Millster - 1986 Ford Ranger XLT

[millster]

So I thought now that I'm sporting a rather unconventional DD, I would go ahead and start a garage thread. It's mostly because I've found myself at a place where I've decided automobile luxury is completely secondary to my family's ability to live comfortably so I decided to invest a little money in my old truck, ditch the Cobalt and its payment/insurance and live $500 a month more comfortably.So here's the skinny:1986 Ford Ranger XLT with a 1987 SXT body lift2.9L V6 with 213,000 miles. Nasty lifter tick, but the bearings are all straight195/75/15 tires for excellent snow carving traction4x4 with Dana 35's swapped in place of the factory 28's. Auto lockers front and rear.Manual hubsSilver with a dash of rust (getting painted this summer)Interior: Red... in decent shape for the ageCustom intake (factory hose off the TB with a K&N cone on the end)Working on:225/75/15 offroad tires and wheelsPaintNew dashpadNew seats with integral head restsNew seatbeltsTightening up the top-end on the engineNew radiator capElectric pusher fan (the old clutched engine-mounted fan is about toast)Manifold-back exhaust (the cats are plugged and the '86 was the last with a true H-pipe after the manifolds so I can run true duals). Exits ahead of the rear tires.General cleanup and refreshingPics to come. It isn't much to look at, but it runs, drives and would probably climb a tree in 4-Low

[joatmon]

well, I see it as further proof you've got your priorities right.fwiw, I drove my 96 ranger to work todayLooking forward to the pics

[millster]

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »well, I see it as further proof you've got your priorities right.fwiw, I drove my 96 ranger to work todayLooking forward to the pics Thanks Joat. Yes, I think the priorities have been set well in place. I have a wonderful wife and son who are my world. My wife is currently unemployed, so we have needed to make a cut somewhere to be certain we can make all of our payments. When it came right down to it, I was willing to chop my car out. As a sedan, it was less useful than the Matrix and far less useful than the truck. I might just have to take her out for a photoshoot this weekend. Like I say, at this point it's nasty looking but it does its job and that's what matters.

[ou.grizzly]

The old school Rangers are tough, Ford did them right up until about 1998 and onward. I went to purchase a 1994 SXT 4WD last winter actually and it was sold within 24 hrs. Millster, you made a excellent/rational decision. Family comes 1st and you did just that.

[lovemyraffe]

Quote, originally posted by ou.grizzly »Millster, you made a excellent/rational decision. Family comes 1st and you did just that. I agree. Family should always come first.

[BlueCrush]

X3 - Looking forward to seeing the beast!!

[ColonelPanic]

That's cool, good ol' trucks. I recall my grandfather having an '85, totally bare bones - 4 cyl, 2wd, no air, rockin' analog tune AM radio and that's about it. That was the first thing I ever drove that had a manual transmission. I was pretty young so I drove that thing around our property a little. Looking forward to seeing the progress.. It appears you've got quite a bit of tinkering to do, have fun! I'm kinda thinking a project like that might be good for me eventually.

[star_deceiver]

Ah, the Cologne V6!!! Hope the cylinder head's treating you well.+4 on the pics.... let's see your wheels!!!

[TONY TAT2]

Ya, Rangers are cool Had 4 El Caminos,66 chevy pick up ,Dodge D50 & a HI Scout 4x4

[millster]

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »Looking forward to seeing the progress.. It appears you've got quite a bit of tinkering to do, have fun! I'm kinda thinking a project like that might be good for me eventually.Well, this didn't originally start out as a project. It was meant to just be a beater truck for me to have around for the things my car couldn't haul. But my family financial situation has seen it kind of change roles. It's a good thing, though. For one thing, I think the old pig deserves a second chance since it's obviously not nearly at the end of its lifespan. Quote, originally posted by star_deceiver »Ah, the Cologne V6!!! Hope the cylinder head's treating you well.+4 on the pics.... let's see your wheels!!!I think I may very well own the only Cologne 2.9L with 100K+ miles on it that has not cracked the heads. It hasn't had an easy life either and maybe that's the secret. Most of the guys I know who have cracked the heads on theirs have babied them. My friend with his XR4ti took out 3 sets and he was a major maintenance guy, always grannied it... this old Ranger has had anything BUT that kind of treatment. Now, sorry, no pics. It snowed and was cold the whole weekend. I ended up sleeping most of yesterday because of "whatever this is I have" totally wiping me out. The good news is that it's REALLY happy running on 88 octane and Quaker State high-mileage. Many fewer ticks, more power and the really odd part... it stopped leaking oil. It used to stink of burning oil and belch smoke out from under the hood because it was blowing oil out of the valve covers onto the exhaust manifolds... but no longer. In fact, the last smoke I saw out from under the hood was actually steam from the failed radiator cap (which also explains why my heater didn't work for crap). So, it's working good for now... pictures still upcoming.

