• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

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


Night #2

20220514_222949.jpg
 
Went to the truck Saturday. Hooked the battery back up, jumped it, and it started on the second turn of the key. Almost on the first. Got it back home. Will be applying some RTV to it later today, in the hopes of avoiding this happening again in the future.

I don't know if something got wet, and dried, or if disconnecting the battery for three days, fixed it?

But it's not at a Pick-A-Part. LOL!
 
Last edited:
Yesterday I used the '97 as a workbench disassembling some pallets I got from work (I take apart some that are easy to take apart for some wood for projects, staples are easy to pull compared to those wire shanked nails...), then moved the Explorer to the driveway to air up the tires... found out why it towed bad, 3 at 28psi and one at 18psi, that would explain the thrust change on and off throttle... it drove fine on the way home without the trailer the other night...
 
Changed the oil and filter, using Amsoil for both. Last time and this time I used the premium Signature series, and I went just over 10,000 miles on the first fill. Signature series claims to be good for up to 25K miles or 1 year, but I'm conservative and the first fill was near the 1–year limit anyway. Will probably stick to 10K miles between changes.

When I drained this first fill, it didn't look or smell too bad after 10K miles. It was comparable to how an old-style conventional oil would look after 3K. No evidence of debris, coolant, or fuel dilution.

The Ranger used or maybe seeped (don't see any evidence of oil leaks so far) about 1/2 quart of oil over the 10,000 miles, based on dipstick checks. After 113,000 miles I cannot complain. The CarFax report suggests the oil wasn't changed quite as often before I bought the truck as it should have been.

The Amsoil oil filter is US–made (marked with that on the end) and seems to be pretty robust. I'm curious to find who makes these filters for them. Maybe that's a good question for BobIsTheOilGuy (BITOG). :) But I'm not obsessed like some of those members are, so no oil analysis or cutting open the old filter. :LOL:
 
I changed the radio from the single din flip screen media player one to a single din normal am/fm/cd radio because the flip screen kept blocking the center vents.

And I found out the fan clutch seems to be going out. Sometimes the ac goes warm in the drive through but if I rev up and hold the rpms up a little, I can get the air temp to drop back down at the vents. When driving though, vent temps are ice cold. Popped the hood and the fan clutch has very little resistance, even when I just turned the truck off
 
Changed the oil and filter, using Amsoil for both. Last time and this time I used the premium Signature series, and I went just over 10,000 miles on the first fill. Signature series claims to be good for up to 25K miles or 1 year, but I'm conservative and the first fill was near the 1–year limit anyway. Will probably stick to 10K miles between changes.

When I drained this first fill, it didn't look or smell too bad after 10K miles. It was comparable to how an old-style conventional oil would look after 3K. No evidence of debris, coolant, or fuel dilution.

The Ranger used or maybe seeped (don't see any evidence of oil leaks so far) about 1/2 quart of oil over the 10,000 miles, based on dipstick checks. After 113,000 miles I cannot complain. The CarFax report suggests the oil wasn't changed quite as often before I bought the truck as it should have been.

The Amsoil oil filter is US–made (marked with that on the end) and seems to be pretty robust. I'm curious to find who makes these filters for them. Maybe that's a good question for BobIsTheOilGuy (BITOG). :) But I'm not obsessed like some of those members are, so no oil analysis or cutting open the old filter. :LOL:

My sister had borrowed my Ranger for "one year", back in 2009. She ended up with it for four years. When I finally got it back in September 2013, it still had the oil change sticker on the windshield from the last time I had it changed. Asked her, she never changed it. Four years and over 40,000 miles. Didn't hurt it one bit. Ever since then, I am not real big on 3000 mile oil changes. I pull the dipstick, feel and smell the oil on it. If it feels like oil and doesn't smell bad, I leave it. I have no idea how many miles are on the oil; that's in my Ranger now. Oil change places won't put the oil in it that I want, 20w-50. They all insist it's a 5w-20 vehicle. "Bullsh-t! That colored water oil didn't exist in 1998." Asshats!
Asshat2.jpg
 
My sister had borrowed my Ranger for "one year", back in 2009. She ended up with it for four years. When I finally got it back in September 2013, it still had the oil change sticker on the windshield from the last time I had it changed. Asked her, she never changed it. Four years and over 40,000 miles. Didn't hurt it one bit. Ever since then, I am not real big on 3000 mile oil changes. I pull the dipstick, feel and smell the oil on it. If it feels like oil and doesn't smell bad, I leave it. I have no idea how many miles are on the oil; that's in my Ranger now. Oil change places won't put the oil in it that I want, 20w-50. They all insist it's a 5w-20 vehicle. "Bullsh-t! That colored water oil didn't exist in 1998." Asshats!View attachment 76445
Ford "back-specified" 5W-20 for many older models later. That's why the oil change places are telling you they plan to use that grade. Ford's change was about "fuel economy". :rolleyes: I'm with you about sticking with higher viscosity. 20W-50 might be overkill if it isn't using/losing oil, but 10W-40 shouldn't hurt anything.

My 4.0 takes 5W-30. No way am I going with xW-20.
 
1652734599562.png

BEFORE CalTracs photo - Can't wait to see what it will look like without maximum separation on the rear. At rest that slick is usually ½" up inside the wheel lip.

 
Loaded about half of my earthly belongings into it for a 6 day camping trip.

20220517_110050.jpg
 
But its ruined by having that bowtie on the grille...
Thanks for mentioning that. Don't know how I missed it. :eek:

Now that raises a few questions about the drag racer... Why is he running a Ranger body?
 
Thanks for mentioning that. Don't know how I missed it. :eek:

Now that raises a few questions about the drag racer... Why is he running a Ranger body?
cuz dey purdy
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Special Events

Events TRS Was At This Year

TRS Events

Member & Vendor Upgrades

Become a Supporting Member:

Or a Supporting Vendor:

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

TRS Latest Video

TRS Merchandise

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Sponsors


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Sponsored Ad

Back
Top