replace or rebuild

[larsen101]

so i have an 87 ranger with 2.9l its got a blown headgasket and needs to be replaced. my problem is to do the headgasket fix and hope there is nothing else wrong or swap the engine. just looking for some opinons/ ideas on what to do. the engine/ driveline has 290,000 miles on it no rebuilds. also how much do you think it would cost to have the heads resurfaced?
thanks for the help

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Are you sure it is just the head gasket it is not recommended putting rebuilt heads on a old engine the lower end wears out real quick from the stress. You can check the heads for any warpage or cracks and chance it just being a gasket and pretty sure you need new head bolts to put it back together. I hear those heads are notorious for cracks and not usually a gasket. 300,000 mile is getting up there I think your money ahead with a long block you can change the tranny seals while you have it apart depends on how long you plan on owning it and how much you like to wrench. I believe you have to take the heads apart to resurface get them magnafluxed first to check for cracks if they are good put new seals in throw it back together then run it till it pukes your call. not sure what it costs to resurface or magnaflux and if you had good oil pressure the lower end might be alright depending on how much water was run through it if you have a big ridge on the cylinders I would not mess with it rebuild or replace

 

[IMenriched]

so i have an 87 ranger with 2.9l its got a blown headgasket and needs to be replaced. my problem is to do the headgasket fix and hope there is nothing else wrong or swap the engine. just looking for some opinons/ ideas on what to do. the engine/ driveline has 290,000 miles on it no rebuilds. also how much do you think it would cost to have the heads resurfaced?
thanks for the help

At 290K on the ticker....the probability that just a fresh set of heads...is going to cure it, is v-e-r-y low. In all likelyhood, the heads are cracked, not just head gaskets....If it was my chips to spend...wouldn't mess with anything but the heavier world products heads. http://www.worldcastings.com/produc...6-ford-heads/sr-29l-v-6-ford-heads.html...but that is me. I really don't relish doing things again because the roll of the dice j/y head that checked Ok 3 months earlier, fails.

agreed with kimcrwbr1...it might be time for a overhaul/rebuild. This is where you have to decide how much this truck is worth to you. If you do this right it won't cost you too bad, do some research. For the money spent vs power and reliability gain...might want to consider a 4.0 swap

 

[Ranger44]

Replace it. I don't think it's worth putting money into a 2.9. It'll just bite you later.

And since when does putting new heads on an old block destroy the bottom end? I call BS, I've been running rebuilt heads on a 160K block for over a year, and have put about 10K on it.

But, anyway,the money, time, and aggravation is worth swapping either a good running 2.9 or 4.0 in.

IMO, you'd be happier with the 4L.

 

[Big Jim M]

it is not recommended putting rebuilt heads on a old engine the lower end wears out r

it is not recommended putting rebuilt heads on a old engine the lower end wears out real quick from the stress.

That is total absolute BUNK! There isn't any more stress! a head is a head is a head! Unless you install racing heads with far greater compression! Simply R&R'n same heads gives the same pressure burn the engine is expecting.
Big JIm

Are you sure it is just the head gasket it is not recommended putting rebuilt heads on a old engine the lower end wears out real quick from the stress. You can check the heads for any warpage or cracks and chance it just being a gasket and pretty sure you need new head bolts to put it back together. I hear those heads are notorious for cracks and not usually a gasket. 300,000 mile is getting up there I think your money ahead with a long block you can change the tranny seals while you have it apart depends on how long you plan on owning it and how much you like to wrench. I believe you have to take the heads apart to resurface get them magnafluxed first to check for cracks if they are good put new seals in throw it back together then run it till it pukes your call. not sure what it costs to resurface or magnaflux and if you had good oil pressure the lower end might be alright depending on how much water was run through it if you have a big ridge on the cylinders I would not mess with it rebuild or replace

 

[larsen101]

ok cool this kind of confirmed more of what i was thinking. i had read about how prone the heads are to cracking and i have really been tossing around the idea of the 4l swap for the power. thanks for the advice ill have to start looking into a doner vehicle. also any happen to know if the manual tranny would be able to match up to a explorer 4l with no problems and be able to handle the power load?? thanks

 

[jay jigless]

well the only thing that would be diffrent would be the clutch, and the wires (harness) so all you would have to do is switch out the wiring harness and switch out the clutch with the standard 4.0 clutch and it should bolt right up if you have the FM146 5spd trans. i was considering the same thing and i ended up deciding on fixing up my 2.9 i personally have not had any problems with any of mine i have a 2.9 "88" with about 235,000 miles on it and it only ticks a lil bit, and the original (the on im fixing up) with about 137,000 miles on it and it sounds new.