I am going to be picking up a 94 2wd Ranger from a coworker for $200. He had been using it to drive back and forth to work but a couple months ago had a bad coolant leak. He thought it was the radiator so he replaced it and then found out he had anitfreeze in the oil. Anyway he says it has a "blown motor" and bought something else and was just going to scrap the ranger so I picked it up. At first I was going to find a salvage motor and swap it out, but then started to wonder if I should go a different route since I would have the motor pulled anyway. What are your guys suggestions? It has a 5 speed in it and was just rebuilt last year. I am only looking to use it as a daily driver to and from work and kids practices etc. I have a 2500hd for anything else. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

Its most likely just a blown head gasket. You could fix it for $100 and a saturday. The 5-speed was really the ranger's weak point, so if that was just rebuilt you could have a solid little truck on your hands.

 

I am hoping it is just the head gasket. Are there any other common problems with anything I should change while I've got it torn down?

 

Since it has a coolant leak already if your doing head gaskets do the timing cover gasket to its also another common leak on the 3.0l so might save you some labor and fix it while its apart.