owner of a dead 2002 Ford Ranger that only ran for 27 days after buying it

[exasperated]

I'm here because last summer I bought a 2002 Ford Ranger XLT 4.0L from a family friend and it only lasted 27 days. I was told by a mechanic that it wouldn't turn, I kind of gave up for a variety of reasons and started driving my old car again. My landlord started pestering me about the truck so I finally got it assessed again and it's true, it was seized. I am considering replacing the engine. I was quoted by a mechanic for $1600 labor and $2800 for a used engine (which seems overpriced, I saw $1800 used engines around) but I am a little nervous about that. After July 4 we will get some pricing on a rebuilt engine.

I'm just not sure it will be worth it. I am kind of doubling down on this stupid purchase. BUT the truck drove great, I drove it 2000 miles home after first buying it and it felt like a rental car it was so smooth. I had some fun with it. I am probably being illogical with my desire to fix it and could find another misc used car for that. But other than the engine it is in good cosmetic shape, they replaced the tires and brakes before selling it to me. My only other car is a 1993 cargo van (Chevy lol - it's been awesome but is more of a guzzler and less powerful).

Just curious about any insight or concerns one might have. I am the kind of person to keep a car for a very long time til it falls apart. I'm not sure I would keep this truck for 15 years like I have been driving my cargo van (as my main driver, used to ride a bike a lot as well), but at least with a new engine would have some resell value at some point. I know I could get a different 20yr old car or beater for this repair price but that's daunting and another can of worms.

The mechanic - not sure where he will be checking around for rebuilt engines. What questions should I ask him before proceeding in terms of the new (to me) engine? I read mixed comments about various rebuilt engines. I do not have time or space or skill to work on the truck myself. I'm also so used to my van this engine feels like it's from another planet. I have barely had to do any maintenance on my van at all. This engine seems a little more uncertain. Any thoughts or insights welcome.

EDIT: also do you think this truck will have issues passing California smog check? I see them on the road all the time around me.
it is from the midwest, so it is a little rusty.

 

[franklin2]

How many miles did the truck have on it when the engine seized?

Problem is, unless you can do the work yourself, it's not a good investment to buy a old car or truck. It is 22 years and will need work now and then, and since it's pretty old, more serious work like this engine business. The transmission may be next if it has over 200.000 miles on it. If you did not have to pay people to work on it, then it would be different.

 

[Mister G]

Did the engine run out of oil, lose oil pressure, extreme overheat, etc? I thought my 1974 302 Ranchero engine had locked up, but it turned out the starter had self-destructed and jammed the engine so I could not turn it with a breaker bar on the crsnk bolt to see if it would manually turn. Make certain something like this scenario has not happened with your truck.

 

[Mister G]

The prices you have mentioned seem extremely high (IMO) for a used engine. The $1600 labor charge to swap out an engine sounds steep to me as well. It may be a good idea to pull your starter out and try to manually turn the engine with a breaker bar on the crankshaft bolt. Unless you ran out of oil or lost oil pressure, it seems a little odd to suddenly lock up.

 

[exasperated]

It died while at a red light, it started rough idling then when I got through the intersection it died. I heard a subtle pfft sound. No knocking or rattles etc.. seemed out of nowhere. The mechanic who assessed it said it's likely the engine lost oil pressure. But they'd need to take apart the engine to be sure. If a rod was thrown or something. I was told by the first mechanic that I need a new starter. This surprised me because my Chevy has had issues or I run out of gas and attempting to start the car multiple times has never killed the starter. The mechanic who might work on it said it turns about 35 degrees then stops. At this point I have two mechanics who say it doesn't turn by hand, that seems seized to me?

I think the engine had 143k miles on it when seized.
I don't have an issue with old cars because I have an even older one, a 31yr old van. And it's hardly needed any repair. I've owned that one since 2009, it has 123k miles right now. I've almost driven 100k of those.

 

[franklin2]

It would be a lot better if you could pull the engine yourself and see what is wrong with it. Unlike transmissions, you can do surgery sometimes on a engine and get it going again. But anyone in the business is not going to do that, they want to do the job, get their money, and not have any comebacks. If you did it yourself you can be a little bit more inventive and take risks.

 

[2011Supercab]

You're looking at $5000 with tax and all that stuff,
If it's an automatic transmission I'd drop the pan and see what the filter and fluid look like, if they're bad you will be needing a transmission soon, now your into it for another $2000.

If the rest of the truck is in good shape, for $7000 you've got a rebuilt engine and transmission that should last many years.

 

[MaicoDoug]

2002 4.0L, some of these had known timing chain issues that when the time came, the timing chain failed and the valves & pistons interacted together that would be I believe what you are telling us. With some internet investigation, a buyer will have this knowledge, but most never do and end up like this. With my newer 2007 4.0L motor, Ford changed the mechanical design, so that will never happen. Good thing to know.

You need to find a newer 4.0 that doesn't have the timing belt issue with lower miles, and swap them both motor & tranny. franklin is right, at about 200Kmi, those 5 speed auto trannys are done for. Rangers are reliable, but knowing the right years are extremely important. Most of us here love these things, and our love and passion drive our inspiration to toss better parts around. If you want reliable transportation, Rangers are well suited, however strap yourself in for the ride as you will have to do for any type or brand you end up with. As Joe Walsh says "welcome to the club".

Read this....https://www.therangerstation.com/forums/index.php?threads/when-was-the-timing-chain-rattle-in-the-sohc-4-0-fixed.190495/

 

[19Walt93]

The sentence that caught my attention was "it's a little rusty", being from NH I know what road salt does to vehicles. Before spending a bunch of money, please have it checked over for rust and any other needed repairs.
I've not had good experiences with Jasper remans, we sold Ford remans almost exclusively.

 

[Mister G]

It died while at a red light, it started rough idling then when I got through the intersection it died. I heard a subtle pfft sound. No knocking or rattles etc.. seemed out of nowhere. The mechanic who assessed it said it's likely the engine lost oil pressure. But they'd need to take apart the engine to be sure. If a rod was thrown or something. I was told by the first mechanic that I need a new starter. This surprised me because my Chevy has had issues or I run out of gas and attempting to start the car multiple times has never killed the starter. The mechanic who might work on it said it turns about 35 degrees then stops. At this point I have two mechanics who say it doesn't turn by hand, that seems seized to me?

I think the engine had 143k miles on it when seized.
I don't have an issue with old cars because I have an even older one, a 31yr old van. And it's hardly needed any repair. I've owned that one since 2009, it has 123k miles right now. I've almost driven 100k of those.

I did not know these details. When asking a question of the board it is best to include as much detail as possible to best describe the circumstances surrounding the mechanical problem.

 

[exasperated]

thanks everyone for the insight. I am still torn. I need to get some pricing on a rebuilt engine from the mechanic. The person who sold it to me might be able to contribute some $ as well as my parents but all TBD amounts which could shave down the overall cost to be more worthwhile to me. But it’s still iffy.

When I first bought it I did so because I trusted the previous owners. Though it’s rusty it had been in a garage mostly and is less rusty than my van which just keeps on trucking. And I saw tons of Rangers on the road of a similar build/year range. And when I looked up Ford Ranger I mainly just saw people talking about how much they love them. The timing chain issue does concern me, that’s why it seems a rebuilt engine would be a better option. The transmission I should ask the mechanic about but this truck was 60k miles away stilll from 200,000 miles. 60k is a lot of years of driving for me, my van I’ve had for 15yrs and only driven about 90k miles.