85 Ranger getting some teeth...

[Twister]

So hows the truck running?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

So hows the truck running?

When it runs... it is great.

Otherwise the truck is keeping up its old habit of keeping me scrambling to keep it on the road.

Reman water pump = fail. Pulled grille, tranny coolers, efan, radiator, alternator/PS pump and finally water pump. Reassemble and about a week later notice harmonic balancer isn't all that harmonic anymore.

Repeat procedure, everything between the grille guard and engine has to come out again, and proceed change the balancer. I let it sit awhile between proceedures, I really didn't want to do all that again.

Test drive it to the edge of town and back, everything is peachy. Test drive it a little on the highway, pings, gets warm (see other thread) and seemed to have a really wierd power problem even after the engine cooled down. Pulled over and checked the tires (felt like I had a flat) but they were fine. Limped it home and popped the hood to recheck things, walked around the truck and the PS front hub was smoking... so I just got done fighting with the original brake line and can play with the timing/carb now that it doesn't seem to have any other engine related ailments for the moment.

Dunno if it is a tire coming apart or my driveshaft is out of balance, but there is a wierd vibe in the back of the truck above 55mph too. I need to rotate the tires and see if it moves with them. Simple fix for now is to keep the thing off the highway unless I am checking for ping.

 

[baddad457]

When it runs... it is great.

Otherwise the truck is keeping up its old habit of keeping me scrambling to keep it on the road.

Reman water pump = fail. Pulled grille, tranny coolers, efan, radiator, alternator/PS pump and finally water pump. Reassemble and about a week later notice harmonic balancer isn't all that harmonic anymore.

Repeat procedure, everything between the grille guard and engine has to come out again, and proceed change the balancer. I let it sit awhile between proceedures, I really didn't want to do all that again.

Test drive it to the edge of town and back, everything is peachy. Test drive it a little on the highway, pings, gets warm (see other thread) and seemed to have a really wierd power problem even after the engine cooled down. Pulled over and checked the tires (felt like I had a flat) but they were fine. Limped it home and popped the hood to recheck things, walked around the truck and the PS front hub was smoking... so I just got done fighting with the original brake line and can play with the timing/carb now that it doesn't seem to have any other engine related ailments for the moment.

Dunno if it is a tire coming apart or my driveshaft is out of balance, but there is a wierd vibe in the back of the truck above 55mph too. I need to rotate the tires and see if it moves with them. Simple fix for now is to keep the thing off the highway unless I am checking for ping.

Just another day at the office and par for the course in this hobby. Last weekend I replaced all three U joints and the hanger bearing on my 99 SD F250, figuring after 270K, they could used it before we go back out west with it. I packed the slip joint with a glob off fresh grease and had a hell of a time getting it to compress. This afternoon I was on a rare (for Louisiana) smooth stretch of highway and noticed a driveline vibe. I guess I'll be fooolin with it next weekend again..............................

 

[skx762]

Smooth stretch of highway in Louisiana? Must have been close to Texas.

I have found that if you crank the stereo up a little louder most of the drive-train noise goes away.

I'm starting to get a little nervous about my Ranger being my only car. I don't know why , when I get finished with it it will be better than all of the cars I owned prior to '84 when I bought my first new Ranger off the dealership lot.

Spoiled I guess.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Smooth stretch of highway in Louisiana? Must have been close to Texas.

I have found that if you crank the stereo up a little louder most of the drive-train noise goes away.

I'm starting to get a little nervous about my Ranger being my only car. I don't know why , when I get finished with it it will be better than all of the cars I owned prior to '84 when I bought my first new Ranger off the dealership lot.

Spoiled I guess.

But the vibe was making all the crap in the back rattle... and I could hear that over the wind noise. I had the brainy idea to rotate my tires and now it is ubber scary with the front of the truck shaking. The radio can't hide what feels like a major part of the truck falling off.

On the plus side it is the tiny tires I want to get rid of anyway and not the driveshaft.

Got the timing nailed down and the ping is gone too.

 

[fordman4x492]

i wanna hear it running. (video)

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

i wanna hear it running. (video)

I do too, I have only heard it from the seat or engine bay at anything other than idle.

 

[Twister]

Thread bump for a lot of good info

Hows the trucking running? There is a good chance i am getting a 302 from my buddies mustang, and i am going to start collecting parts for a swap on my 85 since the engine stopped running and i couldn't figure it out.

 

[shane96ranger]

I do too, I have only heard it from the seat or engine bay at anything other than idle.

Wasn't it you hat had the camera hooked to the receiver hitch?

That could be useful for said idea.

EDIT: Oh piss....I didn't realize your post was a year old. I promise I'm not a grave digger..... sorry! =)

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Thread bump for a lot of good info

Hows the trucking running? There is a good chance i am getting a 302 from my buddies mustang, and i am going to start collecting parts for a swap on my 85 since the engine stopped running and i couldn't figure it out.

It ain't.

It all started so simple, just rip the heads off, check for excessive carbon and change to the Explorer FEAD. Then I found an HO cam and poked it in, then I figured I might as well get new lifters for my new cam. Then with the headers off I noticed a softplug had been leaking so it took a little figuring how to change that with the engine in the truck. Then I noticed the engine shifted off to the side and the oilpan was rubbing on the engine crossmember, I am fixing that right now... I don't really know why it did that.

Wasn't it you hat had the camera hooked to the receiver hitch?

That could be useful for said idea.

EDIT: Oh piss....I didn't realize your post was a year old. I promise I'm not a grave digger..... sorry! =)

Yeah, I mounted it on both the reciever and on the front frame rail. The rear sounded a lot neater but it was also cool to watch the TTB flop around. I like the sound of an engine under a load a lot better than just reving in park/neutral anyway.

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111591&page=6