Hey Ya'll from Kelowna

[Zach_just]

Hello from Kelowna

Hey every one, I’m Zach and I’m new to the Ranger world and I thought I would introduce myself.

So my Ranger obsession all started with me purchasing a 1986 Ford Ranger. The truck needed lots of work and had some major body cancer.

I purchased this truck on Friday (March 14) night and decided to take Laura (My sweet little girl) and my buddy Dave 4x4ing. Within seconds of leaving the pavement and onto the dirt, my clutch cable had fallen off and required a tricky move that only Macgyver or myself could pull off (electrical tape). After we had started driving again, my muffler fell off about 1 km after the clutch, and to top it all off about another 1 km my motor started ticking like that stupid woodpecker that tries to put a hole in the electrical box outside your bedroom window. I soon discovered that this is a common thing among these motors.

So, all and all this truck was a great purchase.

I decided to fix these “little” problems and concentrate on the more important things… The cosmetics 

So, I decided to check out the local Pick & Pull and see what they had.

To my surprise I found a great donor truck that had not a speck of rust on it. I decided to grab the Driver and Passenger Door, Quarter panels, hood, driver and passenger seats and don’t forget about the new truck box. The only problem with this is that it was the 7' box and I have the 6'. Mah, ill figure it out when I get home...
The box was removed, carried, put in my truck and installed with only myself and my 100 lb girl friend Laura.

The pics to prove anything can be done with in one weekend with a whole lot of motivation, beer and a great girlfriend…

The truck before I bought it.
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/100_3651.jpg

I’m lovin the rust going on here.
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/100_3652.jpg

This is with the quarter panel off. I like this look, kinda like a Baja feel to it 
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/2.jpg

This is with the new quarter panels, doors, seats and hood installed with the new box... in the box.
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/100_3658.jpg

The box that I removed was a 7’ box and mine was a 6’ box, this meant I had to cut 5” off the front of the box and 7” off the rear. I decided to leave the 7" on the rear and fabricate new bumper extensions. Ohh what fun this sounds like.
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/100_3667.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/100_3670.jpg

And it’s done!
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/2ss.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/2as.jpg

The truck was just a bit to clean to be driving around town so I went out 4x4ing again. This proved to be a bad decision as something in the electrical system went, I was able to push start it and run it but none of my electrical worked. ??? I went home and put in a new battery jumped it and it ran until I took the jumpers off...? I noticed that the previous owner spliced into a wire on a harness by the battery and had it going to ground; I found out that the truck won’t run without it...?
So now it sits looking all muddy and pretty but no go.

I have found great info on this site and it looks like a great community to belong to. So... on that note (this may be in the wrong post) does anyone have a clue to what may be going on here?

Thanks making a great home online for guys like me

Zach

 

[gotmudd]

Hey every one, I’m Zach and I’m new to the Ranger world and I thought I would introduce myself.

So my Ranger obsession all started with me purchasing a 1986 Ford Ranger. The truck needed lots of work and had some major body cancer.

I purchased this truck on Friday (March 14) night and decided to take Laura (My sweet little girl) and my buddy Dave 4x4ing. Within seconds of leaving the pavement and onto the dirt, my clutch cable had fallen off and required a tricky move that only Macgyver or myself could pull off (electrical tape). After we had started driving again, my muffler fell off about 1 km after the clutch, and to top it all off about another 1 km my motor started ticking like that stupid woodpecker that tries to put a hole in the electrical box outside your bedroom window. I soon discovered that this is a common thing among these motors.

So, all and all this truck was a great purchase.

I decided to fix these “little” problems and concentrate on the more important things… The cosmetics 

So, I decided to check out the local Pick & Pull and see what they had.

To my surprise I found a great donor truck that had not a speck of rust on it. I decided to grab the Driver and Passenger Door, Quarter panels, hood, driver and passenger seats and don’t forget about the new truck box. The only problem with this is that it was the 7' box and I have the 6'. Mah, ill figure it out when I get home...
The box was removed, carried, put in my truck and installed with only myself and my 100 lb girl friend Laura.

