2.3L ('83-'97) New '93 xl project. Best longevity ideas?

[ccaissie]

Got a BLUE '93 xl with 170,000 miles, runs great. I'm retiring my RED '93 Splash with 152,000 miles...runs great, but rusted all to heck...

So restoring the frame, etc, on the BLUE truck,and swapping all the good stuff over. Splash seats beat the XL bench seat.

Re: engine, I believe the prior owner has used conventional lubes...(I just replaced the differential cover and filled it with Regular Gear lube. It was clean inside, no metal bits.)
He said he replaced the transmission...looks relatively clean....will check lube. Aftermarket clutch master failed and was the final straw....

Replaced Clutch Master, so that system is flushed.

Does it make sense to use synthetic engine oil? I probably will drive this truck <4000 miles a year. When it hits -20F here in Maine, the RED truck always started...and I used it to jumpstart every other piece of equipment on the farm....most reliable and economical truck.
What other maintenance is recommended? I put 35,000 on the Splash with ZERO maintenance other than oil changes...conventional 10-40.

Best coolant? Change brake fluid?

 

[SenorNoob]

I wouldn't do synthetic oil in any used vehicle that didn't spec it from the factory, unless it was fairly new and low mileage. Synthetic oil tends to leak past old seals and once it starts switching back usually doesn't fix it.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I would probably toss a timing belt on it for peace of mind.

Past that...keep the fluids changed and run it

 

[ccaissie]

Bueno. I'll contact the prior owner re: Timing Belt interval. Looks easier than the one on my VW Interference auto-destruct diesel.

 

[Blmpkn]

The lima isn't an interference motor so.. while the belt would be advantageous to do.. not exactly a contributing factor towards longevity.

Keep the fluids clean & do it's regular maintenance crap and it'll last a good long while.

From one mainer to another.. get the thing rust proofed too. I use NHOU because of my proximity to the dudes shop.. but fluid film is 90% as good..

 

[Shran]

Surface Shield works pretty well for rust prevention too. 2 cans will do a substantial amount underneath a Ranger sized vehicle.

2.3's are about as reliable as a hammer. Not very efficient as they are a design dating back to the mid 70's but they run forever. I would not hesitate to run synthetic oil in them although it's not necessary. FWIW I have not had any oil leaking issues that I can attribute to synthetic oil use, but I will say that the 4.0 in my Explorer burns half the oil between changes on synthetic than it does on conventional.

Otherwise there's not much outside of normal maintenance to worry about. Timing belt would be good to check or replace but they're really easy to do, maybe a couple hour job.

 

[oldgeek]

My 94 2.3 has similar circumstances. I use synthetic oil as the price of it isn't much different. Haven't noticed any more leaks.

One thing I'm considering is engine cleaner as discussed here:

High Performance Lubricants Engine Cleaner

Since the topic has come up a few times I am posting the PDS in the PCMO, Diesel, and Euro sections. This is a safe path to clean varnish and or sludge left behind by other oils. There are no solvents in this oil. It has enough ester to clean but still be safe with elastomers. Simply add a quart...

bobistheoilguy.com

 

[Blmpkn]

My 94 2.3 has similar circumstances. I use synthetic oil as the price of it isn't much different. Haven't noticed any more leaks.

One thing I'm considering is engine cleaner as discussed here:

High Performance Lubricants Engine Cleaner

Since the topic has come up a few times I am posting the PDS in the PCMO, Diesel, and Euro sections. This is a safe path to clean varnish and or sludge left behind by other oils. There are no solvents in this oil. It has enough ester to clean but still be safe with elastomers. Simply add a quart...

bobistheoilguy.com

A lil ATF in the oil apparently works WONDERS on cleaning out the guts of a motor. A method I learned here actually.. I believe it was @rusty ol ranger who I saw talking it up so much.

More or less.. drain a bit of oil, replace it with ATF, idle it for some amount of time, and then wonder to yourself how chunks of sludge THAT big could ever squeeze themselves through the drain hole once you see them floating in the bottom of whatever you use as a drain receptacle..

How much ATF? I don't exactly remember.. I wanna say a quart but I could be wrong. Rusty could tell ya.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

A lil ATF in the oil apparently works WONDERS on cleaning out the guts of a motor. A method I learned here actually.. I believe it was @rusty ol ranger who I saw talking it up so much.

More or less.. drain a bit of oil, replace it with ATF, idle it for some amount of time, and then wonder to yourself how chunks of sludge THAT big could ever squeeze themselves through the drain hole once you see them floating in the bottom of whatever you use as a drain receptacle..

How much ATF? I don't exactly remember.. I wanna say a quart but I could be wrong. Rusty could tell ya.

I always heard a quart in a normal 5/6qt system.

That said...ive never been a fan of any sort of flushing methods like that. Sure some of the shit comes out...but how much is up in there that was formally just cholestrol and now is going to cause a heart attack?

 

[oldgeek]

I always heard a quart in a normal 5/6qt system.

That said...ive never been a fan of any sort of flushing methods like that. Sure some of the shit comes out...but how much is up in there that was formally just cholestrol and now is going to cause a heart attack?

I think the High Performance Lubes are a slow dissolving process, like over the last few hundred miles of a change interval.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I think the High Performance Lubes are a slow dissolving process, like over the last few hundred miles of a change interval.

Still not a fan.

 

[SenorNoob]

A lil ATF in the oil apparently works WONDERS on cleaning out the guts of a motor. A method I learned here actually.. I believe it was @rusty ol ranger who I saw talking it up so much.

More or less.. drain a bit of oil, replace it with ATF, idle it for some amount of time, and then wonder to yourself how chunks of sludge THAT big could ever squeeze themselves through the drain hole once you see them floating in the bottom of whatever you use as a drain receptacle..

How much ATF? I don't exactly remember.. I wanna say a quart but I could be wrong. Rusty could tell ya.

That's been my experience with it. And I understand Rusty's concerns here. The size of the chunks I saw makes me wonder how it didn't plug anything... And yeah, I always run a quart about a week before an oil change. (About 100 miles)

 

[oldgeek]

I'm considering Valvoline's Restore and Protect oil. Over time, It cleans up the piston rings and grooves along with the rest of the engine.

 

[Blmpkn]

That's been my experience with it. And I understand Rusty's concerns here. The size of the chunks I saw makes me wonder how it didn't plug anything... And yeah, I always run a quart about a week before an oil change. (About 100 miles)

Ah mustve been you who I saw make those exclamations..

My 96 looked pretty darn clean under the valve cover when I had it off.. but at over 200k I'm sure there's something stuck up in there somewhere.