- Joined
- Jun 13, 2025
- Messages
- 14
- Points
- 101
- City
- Denver, CO
- State - Country
- CO - USA
- Vehicle Year
- 1992
- Vehicle
- Ford Ranger
- Drive
- 4WD
- Engine
- 2.9 V6
- Transmission
- Manual
Welcome to my Build Thread!
Over the past year, I have been working to repair a no-start, yes-crank 1992 XLT Ranger 2.9L V6 4WD Manual, which was gifted to me. The truck spent much of it's last years in a driveway, essentially a grocery getter (validated by the 14-year-old tires with brand new tread on them). It has either 106,000 or 206,000 miles, your guess is as good as mind based on the VIN Checks I have ran.
Before the project, I had some experience doing basic maintenance like rotors, brakes, belts, plugs, etc. As you may have expected, the list of repairs/maintenance has grown significantly longer than initially expected. Given the truck was free, I figure the first couple thousand were free anyway. Plus, now I have a big red collection of M12 tools and a Harbor Freight ITC membership, so win-win.
I have learned a ton through this process. I figured I would publish a living database in case anybody in the future has questions about a certain repair, as I witnessed firsthand that a lot of the answers you will need for a truck this old are not easy to find. That being said, if I did find a helpful resource, I will link it below so that you can reference it. In general, the Ranger Station website is your gospel.
Engine: 2.9L V6 (Will go to 4.0L if ever makes sense)
Transmission: Mitsubishi FM146 (Will go to Mazda M50D-R1 if ever makes sense)
Transfer Case: Electronic BW1354
Front Axle: Dana 35 TTB
Rear Axle: 7.5" (Will go to 8.8" if ever makes sense)
Body: Standard Cab, Long Bed
Planning to keep this up to date!
Brake Fluid
Clutch Fluid
New (to me) 235 75 15 tires, this is a daily driver, not an off-road vehicle)
Tie rods, sleeves
Alignment
Spare Tire setup
Medium:
Catalytic Converter Investigation (terrible exhaust rattling)
Low:
Rear shock absorber mounts (forgot to install with shocks, low priority)
Topper with tailgate replacement? (ARE Walk In), would unlock the functionality of locking the back of the truck
Weld exhaust, replace clamps, and fabricate a new exhaust hanger for side exit, currently supported by a zip tie
Replace 3.5" leaf spring blocks with 1.5" to level the truck
Over the past year, I have been working to repair a no-start, yes-crank 1992 XLT Ranger 2.9L V6 4WD Manual, which was gifted to me. The truck spent much of it's last years in a driveway, essentially a grocery getter (validated by the 14-year-old tires with brand new tread on them). It has either 106,000 or 206,000 miles, your guess is as good as mind based on the VIN Checks I have ran.
Before the project, I had some experience doing basic maintenance like rotors, brakes, belts, plugs, etc. As you may have expected, the list of repairs/maintenance has grown significantly longer than initially expected. Given the truck was free, I figure the first couple thousand were free anyway. Plus, now I have a big red collection of M12 tools and a Harbor Freight ITC membership, so win-win.
I have learned a ton through this process. I figured I would publish a living database in case anybody in the future has questions about a certain repair, as I witnessed firsthand that a lot of the answers you will need for a truck this old are not easy to find. That being said, if I did find a helpful resource, I will link it below so that you can reference it. In general, the Ranger Station website is your gospel.
Specs:
Engine: 2.9L V6 (Will go to 4.0L if ever makes sense)
Transmission: Mitsubishi FM146 (Will go to Mazda M50D-R1 if ever makes sense)
Transfer Case: Electronic BW1354
Front Axle: Dana 35 TTB
Rear Axle: 7.5" (Will go to 8.8" if ever makes sense)
Body: Standard Cab, Long Bed
Engine, Ignition & Fuel
- Spark Plugs
- Spark Plug Wires
- Ignition Coil
- Distributor Cap + Rotor
- Fuel Pump
- Fuel Filter
- Fuel Filler Neck
- Fuel Cap
- Upper Intake Manifold Gasket
- Valve Cover Gaskets
- I used the Blue Felpro Gaskets from Rock Auto, seems to have fixed the infamous leak for now.
- Idle Air Control Valve Gasket
- Air Filter
- PCV Valve
- Breather Filter Element
- Coolant Temperature Sensor
- Oil Pressure Sender Switch
- Engine Mounts
- Transmission Mounts
- Power Steering Belt
- Water Pump Belt
- Removed broken A/C condenser, compressor, and lines (may convert to modern refrigerant eventually)
Cooling System
- Dual-Row Radiator (From junkyard 1994 Explorer)
- Truck rarely gets about the 'n' in normal on the dummy gauge, HIGHLY recommended upgrade.
- Fan Shroud (Original to Radiator)
- Thermostat + Seal
- Thermostat Housing
- The female threads in my engine were totally stripped out, which led to significant coolant leakage under pressure. I ended up drilled out existing threads, and retapped with 3 M6 x 1.0 inserts.
- Locking Radiator Cap
- Upper and Lower Radiator Hoses
- One of these needs to be for the Explorer, see link above for info.
- Coolant Flush and Fill
Drivetrain & Transmission
- Transmission Fluid
- Transfer case Fluid
- Front differential Fluid
- Rear differential Fluid
- Front Driveshaft U-Joints
- Rear Driveshaft U-Joints
- Rear Pinion Seal
- Power Steering Fluid
- Rear Output Bearing + Seal
- Warn Manual Locking Hubs
- Replaced my functional Automatic hubs, but got a great deal on FB Marketplace.
Chassis, Suspension & Brakes
- Front Brake Rotors + Pads
- Front Wheel Bearings + Seals
- Ball Joints
- Front Shock Absorbers
- Rear Shock Absorbers
- Leaf Spring Bushings
- Ended up having to take the front driver side mount and leaf spring to a diesel shop to press the front bushing out.
- Leaf Spring Mounts
Exterior & Interior
- Driver + Passenger Side Mirrors
- Antenna Delete
- Tailgate Handle
- Muffler
- Side Exit Exhaust from Cat Back
- Seats
- Bucket Seats from Explorer, center console delete
- Shift Knob
- New Keys
- Horn
- Toolbox
- Bed liner
Misc:
- Wire wheeled, rust reformed, and undercoated the rear half of the frame
- Wire wheeled, rust reformed, and primed the truck bed before liner install
Planning to keep this up to date!
Current Repair Shortlist (by Priority):
High:Brake Fluid
Clutch Fluid
New (to me) 235 75 15 tires, this is a daily driver, not an off-road vehicle)
Tie rods, sleeves
Alignment
Spare Tire setup
Medium:
Catalytic Converter Investigation (terrible exhaust rattling)
Low:
Rear shock absorber mounts (forgot to install with shocks, low priority)
Topper with tailgate replacement? (ARE Walk In), would unlock the functionality of locking the back of the truck
Weld exhaust, replace clamps, and fabricate a new exhaust hanger for side exit, currently supported by a zip tie
Replace 3.5" leaf spring blocks with 1.5" to level the truck
Photos
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