1990 2.9 v6 extended cab . Always smeels like antifreeze. Temp guage never even gets to the half way mark. Truck seems to run just fine and does not leak. But even after the short ride to work (2 Miles) I get out and smell antifreeze. . . . I tryed to check the oil after the truck was warm to see if I was getting antifreeze in the oil but the dipstick holder is rusted off and the stick does not go deep Enough to see anything on it. Oil pressor guage always shows within the normal range.


Please. Advise. I need this truck to stay alive.

Edit
The heater seems to work fine.

 

This is a cross post I put up on another forum,

PLEASE HELP

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
I don't know what to do.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

Just got the truck not even two weeks ago, 1990 ford ranger extended cab 2.9L v6 4x4.

First the car I was driving before buying the truck was my dads and after I got the truck he gave it to my sister, so getting the car back is not going to happen.

That being said here's my story

OK so here's the deal got the truck feb 20th it had what I thot was a valve tick so I got some oil treatment from auto zone, Not the cheep stuff mind you. All seemed ok for the past few days but I was only driving the truck to and from work with is only 2 miles one way. All was city driving and under 30mph. So today after work I ran to the local mall (about 12 miles one way speed limit 45) and about half the way there the valve tick came back loader then before also seemed to have no power. Got to the mall checked oil and there seems to be none in the truck at all. Got a quart of oil did my shopping and drove home. Tick turned to a rumble that shacks the truck at idle. I thot WTF I must have an oil leak. Got home and pulled the dipstick, No oil. Looked around for over an hour could not find fresh oil leaking anyplace.
Jumped on the net and found someone talking about antifreeze getting into oil and killing engines. Then found a link that said it was a problem with the 2.9L v6 made before 1989. My truck is a 1990, the link said ford fixxed the trouble in 89.

Is it posable My truck has an 89 engine ? I checked the antifreeze reservoir as recomended on the one link I found and the antifreeze is not green it's more like a brown yucky looking goo.

Did I get lemoned ? What should I do ? I'm no mechanic but really need this truck, And I'm scared to drive it now. I used my whole income tax to buy the truck and have an 8 year old daughter that I need to pick up from school and tutoring, then there's also the fact that it's a 2 mile one way walk to work.

PLEASE PLEASE help . I have some tools and access to an indoor shop to work on it after work but have no idea what I should be looking for or how to fix it.

Once again PLEASE help Single dad with little cash in need of this truck in working order.


::EDIT::
Temp gauge hadly ever move's from cold. Heater works but does not seem to work very well. ( Thot That might be related so I edited to add it)

 

you most likley have a cracked head or a blown head gasket the change don't keep running the truck like it is or it will most likely cause perminent damage if it already hasn't. the easiest route to take is not to even bother wasting you time with fixing the current motor and call around to junk yards for a replacement motor.

 

OK what engines would just bolt right in, I ask just in case they have no 1990 2.9's

 

any 2.9 will bolt up if at all possible get an 89 and up cause thats the year they started using better heads. a "good" 2.9 shouldn't cost to much i recently bought one with 50,000 for $150

 

Been all over the net today trying to learn as much as I can about this head gasket trouble, and it seems to me that in most cases I find everyone is saying there cars/trucks are over heating. If it is a head gasket or cracked head why is my truck always running way cold? Also I'm not putting out any white smoke or any smoke at all for that matter.

Also has anyone used RxAuto Head Gasket Repair | Blown Head Gasket | Call 1-866-780-9042 or http://www.barsproducts.com/tech/1100_tech.pdf with any luck. At least for lets say a 6 month fix so I can save up some money to get things fixxed right.

While I can come up with the 150 for a junkyard engine I would have no clue as to how to install it and hear getting an engine installed would run me $500.00 to $800.00 plus hose's and clamps and getting the timing setup and weeks of down time.

As where the two above products only require drain and flush of oil and radiator, and the product.
Would the products last say till mid summer when work pic's up and I can comeup with the cash to get it fixxed right?