This Old XLT

[FL-400S]

I recently bought a 2001 Ranger XLT. It came with a few problems I'm addressing. The previous owner wanted to remove the cover for the steering column and tried to gently pry off the plastic portion the key is inserted into. He broke it and that made it have intermittent starting. I ordered a new lock with key matching from a supplied photograph of the key, so I didn't need to fool around with programming the PATS. The buttons were torn off of the speed control switches, so I got another set on Amazon and installed that. Next will be the fixes for the rear door latch cables, and a replacement for the radio, that the previous owner had removed and let me have. It turned out to be bricked, so I found a replacement aftermarket unit on sale at Walmart and got the install kit and harness adapter. This will be the 4th type of Ford V6 vehicle I've had since 1988. I hope it does as well as the others have.

 

[Josh B]

Awesome FL, good luck with it!

 

[FL-400S]

Thanks. I was wondering if these trucks have a relatively noisy drivetrain with an automatic? This truck seems to be a bit louder than the Bronco II I used to own and my current Explorer.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Thanks. I was wondering if these trucks have a relatively noisy drivetrain with an automatic? This truck seems to be a bit louder than the Bronco II I used to own and my current Explorer.

Does it sound like wind noise under the hood? You may want to check your clutch fan. They can make some noise and also rob your power.

 

[Uncle Gump]

And kill your mileage.

Welcome to TRS...

 

[rubydist]

And if it has the 4.0 sohc, they are known to have timing chain issues, which can cause a noise. You will want to change the hydraulic tensioners asap.

 

[FL-400S]

The noise is more a whine, like a manual transmission that's a bit low on lube. I've had fan couplers to fail before and this doesn't sound like that. It has the 3.0 engine. It's at the transmission shop now and they've had it for 3 days now and it's sounding like they aren't finding anything. On the other hand, My explorer was making noise that the techs couldn't locate and it got worse and worse. I finally isolated that to the differential. But on this truck, I was just wondering whether enough noise to be audible to the degree that the radio would have to cover it while driving, was normal.

 

[Uncle Gump]

The camshaft synchronizer on a 3.0L is known to make some noise. Then can seize due to lack of lube.

 

[FL-400S]

The previous owner had replaced the synchronizer. The whine is like gears meshing or a worn bearing. it also will sometimes clunk as I draw to a stop after driving. That is like when a transmission unlocks from overdrive.

 

[FL-400S]

This truck has the optional inoperative back door latching system. I ordered a set of 4 ends for the cable shields to replace the deteriorated plastic ends. I spent most of yesterday afternoon replacing the broken parts. the cable shields were heavily deformed at the door handle ends and neither latch would work properly after getting everything together. The shields at the handle end looked like someone had heated up the cable and melted the plastic within the braided metal outer shield. It is looking like I will have to replace the entire cable/shield and end. I see none available on the market. Has anyone tried using a bicycle hand brake cable making kit for use with these door latches? Only the top latch is working right now and I need to find a solution.

 

[Josh B]

Can cable clamps be used in it?

 

[FL-400S]

The cables have an exterior of a polyethylene jacket with a braided metal inner jacket. Those have an inner polyethylene tube that should be bonded to the shield. On mine that inner tube is loose from the shield and looks like it is melted and pulled out of one end. The stranded metal cable that actually works the latches should slide in the inner tube, but the inner tube tries to move with the cable. Both the cables will not move enough to allow the latches to close correctly, and won't allow the only cable that operates a latch to do so when the entire cable is pulled out of the cable end.

 

[Josh B]

I used some old pool reinforcement cables like that recently. I got them when they were moving into the new store we had built them, and they were throwing lots of out dated stuff away

I can't even find enough of that stuff to take a picture of now

 

[FL-400S]

These cables are pretty much like bicycle shifter and brake cables. If I could find a universal cable kit that had ends that would fit the handle and latch actuators I'd try making a set of cables up.

 

[FL-400S]

I bought a couple of brake/shifter cable kits on Amazon and made up new cable shields and inner cables. I see now that the tolerances are fine on the shield and cable lengths, plus the differential of the aluminum shield terminations. I cut each to what the original cable and shield lengths were, put on the terminations and I could barely get the cable onto the door handle and the latch remained in the "open" position. It doesn't help with the original terminations having crumbled off of the original cable. Also the only ends for the free (latch) inner cables are large round ones that can jam in the latch mechanism.