its pointless to compare unless its exactly the same gear ratio and type of truck.

 

i prefer my ohc over my old ohv ranger any day

 

Did you miss my post on having 2 almost identical 2000 explorers with 4:10 and 5 spd autos and the only variable was 15" wheels over 16" and leather seats? Heck they were both even the same color, white with gray cladding. I don't think you can get a better comparison than that. I still say OHC>OHV anyday of the week.

 

I couldnt stand the RPM range on the SOHC, my 05 didnt really pull till like 3500 and my 2000 OHV always pulled best 15-2500.

 

Then something must have been wrong with your SOHC engine. The OHC and SOHC engines both have the same torque at 1600 rpm. Below that the OHC has a little more torque and above the SOHC has anywhere from a little more torque to a lot more torque. There is nothing on the torque or hp curve that indicates there is anything special about 3500 rpm with the SOHC engine.

My SOHC engine pulls reasonably well at 2,000 rpm but likes 2,500 rpm better.

 

he is the mechanic doing the work on it... told me some plastic part broke and they called Ford and they told them only way to fix is to replace the long block

 

I never drove an OHV 4.0, but I did drive an SOHC in an 05 ranger, and I was impressed. If I get another ranger after this one, I would get one. From what Ive heard, the ones after 03, or 03-up were supposed to be better as far as tentioners go.

 

Hi but the chain possition doent matter. As long as crank is tdc on comp stroke and cam is same, gears and chain possition does not matter. Lots simpler than timing a Honda belt.

 

Just retarted that rear chain is rear of engine requiring removal to replace! F.cking Ford.

 

what years are the sohc 4.0?

What years are the ohv 4.0"?

Which 4.0 do I have in my 2011 Ranger?

 

You have a SOHC in your 2011 4.0L Ranger. They started using the SOHC 4.0L engine in the Ranger in 2001. The 4.0L pushrod engine became available in 1990 and the last year was 2000.

 

After reading this post and being a recent owner of a 2004 ranger xlt 4.0L 5sp manual 4x4, what is the difference between the two engines? Which one came with 2004? How do I tell which one I have? On a nother note, what does the XLT mean. I don't have elec mirrors, windows, or any creature comforts that I would expect in a XLT(extra limited ?)

 

You have the SOHC. All rangers from 2001 on that came with a 4.0 got the SOHC.


XLT is just the trim package. Rangers never really had defined options for certain trim packages. Some had a few common options, like edges got color matched plastics, or xlts got chrome bumpers. But for the most part, it depends on what the truck was ordered with.

 

So by 2011 did Ford "fix" the timing chain issues w/ this engine? With regular oil changes and normal use, I'd hope I'd get 200,000 miles out of this truck w/o have to get into replacing timing chains, gears, & tensioners.

Just wondering what the track record of the final generation of this engine is like?

It's at 75,000 miles now and only issue its had is one of the cat converters had its insides come apart @ 68,000 miles. When it happened, first thing I thought was "major engine failure" - the rattle & noise was that bad. But I probed around underneath the engine w/ a screwdriver handle to my ear and very quickly determined the cat was bad. Short time later a code appeared and once read certainly verified what I already knew. And Ford replaced the cat under the emissions warranty.

 

2005 and up 4.0l SOHC were fairly trouble free, 1997-2004 had the timing chain issues, but once parts were changed they became trouble free as well.

 

^^^ This ... but if you want to get real technical about it, the early 2004 4.0 SOHCs are hit and miss, but the late 2004 engines are golden.
I had a 2007 Ranger with the 4.0 SOHC with 391,000 on the clock and it purred like a kitten just like a new engine because the oil was changed like it was supposed to.

 

2001 and earlier seemed to be the worst for the 4.0 SOHC. Many of those had problems. They still had problems in 2002 but considerably less. I changed my tensioners sometime after 100K miles just as preventative maintenance. The old ones were still good and I still have them as backups. I am at 213K miles now and the engine is still strong with no timing chain problems that I know of. My original plan was to keep it to 300K miles and longer if I can't find something suitable to replace it.

