The Ranger pulls through again! Towed a stranger home tonight...

[AgPete139]

I love my Ford Ranger...as under-rated as it is by most, mine never ceases to impress.

I was driving home today from college (90 mile drive), and I drive past an '03 5.4L Triton with no hazards flashing and parked on the grass and road shoulder...someone was haunched over the steering wheel, and I noticed a Texas A&M decal on the rear window...

Drove on for 10 seconds, decided to check up on em, and drove another 10 seconds to find an exit. Outer country roads, so cut through the muddy median (downgrade then a steep upgrade), and went on the feeder in the reverse direction. Got out about 20 yards away, walked over to her, and she rolled down her window with a huge sigh of relief when she saw my Aggie shirt. She was such a distressed, crying mess!

Popped her hood, and it sounded like she majorly blew a head gasket or like a fuel injector problem. Sounded like an outboard boat motor with a wierd + constant "backfiring" sound, and smelled slightly rich. Checked her hoses, made sure no fluids were dripping, and talked to her father on the phone (Ford guy = yes!)...

She was skeptical if I could tow her into Houston as it was getting dark pretty quickly. I slightly chuckled, plowed through the muddy mess again, hooked up her F-150, and towed her 30 miles to a well lit common intersection. Her father, another 100 miles away, met up with us when I stopped, and he towed her back home with his F-150 and pintle hook.

I took it slow, but her and her father were both surprised at the Ranger. Made really great time, good company, and I had fun towing her.

4.0L OHV V6 for the win!



Oh, and the father has an F-250 powerstroke turbodiesel, and 2 fully restored 1966 mustangs...he showed me pics!

 

[Southern3.0]

Ranger FTW!


btw was she hot?

 

[Bent Bolt]

Good job !!! Sounds like a spark plug blew out of the 5.4l.

 

[chittybangbang]

It sounds like she blew a spark plug.Those engines are known for that.

 

[skippy]

I love my Ford Ranger...as under-rated as it is by most, mine never ceases to impress.

I was driving home today from college (90 mile drive), and I drive past an '03 5.4L Triton with no hazards flashing and parked on the grass and road shoulder...someone was haunched over the steering wheel, and I noticed a Texas A&M decal on the rear window...

Drove on for 10 seconds, decided to check up on em, and drove another 10 seconds to find an exit. Outer country roads, so cut through the muddy median (downgrade then a steep upgrade), and went on the feeder in the reverse direction. Got out about 20 yards away, walked over to her, and she rolled down her window with a huge sigh of relief when she saw my Aggie shirt. She was such a distressed, crying mess!

Popped her hood, and it sounded like she majorly blew a head gasket or like a fuel injector problem. Sounded like an outboard boat motor with a wierd + constant "backfiring" sound, and smelled slightly rich. Checked her hoses, made sure no fluids were dripping, and talked to her father on the phone (Ford guy = yes!)...

She was skeptical if I could tow her into Houston as it was getting dark pretty quickly. I slightly chuckled, plowed through the muddy mess again, hooked up her F-150, and towed her 30 miles to a well lit common intersection. Her father, another 100 miles away, met up with us when I stopped, and he towed her back home with his F-150 and pintle hook.

I took it slow, but her and her father were both surprised at the Ranger. Made really great time, good company, and I had fun towing her.

4.0L OHV V6 for the win!



Oh, and the father has an F-250 powerstroke turbodiesel, and 2 fully restored 1966 mustangs...he showed me pics!

i drive a f-250 work truck w/5.4l triton and at 100,000 miles or so mine blew out #7 spark plug in the wrong area of atlanta.i actually thought someone was shooting at me for a few seconds.drove for 5 miles before i felt safe enough to get out to check it.ford tech that works for us now said it is common on 5.4.but it sounds like what you described,it's drivable if you don't mind the stares.good to know there are still gentlemen out there!you done good,real good!

 

[chittybangbang]

What is it with ford and cylinder heads?From what I've read about the 97 - 02(2 valve) triton heads is that ford only put 3 or so threads in the head holding the spark plugs.The newer heads (3 valve) now have 7 threads holding in the plugs.

 

[skippy]

What is it with ford and cylinder heads?From what I've read about the 97 - 02(2 valve) triton heads is that ford only put 3 or so threads in the head holding the spark plugs.The newer heads (3 valve) now have 7 threads holding in the plugs.

i dont't know,but i know when one goes it will get your attention quick.at 160,000 miles i get a new truck,boss says it will be chevy.

