So......I got my ford tech friend to look at my truck. Yeah. Well. A new 4.0 is in my future.

If you're not up to speed, read this....
https://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2...7&page=1&pp=25

My 4.0's diagnosis...

1.) Bent Connecting Rod
2.) Piston Fracture(Tiny Crack)
3.) Cylinder wall damage/Short Block Damage
4.) Sticky/Stuck Lifter
5.) Deteriorated Head Gasket (Partially Gone)
6.) Shorted Alternator (I think he said is only making 40 amps)

I think this is God's way of telling me to stay away from Ranger's. lmao.

She should be all buttoned up with a new engine and alternator in two weeks. Turns out that the original owner cashed out on the balance of the extended warranty before re-sale. These repairs are gonna be out-of-pocket expenses on my part. The (original/standing) estimate is $4600. The brightside is I'll have a fresh engine with a 10k mile/12 month warranty. Sucks though. This truck only had 55k miles and my last truck had 28k miles. Ugh! =[

I'm not sure if the motor is still in the truck or what's going on. I'll try to get some pics. I didn't have my cam when I went in to find out the determination.

 

that really sucks...

 

You wouldn't have been covered under the extended warranty anyways...

Sucks to hear about such a large bill... but no price is too big for a girl you love

Good luck gettin' her fixed up!

 

no its called stay out of water..there is a reason i never go near the stuff its just stupid...

 

The internals looked like hell when I seen it. He had the entire top end off of the engine. Two pistons were cracked, One was very visible, the other you could only tell by scraping your fingernail against it. Two cylinders had wall damage, one nastier than the other. I'm assuming it was the same cylinder that had the nasty cracked piston. He had the rods and piston heads laid out on a table and didn't think to ask. He was kinda speechless when I came in. The evidence spoke for itself, for the most part. *sigh*

I'm am Rangerless, yet again.

 

DANG! i think you need to keep your truck stock and on road......every time you modify or offroad you get screwed! lol....

sorry to hear.....glad you didn't buy my truck and do that to it....i would've cried......if you have the means, why dont you v8 swap it....you could definately do it for that price or less...

 

wow that really sucks dude... no more modding

 

meeeeee tooooooooo

 

Funny you mentioned that....

I was talking to my friend about it and he said if it was a pre 98 harness/set-up(ohv?), he'd recommend it. He told me in order to stick a 302 or 351 in my truck I'd need another tranny, t-case, driveshaft, etc. He said something or other about the ABS, something about the live front axle front end with a dif transfer case, the complexity of working on a V8 swap'd ranger(as if the 4.0 SOHC wasn't bad enough, right?). He rattled off all kinds of stuff I really didn't wanna hear nor understand.

I think I'm just better off with a fresh 4.0 crate motor from Ford. Like I said, at least it's warrantied. I haven't given him the go ahead as I only have half the money as of yet. Things could change within the week though.

Anyone got any good info on V8 swaps into 01-03 rangers?

I'm not from Michigan but I've got a few tricks up my sleeve....

=]

 

I got a new motor at 53K but mine was because the oil pump went out. Cost 1300 to drop a new 3.0 in. Sucks but life goes on!

 

i have a question for your friend.....what is the difference between your "live" axle and a 2001 Explorer 4x4 with the "live" axle.....and the '01 Explorers had a v8 in them.....they both have the same front suspension........all you would need to do is go get a wrecked '96 newer explorer or Mountaineer(prolly more apt to find a mountineer than explorer) v8 and swap everything......tranny would go with the motor, the t-case you have would bolt up the the tranny already with the v8 being that the Explorer's had the same t-case only it was a full time 4x4....it is almost a direct swap if you have the whole donor vehicle....then sell what you dont need from the explorer......heck you may even find one with leather and a full length console, and some other goodies you want, like a 4x4 radio bezel......

 

LILBLUE survived worse - at Wharton too...
hard as it may be at the time you have to remove plugs before trying to restart
first reaction is to restart and get out of the water, not good
Chuck pulled me out and Mike took a face full of water/gas confirming if she was turning over yet
those starter motors are stronger than you think

good luck with the crate motor
break it in gently

 

Holy mackerel! What a mess!

I guess you're lucky it was even DRIVEABLE!!!

Well, I can't stay away from the water. I guess you either like it or you don't.

Hope you get the truck to where you can come out with us again. That wasn't a typical experience for us offroading -- although I know of a at least two other Rangers that have hydrolocked and gotten damaged. But all were older gen' Rangers with stock intakes that came from the fender well or had long down-bending intake tubes.

 

I don't want a "new(er)" 5.0.

I want a built carb'd 302. It's not worth it if I can't work on it. Troubleshooting a newer EFI 302 is like trying to figure out what the hell my fiancee wants. The older versions are more to my liking. I'd need a dif/custom tranny and tcase for that application. That's why the front live axle complications came up.

I'm sure that an newer gen explorer 5.0 would be a much easier/cheaper swap but I'm trying to think long term.

 

if you want something long term and driveable, then a 5.0 would be the best bet..........you could even take it to an autozone and have them pull trouble codes for you just like it was factory.......but hey it is just up to you....that is my opinion......

wouldn't the idiots that work at AutoZone freak out when you told them it was a v8 they were pulling codes from....they couldn't find a Ranger v8 in their computer.....lol....then they would act like you had no clue what you were talking about..............(that is my goal with mine if no one buys it by that time......)

 

I also found out I had some nasty rubbing on the outer edge of the inside of my rims. I think he said it was from the balljoints. Wasn't paying too much attention as half of my engine was sitting on a bench =\

 

and you dont have any pics of your babies heart tore out?

 

To be honest my digi cam was in the truck at the garage. The batteries in it were dead! I took a pic of my truck sitting in the water at wharton and the second I snapped one pic the low battery thing came on and it died. I have it back at my house now after getting all my junk out of the junk after hearing the news. It's got fresh batteries and I'll be going back in this weekend or early next week. Not sure if the parts will still be there. The engine might already be removed from the truck when I go back.

I really need to consider what engine I want put in since I'm gonna have to shell out big bucks either way. Again, anyone have any good links or info on newer gen motor swaps?

 

look on www.therangerstation.com ......they usually have good info on swapping engines in rangers......people over there have done it numerous times.......what about using your block and rebuilding it to be bad azz!.......you could have a wicked 4.0 for $4500........were talking low compression, supercharged, bored, ported and polished heads, bigger throttle body, bigger injectors, all the works....heck you could use the block and heads you have.....having the block bored will get rid of any cylinder wall damage.......and the heads you could have ported and polised and remounted.......with your block and your heads, $4500 will go ALONG way to a bad azz 4.0......definately be king of the streets with a lifted 4.0 Ranger...

 

Only comment I have is that if emissions inspections are done or are coming to your area here in PA, you need to consider whether you can go to an older engine or not. I believe there is a requirement to be "equal to or better than" the factory on emissions. Might be something to look at before you purchase something.

 

that is a good valid point on why to get a explorer and do the swap from it....

 

dame man you are having no luck i think its time you bought a honda LOL NOT

sorry to see such bad luck

 

Unfortunately we do have emissions testing in my county =\

Didn't even take that into consideration. I'm gonna get a price on a new 5.0 and see what I can do =]

 

i say rebuild your block to be bad azz........for the cost of a new 4.0 block, you can make your current one wicked and solve all the problems you have...

 

I know but I need my DD asap. I can't have misc parts of my engine sitting in misc shops for weeks on end.....