 

Years later following up to my post (quoted above). My 2011 Ranger is about to hit 200,000 miles. This SOHC motor is as solid as ever. And has way more snot than the 3.0's I had in my two previous Rangers. Still happy! :-)

 

I did a cam timing chain rebuild at 250K miles because I do a lot of remote wilderness adventures and did not want to get stranded out there. The timing chain guides were still functioning properly, but they were getting brittle. I have no idea how much longer they would have lasted but just changing the tensioners would most likely have given them considerably more life. The one thing I did find broken was the mechanical tensioner for the main timing chain that connects the crank to the jackshaft. It was completely broken off and looked to have been that way for a while. I am surprised I did not get any rattling from that. I found out later that was also a common failure. Ford had an updated improved tensioner for that also, but I don't remember when that happened. Probably around 2004 when they did the other upgrade.

I now have 305K miles on that engine and it is still running as strong as it did when new. It also uses no more oil than it did when new. I plan to keep it many more years but did buy a new Bronco to relieve the Ranger of some of its off-road duties.

 

I have a couple previous posts in this thread. I am driving a 2011 SOHC 4.0 w/ 190k miles that has been trouble free and the best vehicle I've ever owned, w/ least issues ever! But rust and corrosion is eating this truck away. The rad core support is rusting significantly. This 2011 has lots of life left, it purrs just fine and looks like new from 10 ft away. Yet w/ bed floor rusting w/ holes through and the core support, I'm eye out looking for the next daily driver. For now, I still have a keeper.

Was this truck going through corrosion protection on the assy line on a Monday?

An older guy near me has a 1998 Ranger w/ a 4.0L OHV V6 in really nice shape @ 125k miles. It is really nice! Has lived in a garage and is looking better than any 27 yo should ever look.

Tell me about 4.0L V6's at 1998 vintage...?

What are the issues that the OHV 4.0's and their owners have faced?

 

It's good you're looking for replacement vehicle now, while you're not rushed.
Is the old guy's '98 for sale?

Someone will be along to warn you of the lower power (160hp vs. 207hp) of the OHV and how that will destroy your lifestyle.

Are you leaning towards an older Ranger?
Since your rusted 2011 is a keeper, is your "next daily driver" going to be a car/SUV/CUV or a truck?

Are you into it enough to find a '02-'11 Ranger in great shape into which you would install your drivetrain?
Are some substantial repairs to your existing sheet metal possible?

 

No, I don't see myself getting the 2011 fixed up. Rust is coming in at too many places. At the moment all the rust is not readily visible. The radiator core support is very heavily rusted. The bed has holes through the floor. All the doors and lower portions of the painted cab are showing rust as well. Fortunately, none of this rust is very visible at the moment. Except for the holes in the bed floor. But have a bed mat in there, so that rust is hidden. From 10 ft away you'll say it's in great shape. I imagine I have a few more years left in it.

The only reason I'm asking about this is the guy down the street says he's not sure how long he'll want to keep his 1998. At the moment he's hanging on to it. But what about next year? If he decides to move onto something else I need to be ready to buy it or refuse it. No, I have not driven it. That would be my next step I suppose.

So just wanted to know what issues would face a 27 yo 4.0 OHV V6 engine of 1998 vintage?

 

Any 27 year old vehicle would benefit from inspection of........
All rubber parts...including suspension bushings, body bushings and brake hoses
Accessory hardware (idlers/tensioners) The grease dries out....things get loud.
Battery condition....alternator output
VC gaskets
Do a compression check?
Any thing with a rubber diaphragm (a fuel pulse cushion ?)
Fuel pressure reading?
Shocks...spring shackles
Fluids
Rear axle + diff seals
Parking brake function

Go up to the guy and plainly tell him your intentions.
Tell him yours is high mileage AND on borrowed time (or some other expression) and leave the door wide open.
You wouldn't even have to talk about price at that time....but do keep some cash at the ready !
Ask to take a drive (with him with you). You could find some hideous flaw which would nix the deal (saving everyone's time).
Or you could unearth a small flaw or maintenance gap which he might address pre-sale.

You could freshen this 'n that on your current truck in the meantime.

He then could stumble on a great deal and move faster than you might think partly because he'd know he has his oldie sold already.

Make your intentions clear and simple. Do you even know if this guy communicates on your wavelength?

Ex: I'm helping a quiet neighbor sell a 2003 car. He's the OO and has not kept records.
Washing the exterior and using a whisk broom was all new to him.
He's a great guy but a car retard. Every sentence took word-by-word explanation.

Know who you're dealing with so when the bell rings, you don't hit a communications wall.