Where to begin?

[DeathRanger]

Where to begin?

This was my 2nd ever Ranger and the one that really drove my passion for Ford Rangers in general. I've owned 3 after this but it's the only one left. It's a 2000 Ford Ranger 3.0l V6 Trailhead edition in a pretty rare color of Mandarin Gold Metallic.
Last parked in 2018 with around 198,000 miles after head gasket blew. I'm ready to spend time this summer getting it back running but I admit I've only done basic mechanic work like brakes and oil changes. Long term plan would be full restore. Short term I'm trying to decide best options to get it running.

So what is the best option for engine rebuild/replace and why?
1. Used 3.0l motor swap?
2. Remanufactured Engine?
3. Pull and rebuild existing motor?

 

[Blmpkn]

Did the gasket start to leak OUT or was it leaking into the cylinders? If it is/was an external leak and hasn't been sitting for 5 years with water in whatever cylinder/s then you could probably just get away with doing the gaskets and calling it good for awhile. A 3.0 is good for over 300k if all you care about is simple transport. It'll have no power left at that mileage.. but it'll still get you there & back.

 

[DeathRanger]

Did the gasket start to leak OUT or was it leaking into the cylinders? If it is/was an external leak and hasn't been sitting for 5 years with water in whatever cylinder/s then you could probably just get away with doing the gaskets and calling it good for awhile. A 3.0 is good for over 300k if all you care about is simple transport. It'll have no power left at that mileage.. but it'll still get you there & back.

I'm not really sure the extent of gasket blowout. Engine ran up until it was parked. Truck lost power after using it for towing and moving so I changed oil and it was the dreaded milkshake oil indicating blown gasket.

The truck won't drive far once fixed. I have a commuter vehicle for the 100 mile daily round trip for work.

I would prefer spending a bit more up front now for any work done so I don't have to do the work again in a few years.

 

[DeathRanger]

so lets just assume water got in cylinders, and heads warped and cracked and this engine is pretty well toast.

Do I have a mechanic rebuild this engine or source a new one?

Are remanufactures engine any good or better to rebuild good shape used engine?

 

[Blmpkn]

Probably won't find a new motor, so reman or rebuild its gonna have to be.

Remans can be hit or miss, but most come with a decent warranty and it's a quicker route to take than a rebuild..

 

[RonD]

If you had a "Milkshake" in the oil pan then it would be best to have the engine rebuilt if time is not a factor
The coolant/oil mix can hurt the bearings if it was run for very long that way, I mean a few weeks, not just days
But its also been sitting 4 years +, so I would lean towards rebuild/swap, all the seals will be dried out

Local machine shop can rebuild your engine, but can be 3 to 8 weeks, depends on how busy they are, a good machine shop is usually a busy machine shop
And you will have a local warranty

Doing an engine exchange, i.e. "they" send you a rebuilt 3.0l Vulcan, and you send them back your engine is way faster but costs more
And warranty can be challenged if you are not a professional mechanic, i.e. "Warranty VOID, installation error", so grain of salt, check if DIY installation is allowed

Used is used, lol, 3.0l is a very reliable engine but you would have no history of past issues or maintenance, but it is quick and cheapest option


And at 200k miles I would also have the automatic trans rebuilt if its original, expected life is 250-300k, so closer to the end than the beginning

 

[Josh B]

I picked up an Explorer on FB for $750. Likely not the best deal you ever heard of but since the transmission blew I found myself with a spare 4.0 for my Ranger,
After buying a rebuilt transmission off a place in Minnesota and it going bad after maybe 6 months, thank heaven I kept the core, which cost me a couple hundred, but now I also have a spare transmission.
Got a cousin to rebuild the loose one and soon it and the Explorer engine will both be going into the Ranger and I can go to work on having the spares ready.
Plus there's a spare rear differential, front differential and transfer case

That gives you both options 1 and 3

 

[stmitch]

Machine work/engine rebuilds are time consuming, and labor is expensive. If you've got the time, the money, and want to know who built your engine it's a fine way to go. I'd be surprised if it's much cheaper than a reman though.

If the goal is to get the truck running and driving soon, LKQ will sell you a complete, used Taurus engine with ~125k miles for $465, and ones with ~80k miles are $700. Swap out the manifolds with your stock ones, change the fluids, drop in a fresh cam synchro and get back on the road.

If a 3.0 will go 250k miles, then either of the LKQ options would have decades of life left with your limited use.

 

[19Walt93]

My preference would be to rebuild your current engine, as long as you have a decent machine shop. A "reman" would no doubt be cheaper but I would have no faith in the quality. Jasper builds junk, we fixed a bunch of them at the dealer. Last summer I rebuilt a 390 for a friend that was an 8000 mile, 10 year old ADK or ATK reman installed before he bought the car. It had 2 different cylinder heads, the main bearing clearance was excessive so the crank had to be cut, it had the shorter 428 connecting rods with industrial(read: low compression) 390 pistons that were sunk in the bores .100", killing what little compression it had.
Step one is to tear yours down and see what shape it's in, then you can make a good decision.