Bought 1997 ranger 4.0 4wd for $2500 a couple of months ago

[bgrieves1]

Hello, opinions please....I bought this 1997 ranger 4.0 4wd for $2500 a couple of months ago. My mechanic recommended the vehicle, saying the engine and transmission were good. That he had worked on the transmission recently. The truck has about 270,000 miles on it. Well, I had my mechanic do some suspension work on it. I put a new battery on it. New alternator. All in all, up to about $6300. Then bought a parts truck for $1200 because it needs a lot of body parts replaced to make it look better.

Well today it looks like there is an oil lead from the Rear Main.

Am I the idiot of the day, yall? This truck doesnt look to have a lot of rust. It has some. There are small holes in the rocker corners. If my mechanic is going to fix the rear main, does he have to pull the engine? If he just worked on the transmission, wouldn't the rear main seal have been replaced then?

 

[Jazzer]

Not always even though it’s good practice. Ask him to look up the work order.

The engine doesn’t need to be pulled for that.

 

[bgrieves1]

Thank you for your input. I guess he has to pull the transmission to do this? It is a big job isn't it? at least $1200 mechanic bill probably?

 

[Curious Hound]

Rear main seal isn't a huge job. Transmission has to be pulled. Might have to pull the exhaust y-pipe. If it's a manual transmission, will need to bleed the clutch afterwards. The actual seal doesn't cost much. Just a few bucks. 4-5 hours labor or less unless something goes really wrong. I don't know what labor rates are in your area. So I won't comment on cost. Also, if it's a manual transmission, have him put a new pilot bearing in the crank. That's a quick easy job while he's standing there staring at it.

 

[bgrieves1]

Thank you Hound. It is automatic.

 

[slater50]

I use to do 3 complete reseals a day to these back in the day.....
Theyre a leaking mess until theyre resealed.
Ide never pull the engine,
go after the top resealing valve cover & lower intake manifold.
If it was never touched it had a paper lower intake gasket, theres a revised metal one...
Dont pull the trans to do just the rear main without resealing the engine oil pan.
thats another huge source of a leak, more so than the rear main.
doing the rear main & not the oil pan is suicide....
Theres good techs & bad techs, its possible the back of your lower intake is leaking down the back of the motor making it look like rear main / oil pan area.

Theres no way your mechanic can inspect that vehicle assembled & say its only the rear main,
The engine oil pan is leaking 100% also without a doubt!!!!

been a ford engine tech for 32 years, ive done 1000's of these back in the day. Those were gravy jobs for us when you can actually work on cars.....

 

[bgrieves1]

Thank you. My mechanic just did the oil pan gasket. He said something was dripping a little bit. Can't remember which one he said. But several days later parked on an incline there is definitely a leak that is getting worse. So gotta fix it.
We have a Power Probe Ect3000 we are trying to learn to use. So far it says the 50 amp ignition fuse has a short. So some electrical issues as well. So much fun this cheap $2500 truck is. Starting to make me cry.....

 

[Curious Hound]

So far it says the 50 amp ignition fuse has a short

Yes. All good fuses are shorts - 0 ohms resistance. Bad fuses are "open circuit".

Have you started a thread for your electrical troubleshooting? What is the issue?

 

[bgrieves1]

Well, we are using the Power Probe Ect3000 to put the probe in the fuse output slot. The machine says Short when there is an electrical problem in that circuit. But the fuses are not blown. There was a short in the HEGO circuit. And a few in the passenger compartment fuse box:
Passenger compartment fuse panel 97 Ford ranger 4.0:

Fuse 7) illumination switches is shorted out

Fuse 8) is a 10 amp Right Headlamp, Fog lamp Relay, DRL

Fuse 11) 7.5 amp fuse Instrument Cluster/Warning Lamps reads short

Fuse 25) Interesting when I put the probe in 25 it did not read short but it kept making a repeating tone. I don't know what that means but it did not show a short

Fuse 33) is 15 amp Headlamps, Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) Module, Instrument Cluster

I'm asking my mechanic who I see tomorrow to probably replace the Rear Main Seal.....if I can get the oxygen sensors replaced. And then let these other electrical issues go until I have time to go over the wiring myself with the PPect3000.

The battery would not hold a charge a couple days ago after being driven a few hours. Yesterday we did replace the Blower motor and resistor. After jumping and charging, the battery seema to hold a charge now.
So until I can work on the wiring I'm not going to turn on the heater or radio when driving. Maybe that will lessen the draw.

Hopefully this baby will make it to the mechanic yesterday. Fluids are topped off and it is starting well.

Thank you for your interest Curious Hound

 

[bgrieves1]

Hound, I tried to post this in electrical. Ran into difficulty. We don't have internet right now (going broke on this Ranger, lol). I am using a cell phone.
Have a good day. Putting Ranger Moneypit into the shop Tommorow

 

[Curious Hound]

Ok. I am not familiar with that device. I suspect they are taking liberties with the term "short". Because a "short circuit" means 0 ohms resistance, which causes extremely high current, which blows the fuse or trips the circuit breaker. So, if the fuses are not blowing, you do not have "shorts". It would be highly unusual to have actual shorts in that many circuits simultaneously.

When you get the truck back and are ready to work on electrical issues, we'll help as best we can. But you will still probably need a multimeter. Because to troubleshoot effectively, we need to be able to measure volts, ohms and, if there is a parasitic draw on your battery, amps/milliamps.

 

[Curious Hound]

You may find some helpful information in these.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

My Ranger is a 1993 4.0 4wd 5 spd, 94k orig miles. I have turned down offers of $5k up to $8300.
Maybe because its a CA rust free example, or maybe it sure beats a new piece of plastic junk truck....12 yards long and 64 tons with a 4.5' bed and 69 function tailgate, all for $100K.

I've got a few bucks in mine, but did most of the labor myself, so that saved me some money... but was made up for in knuckle busters, thrown tools and cussing.

 

[bgrieves1]

Ok. I am not familiar with that device. I suspect they are taking liberties with the term "short". Because a "short circuit" means 0 ohms resistance, which causes extremely high current, which blows the fuse or trips the circuit breaker. So, if the fuses are not blowing, you do not have "shorts". It would be highly unusual to have actual shorts in that many circuits simultaneously.

When you get the truck back and are ready to work on electrical issues, we'll help as best we can. But you will still probably need a multimeter. Because to troubleshoot effectively, we need to be able to measure volts, ohms and, if there is a parasitic draw on your battery, amps/milliamps.

Thank you Hound. We bought an Innova multimeter today to test for parasitic draw. We will do that when we get it back. It seems like the Power Probe ECT3000 helps people find shorts in wiring. We have had problems with our battery going dead. Oh well, one thing at a time. Feel kinda stupid buying this truck now. Hopefully it will run for a while after ? Rear main seal repair?l

Thank you Hound

 

[bgrieves1]

Well hello again. Just talked to my mechanic. He said he doesn't think the rear main seal was making the big spot because that happened when the engine was off. And the engine was off and it was on an incline when it had a big leak. He said he thinks it might be the back of the oil pan. He said to replace oil pan gasket and rear main seal would be $1000 labor.
He said the wire connecting the battery to the starter was almost cut in half. And a left control arm needs replacement. So he is going to do that.
So he says if it was his he would just add oil. Cause even if he replaces the rear main seal it may leak again if main bearings are not totally lined up. So that's it for now.