Replacement parts while engine and transmission are out. 1994 2WD Supercab

[STPL]

I just pulled the engine and transmission out as one unit and I want to make sure I go through this engine throughly so we don't have to pull it out AGAIN to replace something only accessible while the engine is out. Im thinking water pump, oil pump, clutch and a deep cleaning to start. What would you suggest doing or replacing while the engine and transmission are out?

 

[adsm08]

What kind of time frame and skill level are you looking at? I'd just rebuild the sucker.

 

[STPL]

What kind of time frame and skill level are you looking at? I'd just rebuild the sucker.

Cost is more of a factor than time and skill. My friend and I are considering a rebuild. There is no time frame this is my first project truck. It can sit in the garage for as long as it needs to, though I would like to drive it eventually. We've done plenty of other car work but never pulled an engine and transmission. I think we could handle an engine rebuild, but then thats extra money that ill be putting into this truck. I already have to replace the exhaust, break lines and a few other odds and ends on top of the normal spark plugs, gaskets, fluids and other things you need to replace after removing the engine and transmission. Is there a good rebuild guide for the 4cyl or engines in general somewhere? That way I can get a look at what we would be getting ourselves into.

 

[Mark_88]

How many miles on the engine? If over 200,000 I would definitely consider the rebuild. Less than that is probably good for a while but rings and valves are the most common items that are problematic at higher miles.

Aside from that I would suggest removing the box and giving the frame a good cleaning and painting...it always seemed to be a waste to put work into the engine and not ensure the frame will last as long.

 

[STPL]

How many miles on the engine? If over 200,000 I would definitely consider the rebuild. Less than that is probably good for a while but rings and valves are the most common items that are problematic at higher miles.

Aside from that I would suggest removing the box and giving the frame a good cleaning and painting...it always seemed to be a waste to put work into the engine and not ensure the frame will last as long.

It only has 104k on it which isn't bad at all. The bad part is it sat outside next to a garage and wasn't running for 5-6 years. The rust situation is OK. The frame is rusty but still very solid. The only rust issues are the top of the rear fender wheel well but thats not the worst problem in the world. It would be cool to rebuild an engine and get some extra reliability out of it but that costs more money and I have the 'If it ain't broke don't fix it' mentality.

 

[tomw]

The questions that comes to mind are two:
Why did you pull it?
How does it run?

If the former is to gain access to 'stuff', please list.
If the latter is 'unknown', the pulling the engine without determining its condition might have been a bit premature.
If the engine ran OK, then just do the normal stuff: hoses, filters, thermostat using a (Stant/Motorcraft), plugs, wires. If there is cam cover or pan leakage, do those gaskets. If the rear main is leaking, {NOT seeping} replace that. Replace the timing belt.
Water pump is totally accessible w/o removing the engine, actually, so is the thermostat. If the cooling system has been maintained, there should be little to no sludge in the water jacket, so relatively nothing to do there.
If the clutch, pressure plate, and throwout bearing assembly are replaced, it would not be out of line at 200k miles. Be sure to get the correct throwout bearing for your vintage and transmission as there are multiple versions. Perhaps a new master cylinder would be appropriate as you will be bleeding the whole mess on assembly.
If you decide to take the engine apart and do internal work, a minimal pile of parts would include bearings and rings, standard size unless you have the crankshaft journals ground undersize or have the cylinders bored oversize, requiring new rings & pistons.
The lima will do 300,000 miles with little problem. Unless the bores are rusted, I'd leave things alone if compression was good. I think you want compression above 140psi, but that would be at sea level, more or less, and I don't know your altitude.
tom

 

[RonD]

Google: 2.3l SOHC Lima engine

These were built at the Ford Engine Plant in Lima, Ohio, they include the 2.0l(under bored 2.3l) and 2.5l(stroked 2.3l)

Loads of info on specifications and modifications
The 2.3l Lima was used in Mustangs for many years

2.3l Duratec DOHC engine is unrelated to the 2.3l Lima engine but was used in Rangers from 2002 and up, so 2.3l Ranger searches will often come up with Duratec info which won't apply to Lima engines

You will have an M5OD-R1 manual transmission in a 1994, very reliable, there are 3 rubber plugs on the upper rear that need to be changed, they get hard and leak.
Article here: http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/shift_rail_plug_maintenance.shtml

This manual transmission uses ATF, yes, automatic transmission fluid, Mercon V is what Ford specifies

Drain fluid and look for metal pieces, if all is well then refill, if metal filings are seen then open it up to inspect
Although not common the Input Gears could start to wear down and fail

 

[STPL]

The questions that comes to mind are two:
Why did you pull it?
How does it run?

If the former is to gain access to 'stuff', please list.
If the latter is 'unknown', the pulling the engine without determining its condition might have been a bit premature.
If the engine ran OK, then just do the normal stuff: hoses, filters, thermostat using a (Stant/Motorcraft), plugs, wires. If there is cam cover or pan leakage, do those gaskets. If the rear main is leaking, {NOT seeping} replace that. Replace the timing belt.
Water pump is totally accessible w/o removing the engine, actually, so is the thermostat. If the cooling system has been maintained, there should be little to no sludge in the water jacket, so relatively nothing to do there.
If the clutch, pressure plate, and throwout bearing assembly are replaced, it would not be out of line at 200k miles. Be sure to get the correct throwout bearing for your vintage and transmission as there are multiple versions. Perhaps a new master cylinder would be appropriate as you will be bleeding the whole mess on assembly.
If you decide to take the engine apart and do internal work, a minimal pile of parts would include bearings and rings, standard size unless you have the crankshaft journals ground undersize or have the cylinders bored oversize, requiring new rings & pistons.
The lima will do 300,000 miles with little problem. Unless the bores are rusted, I'd leave things alone if compression was good. I think you want compression above 140psi, but that would be at sea level, more or less, and I don't know your altitude.
tom

Thanks for all the info! The truck currently has 104k on it. I got this truck for free and was full of garbage and mouse nests when I got it. My friend and I are basically pulling it for fun/just to learn more about cars and trucks. I want to daily drive it and needed a good idea of the condition of everything as well. The engine ran well for siting outside for 5-6 years unattended, just needed a new starter and solenoid switch. The exhaust has a few holes in it which wasn't helping it run smoothly and I also have no break pressure due to a severed line that needs to be fixed.

