Hey everyone, I'm the new guy around here.....I have had a 93 Ford Ranger XLT 4.0 V6 4x4 for about 6 years and when I bought it, the odometer read 99,000 and it was said to have been owned by a older retired couple that was pulling it behind a RV that stopped in town and made a trade and paid cash for something new...They had the 4x4 unhooked which tell me it was pulled behind an RV, when I did the Car Fax, it came back that it lived most of its live on the Oregon Coast and I'm in Idaho so the story makes sense, the only thing that came up on car fax was it has some new wiring done around 60,000 Miles in a shop, I don't remember if there was a date on it....

The dealer swore up and down it really only had 99,000 miles on it and had not been turned over. I had looked at many different trucks and this one seemed right to me. It was clean, the oil looked good, test drove like a dream, ac has always worked and blows ice cold air....Now 6 years later it has 149,000 supposed miles on it and the only thing I have done to it is Rear Brakes, Spark Plugs and Wires, New Starter, New Battery, and is now getting a New Water Pump, Fan Clutch, Cooling Fan, and Serpentine Belt....It really seems to me that all these parts are the Original Parts but how does one tell? It runs like a champ but there is some leaks here and there and I noticed it seems like there might be some stop leak in the radiator, it a green greasy film, the coolant is clear but a coat of the green greasy stuff is all around the lining in the radiator....

As I was waiting to get parts for this weekends fun I started to wonder if this thing really has 249,000 Miles on it...The wear in the Cab was little to none when I bought it, and the thing runs great, but the stop Leak kinda makes me wonder(but this could be a simple object hitting the radiator and punching a miner hole and they just threw some stop leak in it) how many miles is really on it....

I believe the story about the RV and the old couple. This thing was clean, clean, clean, and I later found an old Shot Gun Shell under the seat which is typical for an older guy... If Pulled behind an Rv is the Odometer going to spin and rake up False Miles on it? Also this whole story when I bought it could be just a great Salesmen Story and I got suckered into it......

What your Say? 149,000? or 249,000?
at 249,000 I Best be thinking about what to do when it gets tired, at 149,000 I take care of it and try and get 300,000 out of it!

What do you think? False Miles?

 

When I do the repairs this weekend I plan on getting it out of the garage and getting some pics for all of you guys to give me your advice on what you think!

 

look at the brake pedal. how is the wear on it? high miles will generally show in a worn rubber pad.

 

It doesn't matter... you already bought the truck SIX YEARS AGO. These kind of questions are posed BEFORE buying a vehicle.

Just treat is right and she'll treat you right.

 

Wirelessly posted

Look to see if brake pads are original and commonly replaced items are original. Check the bolts to see if they have wear marks on them stuff like that

 

Seems that it could be 149k. If the antifreeze wasn't changed periodically there will be a green film on the walls of the cooling system, like the sides of the radiator, water pump ect. Do the doors sag when opened? That indicates some miles. Everything over 200k I've dealt with has shot door pins.

 

x2

 

Good Advice everyone....The Doors are tight, little wear on the brake and clutch pedels, the rubber is still on them. No worn Bolts that I can see on wear parts....I took the Water pump off about an hour ago and holy cow I'm pretty sure it was the Original, it had a ford Pump in it and the reusable clamps on the Hoses were so freaking hard to get off that I had to cut off one hose at the pump because it had a super tight seal and the single perfect imprint on the hose left from the clamps tells me those hoses have never been taken off...The Gasket looked to be Original because of how hard and messed up it was....The lining at the water pump was clean clean clean and still shines...

 

Also there is no evidence of the green filmy crap at the water pump at all so it must just be a buildup at the tops of the radiator from a Coolant that was due for a Change Long Ago....I Scored at work and Got some High Dollar 50/50 Heavy Duty Caterpillar Coolant for free because we don't use the stuff anymore. My Truck is going to love me when I get done! : )

 

Make sure that Caterpillar coolant meets Ford's specifications for what they use before you use it.

