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

[JoshT]

but wouldn’t it be nice if it was just done and you could be having fun it it in stead of getting ready to have fun with it.

Absolutely. Was supposed the be an "easy" drop it in and go project. Then enjoy for a few years while I collected parts and decided how I wanted to build the engine.

Now I'd be happy just to not think about it for a few weeks while I get some stuff done on the others.

 

[CamTheHedgehog]

that explains A LOT of the characteristics of the suspension on that thing... it likely all stems from hitting a tree that was in the ditch in the snow with the passenger side tire at like 10mph like 8 years ago... I thought I got things straightened out but I guess not...

Yep. That'll do it.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Had a busy Sunday changing parts to be preventive. The truck just turned over 150,000 miles and was still on its original radiator, fan and viscous clutch, and alternator. In addition, the turn-signal relay failed so that the signals would work erratically, then stop (the emergency flashers worked normally). All of the above were swapped, but I saved the old parts just in case, since they still functioned.

The alternator was a new Motorcraft. The relay was aftermarket. The fan was Motorcraft, but the viscous clutch was aftermarket, and I bought the special tools for that job cheap from RockAuto. The radiator was an aftermarket all-aluminum replacement, no plastic on the sides. The coolant was all Motorcraft Gold.

The radiator was plug-and-play except that I had to trim the fan shroud top and bottom to be able to attach the shroud properly. I also put Teflon tape around the ATF line threads as a precaution. After bleeding the system of air, which took about half an hour of running, I had no evident leaks (good thing, as I made a mess with spilling some coolant anyway). Running around town put the temperature gauge at exactly where it normally had been, just below halfway between C and H.

There is some fan noise at low engine speeds until the engine is warmed up. The new viscous clutch is a little stiffer than the old one, and trimming the shroud probably contributed to the fan noise.

I got about 3 gallons of coolant out and put about the same in, including siphoning out the overflow tank and refilling it, so I got most of the old stuff out.

If I had to, I could put everything back as it had been except for buying a replacement fan shroud.

Fun fact: today I stopped at the dealer to get concentrated Motorcraft Gold to replace the stash I used for the job. The concentrated stuff is nearly $30 per US gallon now. Premixed Motorcraft 50/50 is just under $20 per US gallon. The generic aftermarket gold coolant at the auto parts stores seems to be available only premixed, not as concentrated.

 

[superj]

I am waiting to hear back from the junkyard on the fx4 shifter and i ordered this, to look cool from behind. Its cheaper then the motorsport one but still looks cool

 

[scotts90ranger]

Didn't have much in me yesterday but managed to get the transmission crossmember off and a jack stand under the back of the transfer case at about the right height so I can fab up a replacement with radius arm pivots... still gotta get the rivets off that hold the brackets to the frame, project for another day.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I am waiting to hear back from the junkyard on the fx4 shifter and i ordered this, to look cool from behind. Its cheaper then the motorsport one but still looks cool

View attachment 110254

Yeah… buuttt…

I went to that… brace for the main caps…

Looking at that pic again, I should note the rear leaf springs were changed and the rear sway bar and shocks in place after that pic and before driving.

 

[Rick W]

I’ll just throw this out there as an alternative……

 

[superj]

Yeah… buuttt…

View attachment 110279
I went to that… brace for the main caps…

Looking at that pic again, I should note the rear leaf springs were changed and the rear sway bar and shocks in place after that pic and before driving.

i looked at some that have those girdles but i didn't think i needed it with my 3.0 ho

 

[sgtsandman]

I went this direction instead. It provided a drain plug, reenforces the differential housing, and minimizes the chances of a rock ripping it off.

 

[Rick W]

i looked at some that have those girdles but i didn't think i needed it with my 3.0 ho

it might just be me, but this seems like a pretty manly crowd, proud of their macho stuff. I’m not sure the use of girdles is appropriate, but of course I accept everybody for who they want to be as long as they don’t shove it in my face. Reminds me, I need to lose a little weight myself…

 

[pjtoledo]

I am waiting to hear back from the junkyard on the fx4 shifter and i ordered this, to look cool from behind. Its cheaper then the motorsport one but still looks cool

View attachment 110254

probably intended fort the English market, the ring gear is on the wrong side.
and the gasket is up-side-down

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

i looked at some that have those girdles but i didn't think i needed it with my 3.0 ho

Probably true. That is on my 5.0 powered Ranger that someday may be a boosted 331 stroker so I was kinda just covering my bases.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I went this direction instead. It provided a drain plug, reenforces the differential housing, and minimizes the chances of a rock ripping it off.

Yeah, I went with a Solid cover on my F-150, not that I really use it for off-roading, but I wanted something that could take a hit on that truck. My Choptop will probably get something like that before long too.

 

[superj]

that is another reason i didn't get an arb. i saw them, even used, and they weren't terribly expensive but i just wanted the drain and fill plugs and the fins

 

[CamTheHedgehog]

I am waiting to hear back from the junkyard on the fx4 shifter and i ordered this, to look cool from behind. Its cheaper then the motorsport one but still looks cool

View attachment 110254

Just be warned- I bought one of those for my ranger about a year ago, and it doesn’t fit. At least not if you have ABS. It doesn’t clear the tone ring.