Back from the DEAD ( Runs, Not very far... )

[Kozanatos]

Back from the DEAD

1984 Ford Ranger V6 2.8L 4SPD 4WD

Ranger has been sitting around 6 years or so.

Rebuilt the carburetor - Never done that before. Its the stock motorcraft carb from what I can tell.
New fuel filter on Rebuilt carburetor
Siphoned all old fuel out of tank- didn't even try to run the truck. used the fuel line that goes to the carb and pumped it all out until it was dry, then flushed it with a gallon of good fuel. //edit --- It didn't help. I need to drop the tank.
Inline fuel filter - after the gas tank, but before the mechanical fuel pump
Spark Plugs, the old ones were black and way over gapped ( so i was told )
Plug wires in - Just seemed like the thing to do
Oil + Filter change 5w40 - For the cold weather

To Do:
Circulation tank heater - While it is warm
Drop Tank - Clean, Replace fuel sender?
Starter - Rebuild Starter
Compression check
Manual Hubs

 

[dangerranger83]

If your state doesnt do emissions or if your truck is old enough and doesnt have to do emissions, I would do the Duraspark to it and get rid of all the computer stuff. All that stuff worked great for awhile but at its age more or less alot of the stuff isnt working anymore. The duraspark is a really simple thing to do and I recommend it to anybody wanting to do it. Does it burn oil and if so, then th valve stem sals may need replaced, again, something thats not the difficult to do.

Welcome to TRS.

 

[Kozanatos]

If your state doesnt do emissions or if your truck is old enough and doesnt have to do emissions, I would do the Duraspark to it and get rid of all the computer stuff. All that stuff worked great for awhile but at its age more or less alot of the stuff isnt working anymore. The duraspark is a really simple thing to do and I recommend it to anybody wanting to do it. Does it burn oil and if so, then th valve stem sals may need replaced, again, something thats not the difficult to do.

Welcome to TRS.

Thanks for the response dangerranger83!
I do have the means to source a carb, rebuild it ( or buy a new holly for that matter) and pay the ~$130? in new parts. (would be awesome, new distributor and coil too ! Thats a plus.)

If I knew that would fix my issues, I would definitely do that! But I'm really not sure at this point if sticking any more money into the truck is worth it until I know for sure the truck is solid.

I also do have an oil light on > before and after the oil change. Bad sensor unit?

 

[dangerranger83]

The 2.8 dont have oil lights, they have knock sensors on them. If you know that it has oil in it and the proper amount, then I would assum that its a bad sensor of some kind. I got my carb from a junkyeard for $25 and th rebuild kit was $20.

I got 2 dizzy's of ebay both for $75 one new and one used, currently using the new one. Got all the rest of the parts from Autozone. Theres a write-up in the tech library on the Duraspark conversion and what you will be getting into if you do this (very easy to do).

 

[Kozanatos]

The 2.8 dont have oil lights, they have knock sensors on them. If you know that it has oil in it and the proper amount, then I would assum that its a bad sensor of some kind. I got my carb from a junkyeard for $25 and th rebuild kit was $20.

I got 2 dizzy's of ebay both for $75 one new and one used, currently using the new one. Got all the rest of the parts from Autozone. Theres a write-up in the tech library on the Duraspark conversion and what you will be getting into if you do this (very easy to do).

I wish I had a picture. Its a tachless cluster ( really lame )

DOH i do, video below


Light shows up in the video.

I wish i had temperature/amp/oil dials. the fuel gauge doesnt work neither

 

[dangerranger83]

I forgot that they do have oil pressure sensors, it is located right by the fuel pump just above it. It is a canister type one. The light will come on when the engine isnt running due to the lack of oil pressure. But if it is on while the engine is running, then it could be a bad sensor and if repalcing the sensor dosnt fix it then I would get a manual oil guage and see what that says.

Currently Im running a manual oil and temp. guages and a tachometer. How many miles does it have on it? Mine currently has 190,000 miles on it and other then gaskets being changed on it and a high volume oil pump put in it (and painted yellow) its stock. Has a tick to it but thats just something that these engies get due to the sloid lifters they have (and are adjustable).

This is the third engine I have put in mine, the other 2 were a carbed 2.3, and a FI 2.3.

 

[Kozanatos]

I forgot that they do have oil pressure sensors, it is located right by the fuel pump just above it.

Currently Im running a manual oil and temp. guages and a tachometer. How many miles does it have on it? Mine currently has 190,000 miles on it

Thanks! I could not find any information on it on the Haynes manual. Looked for 'oil light' 'check engine' any keywords i could figure out, and i google'd it also.. no bueno. You made it easy

Got 175,009 right now.

