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high mileage 2000 2.5 4cly 5spd should i buy it


loneranger009

Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2012
Messages
20
Vehicle Year
1994
Transmission
Automatic
i recently found on kijiji.ca a 2000 ford ranger reg cab short bed 5spd for $1500 (in my area that what you pay for a decent early 90's ranger) what worryies me is that the engine has 295000km or 183000mi and it appears to have been well maintained. i have looked and a long block 2.5 is around $1800-2500. i also have a low mileage 2.3 from a 1995 ranger is it possible to make this engine work in place of the 2.5. any advice is apreciated:icon_confused:
 
My 99 has 197000 mi on it, so since you said it looks like it's been taken care of, I'd go for it. The Lima engines are known for being very reliable.
 
187,000 miles is nothing on a four-pot Ranger.
 
I put an engine in my old 98 at 405,000mi. A well maintained 2.5 is a long running bttch.

FWIW, what I thought was a collapsed lifter, turned out to be a rod bearing. My #3 piston shattered just block from my driveway, on a 10 degree F morning.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2
 
Oh, and the 2.3 will drop right in, as it is the same engine.

The 2.5 has 7mm more stroke, and a better flowing head and camshaft.

There is a significant difference in power and drivability.

Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk 2
 
89 and up 2.3 blocks are the same as 2.5 blocks, when in doubt, give er a compression check..
 
IIRC my old 2.3 had about 175k on it. It was all family owned and maintained so the motor itself was in good shape. I certainly took care of it and never had any problems.

Compression test, and check all the major components. How many owners has it had? I'd trust it more with only 1 owner than multiple.
 
We have established the engine is awesome, now... The rest of the truck...

My previously mentioned 98...
Had a rust hole in the frame near the converter.
Leaf springs were weak, main leaves were torque warped.
Clutch master and slave both leaked.
A few vacuum lines were dry-rotted.
Tierods had extreme amount of play.
The rack leaked.
Thermostat leaked.
Radiator leaded.
Axle seals leaked.
Wheel bearings were loose.
And all the other typical high mileage issues... I put a lot of money into that $500 truck...

Don't worry about the engine, the rest of the truck will fall apart first.
 

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