Ok... I know I'll probably be shunned for this...

[DeanMoriarty]

Ok, top to bottom, and thanks for all the responses guys.
My hope is to get this thing fixed and sold. I don't even have the new title in my hand yet, lol.
I'll definitely swap out the fuel filter tomorrow and see what that does, I'll try the converter thing as well. I looked again, the air filter is brand new. I'll throw a new one in anyway when I get the oil changed. I've heard the water pump could be the problem, wouldn't I have a heating problem if that were the case? The heater lines are hot after it's warmed up... no squealing noise or anything. How else can I check it?
How do I check the cat? Whack it with a stick or something? I'll check the vacuum lines as well. The guy who's putting on ball joints for me tomorrow offered to cut the cat out and bypass it for a minimum charge. Is that a good idea? It's too old for emissions testing so that's not a worry. Btw, LBR, I was just messing. I should have taken your advice, lol.

No Dex-cool in it now. It's green and looks clean, I may flush it out anyway if the problem persists.

The base gasket looks good, and fresh, they replaced everything above it. I'm wondering if they messed something up when replacing it...

So on to what's odd now, in my extremely long post; I did another read on the OBD and got the same thing, lean fuel reading. Then I reset it and drove it a good 1/2 hour. Granted, it is a bit colder today than it has been, but the thing didn't get above normal temp at all, even with the heater off, and didn't act up at all. It also seemed to eat more gas than normal, but it's hard to say. Is it possible that the OBD trying to compensate for the lean fuel somehow caused the engine to run hotter or cause the other problems? I guess I'll know for sure if it's still getting hot in a bit, I have to drive 1 1/2 hours round trip, to pick my son up. I'mma leave early so I can take it easy and have time to pull off and let it cool if it starts acting up again. Thanks again guys... This is why I asked here and not the jerks on the GM forum.
Btw... it immediately popped up the same warning after I reset it and drove it again.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

If the air filter is new, then that's probably not the issue.

It is illegal to bypass a cat. By law, if you have a vehicle that is equipped with a cat, you can not cut the cat off, because for normal inspection it is required to be on there. Emissions it is required to be on there AND working. I trust you can see the difference there.

Every time I've given someone vehicle advice, it's been ignored. And every time I've been proven right. (on buying a vehicle that is)

Water pump could be corroded inside and not flowing the coolant well enough. Usually on Fords the pump itself just goes bad and starts weeping fluid out the weep hole. GM, I dunno...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Coolant after a while loses it's additives and actually becomes corrosive. Esp. to aluminum.

That TB gasket sounds like a real good place to start Mutant Pony

Antifreeze picks up a voltage and will eat aluminum through electrolisis. I forget off hand what the maximum voltage is, but you can even stick a voltmeter in the antifreeze and get a reading off of it.

 

[DeanMoriarty]

I thought of a great sign I want to make for the parts store up the street to put in their window.
"GM owners make great repeat customers."
Lol
Ok, so I'm a total jackass. I realized as I was driving last night that the popping noise I'd heard was actually the lift gate glass being noisy. I think in my aggravation / nervousness of being stuck in the Taco Bell drive thru forever and being afraid the damned thing was going to overheat, coupled with the wind and the crappy condition of the highway I was on, I may have been imagining symptoms... Oops.
As I listened close, I realized the thing is responsible for many of the odd noises I've been hearing lately.
Regardless, the lean fuel warning and the running warm I'm quite sure I didn't imagine. I've got new plugs, wires, distributor, rotor, and fuel filter to put on, because it's all probably due anyway. Then I'm going to try to test as much of the other stuff as I can, I hate to just start dropping money on replacing parts and not knowing if it's going to fix the problem. I'll let you all know what I find. Thanks again.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Don't feel too bad about your "oops" moment...

