Help me fix my truck!

[Mark_88]

i don't think i made a new thread! haha

Ooops, you're right...guess you replied to another post...

Wish i could swap the whole thing out but i'll be lucky if i have enough dough for a new top end gasket set and head bolts to get this thing going. But then again I DO kind sorta like this kinda stuff. Not enough to do it as a job but as a hobby... can't think of many things more gratifying .

what numbers should i be looking for when i do the comp test? and i'm probably stating the obvious but i only need to hook up the compression gauge to ONE of the spark plug holes right? And just leave the other spark plug in? Doesn't matter which side i use? Never done a comp test on a dual plug head...

It can vary a bit but I think I was getting around 140 on my 2.0 when I tested it...but as long as you test all 4 cylinders and write the numers down as you go...then compare them...ideally you should not see more than a 10 to 15% difference in the numbers...if you do, then there is a problem...and if you don't get above 120 I'd say there was a big problem.

And I hear you about the money issues...but I've learned that budget builds give budget results...if you can, budge it upwards as much as possible...gold plated head gaskets may be worth more but they are a good investment...

 

[MAV17]

Ooops, you're right...guess you replied to another post...



It can vary a bit but I think I was getting around 140 on my 2.0 when I tested it...but as long as you test all 4 cylinders and write the numers down as you go...then compare them...ideally you should not see more than a 10 to 15% difference in the numbers...if you do, then there is a problem...and if you don't get above 120 I'd say there was a big problem.

And I hear you about the money issues...but I've learned that budget builds give budget results...if you can, budge it upwards as much as possible...gold plated head gaskets may be worth more but they are a good investment...

most definitely! i'll just have to settle for copper-spray plated this time around .

 

[MAV17]

okay my truck does not seem to have a connector for the coolant temp sender. not the sensor but the sender itself that sits towards the back right side of the block. i've checked just about every part of the harness and all it has is the connector for the oil pressure sender but no connector for the coolant temp. or maybe it's the oil temp connector that i'm seeing. either way i'm missing a connector. anyone know the specific location of both of them?

there's only one sender plug coming out of the harness in my truck. where in that pic there's two. maybe it's different for 97's? this motor was supposedly swapped in but no idea what year it came out of.

 

[MAV17]

just found my answer:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Did_they_move_temperature_sending_unit_on_1997_ford_ranger_2.3

"Did they move temperature sending unit on 1997 ford ranger 2.3?

Answer:
yes on the 97 2.3 it is in the water hose after the water pump there are 2 sensors one in the metal pipe for the computer and one in the hose for the temp gauge."

 

[MAV17]

Quick update:

New head is on and i've been running 15/20 miles strong. First start sounded and ran completely different than the last one! For some reason there were multiple loud screeching sounds last time never bothered finding out why. But so far so good. Only issue i have now is a cracked radiator that's slowly letting coolant out.

Temp gauge seems to be working although it does take quite a bit for the dial to move to the middle. Is this normal for rangers?

I used copper spray on the head gasket this time (both sides) and torqued the head bolts to 51ft lbs and then 85ftlbs. Feeling confident. Long live this 2.3!

And long live all those that have helped!

 

[Mark_88]

Good stuff!

Loud screeching? Did you have a cat?

Not really funny as I lost my favourite cat to an alternator belt once...now I always honk my horn before I start the engine...well, not that often...only in the cold weather when a friend is looking under the hood...

Anyway...sounds like you may have gotten it right this time around...but I hope you fix that rad before too long because that's what killed my last head...I'm sure you're on the case already but just thought I'd put in a word to encourage you to prioritize that item...

And thanks for the update...I was starting to wonder what happened...

 

[MAV17]

Good stuff!

Loud screeching? Did you have a cat?

Not really funny as I lost my favourite cat to an alternator belt once...now I always honk my horn before I start the engine...well, not that often...only in the cold weather when a friend is looking under the hood...

DUde... that is HORRID!!

My condolences man my next beer is in you're cat's honor.


but yea man i had no clue what was going on i figured it was part of the head gasket sealing process (noob here) lol

apparently not though. anyways im pretty sure i didn't torque the bolts down correctly that time around and all hell was breaking loose in there.
this new head i got is cracked as well by the way... drove an hour away from home and an hour back just to get a cracked head . guys tried charging me 250 for it then got them down to 150 plus a guarantee that if my head gasket blows again or if it coolant leaks into the passages, i get a full refund. so i said screw it. but... I'm confident. Real confident. The truck feels a lot better overall.

 

[Mark_88]

Make sure it's an old beer because that happened about 35 years ago...but I'm sure Honky Cat (that was his name) will be honored by your gesture.

Depends on where the crack is...I had one redone that had cracks around the valve seats but they were able to grind them out enough to get a good seal on the valves. It lasted about a year before I overheated that one so...depends.

I've lost two of them to overheating...the one I have now is still good but the bottom end is now toast...as much as I like the 2.3 I've had a rather expensive learning curve...$600 for the first head...$450 for the second head (no racing cam)...and $250 for the last one...and $1,000 to install the second short block, new clutch, and a brand new electric fuel pump because the 87 block needed work to take a manual pump.

That's over $2,250...but I did get about five years of pretty decent driving out of all that...so about $400 a year...lol

Anyway...I do hope this one takes and sticks for you and you can focus on other things...

 

[MAV17]

I did the balloon/condom over radiator cap again. It DID start to fill up with SOME air but only after sitting there and non-stop cranking it for almost an entire minute. I stopped before it even filled up half way.

Does this mean my HG is blown again or is the bag/ballon/condom supposed to eventually fill with some air?

 

[Mark_88]

Try burping the cooling system...this may need to wait till you actually replace the rad if it is leaking because you will always be introducing air into the system until it can be filled and sealed properly.

I've had to burp mine every time I changed the head or replaced the rad...run the engine with the rad cap off till it warms up...top it up...cap it...let it run for a bit longer or maybe take it for a drive...

I would only worry about it if you see white smoke coming out the tail pipe...or have another over heat.

 

[MAV17]

I figured just that. I'll update once i get the new radiator. Thanks Mark!

 

[MAV17]

~100 or so miles and going strong. i cruised at just shy of 90mph on the highway today and she's still going!

only thing that worries me now is the slight smoke/mist thats floating out of the radiator fill port, and the fact that no matter how long i let the coolant system 'burp' for, coolant hasn't stopped shooting out of the fill port. i top it off, turn on, let run, coolant starts flowing outwards, wait till it stops flowing outwards then top off again, couple minutes/seconds later it starts PUKING it outwards again. maybe i'm doing it wrong? or maybe air is getting in the system from the slightly cracked head? (auto part store told me the crack wasn't an INTRUSIVE crack meaning no coolant was seeping into the combustion/valve chamber). any ideas?

 

[Mark_88]

Did you replace the rad yet? Sounds like EXACTLY what both my Ranger and my Zuki were doing before the fit hit the shan...but I managed to burp it out on the Ranger...the zuki wasn't so fortunate...

Sounds like you still have an air lock in the system...

 

[MAV17]

yup. just swapped out the rad today for a good one.
hmmm...

 

[MAV17]

okay now she's shootin white smoke out on startups and on idle... blown hg again?

she hasn't overheated yet though... is it only a matter of time until all the coolant gets burned off into white smoke? she won't even show that she's overheating then will she? since all the coolant will be gone meaning no coolant for the sensor to read?