Ravo's Ranger

[RavoHimself]

decided to clean up my bumper a bit. top looked like old chrome but the bottom was just really yellow and gross looking. these are my results. i started on the right of the picture

look at right above the plate. you caan see the color difference

this is the side i hadn't done yet

the bottom still isnt quite there. but better than it was

 

[RavoHimself]

so i finally started the engine teardown to get rid of my diesel clack that has been going on. i knew i had one bad rocker/push rod but what i found was surprising.

turns out all of them aren't far behind. i had bought one set to fix the problem but i just ordered the other 5 which will come in tomorrow. the valve stems destroyed the rockers over her long life.

close up

new one

notice how there isn't a huge hole in the end. i like that a lot better. i'm gonna do the other side in a month or so once i save up more money. if this side is this bad the other side can't be far behind

 

[RavoHimself]

also i can't wait for the extra power due to the valves being able to open all the way. the one really bad rocker could move freely about 1/4"

 

[RavoHimself]

anyone know what this part is technically called and also if it is a stealership part. it is the rocker arm shaft pedestal. it is cracked. i really dont want to spend 50 bucks on something i can find at i can get for cheap

it looks like i found a part number. 89TM 6531AB

 

[RavoHimself]

so i finally got the part through ford. 12 bucks with my dads company discount. not bad. got it today. got the rocker arm back together. should be putting it all back together when i get off work. don't worry. i know how much you guys like pictures

 

[RavoHimself]

so i took my truck wheeling today. actually yesterday. its early and im tired. i broke my fog valence but ill fix it up with a bit of fiberglass and new bolts and such. i ended up getting stuck on a log with my front dif. lucky my dad came to the rescue with his sport trac. just a bit of tension and one guy rocking it was more than 4 guys rocking and pushing could do. ill post pics in the am

 

[RavoHimself]

so first got it stuck in the mud

turned my tires into slicks. then when i want to cross a log my front end slid down to the thicker part before going over and getting my meatball stuck. heres the aftermath

looks like ill be breaking out the fiberglass for some repairs

wasnt sure if i was out of 4wd so i figured why not kill 2 bird with one stone. check gear and remove mud

overall it was fun. but i need more lift and bigger tires

 

[RavoHimself]

also i might add that switching from my jeep which has an 85" wheelbase to a ex cab ranger is a heck of a lot different when it comes to cornering in the woods. especially since the trails are dirtbike/quad trails

 

[RavoHimself]

So everyone doubted me about getting 20+ mpg on the highway with a 4.0, 32s, and 3.73s. I can honestly say that I get 20 mpg on the highway. Drove up to my sisters house for the weekend. 105 miles each way by my odometer. So I ended up going 210 miles and used just over 10 gallons of gas. Also I've noticed I smell gas after I drive so that's 20 mpg with a small gas leak. I'm very pleased. At 70 mph I was running 2300 rpm. Can't really ask for a better crusing speed

 

[RavoHimself]

so i've been noticing that i have a dif leak and that one side of my cover is always wet

took it apart

and look what i found

theres a hole. so i'm either gonna buy a new cover or weld it up or jbweld it for now. i'm gonna switch over to an ex 8.8 when i get the money anyway so everything will be "new"

 

[RangerBoy94]

Why switch to an explorer 8.8 your truck already has a 8.8? Nice built I really like it. If you are looking to get a little more lift I'd do the 63 inch chevys in the back and put some 2 inch coil spacers in the front.

 

[kris97ranger]

An explorer 8.8 is 31 spline has an l/s diff and disk breaks. If your lucky sometimes you can get 4.10s stock. But that may jus be the fx4s I don't remember

 

[RangerBoy94]

I didn't know they had disk's. I new they were 31 spline vs 28.

 

[RavoHimself]

so its been a while since i've updated this. not much has happened but a few cosmetic things here and there.
got a new red diff cover. painted ford blue to match the front

got a new radio.

with a sub to go with it

bought a set of cab lights

painted my fender flares black. no pic yet

and i just ordered a set of 06 mirrors

and to top it off

and i figured while i was spray painting things i would finally spray my senior metal shop project. made with a cnc plasma cuter

so thats what ive been doing. also i just scored about $1500 for graduation so i'm getting a 92 vulcan 750 for a grand and then i have some extra money for goodies for my truck. should be interesting

 

[RavoHimself]

Why switch to an explorer 8.8 your truck already has a 8.8? Nice built I really like it. If you are looking to get a little more lift I'd do the 63 inch chevys in the back and put some 2 inch coil spacers in the front.

kriss97 said it all for the reasoning for the swap. the other thing is its a bit wider so it will match the front track width. i already have 2" leveling coils up front so spacers are a no-go. in the spring i'll be buying a 4" lift for it and 33x10.5's anyway so i'm not worried. as for the rear i'll probably do shackles and maybe an ex leave swap if its not enough