer, and crawl back from behind... In drag racing, everything is compressed into one moment, where just a few seconds is literally broken down into hundredths, thousandths, and even ten thousandths of a second. The intense focus involved to deal with such tiny fractions of a second is hard to comprehend, much less perform.
It takes 0.1 secs, a tenth of a second to blink one's eye quickly, that's the equivalent of an entire day to a drag racer. Now break that tenth down 10 more times, to 0.01 sec, a hundredth of a second... that's like an hour to a drag racer. Then break that hundredth of a second down 10 more times to 0.001 sec, a thousandth of a second... that's where drag racers live, in the thousandths of a second.
Trying to react in a world in a thousandth of a second, is an incredibly small world, almost a quantum world. A place where normal humans can't even comprehend, but where drag racers live. Drag racing is being able to predict how long your car will react to your reactions before the light tells you to react, a drag racer has to predict when the future will happen, and calculate when to react before the future becomes the here and now... all in thousandths of a second. And that's just the start of the race, at the end of the track at the finish line, is another separate race, being able to cross the finish line within a specific hundredth and thousandth of a second, while going very, very quickly.... And in the end, one can win or lose by 0.0001 sec, ten thousandths of a second. It's beyond difficult, beyond stressful.
Anyone who says drag racing is easy, doesn't have a clue... time is squeezed down into such a tiny compressed reality, that there's no time to correct any mistakes, you either do it perfectly, or you get sent home. So sitting in the staging lanes waiting your turn, is where you try to get into the zone, the quantum zone.

My brain has the speed of a sleeping sloth. Drag racing fascinates me. But I'm not up for it. Great photo.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Any job worth doing is worth doing twice, or something like that.

I’ve been there, fortunately, not in a while, but it always sucks. Sorry for the trouble.

You said the hose popped off the filter. Sometimes when I’m putting a hose on a smooth fitting, I will run a tubing cutter around the fitting in two or three places, not to cut it, but just enough to put little grooves in it, that will help hold the tubing. Sometimes I Ruffin up a little bit with the file. It can be done quickly, and of course doesn’t cost anything.

The other thing is to shoot the inside of the tubing, and the outside of the fitting with some brake cleaner, and slide it together and button it up before it all evaporates. It momentarily softens the rubber, but will add to the grip when it dissipates.

That’s two or three suggestions I think. You might want to go slow, and just use one suggestion each week when you fix the fuel line that week, and then see which ones work out best in the long run.

Seriously, praying for you, hang in there, don’t let it get to you!

So what originally happened was that I was unable to disconnect the fuel line from the fuel rail line. Which lead to buying some -6 AN PTFE braided line and fittings and just replaced the entire section from the filter up to the fuel rail line with AN. The stock fuel filter for a 2000 Ranger has too short of fittings on it to accommodate the -AN adapter and conveniently when I was in search of a different fuel filter set-up (I wanted a canister filter style), I couldn’t find any available that were rated for EFI systems, everything was rated for low pressure carburetor systems. So I dug up a part number for a different filter that was a larger sized canister with longer fittings that matched. Think it was for a different EFI Ford or something. That paired with a 3” stainless mount for rigid electrical conduit solved my filter problem.

Well, at least I thought it did. When I took the old filter off, the one tank side hose fitting came partially apart. I thought it went back together, but then it blew apart completely not long after I got it running. Of course, parts stores sell repair bits, but not the ones I needed. So I shoved a repair barb in the plastic line and ran an EFI rated rubber bit with two fuel injection clamps on each end up to the filter. Had to adjust the clamps a little after that, then it was working and I kinda forgot about it until it blew off the filter today. I was so mad I shoved the rubber line past the rib on the filter fitting this time and now I have a clamp on both sides. I’m going to order the fittings I need since I have the line. The only concern is that I need a short right angle fitting and I’m not sure if I can source one.

So frustrating, but my fault for not fixing it correctly from the start. All in all, it could have been much worse.