[millster]

And... she's down for the count.Went to grab a quick dinner last night, had to park and wait for some of the food to come out, parked on an incline (stupid), the failing IAC let the upper manifold load up with fuel, flooded out the front bank of cylinders and stalled the engine. I JUST about had it running when the starter got stuck engaged, I flicked the key to kick it again the engine stalled and that was the end of the starter. The starter drive bound against the flywheel. My wife came out with my jumper box and we tried to get enough juice to it to get it loose but there was no getting it free. We got it pushed into a parking spot (not easy with 4000 pounds of truck on ice) and left it. As a bonus, my wife's Matrix threw a flat on the way back home so i got to change that (after trying to muscle that truck around).Anyway, got my Dad with his F-150 and a tow-rope. Rocked it a bit in 4th to get to starter unbound from the flywheel. Now the starter will turn but the bendix won't kick out. Got it to a neighbouring empty parking lot and got it pull started in two shots. Drove it home under its own power. So now we have a three-wheeled Matrix (it's on the spare) and a truck that won't turn itself over. Thankfully it was a new starter in the truck which has a 1 year warranty. All I'm out is the time it takes to pull the starter back out and get another one. And my wife's extended warranty on her Matrix covers replacement of road-hazard damaged tires. So we're all good to go, just takes time now.I'll be replacing that IAC, of course. But while I'm at all of this, I'll also be replacing the clogged cat and a few other LITTLE items to make sure this never happens again... after we get back from Mexico, though. Thankfully this all happened just before we leave on vacation.

[joatmon]

Sometimes it's fun to have an old beater to tinker around with, but it's better when its you and not the truck that decides when it's time to tinker.

[millster]

Bwaaa hahahahaha! The old bass-turd runs again!O'reilly Autoparts came through with their warranty in spades. Not only replaced the bad started but also only charged me $15 to upgrade to a higher torque, lifetime warranty unit. I do love those people. Anyway, turns out it's not the IAC. I tested and retested it. It's fine. So, I bought myself a new coolant temp sensor (which has ALWAYS been a problem on that truck), a new thermostat (which it has also been needing), will be getting a new fan and fan clutch and PCV as soon as they come in (had to order them) and a set of plug wires because I apparently have one that has gone south. My problem with loading up and stalling is actually my catalytic converters. They're plugged and apparently with the setup they have, idling will make them heat up faster and plug up worse (this was read from my Hayne's manual). The symptoms are consistent in that the vehicle will idle but as soon as it is called upon to make power, it will not. Nowhere for the exhaust to go. So, I'll be doing something about those as well. That should be interesting. Good news is that my O2 sensor is in the manifold ahead of the cats so no matter what, i won't mess up the sensor grid with whatever I replace them with. Guess I get my shorty exhaust that exits ahead of the rear wheel sooner than i thought. So yeah, it's running. I also found the spark plug my Dad had not gotten threaded in while I was looking it over. Surely that hasn't helped the way it's been running. He got a good hard time for that one. Keep your eyes peeled for pictures, but wear eye protection. I assure you, it's no beauty.

[millster]

Aaaaaannnnnnndddd..... it's dead again.Went to get my plug wires and PCV, started it up, pulled out of the parking lot, drove about half a block and chug, cough, death.Guess who just bought a new fuel pump? This is beginning to get REALLY old, really fast. But hopefully this and the resolution of the catalytic converters will take care of me for a while. As you said Joatmon, it's great to have a project but I really wish *I* was the one deciding when it was time to tinker. I will commend Safeco insurance on their roadside assistance that I pay $5 a month for. They had a tow-truck to me in half-an-hour to try to jump start the battery I killed trying to crank it when it seemed like it was going to start and then tow me home when it became clear that the only reason it was trying to start was the little bit of gas that was still in the intake manifold. They got me taken care of VERY well!

[joatmon]

if I had any leverage with Fate I'd ask her to cut you some slack, but she and I aren't on the best of terms lately. Is the fuel pump on an 86 in the tank? last time I had to get into a Ranger gas tank (to replace a sink with a float) it was easier to lift off the bed than to drop the tank.

[ou.grizzly]

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »Is the fuel pump on an 86 in the tank? last time I had to get into a Ranger gas tank (to replace a sink with a float) it was easier to lift off the bed than to drop the tank.You didn't have too much trouble getting the bed bolts to come out? Last time we did that, even with soaking them for a few days with PB Blaster and heating, we ended up cutting them out with a torch.