Recommend any certain set of gauges ( cheap ? )? I'm a little iffy about a manual oil pressure gauge, but might as well. As long as I securely connect the thing its not going to come loose inside the truck

[Checked Amazon, for fun. ~$35 ' http://www.amazon.com/Sunpro-CP8208-Triple-Gauge-Kit/dp/B00029K01I/?tag=959media-20 ' Temp / Voltage / Oil Pressure and then I would need a separate tach. I'm going to shop around though. Don't know where to mount the tach so it is in a viewable space ;| although Its not like I need it I suppose. {I might just do on top of the steering wheel plastics. It is a non-tilt steering wheel and I already removed the plastics for cleaning . Wouldn't really block much.} ]

Still don't understand why the truck can idle, then if i go to drive the thing it will die out. after first gear, or sometimes in first gear. Maybe all i need to do is adjust the idle mixture, maybe its lean so when the choke opens all the way from heating up its getting mostly air?

 

[dangerranger83]

When you adjust th choke you do it with the engin warmed up. I put a manual choke on mine though, its one of those HELP!! kit ones. My truck has had manual oil and temp guages on it for almost 13 years, my temp. guage took a puke this winter. One thing about your dash warning things are your the first person I have seen with lights for the oil/temp/and battery. Mine and my dads oil 84 ranger both have needle guages.

Hooking up the manual oil guage isnt that bad, but I STRONGLY reecommend using copper line and not plastic as I have seen plastic line fail and drians your engine of oil fast (happened to my truck years ago).

As for fuel guage well the sending unit float probably has a hole in it allowing it to not function and sink to the bottom.

 

[Kozanatos]

When you adjust th choke you do it with the engin warmed up. I put a manual choke on mine though, its one of those HELP!! kit ones. My truck has had manual oil and temp guages on it for almost 13 years, my temp. guage took a puke this winter. One thing about your dash warning things are your the first person I have seen with lights for the oil/temp/and battery. Mine and my dads oil 84 ranger both have needle guages.

Hooking up the manual oil guage isnt that bad, but I STRONGLY reecommend using copper line

As for fuel guage well the sending unit float probably has a hole in it allowing it to not function and sink to the bottom.

I have seen pictures of the needle gauges. Must be a Factory Option
At first i thought they were all hidden or something, and they weren't responding, but no, Just LIGHTS!

Yeah i'll probably go with aluminum lines.

Priced out some gauges, but this would be after the truck is running well.
Sunpro CP8218 Triple Gauge Kit - Black Dial - Sunpro $32.04
Sunpro CP7906 Mini Super Tachometer II - Black Dial $30.27
Free shipping on both
$62.31
Tach would mount on the steering column I'm thinking. If not, eh. I'll find a place.

But that is in the far future

 

[dangerranger83]

All of mine are mounted on th top of the dash above the stering wheel, right where you can see them when driving without havinng to look down. A common spot to mount them is at the bottom of th dash right in front of the shifter excapt the tach.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

That is a neat dash, I have never seen one like that before.

I have my aux gauges mounted down low, actually on the automatic shift bezel. The factory ones still work and are in the ballpark so I can tell at a quick glance if all is well. If one is a little low or high I can check down below and know exactly what is going on. It would work great with your big idiot lights.

I have the tach on the steering collum, easy to see and looks clean.

I really don't like gauges mounted on top the dash, especially huge tachs.

 

[dangerranger83]

All mine are mini guages and dont obstruct my view, Im a 6ft 1inch guy. A shorter person it might.

 

[Kozanatos]

hey guys. Got my circulation tank heater ( kats heaters 13100 ) and I need to get cold coolant from my system. Does our engine ( 2.8lv6 ) have a coolant drain plug on the block? Pix please or info!

if not I need to order an adapter which is just a lower radiator hose adapter with a 5/8 fitting on it. Kit didn't have it xD I'll get some pictures up of the install eventually

//edit
and one of the super tiny/thin colored vacuum lines snapped. :\ any way to fix?

 

[Kozanatos]

ALIVE!

I ran a fuel line coming from the fuel rail to where the gas tank meets up into a gas can.

She runs all around town! got up to 45mph ( ran out of road, and i wanted to stay close in town ) ! So maybe there is something wrong with the pickup tube, if it has a screen. The tank could be full of nasty rusty watery gas. Anyway, I want a clean gas tank so I must drop it.

I'm not quite sure if i can get the 4x4 to work. It will go in 4x4 but I still as of yet have not gotten the 4x4 to break loose in the front, so i dont actually know if it is spinning


How do i repair one of those tiny vacuum lines? it was a light green vacuum line i snapped, its probably 3.5ft long and super thin, it runs with the wiring harness loom/ plastic protector. It goes from the passenger fender to the top front of the engine.


Ill try to document when I install that circulation pump and gauges.

 

[Big Jim M]

To check the 4x4 is easy. Just put her in 4x4 and turn a tight turn on hard ground or pavement.. If it bucks and jumps the 4x4 is working. If it don't then it doesn't work.
Big JIm