I was in a hurry to leave Saturday evening cuz I was running late and I forgot to unlock my front hubs on the choptop, though it was in 2wd. (Also hadn't bothered to verify the condition of the passenger side U-joint.) So I drove off and I'm wondering why my turning radius isn't the normal good and it's taking a bit of gas to overcome the resistance (front locker). Don't think about it until I'm almost home and hear a THUMP. Pulled over, glanced around in the dark, realized my hubs were locked, unlocked 'em an drove home. Went out this morning and glanced in the knuckle area on the passenger side where I heard the thump come from. Yup....U-joint spit all the caps. That does it, when my tax money gets here, I'm upgrading my front to a D-35. Anyone got a D-35 pig with 4.10s for sale?

 

[DeanMoriarty]

Oh hell. That sucks man.

That reminds me of one time when I was younger. I was driving an old Lincoln town car down the highway. I noticed after a bit that no matter how much gas I gave the thing, I could not get it above 55mph. Engine is screaming and the damned thing still won't go faster than 55mph... What the hell?

Of course, I finally glance down and realize I had it in 2nd instead of drive.

Things that should seem very obvious can sometimes slip past a person.

 

[rboyer]

Sell that GM for a few hundred bucks and use the money to buy a tranny for your Ranger!!! Problem solved.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So how's the POS holding up now? lol

 

[DeanMoriarty]

Lol... So far so good. It drove great on the 1 1/2 hour to pick my son up Sunday.
The temp took a huge drop here yesterday so I haven't gotten out there to mess with it again, have to wait until my next day off and hope for a decent day.

Nah rboyer... I need wheels while the Ranger is fixed, and a vehicle to go pick up the tranny with... The GM has enough new parts, and new tires on it, I'm sure I can get some sucka to give me what I paid for it. Then I can invest that $$$ towards a larger cab truck or SUV (Not a GM, lol). Regular cab Rangers just weren't designed to haul a family around in.

 

[mhughes165]

but a bII or exploder were

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

'sploders make excellent family vehicles, especially when the kids get big. Plus you start out with the better motor and axles.

Of course, an adult can fit comfortably in the back seat of a BII as well...

 

[DeanMoriarty]

Yup yup...
I really do like the look of the BII's. Explorers are alright... but I'm not crazy about the full size SUV's. Seems like the older ones were a bit smaller. I wish they made a Ranger with a larger cab.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yup yup...
I really do like the look of the BII's. Explorers are alright... but I'm not crazy about the full size SUV's. Seems like the older ones were a bit smaller. I wish they made a Ranger with a larger cab.

The older Explorers were a bit smaller, the new ones they made bigger and wider to help prevent rollovers... because idiots were behind the wheel.

They do make Rangers with a larger cab... they're just not brought into the US. Just like they make a diesel Ranger... just not in the US.

BIIs are great lil trucks... but you gotta watch 'em... anything with an auto that has an overdrive, the trans is on the weak side. Plus the D-28 front axle can bring the suck. They seem ok with up to a 30" tire, but if you lock it and go bigger.... not good.

 

[DeanMoriarty]

Ouch.
That sucks man.

Lol @ bigger than 30".... I'm looking for a family ride, so I don't think that would be a problem. I don't want to throw my back out lifting them into the thing. Maybe when I get the $$$ I could get myself a toy...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Ouch.
That sucks man.

Lol @ bigger than 30".... I'm looking for a family ride, so I don't think that would be a problem. I don't want to throw my back out lifting them into the thing. Maybe when I get the $$$ I could get myself a toy...

Ehh.. I guess it was bound to happen... but it sucked that because of it breaking, it left me stuck in mud up almost to the bottom of my doors... Careful note will show that the U-joint is complete, all the caps are accounted for, and it was a brand new joint, less than 50 miles on it when the shaft detonated... Of course, I was WOT in the mud....

IMHO, I wouldn't run a tire smaller than a 235/75/15 (30x9.50x15) on a BII. My first BII I ran the tiny stock tires... the BII I fixed up and sold had 235's on it, I preferred that size, partly cuz it's easier to get a good AT tire in that size. You could probably run 31's with a 2" budget boost as long as you didn't lock the front...