[joatmon]

Quote, originally posted by ou.grizzly »You didn't have too much trouble getting the bed bolts to come out? I didn't. I took my 3/8" drive torx socket/bit, a 3/8" ratchet, and a three foot pipe and gave them to my son, then went inside and drank coffee and watched TV until he had all six out. Not sure who screamed louder, him or the bolts. But I did try dropping the tank first, and that foe was beyond me

[millster]

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »if I had any leverage with Fate I'd ask her to cut you some slack, but she and I aren't on the best of terms lately. Is the fuel pump on an 86 in the tank? last time I had to get into a Ranger gas tank (to replace a sink with a float) it was easier to lift off the bed than to drop the tank.Mine being the extended-cab XLT, it has 3 pumps. One in each tank and then a high-pressure pump mounted to driver's side frame-rail. The worst part of it should be uncoupling the high-pressure fuel lines. Well, and possibly removing the mounting bolts but the pump was just replaced about 5 years ago so they shouldn't be TOO bad.

[millster]

Well, that was an SOB that I didn't predict. Getting the pump out was a pain. Getting the new pump into the mount-housing was a pain, getting the filter in was a HUGE pain, getting the new pump BACK out to redo the wiring when one of the spade terminals decided to break off and short against the fuel-line (could have been fun) was a pain, getting it BACK in was a pain...But it started. Primed it a couple of times, then cranked once, twice (backfired), a third time and it was off and running. Couldn't complain about that.Until...Shut it down to replace the thermostat and when I started it up it sounded like something was coming apart. The most likely reason for that is that something was. I crawled underneath the truck just in time for it to do so, as well. Suffice it to say, the truck is now running on starter #4 since i have owned it. Don't know WHAT caused this one to stick engaged to the flywheel, but it spun itself into nearly molten oblivion. It was still hot to the touch when I took it back to the parts store to turn it in for warranty. Need I say that it just SLIGHTLY failed their test (although they DID run the test twice for good measure). Anyway, it's running again. It kind of faltered on me a bit tonight but that was after a particularly nasty bump and I think I tripped the rollover switch which cut the fuel pump for a moment. it straightened out within about a block. Will it make it all the way through next week? Stay tuned.

[star_deceiver]

Quote, originally posted by millster »Will it make it all the way through next week? Stay tuned. Well the week has passed! Did she make it?And how about those pics?

[millster]

Quote, originally posted by star_deceiver »Well the week has passed! Did she make it?And how about those pics?Meh, kinda. The stumbling and stuttering was almost unbearable the whole week. Now the fuel pump sounds like it's going out again. I re-did some wiring, fueled it up again and Thursday and Friday went pretty well. So yes, it's still alive but I'm not sure for how much longer. I friend of mine and I have been working to sort out exactly what is wrong. So far, we know one thing. The oxygen sensor is toast. The wiring fell against the exhaust manifold. Literally... toast.The pics will be forthcoming. With it not running well, I haven't taken the chance to take it someplace more scenic than my driveway to get photos of it. I actually have some older ones of it in my driveway but that would be a bit unfair because that was prior to it sitting stagnant for two years and it was less ugly then.

[TONY TAT2]

Guy on my other forum nailed this 1 for 50 bucks in Newfoundland,needs a motor tho

[joatmon]

ok, I'll biteThis thread's title used to be Millster - 1986 Ford Ranger XLT and now it'sMillster - 1995 Saab 9000 CSEwaiting for the rest of the story ....

[millster]

Well, you'll notice that my thread title has changed. I'll have photos of the new vehicle soon.The Ranger has just ticked me off one too many times. I'm not being towed home again.Anyway, specs...1995 Saab 9000 CSE 210,000 miles2.3L Turbocharged I-4LOADED!!!!!Studded Snows Z-Rated 16 inch Michelins on alloys includedSki rack with bike clips includedNeeds a TINY bit of work on a few things, but overall in VERY good condition. A steal at $1500, leased to own over 10 months. It pays to have good friends.

[millster]

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »ok, I'll bitewaiting for the rest of the story ....I was in the middle of changing things when the previous owner walked into my office (he's a teacher just down the hall from me) and asked if I would like to take it for a run before I completely commit to it.

[kostby]

It could be another Saab story. Is it automatic or manual? Saab transmissions (particularly the automatics) are HORRIBLY expensive to repair/rebuild/replace. The turbo engine will probably last until the next millenium though! A guy I used to work co-owns (I think-he's been there forever) an small independent Saab repair facility in the Indianapolis area. (Well, now that GM has killed off Saab, I guess they're ALL independent!) He would give you some pointers as to what to watch out for. If you're interested, IM me, and I'll send you a link to his Facebook page later tonight.

