What did you do to your Ranger today? (Part Deux!)

[ThatOneGuy]

Today I went and bought the fly wheel clutch kit and slave cylinder for the 4.0, I also started to decide on what to do with the fule tank. Went to the parts house and looked at the different 4.0 fule pumps, than went back with the fule sender from my extra 83 fule tank. To compare them ended up buying the shortest straightest one, only 1.25 inches longer than the 83 sender, than decided on how to modify the tank, will take pics hopeing to start fab on the modification tomorrow, lucky I have a second stick tank I can set up than do a quick swap once needed I plan to get everything else installed so once I have the engine I can just drop it in hook everything up and be good to go lol I know good luck

 

[Jazzer]

I replaced my drivers side rack and pinion bellows. I measured the threads on the outer tie rod, replaced the bellows, and put the tie rod end back to measurement. I checked toe in with a laser and it was spot on, so I called it good.

Two years ago I replaced almost all steering and suspension parts on my '07. Control arms, lower ball joints, steering rack and tie rods and wheel bearings/races.

Since then my passenger side upper control arms boot degraded and trashed the upper ball joint. My passenger side steering bellows fell apart. My Moog 8771T lower balls joints went bad (Listed as 'Premium on Rockauto). I buy everything that has zerks, and keep them lubed.

Someone is compounding some very cheap neoprene, and manufacturers and rebuilders are using it.

The Moog ball joints have a lifetime warranty but it's a laborious process, and limited to replacement. It's as if "Oh, we sold you a piece of crap? Well, then, we owe you another piece of crap."

-Jazzer

 

[scotts90ranger]

I haven't heard great things about Moog other than the "problem solver" line of stuff... apparently they used to be the shiznit but like everything else they went down hill...

I put my '97 in the back yard on ramps which was a process... first attempt the ramps both fell over, passenger side landed on the radius arm so I wasn't going anywhere, jacked it up then put the ramp under the tire fine, then jacked the other side to put the ramp under that tire and things got sketchy again... reset and it worked... Only reason to do it in the dirt in the yard is to be close to a hose to flush the cooling system to get the heater working...

 

[Roert42]

I haven't heard great things about Moog other than the "problem solver" line of stuff... apparently they used to be the shiznit but like everything else they went down hill...

I put my '97 in the back yard on ramps which was a process... first attempt the ramps both fell over, passenger side landed on the radius arm so I wasn't going anywhere, jacked it up then put the ramp under the tire fine, then jacked the other side to put the ramp under that tire and things got sketchy again... reset and it worked... Only reason to do it in the dirt in the yard is to be close to a hose to flush the cooling system to get the heater working...

Sheet of plywood under the ramps/stands. Also gives you something to lay on.

 

[Curious Hound]

Modified the CB radio bracket to accept my new CB. The "old" one was only 2 years old. But the display went bad. Would have cost as much to have it repaired as what I could spend replacing it. So I used our Midland Radio discount and got a new one. Also mounted a bracket for my GMRS radio, which I have just been jamming between the seat and console. Had to modify the power circuit for the CB. Also finally drilled a hole and mounted the switch for my rock lights circuit. Still need to tune the antennas for the CB. But the SWR Meyer I ordered arrived broken. Hope Amazon gets the replacement here soon.

Also worked on the Fun50. Installed a bracket to mount the CB in it. So both CB and GMRS can be transferred to either truck. I also replaced all four O2 sensors and the EGR vacuum solenoid and verified voltages and operation of the done sensor. My low egr flow fault is cleared. I'll check again in a few days and see if it comes back. Hopefully, this will help fuel mileage and performance of the lack-luster 4.6l in that truck.

I think that's all the truck projects I need to finish before leaving for Indiana next week. Now, to get camping gear cleaned, checked and packed with a few minor preventive maintenance items on the lanterns and stove.

 

[broncc]

Zap zap zap. The firewall is coming along nice. Terrible feeling to run out of gas on a Saturday. At this rate I might be done with the rust repair by the time they start salting the roads again!



Looks kind of poopy now, but once I wipe off the residue and put some high build primer on this it will be hard to notice.

