Keep my 95 Ranger or Toss it!? :sad:

[Drachenblut]

I'm looking for opinions... whether I should keep this truck and put more money into it or try to sell it off.
I'm really starting to hate this bucket of bolts I bought, thinking it was a good and bullet proof truck.

95 Ford Ranger XLT 4X4, 268,000 KM.

1. The last owner replaced the clutch... and left 1/8th of a cup of oil in the transfer case. Kablooie on my way home. Drove fine till the gears got hot.
Total cost - $2200.00 for a transfer case and remove/repair.

2. Went to get an alignment done as the previous owner did some front end work relating to a "solid front axle" and "bushings"... was told they could not do it because my front left wheel bearing needed adjustment and I am missing some kind of washer ontop of my passenger front shock. 125 bucks went to 350!?

3. Went out this morning and suddenly there is a nice puddle of oil under my truck. Looked underneath with my mechanic/tow truck dude neighbor and he says it is the rear main engine seal. He says it should have been replaced when the transfer case was done, either for free or for minimal charge as everything is apart already... got a quote. $825.00 bucks to replace a 5 dollar gasket!?

4. The windshield washer does nothing when I push the end of the windshield washer/turn signal stick in... electrical issue or burnt out washer pump?

5. The electronics on the seat don't work...I push the buttons and they free float, except the lumbar up button, the lumbar down does not work.

I've seen 20 year older vehicles than this for half the money work twice as well!

Sorry for the upset but as a student with very little money, I cannot believe the sudden issues that are cropping up with a supposedly "reliable" truck.

What would YOU do? sell it to the next poor sucker, or put time and money into it?

 

[hank857]

I would suspect the intake valley gaskets and valve covers before the rear main seal. I just went through this and it even surprised the shop that did the work. it looked prior to transmission pull to be a rear main leak.

As to the wheel bearing adjust ment ont know what that is but it probably means it was loose. the washer for the shock is about a 30 min self repair I would think.

The washer pump issue is again probably the pump ($10 or so replacement), the seat could be a fuse or relay problem or dirty contacts. These 2 are again easy DIY projects.

As to the amount of $$ you are showing, very high dont know where you are located but where I go they start at $350 and it will include R&R of parts that have to be removed any how. I would look for another shop.

 

[Scy]

I know where your coming from man.

I just got my Ranger a year ago with 60,000 miles on it and this thing has been a real money pit. Complete front end, ball joints, bearings, rotors, brakes, etc.
It seems every month something new will crop up no matter how I baby it. Mostly small irritating stuff, like, this weekend my drivers side door window motor became balky. Probably time for a new window motor.
The transmission has never run smoothly and I don't know if that's just how they are or it's on the way out.

Honestly, I really don't trust this truck to take out of town. And at just 60000 miles too.

I am seriously considering moving back to Toyota, because my American engineered vehicle experience has been a real PITA.

I just want a vehicle like my last, a Toyota Corolla, that was a drive and not worry vehicle.

 

[tmcalavy]

If you don't like what you drive, get what you do like to drive.

 

[txgocartB3000]

When you buy used it is very likely you just purchased someone's former problems.

Ray

 

[adsm08]

Sounds to me like you bought a used and abused unit.

Any time you buy a used vehicle from a stranger you don't truly know what you are getting. You may have had older cars for less money work better. So have I. They were well taken care of.

I have a truck in my shop right now, 2013, 36000 miles, current owner has had it about two months. It is getting a new engine because the original owner never changed the oil. Now the guts are all sludged up and it ate the main bearings.


Do what you want. My advice is to do what I did and start learning to do these simple repairs by yourself. Work your way up in complexity as your confidence grows. You said your neighbor is a mechanic, most of them will work for beer. I'm not too sure about about his competence if he thinks that you are right there to do the engine rear main seal just because you took the transfer case out thought.

 

[Drachenblut]

Thanks for the advice fellows. I will stick with it and R&R it a bit as much as I can. What is the best manual for helping me service this truck? Step by step pics are best, I have a Hayne's manual and it's "OK". It assumes you are a fully trained mechanic and know all the tools to do steps 1-3 before doing step 4 which is explained LOL.