[millster]

Manual. And no worries because my ex had a 900SE that blew the tranny. Been there, done that. It actually wasn't too bad. Again, it pays to know people.I'll definitely IM you to get that address. Always good to know what to watch for.

[epcIII]

Wow, this has been a fun thread to read (not that it's funny your car/truck kept breaking down, but it's been like reading a soap opera with vehicles).Pics of Saab?

[millster]

Quote, originally posted by epcIII »Wow, this has been a fun thread to read (not that it's funny your car/truck kept breaking down, but it's been like reading a soap opera with vehicles).Pics of Saab?Ha! I had to read back through it, myself but you're right. It's up, it's down, it's up, it's down... it's being sold. Don't have pics of the Saab yet because it's not in my possession. I take ownership of it tomorrow. But, I got to drive it for a good bit today and it's a bleatin' rocket! Never driven a turboed Saab before.Anyway, I'll get pics up tomorrow night once it's all mine. It's no beauty queen, to be sure, but it'll do. It's certainly loaded to the gills.

[star_deceiver]

$1500!!! That is a steal!!!

[millster]

No doubt! It needs some cosmetic TLC, I won't lie. But it's very straight and everything mechanical operates very well.i don't think I could have done better!

[ColonelPanic]

Very cool, hope it's something reliable for you.

[millster]

OK, so I'm changing this thread title back to the Ranger and creating a new one for the Saab. The Ranger is staying with me and becoming a project vehicle. I can't get even a nibble on a sale so I've given up. It's paid off, I have the money to pay make the payments on the Saab, if it's going to sit in my driveway anyway, I may as well just plan on fixing it up over time. Now that I can afford to spend TIME on it instead of doing "rush repairs" because it has to be my daily driver, I can maybe get the old ******* running proper.

[millster]

Well, the SOB runs! Actually, it's rarely been an issue of not starting or running, it's just an issue of STAYING running. After all the years of fighting with the issue of it running for about 15 miles or so and then dying, I finally traced the issue to a faulty ECM relay. Smacking the side of the relay with a 5/8" spanner produced the exact same result as driving it. So, a roughly $15 part has kept my truck sitting in the drive for most of the last 3 years. 6, if you count from the time the ignition module failed. Stupid Ford!

[joshuaeb09]

(removed) I know its not funny but I had a 97 Ford Expy and keep going through alternators like crazy only to have it be some sort of freaky voltage regulator issue that came down to a bad relay and a fuse ='(. So I feel you there I had to drive my old 79 F150 for 3 months only to have it be a quick fix. Luckily my dads cousin is a Mechanic at one of the local ford dealers and it took him all of 5 seconds to diagnose.

[joatmon]

Glad you got it working. Cut the first "R" off the badge

[millster]

Ha, Joat! Either that or add an "S", a "T" and cut the last "R" off. Anger or Strange... hmm...

[millster]

Stupid @#$^!@#$%!!!! Quite the saga this has turned out to be. I'm going with Joat's suggestion and cutting the first "R" off the badge.The relay was bad. No surprise there. The surprise came with the replacement relay. The coil was defective right out of the box. Wouldn't energize, so it never made contact and with no ECU, the truck wouldn't start. I'm STILL fighting with NAPA to prove that it's a defective part and I did not damage it so I can get my money back.In the meantime, I learned more about the original relay. In a fit of despair, I ripped the top off of it and discovered that the failure is NOT a weak magnetic coil, but rather badly pitted contacts that, as they heated up, just stopped conducting. The relay wasn't kicking out, it just wasn't passing enough current to keep the ECU fully powered. This explains why the engine wouldn't just completely cut out but rather started misfiring and choking before finally giving out. So, enter the mad scientist approach. The truck has been sitting for the better part of 6 years. This is, obviously, not good for ANY part of it. While I know the relay is the immediate cause of the primary problem, I don't know if anything else has decided to "crap out" during its down time. For that reason and also the fact that I don't want to shell out more money until NAPA refunds me for the first relay, I'm installing a manual power switch for the ECU. I've tested the circuit and all the wiring to know I'm not creating a fire hazard (and it's fused anyway, if there is a short or high-current draw) so I'm certain to be safe. It's just the most cost-effective way to resolve the issue and get it back on the road. And besides, it's a 1986 Ranger with nearly 1/4 million miles. It's not going to win any shows anyway, so original spec doesn't much matter at this point.