You do not want to mix different types of coolant, bad things result.

 

Hey everyone....I have bad news....When I went to start it it started right up but I heard a funny sound for about half a second and it appears the head cracked, I can't see where its coming from, but its running down the side of the motor somewhere.....Good News, the Pump doesn't leak....

I have a wife and kid and have been running around in her neon that I just dumped Money into...Money is tight, shes looking for a job and now things just really suck.....

Any idea's on my position?

 

New head + gaskets will likely run you at least $800-1,000. That's if you do it yourself.

I'd say scrap it, take the $300, save some money up, and get another vehicle. The thing is realistically worth $800-1,000 in running condition, not fiscally expedient to put more into it than it's worth.

 

Its not worth 800-1000 dude...Its a clean 4x4 xlt super cab in great shape. Running great its worth more like 3,000-4,000....

300 Bucks my ***, I got 200 in brand new parts on it in the last 2 days.....Just saying, maybe your right but it justs kills me that this is happening right now....

 

uh hes right dude...it aint worth no 3-4 grand

 

Idk man he is out west which means no rust. He says its clean in and out and a 4x4. If it really does only have 150k on it. which he can say it does, he should easily be able to get atleast 3g for it. 4.0L? If so thats common in these engines for the heads to go...Replace them and keep on truckin. Its much cheaper to put a grand in a truck you know all about then buying another used vehicle that will have unkown problems.

 

that truck in great condition here would sell between 2-2500.

 

same with my area

 

i just did a quick look up on KBB and even in excellent condition the OPs truck is worth only 1500 but with the cracked head hed be lucky to get a grand for it

 

"Replace them and keep on truckin. Its much cheaper to put a grand in a truck you know all about then buying another used vehicle that will have unkown problems."

I agree, I have plenty of time to get it running, I mean a truck that sat for six months and fired right up is no 300 Dollar Truck to me and Ive become attached to this truck...I looked at a lot of Rangers 6 years ago when I bought this one and this one is a nice model that has made it through the years is great shape...if I rebuild this motor, it will be worth 5 grand too me, so why just junk it....I'll spend 1500 Bucks to make this motor like new, fine with me.....

 

Different areas thats all. I've seen them go for 3 in good shape around me. Thats what I was basing mine on. In the salt belt people flock to the trucks that have no rust on them.

 

100% true. A 94-97 F-350 not rusted out will easily get $3K more then the same thing with rust around here.

 

We Need Some PICS

 

Ive made my mind up, I'm going to get new head gaskets, manifold gaskets, and valve cover gaskets and tear it apart and change them..If I come across a cracked head, then so be it, I'll change em. As the time has passed, I'm leaning more towards a blown head gasket.......Its much cheaper to fix this thing and keep on trucking with a truck that I'm familliar with than buying new or even worse buying used and getting something that has some unknowns....Head gaskets aren't really that bad, its just time consuming......

I will get some pics up on here soon for sure....Its been fun getting to chat with all you...I think I'm going to like this forum for sure.....Thanks everyone for the input...

 

Hey everyone....A little Question for ya...If I'm just changing the head gasket, do I need to put the Number 1 Piston at TDC(top dead center)....I don't need to remove the head do I? Is the Head gasket on top of the head or under the head? Might be a dumb question I know, but Ive never done a head gasket....I got a manual and all but it only has directions for head cylinder removal and installation.....Please forgive me If its a dumb question.....All I know is lining the Piston at TDC involves getting into the timing chain area occording to the manual....Any advice would be great...I got the park PLugs and coil removed, the Ac Pump, Power Steering Pump is all removed...

 

cant I allign them in proper order by just watching the rocker arms and rotating the shaft Pulley? This way I don't have to tear apart the timing belt and watch the allignment marks or is this the only way? The only thing is its at the top highest point on the fire and exhaust and it needs to be alligned at the top on the fire I believe....Hope this makes sense... Thanks....