Ok, lemme give a min of background.

I currently own a 2003 Honda Element, a BMW 325CI (wife's car and carpayment...so I guess I don't really own it), and a 1997 Ford Ranger.

My Honda, which has been my daily driver for the last 76K miles has a 2.4L engine which is stock rated at 153hp and 160lb-ft torque at 9.7:1 compression and 16 valves at 3500lbs curb weight - automatic trans

My Ranger has a 2.5L from a 2000 Ranger in it which has around 50K miles on it and is rated at 119hp and 146lb-ft torque at 9.28:1 compression and hell if I know how many valves but I suspect 8 at 3100lbs curb weight - 5 speed trans

Now, my Honda will bust **** all the way up to 120+ (terrifying but true) and has the aerodynamics of a freakin brick

My Ranger will top out at 82 and sounds like it's eating it's self.

Any ideas what is up?????? Is this normal? Like I've said in other posts, I've only had it for a week and realize I will likely have to do some work on it.

Currently it runs a bit rough, sputters a bit, and once you put it in 5th gear you'll be subject to the roll of the earth...fast down hills, constant on the flats and slowin down going up hill.

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of owning a 2.5 Lima!

My wife's car has a 1.8 liter DOHC engine that would whoop my Ranger (with 2.5 Liters SOHC) with a flat tire.

 

^ Welcome to the world of rangers....they do have governers in them to prevent you from breaking the mach...oh umm.... .0003 barrier and rangers typically(unless built for it) suck at the top end. Also I found that it is almost terrifying to hit 100+ in a ranger...they get real floaty past 95.

I would suggest that you do a tune up on her and make sure to check your D-train out and make sure that it is in good mechanical order

 

Ugh...that is depression :( While I don't necessarily want to win at the strip or anything, I would like to feel confident I can pass granny when she's in the fast lane or get the heck out of the way of all of those tractor-trailors on the way to and from work. (I counted this week how many tractor-trailers I saw on the way to work - I quit counting at 320 when I was still 10 miles from my office. This is in a 45 mile span. That is lots of trucks!

I'll give her a bit of a tune this weekend...maybe plugs...and change the tranny fluid.

 

I don't think it will ever beat the Element, but sounds like you are about do for a complete tune up. change out all the fluids, replace plugs and wires, clean the Maf replace o2 sensors make sure you're tire pressure is at a good amount and that your wheels and tires are properly balanced.

and so on. Only having it a week, it's too early to really make a call on what she needs.

 

Dude, I love that cage. Dang! I don't 4wheel anymore but that looks FUN!

 

How fast do you need to go? It sounds like your 2.5L is in rough shape and a full-tuneup is probably in order. Get rid of that sputter and rough running first, then see where you're at.

I had the 2.5L in my '99 XL Sport. I really didn't have any complaints w/ it. Sure it was slow, sure 5th gear was an afterthought and really only useful above say 60 MPH, but she'd do 90 if I asked her to.. we wouldn't get there quickly, but we'd get there. At the end of the day you have to remember that it's a base-model pickup.. not exactly designed for speed.

Then again I was constantly impressed w/ how well it towed. I towed a 17' tri-hull boat w/ a 50 horse outboard and a weekend's worth of beer w/ it every now and then and it did great. I'd have no problem towing all the way up to the 2k lbs limit of the step bumper.

 

Don't get me wrong! I'm not wanting to go around Lowes Motor Speedway or race for pinks...I just don't think it's living up to it's potential.

My wife actually LIKES that it's rough and slow at the moment...decreased chance of my getting a ticket.

I just wondered if there was something SERIOUSLY wrong with my engine, moderately wrong (tune up) or if this was normal.

If it was normal I'd be shocked...so it sounds like i'm on the serious side of moderately needs alot of work...if you follow me.

where did I go?

 

Come to think of it...where did that girls post from this morning go in the "I'm new" section?

 

thread prolly got too horndoggity and got archived. You can always tell who's not gettin any in thsoe threads.


Aaron

 

its an unstable truck.. not really meant to go 120.. expecialy not mine

 

My governor is quickly and easily by-passed with the flick of a toggle switch I put on my VSS sensor circuit. Of course, this also kills my speedometer until I restore the circuit, but at times when I've flipped it back on my speedo was riding around the 110 mark. Yes, it was floaty, and I wouldn't do it again now that I have a family who needs me. Wayyy too dangerous.

One time I was cruising along Interstate 75 at my typical cruising speed of AS FAST AS THIS DAMN THING WILL GO, and I flipped my VSS down a hill. The hill had a bridge on it about halfway down, and as I came over the bridge the truck "bounced" and nearly went sideways. It was enough to scare me as I wondered what kind of mangled piece of scrap the truck would be if I locked up the brakes at that speed and lost control...

 

Yeah...Im not a big fan of speed in my truck...things can go sour way to dang fast!

