How reliable are Limas?

[Musick17]

Oh, alright. What all engines are considered to be Limas?

 

[exbass94]

Oh, alright. What all engines are considered to be Limas?

All 4 cylinder Rangers from 83-01. They're all the exact same engine, with some having different bores/strokes, and having minor differences through the years like switching from carb to EFI and distributorless ignition. IT's been around since the early 70's, used in Mustangs and Pintos and a few other cars.

 

[Musick17]

They way you were all talking I was excited to have a 2.3L. But mines a 2002 though....

 

[straycat]

My uncle had a 97 with a 2.3 and 3.73 gears and an auto. He'd haul his 25 ft john boat from Atlanta to Florida and run 70 all the way with no problems.

Man, I would like to have seen that!! Nobody I know who has owned a 4 banger Ranger has ever been able to haul any of our boats before. We have been up steep hills and mountain trails in California and Colorado, Mississippi and Alabama and no 4 banger would ever make it up those steep grades. The 2.8 and 2.9 L motors went up the steep grades with ease, but not the smaller motors...lol

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

They way you were all talking I was excited to have a 2.3L. But mines a 2002 though....

yours is a duratec.
way more efficient in mileage and power than a lima tho.

 

[exbass94]

They way you were all talking I was excited to have a 2.3L. But mines a 2002 though....

You have the Duratec 4 cylinder. It has more power than the older Limas and is equally reliable. I used to drive one at work. It had over 250k miles and was very abused all its life and still ran like it was brand new.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

Man, I would like to have seen that!! Nobody I know who has owned a 4 banger Ranger has ever been able to haul any of our boats before. We have been up steep hills and mountain trails in California and Colorado, Mississippi and Alabama and no 4 banger would ever make it up those steep grades. The 2.8 and 2.9 L motors went up the steep grades with ease, but not the smaller motors...lol

and thats a ot of people that u know LOL

 

[tbirdsps]

The only problem I've had with my 2.3 Lima is oil leaks from the pan. Oh, and bad oil pressure due to factory crap (sealant) in the oil pickup screen at 56,000 back in 2001. Otherwise I've done zero engine repairs in 19 years. Mines low mileage though. only 116,000. One day I'll get the front seal and oil pan gasket replaced. It doesn't leak puddles but enough to annoy the heck out of me.

 

[Musick17]

Man, I would like to have seen that!! Nobody I know who has owned a 4 banger Ranger has ever been able to haul any of our boats before. We have been up steep hills and mountain trails in California and Colorado, Mississippi and Alabama and no 4 banger would ever make it up those steep grades. The 2.8 and 2.9 L motors went up the steep grades with ease, but not the smaller motors...lol

I was on I-55 headed home one night and saw an s10 with a 4wheeler stood on end up against the cab and another behind it sideways in the bed.... pulling a trailer with 2 more quads and a dirtbike on it. Thats alot of weight on a little truck! Central Illinois is as flat as it can be, but tis MoF'er was cruising about 80 mph.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

the 2.5 might be a bit prone to noisy valves tho, mine has a slight valve tick.
but its not a big deal.

 

[JFortner5]

If I get it I will definitely post pics. It won't be my first Ranger.

My vehicle list:

1997 Ranger 4x2 RC 2.3L 5 speed
2001 Pontiac Firebird
2002 Ranger Edge 4x2 SC 3.0L 5 Speed
2003 Ranger 4x2 2.3L Duratec 5 Speed
1989 Mustang LX 5.0L 5 Speed (toy)
2004 Dodge Ram 4x2 5.7L auto
2002 Ford F150 4x2 4.2L 5 speed
1998 Jeep Wrangler 2.5L 5 speed

Some of you may wonder why I am asking about Limas since I had one, but I got it for my 16th birthday about 11 years ago. I only drove it to school and back and it had like 55k miles on it. I didn't own it long enough to have any problems.

The only reason I am posting is because I am just a little worried about buying something with 137k on it. I don't mind replacing a water pump or timing belt or something but I'd sure hate to have major engine problems. I love Rangers though, the trucks are solid, just a little concerned with the miles. If I get this one and it lasts me 3 or 4 years though I'd be perfectly happy with that.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

i got mine with 114,xxx and will turn 3 years in nov this year.
it has 141,xxx now and still running strong.

i did a full tune up, replaced timming belt, fuel pump(died)when i got it.
later the steering pump started acting up so i replaced it.
then i replaced the fan clutch because it was a bit weak.

along this time i only had to replace 3 sensors: an o2, TPS and IAC.
thats all the work its being to given me under the hood.

 

[straycat]

I was on I-55 headed home one night and saw an s10 with a 4wheeler stood on end up against the cab and another behind it sideways in the bed.... pulling a trailer with 2 more quads and a dirtbike on it. Thats alot of weight on a little truck! Central Illinois is as flat as it can be, but tis MoF'er was cruising about 80 mph.

I understand that since Chevy S10's have V6's too, Bro. I have a 17 Backcountry Proguide with 115 hp motor and my dad has a Hells Bay 20 ft flats boat with twin outboards and I also have another 17 ft flats boat with two different motors we change out...90 Evinrude and a 60 hp Mercury. Fully loaded none of my buddies 4 banger Ranger 4x4's could haul the boats when they borrowed them and we went on trips together. My dad love my 99 Ranger and borrows it to take out his Hells Bay now and then.
I had a 96 S10 4x4 with the V6 4.3 L and it put out some very good power. My 99 Ranger has a 4.0 L and I love it but I really think the Chevy had a bit more power since I have owned both!! My S10 could haul my 17 ft Flats boat with ease up a mountain pass in California. I drove across I-10 several times hauling my boat in my lifted 83 V6 4x4 Ranger and then again with my 96 S-10 taking the southern route or the Northern route back and forth from California to Florida a bunch of time. That was some great times. I would still love to go back out to visit my fishing buddies with my boat, but the gas prices are totally ridicules now!!!!

 

[adsm08]

Man, I would like to have seen that!! Nobody I know who has owned a 4 banger Ranger has ever been able to haul any of our boats before. We have been up steep hills and mountain trails in California and Colorado, Mississippi and Alabama and no 4 banger would ever make it up those steep grades. The 2.8 and 2.9 L motors went up the steep grades with ease, but not the smaller motors...lol

I also saw a Ranger loaded to the bump stops with concrete or some such. I think it came in around 2500 lbs. It was still moving around.


EDIT: Found the pic. It was 2300 lbs.

I also know that I've made scrap runs of 1500 lbs in my old 4-cyl S-10.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

I also saw a Ranger loaded to the bump stops with concrete or some such. I think it came in around 2500 lbs. It was still moving around.


EDIT: Found the pic. It was 2300 lbs.

I also know that I've made scrap runs of 1500 lbs in my old 4-cyl S-10.

thats my truck!
thats hen feed. and yeah i had 2300 lbs on there.
+ my 200 lbs lol
the truck went up hill at a steady 40 mph in 3rd gear. 3k rpms, it was pulling like a bull.

had like 1500 on here

and around 1800 on this one
this is hen coop dirt.

my trucky speeding up

with 4.10 gears (huge aid for the lil engine)

My truck is the living proof Lima engines are reliable and stand up against any test. even if its way too much for it.