- Joined
- Aug 28, 2024
- Messages
- 130
- Points
- 101
- Age
- 47
- City
- Matagorda
- State - Country
- TX - USA
- Vehicle Year
- 1996
- Vehicle
- Ford Ranger
- Drive
- 2WD
- Engine
- 2.3 (4 Cylinder)
- Transmission
- Manual
- My credo
- If you expect the worst and hope for the best, you're already planning for failure.
So I think it's finally time to retire the little engine that couldn't. My 96 XLT Supercab has finally become the problem I don't have the means or funds to rightly fix. Today when I left for work, erratic idle just after start up. Then as I was heading down the road, no power after 3rd gear or above 45 mph. 4th gear and about 52pmh was where it started lugging real bad so I backed off the throttle and cruised to the gas station. Once there, white/ blue smoke was pouring out of the exhaust, the dipstick tube and the oil fill port on top of the valve cover. Checked the oil and no signs of fuel or water so the head gasket seems intact, but I for sure don't have compression in at least one of the cylinders. Limped it back home in 3rd gear at 30mph and drove the ex's car to work tonight. I really don't have the set up to pull the motor and see if it's rings or bearings, but my best guess is rings. I mean it's 30yrs old, well over 250k miles and was driven with a shot head gasket for at least a year before I got it. Looks like it's time to find the TDI I've been wanting to swap and get that project started. I'll figure out along the way how to find a suitable set up to do the swap I guess. Very crappy start to a day. Especially since next week is my oldest daughter's birthday and I'm supposed to be taking the girls to the NASA space center in Houston and this is my daily driver and only vehicle. FML lol
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