I just bought my ranger, but No parking / e-brake... Yikes!!

[scotts90ranger]

I almost always have working parking brakes, but I rarely use them even on manuals... the main reason is it's not exactly easy to get your foot all the way up to the parking brake pedal with the door closed in an RBV... the other reason is on my '90 I took shortcuts and didn't hook up the parking brake for a few years after the explorer axle swap, then I fixed it when I went to the disc brakes in the rear, but then I realized those 4" drums don't do SQUAT for a parking brake... if you're driving around in the sand dunes in 4low with the parking brake on, it's easy to not notice it... a few months ago I got them adjusted better but they still don't work great... Also a few months ago the pedal got stuck to the floor on the '90, I had to get the pedal bracket off to bend some linkages back into shape and lube up some bare steel surfaces... Sure there might only be 4 bolts holding the stupid bracket on, but only 1 of them is easy to get to with the drivers seat in, once I got my torso into the footwell I could barely move my hands, and I needed both in the area to hold the 2' of extensions with swivel socket on the 1/4" drive ratchet needed to get around the fuse box and random wires shoved in front of said bolts... Once I found the last offending bolt, once I got it out it did go back in a lot quicker...

 

[Curious Hound]

I almost always have working parking brakes, but I rarely use them even on manuals... the main reason is it's not exactly easy to get your foot all the way up to the parking brake pedal with the door closed in an RBV... the other reason is on my '90 I took shortcuts and didn't hook up the parking brake for a few years after the explorer axle swap, then I fixed it when I went to the disc brakes in the rear, but then I realized those 4" drums don't do SQUAT for a parking brake... if you're driving around in the sand dunes in 4low with the parking brake on, it's easy to not notice it... a few months ago I got them adjusted better but they still don't work great... Also a few months ago the pedal got stuck to the floor on the '90, I had to get the pedal bracket off to bend some linkages back into shape and lube up some bare steel surfaces... Sure there might only be 4 bolts holding the stupid bracket on, but only 1 of them is easy to get to with the drivers seat in, once I got my torso into the footwell I could barely move my hands, and I needed both in the area to hold the 2' of extensions with swivel socket on the 1/4" drive ratchet needed to get around the fuse box and random wires shoved in front of said bolts... Once I found the last offending bolt, once I got it out it did go back in a lot quicker...

I agree it's not a fun place to work. I never have been good at working under the dash. But now that I'm in my upper 50's and wear tri-focals, it's downright miserable to do anything down there.

 

[Dirtman]

When I was in my teens I could literally just climb on the seat, flip upside down, and work under the dash like it was nothing.

Now I either dislocate my spine or employ the use of many mirrors and extensions...

 

[scotts90ranger]

I've come to the realization that it's a solid 4-5 bolts to pull a seat... it's of course more complicated on my '90 since it was a bench truck to begin with and I ran with some holes drilled in the unreinforced floor for a decade which broke the floor... then I installed a crossmember made of some bed frame (free is free...) a couple years ago, I think I welded nuts to that? Anywho, I wish I'd pulled the seat but I talked myself out of it and the project got drug out for like a month because of it...

When I pull the interior of my '97 apart to put in the wing windows and rear slider and hopefully explorer overhead console I'm going to pull both seats, it's too cramped in there...

 

[sgtsandman]

I've seen the aftermath of my neighbor not using their parking brake. The Park pawl let loose and the truck rolled down the hill. Thankfully, all it hit was a tree a couple houses down the hill. To each their own I suppose. Automatic or manual transmission, I use my parking brake and make sure it's fully functional. Because, even an automatic can end up letting loose and ending up where you don't want it.

 

[Jazzer]

Yesterday I pulled my leaking diff cover and replaced it. I used Permatex Ultra gray as a "gasket" as Ford didn't use a gasket that year ('07). I ran a 3/16" bead on the contact area and around the bolt holes, carefully lined it up and finger tightened the bolts, left for an hour then tightened them all. (as per instructions) Permatex says don't fill with oil for 24 hours, so I let it sit until 11:00 today (24 hours), filled it, and it was dripping before I finished.

Went to Autozone and got cork/ rubber gasket material and made a gasket. The diff and cover were clean and flat the first time, so the only suspect was the sealant. It's holding now.

-Jazzer

 

[scotts90ranger]

I've had good luck with the Ultra black and grey, but I haven't had good luck with that finger tight then wait an hour method so I would guess the issue lies there, it sounds good but I think you would need a pretty big bead to get that to work...

 

[Dirtman]

I've never had something leak using the proper sealant. Fyi Grey is NOT the proper sealant for a diff cover so there's your main issue. Grey is high torque and works better for hard machined surfaces like axle flanges or hard cast covers like pto covers. Not thin flexible sheetmetal parts.

Black or green for diff covers only.

Prep surfaces throughly until it is spotless clean bare metal, apply a 1/4" - 3/8" bead (don't just smear it on) and allow it to tack for 10-15 minutes then install the cover finger tight, wait one hour and tighten to spec, wait 24 hours to fill.

Never ever ever had something leak that way, even if the part originally used a gasket.

 

[racsan]

Ive always used a gasket & #2 permatex for differential covers.