All the the coolant that came out of it was bright rusty brown/orange, not a good sign for the cooling system. Should I be replacing parts, or just flushing the whole system? Transmission fluid and engine oil came out smoothly, nothing was chunky or had metal bits in it but were going to check the oil pan just incase. What 'stuff' is normally not accessible without the engine being removed? I would think its wise to replace those parts while the engine is out of the truck.

 

[RonD]

Oil pump and oil pan gasket
Rear main seal
Clutch system, since it sat for so long I would replace clutch master as well, seals are probably shot.
Rangers use a self-adjusting pressure plate because of the internal slave, so pressure plate can't be reused unless it is reset using a hydraulic press
LUK is a good brand for clutch kits/parts

Check motor mounts and trans mounts

 

[Mark_88]

It's always good to know how to pull things apart and put them back together again. Nothing lost and much gained.

The first time I swapped an engine I did it the easy way...removed the cab and the box and used a forklift. Put it together the same way and learned so much...especially how expensive mistakes can be...

I've installed a few used engines over the years and usually they worked out well and lasted for many years without tearing them down. It is also a good idea to actually get a completely different engine and tear them down and rebuild without tearing down an otherwise running and low mileage engine.

You can pretty much tell within a few weeks of driving if there are problems with fluid leaks and whether you need to do anything more than just change the fluids.

You have a wealth of information and helpful members being on this site as I'm sure you will appreciate if you don't already. I came to this site pretty much knowing less than anyone could and look at me today...I still need help but I've never had so much fun or met a nicer bunch of people...

 

[STPL]

It's always good to know how to pull things apart and put them back together again. Nothing lost and much gained.

The first time I swapped an engine I did it the easy way...removed the cab and the box and used a forklift. Put it together the same way and learned so much...especially how expensive mistakes can be...

I've installed a few used engines over the years and usually they worked out well and lasted for many years without tearing them down. It is also a good idea to actually get a completely different engine and tear them down and rebuild without tearing down an otherwise running and low mileage engine.

You can pretty much tell within a few weeks of driving if there are problems with fluid leaks and whether you need to do anything more than just change the fluids.

You have a wealth of information and helpful members being on this site as I'm sure you will appreciate if you don't already. I came to this site pretty much knowing less than anyone could and look at me today...I still need help but I've never had so much fun or met a nicer bunch of people...

You have no idea how much it means to have some support behind me. I have a lot of friends and co workers telling me this is a waste of my time and money and I'll never get it driving again. It's good to have a forum full of like minded people on my side!

 

[STPL]

Oil pump and oil pan gasket
Rear main seal
Clutch system, since it sat for so long I would replace clutch master as well, seals are probably shot.
Rangers use a self-adjusting pressure plate because of the internal slave, so pressure plate can't be reused unless it is reset using a hydraulic press
LUK is a good brand for clutch kits/parts

Check motor mounts and trans mounts

Thanks for the info, Ron! This self-adjusting pressure plate you are talking about, is that part of the clutch cylinder and line? I have to replace the line going from the engine bay to the transmission and thought I would get one from a junkyard. Will a used one work, or is that something i should buy new?

 

[tomw]

The hydraulic cylinder that pushes on the throwout bearing is pumped out by depressing the clutch pedal, and as noted needs a special tool to re-set or push back into its starting position. I haven't messed with one, Ford brand, but expect that if you do all the work of pulling the engine & transmission, you'd want to install a new clutch set. The old master/line/slave combination would not work well with the new clutch pressure plate & disk. Out of adjustment due to wear on the old components.
It is not worth fiddling with it for the relative expense of a new set. Trying to find a matching set of the trio in a boneyard would be more difficult than it's worth. Get new.
tom

 

[STPL]

The hydraulic cylinder that pushes on the throwout bearing is pumped out by depressing the clutch pedal, and as noted needs a special tool to re-set or push back into its starting position. I haven't messed with one, Ford brand, but expect that if you do all the work of pulling the engine & transmission, you'd want to install a new clutch set. The old master/line/slave combination would not work well with the new clutch pressure plate & disk. Out of adjustment due to wear on the old components.
It is not worth fiddling with it for the relative expense of a new set. Trying to find a matching set of the trio in a boneyard would be more difficult than it's worth. Get new.
tom

Would you pick up any transmission/clutch parts from a junkyard if you found them in decent looking condition? I'm trying to keep the cost of this project down. I don't want to fill it up with a ton of brand new parts for a project truck and I also don't want to throw a ton of junk in it. I should mention this will be my first time pulling parts from a junkyard for a ranger. What are some ranger must grab parts and ones to stay far away from?

 

[tomw]

If dollar limited, and the clutch works, leave it alone. Don't replace anything. Unless abused, many clutches last the life of the truck.

If you replaced the clutch disk, without anything else, you'd have to figure a way to collapse the throwout bearing slave cylinder to get back all the adjustment. There may be a release that allows this. I do not know.
tom