Come the spring, I will see how well it will work. As for the valleys and valve covers... I have witnessed the oil well up under the engine and drip, it comes right from the union of the tranny and engine...? I'm not a major mechanic, I do my own maintenance, but in this age when a 20 year old dude doesn't know how to do spark plugs I at least have some skills!

I still agree with my father... "technology is a great tool and improves our vehicles... but when it breaks and you spend hours removing the rat nest of wires, sensors and other un-neccessary crud to fix tiny issues, it really makes you wonder what egg head sold the working man this POS!"

 

[97RangerXLT]

The best manual you can get is the actual shop manual. you can snag these on ebay on a cd rom usually for 10 or 15 bucks. Haynes or chiltons are ok. not great, but can be nice for torque specs.

if you can't get a true shop manual, get a haynes/ or chiltons and go from there.

No matter what your manual choice, hit up the Tech Articles link at the top of the page, look for what you are working on there, you might find a detailed write up with pictures for the repair that you are doing. and best of all, the original author might still be around to ask questions to if you don't understand something.

Not sure what engine you have, but if it is the 4.0, here is an article that I wrote for changing the upper gaskets as mentioned in a post above for your oil leaks:

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94437

AJ

 

[stegomon]

$2200 for a tcase and 2 hours tops putting it in. kinda steep in my book

 

[bigmark303]

buying used is always a bad gamble if you dont know what to look for. Im young myself but always tell all my friends if you need to use something everyday and rely upon it you better have an understanding of how it works and how to maintain it.

Your knowledge is the key to protecting yourself from issues as such. Whether it be vehicles, computers, home water heater, anything and everything you use day to day do yourself a favor and educate yourself on function and maintenance of it all. A very accessible wealth of information out there on every topic through the internet.

I wouldnt take much of what your neighbor says as gospel just because hes a mechanic. Transfer cases and rear main seals are not next to each other to do while the transfer case is off.

Stick it out though because once you start repairing something thats it you are into it and if you sell for some other used vehicle guess what youll be doing the same kind of stuff with that one. No one sells a used vehicle because they just got a new one even though the used one works perfect. They sell it because it has issues and has been costing them money otherwise they would keep it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

2. Went to get an alignment done as the previous owner did some front end work relating to a "solid front axle" and "bushings"... was told they could not do it because my front left wheel bearing needed adjustment and I am missing some kind of washer ontop of my passenger front shock. 125 bucks went to 350!?

I have gotten several hub setups (all the washers the with lockout hubs) for $10/pair from the local u-pull-it. They may not even charge anything for just a washer.

3. Went out this morning and suddenly there is a nice puddle of oil under my truck. Looked underneath with my mechanic/tow truck dude neighbor and he says it is the rear main engine seal. He says it should have been replaced when the transfer case was done, either for free or for minimal charge as everything is apart already... got a quote. $825.00 bucks to replace a 5 dollar gasket!?

It would have been cheaper because the t-case would have been off/disconnected and the driveshafts would have been unhooked.

It SHOULD have been done when the dork before you put the clutch in it.

With help from my dad (who is a mechanic) I changed the tranny out of my '85 my Junior year in high school, it really isn't that hard to do if the valley gaskets check out.

T-cases are easy to the point of almost being fun to change, just paid a jy $150 for a used one out of a bronco.

 

[Drachenblut]

Well, great. Anyways the dough is spent and I might as well keep the truck and try to do the main seal myself with the help of our work's heavy duty shop mechanic. He said he will help me do it, so I am sort of looking forward to getting under the skin of my truck and seeing what is what.

As for the engine bay.... WOW... wires and wires and connectors EVERYWHERE! I come from happily working on my 70's trucks to... this mess. How do you guys figure it all out and what goes where?

 

[tmcalavy]

Time, patience, digital camera, follow the harness/circuits in logical order...don't get in a hurry.