3rd attempt at posting this.
A quiz for you gear heads. See the attached photo. Just finished a rebuild of my sons 03 Ranger 4.0L sohc motor. Every bolt in the motor is accounted for. The motor was re-installed and everything works. All during the install we looked for where this bolt went and there was no place. This, to my surprise and luck was the only remaining bolt. All the transmission bolts are in, all the mount bracket (alternator, air, etc.) are in and still there is this extra bolt. It’s a 10 x 1.25 thread, OAL is 40mm, the shoulder (about 12mm dia.) is 20mm long. The head is a 13mm socket with the stamp MR and below it 9.8. I read this as a grade 9.8 (ISO) - which is every bit a grade 8 bolt. This is an impressive bolt and there was only this one. The shoulder appears to function as an alignment dowel (could certainly take a very high shear force). The bolt is black oxide treated, is not rusted, shows no indication of exterior exposure to water, mud, oil etc. In fact, I took a Kleenex to it to analyze any deposits - there were none - the bolt was clean. But under magnification the head looks like it was torqued tight once and loosened once. Somebody please give me an answer – I don’t want the motor to fall out. Thanks.

 

Welcome to the forum

Can't say but it does look like a pulley bolt, did you replace fan belt tensioner or idle pulleys, they often come with new bolt, although usual torx

Crank pulley?

 

I did replace the pulley, but it did not come with a new bolt - I had to reuse the old one. Try again.

 

Any chance the pulley DID come with a new bolt and you just didn't find it until now?

 

No. Three things, I had this extra bolt way before I purchased a new pulley - and the other pulley was installed and the engine was running. I replaced the Pulley as part of a fix to a squeaky belt. The pulley bolt has a full thread and the replacement did not come with a replacement (which I was surprised about as well). Also, if this were a new bolt from some purchase as suggested by friends and family, the bolt would not have marks on the head of being tightened and loosened. Your suggestion of a crank pulley bolt?? That is a torque to yield 19mm bolt. I think I am looking for a mechanic or somebody that has worked on a lot of Rangers. They would/should know about every bolt on that truck. Thanks.

 

No one like that around here...

 

LMAO, good one

What I don't know about Rangers would fill a book, what I do know about Rangers would fill 3 books.
So always willing to learn one more thing, add a page to the books

Let us know if you find out if its from your Ranger and where it should go

 

RonD - please pick yourself up off the floor - truly original. I'm starting to think a neighbor like you threw it in my bolt bucket to mess with me.

 

Had it done to me before, and I do think it's funny, but at the time............well ya gotta scratch your head now and then or your brain can't grow, lol.

 

What does it matter where the bolt came from, things are put back together section by section _ one checks their own work as it goes back together so things like this don't happen ?
When I do restoration work, not just on vehicles, there's always parts left over.
This is because bolts are replaced due to rust, or they're twisted off, or just replaced with new and better bolts _ or nuts _ or what ever.

Know your self and know your memory Michael, next time use a camera if you can't remember what looks like an important bolt and where it may go.
If you throw all your parts in a bucket, then you will have problems, I guess it depends on how long the project is apart, but still, if you do use a bucket, it's certainly not the most organized way to go about things.
Why not post over at the Ranger Station and see what they have to say ?

You seem like the type of guy where a neighbor would play a trick on you like this.

 

I'd sneak over every night and leave random oil puddles under his truck.

 

 

Jeff_R_1,
Try sounding out your words - it may help gather your thoughts. Somewhere in there I think you had a lesson for me but it didn't help my bolt quest. I'm getting the feel for the terrain - you guys just want to have fun.
Clouds with no rain - thanks for all your help.

 

Off course we want to have fun, you need to lighten-up.
I spent an hour going through different search engines looking at bolt photos for Ford vehicles, not just trucks, didn't find anything.

When you post a statement like "I think I am looking for a mechanic or somebody that has worked on a lot of Rangers. They would/should know about every bolt on that truck".

There are lots of seasoned Ford mechanics and guys with decades of knowledge and experience here, if there was any a likely place to help you with your bolt problem, it would be here. Ron alone has almost 10,000 posts under his belt _ so really....?
The bolt is pretty clean, I was thinking it may have come from the interior steering column or up near the firewall in the engine bay, a seat belt anchor bolt, but those are Torx _ and then again none of those areas needed to be touched to do engine work.
Maybe it came from the centre console when the trans was removed, if you even removed the trans.
But then why such a heavy bolt in any of those areas ?

And that's a good one about my name, not the most politically correct insinuation, but still funny...

 

Jeff_r_1,
There you go with those lessons again. My humor just has a different aroma - kind of meaty. Didn't take the tranny out. Thought of all your ideas as well and visited all that had a hint of possibility. I think I will pursue meditation on my every move. One good thing - the bolt isn't going anywhere. The rebuild spanned 2.5 months. My son works to a different clock and I wasn't going to do all the dirty work. Only one mystery bolt after 2.5 months - I am quite pleased.
PS.
You lost me on the name thing. The "sound it out" was just for fun - I say that to my wife frequently - you should try it when she twists her words.
I'm out.

 

 

Back from the dead.... Did you ever figure out where it went?

I recently got a 2001 4.0 4x4 (autotragic) that had the engine out already. It needed timing chains.

I have two of these exact bolts in the bin, (the guy didn't label anything at all, or separate it, just threw it all in a box.... along with a few miata parts. haha!)

I'm *probably* going to figure out where they go at some point in the process, but damn if I can tell at this point. They are not transmission bolts, nor are they for the starter, and I honestly am not seeing much else they could go to that would use the oversized shoulder for alignment.

 

Trannie to engine?
Engine bracing fastener?