The pics to prove anything can be done with in one weekend with a whole lot of motivation, beer and a great girlfriend…

The truck before I bought it.
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/100_3651.jpg

I’m lovin the rust going on here.
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/100_3652.jpg

This is with the quarter panel off. I like this look, kinda like a Baja feel to it 
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/2.jpg

This is with the new quarter panels, doors, seats and hood installed with the new box... in the box.
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/100_3658.jpg

The box that I removed was a 7’ box and mine was a 6’ box, this meant I had to cut 5” off the front of the box and 7” off the rear. I decided to leave the 7" on the rear and fabricate new bumper extensions. Ohh what fun this sounds like.
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/100_3667.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/100_3670.jpg

And it’s done!
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/2ss.jpg
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/2as.jpg

The truck was just a bit to clean to be driving around town so I went out 4x4ing again. This proved to be a bad decision as something in the electrical system went, I was able to push start it and run it but none of my electrical worked. ??? I went home and put in a new battery jumped it and it ran until I took the jumpers off...? I noticed that the previous owner spliced into a wire on a harness by the battery and had it going to ground; I found out that the truck won’t run without it...?
So now it sits looking all muddy and pretty but no go.

I have found great info on this site and it looks like a great community to belong to. So... on that note (this may be in the wrong post) does anyone have a clue to what may be going on here?

Thanks making a great home online for guys like me

Zach

first i would like to say welcome to the site, and nice truck. as to your problem start at your alternator and trace you wires to where they go. sounds to me like you got a wire that came off, not familiar with the ranger class but if the start and charge system are the same as the full size trucks like what i own you should have a "starter relay on the passenger side inner fender well:big red cable from battery in one side out other side to starter with one or two small wires attached to terminals going into wiring
harness. iknow that on my truck if little wire not connected to aforementioned relay=no vroom-vroom. i would go to the electrical section on user control panel at bottom of post. as to the TICKING sound in your motor, that don't sound right but i'm not sure, hope you injoy your stay here.

 

[Zach_just]

Thanks Gotmudd,

I just got back from work and decided to amuse myself by trying to start my truck that was dead to the world last night, to my surprise it started.
I ran it for a bit to see if the battery would hold a charge and then turned it off to see if it would start again. Nope! No go! Would not start.
I have not been able to get the truck to my shop to check the electrical but I know that the battery is good and has a charge so I suspected that it had to do with either the starter or the crap aftermarket wiring?
I did notice that little starter relay on the passenger side fender. I noticed it because it made a funny buzzing noise for about 30secs after turning the truck off (when the truck ran).

Anyway, I’ll get up to my shop this weekend and hopefully track down the problem.

 

[Kona]

Zach, hi from the 'Loops, you have way to much energy! Good luck with your project.

 

[gotmudd]

Thanks Gotmudd,

I just got back from work and decided to amuse myself by trying to start my truck that was dead to the world last night, to my surprise it started.
I ran it for a bit to see if the battery would hold a charge and then turned it off to see if it would start again. Nope! No go! Would not start.
I have not been able to get the truck to my shop to check the electrical but I know that the battery is good and has a charge so I suspected that it had to do with either the starter or the crap aftermarket wiring?
I did notice that little starter relay on the passenger side fender. I noticed it because it made a funny buzzing noise for about 30secs after turning the truck off (when the truck ran).

Anyway, I’ll get up to my shop this weekend and hopefully track down the problem.

buzzing noise you say and for at least 30sec., hmmmmmmmm..., nope that ain't right , relay SHOULD NOT make noise, try replacing relay and double check to see that you have no bare wire touching OR that can touch ground and if ya can get some clear pics of harness by battery box and post so i can see

 

[Zach_just]

Yah, I’ll go after work and take some pics.
I was under the truck this morning ( Quote from Kona: "you have way to much energy!") and I noticed that the ground wire that goes to the block is about 6' long. I know for Mobile Audio that this is a no, no.
Just to get it right, the starter relay is the one with the positive from the battery going to it? I also have 3 other relays on that fender that look like the relays I’m used to.

