94 3.0L overhaul?

[riotwarrior]

K looking at a 94 Xcab 4x 5sp ranger with 3.0 engine knocked and is torn down somewhat.

I'm looking to purchase for a cheap price and curious about what potenitial issues there may be with a re-ring and bearing for a 3.0 has about 370K kilometers on it.

Truck is solid and nice and I can get it for 350 bucks...so I'm either looking to overhaul or...find a cheap runner to stick in it

Suggestions?

 

[RonD]

The tech section here is a good resource
Have a look here, at the 3.0l and the 3.0l rebuild articles: http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/index-engine-fuel.shtml

3.0l block has a unique bolt pattern for transmission, so best to stay with 3.0l if you swap to another engine, otherwise you have to swap the transmission as well.

Many Ford cars/vans have the same 3.0l block/heads, and your intake and accessories will bolt up to these, if you decide on a used engine.

 

[stmitch]

Rebuild kits for the 3.0 are easy to find for around $350 usually. There's nothing really special about the rebuild process other than making sure the cam synchro is aligned properly when removed and reinstalled. The head bolts are not reusable either, so you'll have to add the cost of new bolts to your rebuild kit too.

The other option is finding another 3.0 from a yard and dropping that in. Obviously prices will vary with this approach, but around me a used, engine from a reputable company is $350-500 with a core charge, so the cost is similar to a rebuild, but it's the faster route to take. You just have an engine with some miles instead of a freshly rebuilt engine.