Possible 89 ranger purchase - ADVICE Please - Oil pressure

[Robintett]

Hey! New to the forum and rangers so any advice welcome!

I just went to look at a 89 ranger xlt 2.9 4x4 auto today. Drove it around and on the highway and it felt great, very tight and smooth. Shell in very good condition, hardly any rust and great interior.

Now the things I was a little off put by. Seemed to be a fair bit of oil around.. Leaking from cam covers maybe, fair bit of oil was on water pump and starter motor also.

Bigger issue to me tho was the oil pressure dropped off at idle, I have read the gauge is just a switch that comes on over 6psi? I'm just wondering if I should be put off by this or common? The motor generally sounded good-didnt notice any tapping noises. The gauge seemed to move up a little when put in neutral? It's also didn't move consistently, kinda jumped around in an erratic manner then dropped off... Maybe an electronic issue?

Apart from that great, just wondering if you guys have any advice and if I should be put off. I don't mind a small bit of work but don't want to pull the pan off to replace a oil pump really... I'd rather keep looking.

Thanks for any help,

Robin

 

[RangerFabWorks]

Sounds like the valve cover gaskets are leaking. Not a big deal to replace

The oil pressure sender is crap on these trucks. Nothing more than a fancy idiot light. If you buy the truck. Do yourself a favor and install an aftermarket oil gauge. You'll thank yourself for it. 2.9 is a good little motor.

 

[adsm08]

I agree, with the erratic operation it is probably the sender going out, or the port may be partially blocked. The 2.9 is not a quiet engine, so if you didn't hear valve clatter there isn't an oil pressure issue. Buy it then go get one of the Bosch 3-gauge clusters with oil, temp, and volts. Takes about an hour to install and worth having.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Valve cover gaskets are most likely leaking and they can make a real mess with oil everywhere. I use the rubber Fel-Pro gaskets with a little Indian Head gasket shellac. Takes a rubber mallet to knock them free if you ever have to take them off again, but it cures the leak. Not hard to do, an inexperienced person can do it in an afternoon with a quarter inch ratchet set.

It's probably the sender or sludge buildup on the sender or a bad wire for the gauge to be whacky. I wouldn't worry, no oil pressure is painfully obvious in these motors.


Sent from my kite using a trebuchet

 

[Robintett]

Okay, thanks for the replys.

So a sign of the oil pressure actually being bad is just noisy valve train? I didn't notice anything at all while in the car. An nothing sounded bad while I was under the bonnet.

I think I'll take another look at it.

 

[tinman_72]

I would verify that oil pressure is good before driving it anymore. I had a guy give me a '92 Lincoln Town car because the oil pressure gauge showed low oil pressure. The engine ran smoothly and made no noise. Everywhere I went on the internet told me it was the sending unit. I tried to drive it home and only made it about ten miles before the engine seized.
I am not saying it isn't the sending unit but it is possible that you actually have low oil pressure.