Hey guys thanks for the add!
Just bought a 94 ranger last week after getting rid of my 2016 f150 ecoboost. This is kinda a project truck for me.

I need help figuring things out and i been searching and watching videos all over and i think this post will be the fastest way to gather the info i need.

First off thanks to all who help and 2nd im sry if im breaking rules im not exactly sure how the posting on forums go.

Ok so i got a 94 ranger regular cab 2wd automatic transmission with a 3.0 in it. Now im not sure what trim level it is becuz it doesnt say on the truck. Im thinking its a splash because i have the flareside bed but theres nothing on the truck that says splash. No xlt badging so i dnt know. Help figuring that out would be great. I tried looking it up thru the vin but that didnt get me no where either. Also the truck has burgundy cloth interior. The seats have electric lumbar adjustment and another one for the back of your legs, i forget what its called. Sadly I got a few more issues too.


The one im most worried about is the motor. Its making a knocking noise mostly only audible around 2300 to 3500rpms. My thoughts where rod bears, flexplate, lifters or accessories.

So far trying to diagnose the noise i have done the following. Load checked each cylinder by removing plug wires one at a time and when i did the knocking sound never changed.

I used my stethoscope and probed around the motor, pulleys, valve covers, intake manifold, oil pan and where the flexplate is. And the only place where i could really hear the knocking louder was near the water pump. I also removed the serp belt and ran motor and knock was still audible.

After that i drained 1 quart of oil and added a quart of lucus oil stabilizer. Removed oil looked clean, no metal particles i could see. Started truck and the knock has quieted. I have a endoscope cam i was going to stick in inspection hole to look around the flexplate but being that the knock quieted after thickening the oil i concluded that it wasnt a flexplate issue and must be internal engine issue.

Also i want to add that either somewhere in this trucks history either the motor was swapped or the grille mounting panel was swapped because where the diagram shows the serpentine belt says its for a 4.0l and the engine is a 3.0 looking at the numbers on the valve covers. Ok so i think that covers my main issue with the engine although i may be forgetting something.

2nd issue is the transmission. It shifts fine driving down the road but whats happening is it isnt going into 1st gear. Its like it starts out in 2nd. If i put it in 1st and give it gas nothing happends it feel like the torque converter is free spinning, you can feel it trying to engage but it never does.

If i put in any other gear the truck goes, but not fast like theres no power. But reverse has the power it should have so i know its not a power issue. I was thinking maybe a blowout in the trans valve body gasket but i watched a video with a guy who had the same exact problem and he changed his gaskets, fluid and filter and it didnt help the issue of engaging 1st gear so im not sure although he could have done something wrong.

Anyway thats what i need help with if anyone wants to chime in with their opinion please do and thanks. Sorry for such a long post i just wanted to be thorough from what i have concluded so far.

 

Welcome to the forum

Try breaking up sentences for easier reading

Reads like you bought someone else's problems, engine and transmission issues.

1994 3.0l was the last year of the distributor with that engine, 1995 and up were distrbutorless and used a Cam sensor in its place
Also 1994 was last year of the EEC-IV computer in Rangers, 1995 and up got the newer OBD2 EEC-V computers

Rod knock is a concern of course.
The noise from a rod knock comes from that cylinder firing just after TDC, bad rod bearing will leave a gap between crank journal and rod bearing as piston starts down, when cylinder fires that gap is SLAMMED closed and that makes the knock noise.
So if unplugging the spark plug wire on a cylinder reduces or stops the knock then it is a bad rod bearing.

1994 will have the A4LD transmission, last year it was used as an A4LD, later models were 4R and 5R 44Es, same transmission but with more solenoids.
I doubt there will be an in the vehicle fix for this.
You can try a new valve body gasket, nothing lost but a little time.


Ranger VIN info here: The Ford Truck 17-Digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Decoder

8th digit in VIN tells you the engine it came with from the factory
U would be 3.0l Vulcan engine

The 3.0l Vulcan engine was used in Ford's from 1986 thru 2008 model year, Rangers had them from 1991 to 2008
So used engines are available

Trims were part of the serial number and only Ford had that info, they only keep it for 10-15 years last time I checked.
So not sure if you can get true trim levels, lots of guess's for sure, lol.

Yes, Splash model was first offered in mid-1993 for Regular cabs only, in 1994 it was an option for both regular and extended cabs

 

ok thanks yea i checked the vin lookup with the link u listed and my truck came with a 3.0 do that means the grille mount panel has been replaced. And yes u were right to say i bought someone elses problem and now its my problem. I got another question tho.
say i start searching for another a back up motor. What would be my best bet, a newer 3.0? Would that require a newer computer? Same question on the transmission. And say i put newer motor and transmission in, would that bolt up to the driveshaft?

Just trying to have a backup plan and weigh out my options. I have seen motors floating around for a few hundred bucks. I kbew this truck would have some issues when i bought it but i didnt plan for so many.
when i test drove it i checked out the motor listened to it and i didnt hear anything wrong. No knocking or nothing i even sat there under the hood playing with the throttle. I didnt realize about the trans because i didnt test drive the truck in 1st gear i just put in drive and it drove fine i didnt really consider the power (or lack of) because i been so used to driving something with alot of power so i just accepted that as standard power for a 3.0.

Yes i was thinkin rod knock like i said originally i just dont get it really, i mean if i did the load test on each cylinder by removing the plugs then why didnt the noise change? I need to check the flexplate just so i can cross that off the list.
anyway thanks again..

 

On an older engine like that with some noise I've done this multiple times and it for the most part works. 10W-30 Mobil 1 high milage oil and a bottle of STP. The last 5 old project cars I've had I'd done this and 4 out of the 5 got much quieter.

 

Here's some more info on the Vulcan block.
Rebuilding The Ford 3.0L Engine

A newer block will work, you would remove the cam shaft synchronizer and use your distributor (basically).
Any thing else that's on your block will bolt up to the new ones.
The link shows some improvements were made.
Avoid engines from 2004 to 2006 as they have the soft valve seat problem, assuming that you're not going to use your heads.

Make sure and replace the crank shaft oil seal and oil pan seal on a used engine.
You may want to also replace the front timing cover seal as well, as they have a tendency to leak coolant.

The pan seal should be done for sure when the engine is out, as it pretty much requires the removal of the engine to replace the pan gasket.

You can even use a Vulcan engine from a front wheel drive, but you will have to change the head gaskets, engine mounts, exhaust manifolds etc...
If you get a block with flex fuel, you will have to use your injectors.