87 Ranger Supercab XLT 4X4, aka: Chaffee

[Gunfighter97]

I appreciate guys that so stock shit more with this older stuff. It's not easy.

You've no idea

 

[bobbywalter]

You've no idea

i wouldnt say that.....its why i will use whatever i have to instead of stuff i cant find....

i am lazy like that. often though...i have a powertrain that dictates other options though.

 

[Gunfighter97]

i wouldnt say that.....its why i will use whatever i have to instead of stuff i cant find....

i am lazy like that. often though...i have a powertrain that dictates other options though.

That was more in reference to what I've done to keep this truck alive. We haven't gotten to my short block yet XD

Trade work is sacred to me. I put my hands to something that is or will be someone else's and treat it better than all my own possesions. Machine work on engines is a skill to take pride in. You have the chance to deliver the fruits of your pursuit of perfection to someone. You better damn well stride hard to chase that perfection. . . I could've done a better job assembling this short block with a baker's whisk and a baseball bat!

Here's hoping the bores are round, but I have my doubts. I have an inside dia. mic in the mail and will be doing a full review of the "remanufactured" short block MABBco sent me.

 

[Gunfighter97]

I think it's time I wrote an update for this thread. Having dug into the short block on noticing that three of the conrods were installed backwards, I found that all the cam bearings were scratched to begeesers and the oil galleries weren't alinged. In the interim of getting an original Ford shop manual, progress has slowed way down on the engine and I've shifted focus for a little bit. Not quite ready to update the engine side of the project, as I still need to read up on some things in the manual, and check ring gaps/fix the backwards conrods, but my lovely lady and I have done some good work on the interior, and I have been tidying up some electrical connections before they become electrical issues.
First up I got new battery cables and had a new main hot line made at NAPA. The fuel pump negative wire was sucked into the fan belt at some point in the past and the broken remains of the connector caused a rather interesting failure(story for another time), I tidied it up by crimping in a GM weatherproof connector and crimped new wire directly into the new terminal rather than clamping an open fray to an old crusty terminal like it was:

Cleaned up some various grounds around the negative cable as well, particularly the ones on the core support. Next I added another GM connector to a fog light harness that I had previously built and then partially cut out of the way when I took the truck apart. Next I removed the old rollover switch with its melted plug and unreliable connection that contribited to the previously mentioned failure. I had purchased a switch one model newer(original is obsolete); funny enough the screw pattern ligned up with the original, albeit with the switch mounted backwards, but still upright. The original switch disconected the two wires. The new one is a two way flip flop type deal. Three wires, one positive in, one fuel pump relay out, one other out for the newer trucks, likely going to the computer. I wanted to minimize heat when the circuit was under normal operation, so I un-pinned the "out" wires of the pigtail and swapped them. The smaller gauge wire now is in contact when the switch is tripped. I routed a 16ga wire along the loom to the left hand main plug for the gauge cluster. And am going to find another plug at the junk yard. I will take that pigtail and unpin one wire to splice to the end of mine, and insert it into the positive slot that activates the (currently unused) check engine light. This will then turn the light on if the switch is ever tripped.

Worth noting that you can also set this up as the original two wire set up just fine.
Next up on the floor of the truck, the steel covers for the front cab mounts were disintigrated. Unable to find OE replacements, I found these mid to late 60s mustang covers to be of a convenient size. I drilled some new holes further out from the originals, and made gaskets out of an old inner tube. This arrangement can be seen in the previous pics.
Now for some arts and crafts! Starting off, we peeled off the old saggy blue headliner and foam and replaced it with new in a nice light gray which I think really makes the blue and sparse chrome trim POP:

Once that was done we started on some sound deadening from LMC, using the recommended roller tool and some foil tape to join seams. Alcohol wipe down for optimum adheasion, a red sharpie, tape measure and a straight edge along with a box cutter is all I find is necessary. This is the first time I've done mat like this, I don't find it particularly difficult:

This and a lot of little things. The only other mod I will note for now is my anti-airfilter housing rodent nest grill, made from some 1/4" hardware cloth:


That's all for now, more to come. Just got the last of four NOS cam bearings in the mail