 

[racsan]

my dynomat sheets came in a few days ago and the vynil floor covering should be here in the next day or two. (tracking says its in tennessee right now, origin was alabama) Im considering stripping the interior out today to start cleaning and preparing. Need to see about getting a console somewhere, still have the original that was part of the 60/40 bench and now sits loose between the two seats.

 

[Jazzer]

After working on the '07 yesterday, I ran some errands and this pretty light I'd never seen before came on in the dash. It was shaped like an engine.

I ran by AZ and pulled code 2270, downstream 02 sensor, bought a Bosch, and put it in this morning, after pulling the negative cable at the battery. There was enough room to put a small pipe wrench on it, a couple of wacks with my palm, and the old one was loose. "Using anti-seize makes the next job a breeze."

The new one had anti-seize on it. When I got it in, I went to start the truck but it wouldn't even turn over, and no lights on the dash. I quickly diagnosed it as the negative cable not being reattached. I went to dump off recycling and so far so good.

This truck has been pretty needy this year, I hope it feels the love.

-Jazzer

 

[scotts90ranger]

Finally got to flushing the cooling system on the '97, started with some Prestone flush, ran it for a bit, let it cool off then flushed with water and pulled off both heater hoses and flushed them with the hose (not pressurized) and some chunks of schmoo came out then it started flowing better... I reversed the hoses for good measure... Then filled it with fresh coolant... hopefully it'll behave better now and have heat below 50F which would be nice...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Worked on the GFs car Wednesday and Thursday. Worked on the green Ranger Saturday, front axle is ready for installation now. Thunderstorms this afternoon prevented that from happening.

Plate light is out on the red Ranger, tried replacing the bulb today to find that both wires are either broken or cut at the same point which seems a little suspicious…

 

[ThatOneGuy]

my dynomat sheets came in a few days ago and the vynil floor covering should be here in the next day or two. (tracking says its in tennessee right now, origin was alabama) Im considering stripping the interior out today to start cleaning and preparing. Need to see about getting a console somewhere, still have the original that was part of the 60/40 bench and now sits loose between the two seats.

I 4ecomend getting some seam sealer once you get in there with a wire wheel
You will want it..

 

[ThatOneGuy]

I spent the last 2 days working on my gas tank modifications. Converting an 83 fule tank with a pick up for a mechanical fule pump, to the pump and sending unit for a 4.0. Just like me I didn't take a before photo. And I won't horrify you guys with pics of in progress. We don't need dirt man to revive his, Why does everyone think they can weld thread lol. But here is the mostly final product still need to mount some bolts into the square stock, flat sand the gasket surface, build the bolt down ring, but this was so difficult, a large section on the top of the tank below the pump mount was so rusted I had to cut it out and weld in patch panels. @Dirtman how hard is it to weld a gas tank on a 1-10 scale. I had my welder on the lowest setting, and it still just kept blowing through, made me feel like a fool for trying. Eventually I got it all closed up, than coverd it all in jb weld to insure everything was water tight. I then rust converted, primed and undercoated. I will refinish the rest of the tank later.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Welding on thin stuff gets interesting... I've welded up enough mufflers and other goofy stuff to know a trick or two, but usually it's making a welder that shouldn't weld (the Harbor Freight 100A flux core welders, they're A/C which shouldn't work on flux core..) work on stuff that shouldn't work in the first place... Anyway, turn the voltage down and the wire speed up which is opposite of what you would normally do...

I'd be more sketched out about welding on a fuel tank in the first place... apparently the volatiles stay in things for a long time and it can get sketchy from what I've heard...

 

[ThatOneGuy]

I'd be more sketched out about welding on a fuel tank in the first place... apparently the volatiles stay in things for a long time and it can get sketchy from what I've heard...
[/QUOTE]
I did notice towards the end I was getting a little nicer results with it set like you said, and as far as the volatile, the tank had been sitting for ten years and still smelled of gas so I rinsed it several times and than left it full as I could with the rust holes with water for several hours, than left It half full while I welded on it to hopefully keep the fumes at a non flammable mixture, I even tested it with a bbq lighter first lol.

 

[Dirtman]

If you're mig welding (not flux core) forget about laying a bead and spot stitch. Lay down 5-6 fast overlapping spot welds at a time moving to different locations to avoid putting too much heat in one area. You cannot do this with flux core though.

If you're flux core welding... try cursing at it?