 

I did some tinkering with my truck today:
Pulled a sparkplug on the side with the exhaust manifold - plug looks like new except for a very fine dust of carbon, but Autolite Platinums look like new...gapped to .042

Pulled a sparkplug from the side with the intake (the side that all the plugs are blocked by something ) and again, Autolite Platinums looking like new except the arm and around the rim had some whitish dusting on them. I thought for a minute that this may be from the added heat of being on the side of the head with the exhaust valves but then realized I was on the intake side.

Anyone know what side of the head in relation to a landmark in the engine bay the exhaust valves are? I thought to assume for a second that they would be on the side of the engine with the exhaust manifold...but I could be wrong.

Anyway, as I'd said in other posts this engine was put in this truck about 12K miles ago and supposedly the plugs were put in new. After checking them out it appears to be accurate.

Now, I also pulled apart the air intake stuff. I turned the sensor closest to the plenum so that the air actually flows across the sensor...dunno if that is correct, and I checked out the inside of the duct work. It appears to have some moisture in it. I guess it could be water vapor from the air (very moist here in SC) but it did smell a little like fuel. Could this be just vapor from running the engine? You all see that kind of thing too?

Also, I then took it for a spin (to Charlotte and back) and it did great when cool, but was a little rougher running after I got her heated up.

Like I've said, I don't want to rocket all over town, but a little more power in the top end would make me feel safer. You know, when my truck was built in 1997 the top MPH on state highways was 55 (I think). Now days we drive 70+ every where. Maybe my truck just wasn't made to go this fast! Darn faster speed limits!

On another note - I had a 1985 CJ-7 with a 1" lift and 31's on it. I was going down a hill in a soft top at about my 9th hour diving and was following a tractor trailer both of us doing 90 or so. SCARED ME TO DEATH!!! Never again! But, I was also worring about burning up my breaks at the time and was nervous about slowing down as I had to get up the other side of the mountain. Dunno...my wifes BMW is GREAT in the mountains at speed...but in a truck I'd rather take my time and be sure to get there looking good with no new creases.

 

its sounds to me that your assumtions on the exhaust valves are correct sir, but the moisture in the intake is a no no....no mater where you live! I was once a resident in the Columbia region (I was honorably discharged from Ft. Jackson) of SC and yes in deed it is moist and it is very hot, but thats no excuse for moisture in an engine. Check your oil for and contaminents such as coolant, if you find and its gonna need a new head gasket. Also try cleaning your MAF. Those things go to poop with just the slightest amount of contaiminents on them. Most people clean them with brake cleaner. Aviod carb cleaner as this is much harsher and the MAF is a sensitive wire.

 

Thanks, I'll check that out in the morning. Yeash...I shouldn't expect perfection for $400.00. Good thing I like working on cars :)

 

Do you know what the rear axle gear ratio is? That could play into it some, though it sounds like the engine is in need of some TLC. My truck has a 2.5L and a 3.73 gear ratio and it has no trouble going past 82 MPH. In fact, it still has a little left in it when it starts bouncing off the speed limiter at around ~95 MPH.

 

Really? and yours only a year newer than my engine.

Well I'll have to do some more research on the intake issue...

 

OK...so I did some more investigation and...wait for it...took some pictures!

Yeah...kind of.

Here are the pics (this pertains to the moisture in my intake hose)
While system all together. Notice the yellow dohicky...that is the offensive moisture provider.


Air Tubes taken apart. In outline dohickies you can just see the debri and moisture in there...notice the blow through tube from the valve cover...(in yellow)


MAF in the Explorer air box but it IS a Ranger part...look close you can read it...2.3L - 3.0L RANGER


This thing is up by the actual intake and has wires running from it...What is it?


Ok...with all that shown...do you all know what would make the pressure so great in the valve cover that it would blow oil by and into the intake tubing? Also, is this routed correctly? I assume since a ford oriented shop did the work it's going the right place...but you never know.

Also, since I cannot figure out how to post to the Garage...I thought I'd post these two pics...
During body work:

After:

 

The Garage is reserved for Contributing members as far as I know. Lol not that you have nothing to contribute, but you gotta fork up $10 to help keep the site running smooth and you'll get a bunch of things in return.

https://www.ranger-forums.com/forum2...ead.php?t=2791

 

Eggcelent...I'll contribute! I've gotten $10.00 worth of info already :) SWEET!!! STICKERS!!!

 

Come to think of it, that's not me in that pic. That would be my brother and I should probably cut him out of that pic 'cause I think it's against some rules of this board isn't it?

 

nah there's no limit to how ugly the people in your pics are

really the only pic rules are no nudity and no extreme obsenity or extreme obesity cuz no one wants to see that lol jk

 

That's why we banned KArpe from html skillz. So he couldnt post his ugly mug. In fact we offered him 30 bucks to not become a contributor, btu he wouldnt take it.


By the way, that's a nice lil truck! Needs bigger engine tho! Rip out crap you have now and buy a crashed ranger to swap with :-D

Aaron

Aaron