 

[Bent Bolt]

What is it with ford and cylinder heads?From what I've read about the 97 - 02(2 valve) triton heads is that ford only put 3 or so threads in the head holding the spark plugs.The newer heads (3 valve) now have 7 threads holding in the plugs.

The early plugs had about 3 threads but the head actually had more threads. The service replacement plugs have more threads so the hold better. Still blow out, usually the rear ones, #3#4#7 or#8.

Yes, the 3 valve 5.4 have much longer threads on the head and plug but have a NASTY habit of seizing in the head. They have a very different design so when they seize and you try to remove the plug, the tip stays in stuck in the head. Ford actually came out with tool kit to remove the broken plug from the head.

 

[AgPete139]

Ranger FTW!


btw was she hot?

Hm...she was a cute freshman majoring in biomedical science...she had her wits, too...always a plus...I'd give her about 6.5 / 10 with Carmen Electra or Meghan Fox (the teen girl from the Transformers movie) as a 10 and...well, Rosanne = 0.

I'll be sure to call her tomorrow and tell her about the spark plug problem...

Thanks for the information guys! You're always so helpful...

TRS really is the best website out there in my eyes...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The early plugs had about 3 threads but the head actually had more threads. The service replacement plugs have more threads so the hold better. Still blow out, usually the rear ones, #3#4#7 or#8.

I have always heard it was the head, some late 03 castings had more threads so they wouldn't spit out, but the plugs are all the same. They make a timesert repair kit for it that puts a hardened steel insert in for the plug to thread into. The recomended fix from Ford is to replace the head to the tune of $2000+.

 

[skippy]

I have always heard it was the head, some late 03 castings had more threads so they wouldn't spit out, but the plugs are all the same. They make a timesert repair kit for it that puts a hardened steel insert in for the plug to thread into. The recomended fix from Ford is to replace the head to the tune of $2000+.

they charged my boss $460 to do a helicoil repair on the truck i drive.i wonder about it every time i romp the gas.

 

[Bent Bolt]

I have always heard it was the head, some late 03 castings had more threads so they wouldn't spit out, but the plugs are all the same. They make a timesert repair kit for it that puts a hardened steel insert in for the plug to thread into. The recomended fix from Ford is to replace the head to the tune of $2000+.

Yup , you're right. Ford does not recommend thread repair. Affects the heat transfer from the plug to head, gets chip debris in the engine, blah,blah,blah.They want you to replace the head. That said, I've seen many Timeserts repairs work just fine. I'd do it to my truck if I had a 5.4.

 

[Shoeboy]

I know what you mean about Ranger's being underestimated on power. I have the 2.9L in my 89. My exgirlfriend, for some reason's being that she was a chevy girl, and others being that she was a complete bitch. She was at a pretty busy intersection and her fuel pump died, and she stopped int he middle of the intersection. I come out with my little Ranger, and hook a rope to her two hooks (factory too, I guess chevy was thinking ahead), and dragged (key word) her home. I told her to keep in in neutral, keep her foot off the brake, I pulled her about 10 blocks home, and the entire time she had her foot on the brake, the park brake on, and the vehicle in park, the only time I every had problems were when I would get to the end of the rope and my back of the truck would hop for that second before it started pulling. Oh, did I mention that she drives a mid 90's Yukon. I pulled it 10-ish blocks, mostly uphill, and i burned out her tires, very nice flat spot. That really opened my eyes to the fact that a Ranger is a Truck, and not a wanna-be truck.

 

[PaleBlue90]

yea i agree, i have a 2.3 in my ranger and when my grandpa owned it, we hauled bricks for my uncle, the bumper was 6 inches from the ground, and the little ranger managed to have enough power to drive 10 miles and make it to 3rd gear.

 

[michowski]

Ive had a full bed full of fresh sod that comes in the rolls. It was stacked up to the top of the cab roof completly filling the bed. I drive a 3.0L 5 speed and with my bumper about a foot off the ground I managed to get up to 4th gear and take it a good 10 miles to my house. Never got hot, never had much hesitation, just stepped on the gas and off it went lol. Towed a car about 5 miles also and it was almost as if I wasnt towing it untill the rope lost slack and gave me a little nudge.