98 4.0?

[Toms01PSD]

So fellas. I found a 98 Ranger today with a 4.0 in it. How ballsy are they? I have a 3.0 in mine right now but I may be getting a new truck because of the frame. The 98 has around 156k miles on it. What are the known issues with these engines? How do they last? How long before I have to do head gaskets and what not? I have never worked on the 4.0 so I know NOTHING about it. Are these reliable?

 

[Blueranger99]

i feel they are very reliable. mine has 195 k on it and i havent hed any problems with the motor. when i was changin the clutch on my truck today my brother in law (soon to be) had his friend helpin us who is a ford tech and he said that the ohv 4.0 will practically run forever if you take care of them. mine doesnt burn any oil and it runs like it did the day i got it at 70k. but they are known for engine noise (chattering or ticking at idle). if you dont like the noise, add a can of restore and it will quiet down almost instantly. i cant speak for every 4.0 here but i have had very good luck with mine.

 

[Toms01PSD]

Thanks for the response. I am going to see if the guy will let me test drive it and hold onto it over night so i'm not buying a dud. I'd like to drive it as much as possible so hopefully he'll agree to it.

 

[Blueranger99]

hopefully, its not like your gonna put a thousand miles on it overnight. also i know you asked how ballsy the 4.0 is, i dont think its much of a horsepower gain, but it should be about 40 or so ft.lbs of torque over the 3.0. i dont know if its a fluke but i raced a 01 mustang gt one night and we ran neck n neck till bout 60 mph. my stepdad had 96 2wd ranger with the 3.0 with a 5 speed and when i got my 99 with the 4.0 and 5 speed, my 4x4 ranger was noticeably faster.