I appreciate all of your help and welcomes.

Zach

P.S. Kona, do you ride (Mountain bikes)?

 

[gotmudd]

Yah, I’ll go after work and take some pics.
I was under the truck this morning ( Quote from Kona: "you have way to much energy!") and I noticed that the ground wire that goes to the block is about 6' long. I know for Mobile Audio that this is a no, no.
Just to get it right, the starter relay is the one with the positive from the battery going to it? I also have 3 other relays on that fender that look like the relays I’m used to.

I appreciate all of your help and welcomes.

Zach

P.S. Kona, do you ride (Mountain bikes)?

yeah that is a little too long for a ground cable should be only half of that . and yes you are correct starter relay is the one with positive from battery going to it.heres a picture of mine, yours should be close, although the big positive terminals might be on the side of it instead of the face like mine

[/IMG] hope this helps

 

[Zach_just]

That look just like mine except that the little black cap with the red wire (approx. 15gage)
in the middle of the 2 big wires is not on mine. I have the male part of the pin that comes out of the relay but all of the wires look to be connected to the large post that comes from the battery.
Is this a pic from your 73 F250?

Thanks again,

 

[Kona]

Yeah, when I have some one to shuttle with. http://www.thetechzone.com/photo/computers.php?photo=11144&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

 

[gotmudd]

the red wire w/black cap is the ignition exciter from the key. since yours is newer the way it is wired might be a little different, and yeah that is off of my truck. post me a pic of what you have, maybe i can help. also you can put your electrical questions on the electrical forum

 

[Zach_just]

So I went after work to work on my truck with no tools (well, I did have: one orange utility knife, cheep pliers, truck keys, beer, 11mm wrench and some electrical tape) and decided to fix it.
So I first started by cutting a 4gage cable with the utility knife down to about 2 1/2', cleaned off the terminals (with my keys and the bumpy handle of the pliers) and cut, stripped and taped the dumb wire that goes to the harness (see attached pic). http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/3.jpg

Vrrrooommm, like new.

The red wire on the negative post of the battery is the one I don’t like being there. When I disconnect the wire and re-attach it the other relays (being 2) Tripp. Don’t know why but I find it strange.

Just for shits and giggles I am also attaching the pic of my starter relay just because I said to Gotmudd I would.
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm87/zachjust/2-1.jpg

So Thank you Gotmudd for all your help and next time I will post this in the electrical forum.

Going to hit some more trails, talk to everyone when something else breaks.

Zach

 

[gotmudd]

sweet, next time ya post pics try the insert image icon, next to the insert link,it puts the pic up automatically, glad ya got your ride back[ rubber wheels beat rubber heels]

 

[Zach_just]

So, I went out to a place here in Kelowna called Postal Lake, they have a May long mud bogging bash up there every year. I was playing around in the mud and gettin real dirty when I got stuck! Real Stuck. On a little muddy gully with the swamp on one side and a big mud/water whole on the other. If I had pics of it, you would never think I could make it out. I would say it was right around the point that my GF said we should start walking and it started snowing that I gave her shit and pulled out.
I love these Rangers, the take a huge beating.

These are the after pics of my adventures...

Much fun it was.

On my way home my electrical went again, first I had no turn signals. Then no break lights and then the truck would not start, Damn Gremlins.
This morning I went out to the truck and it started fine, went to my shop to grab some tools and it started doing it again. No turn signals, no break lights and the truck would not start after turning it off.
About 4 hours later, I tried it again and it started.

I am going to post in the Electrical form but for now, I have Gotmudd following this thread. I am also new to forums.

If anyone knows of an electrical problem like this please let me know.

Thanks