Changed engine air filter after opening up the air box to find the dirty side filled with a substantial amount of mud....

 

Fitted new heater hose T pieces.

Filled with new coolant.

Flushed/replaced power steering fluid.

Replaced power steering filter & re-routed hoses.

Picked up pulley puller for replacing the power steering pump as the dang thing is leaking :(

Lubricated parking brake assembly in the cab as the release doesn't retract.

 

More information on your shift handle. Looks upper class to what I have...lol

Seriously though looks good, more pics if possible please :-)

-Nigel

 

Hey,
Any chance of a full on picture of the Radio Panel.
Was thinking about a Carbon Fiber too, some sort of water graphics, what did you do to the panel ?

 

Added a universal homelink to the dash.

If I were to do it again I would put the homelink somewhere else behind the dash and then run separate buttons on the actual dash. It would have been less time consuming modifying the dash/homelink housing. It looks good now but too a couple hours to make it look like it was always there. No no more garage door opener on sunvisor. On switched power so that it only works when the key is in the truck.

-Nigel

 

Looks good

 

that would be the Lincoln town car shifter, its a bolt in and works great (I have one)

you can also modify the chrome MFT switch from a town car to replace the all black one in the ranger. nice to have the signal stalk match.

 

Pulled the other 5 plugs after checking the easiest and finding it to be in perfectly fine condition (if gapped to wide .46thou) using an AP104 (First two pics)

Only to find the remaining plugs are XP104, gapped to about .90 to .100 thousandths and massively worn hollows in the electrodes.

Bent them in to be close until i can work out the right plugs to replace them with.

 

I am probably doing both actually now looking at it.

If you don't mind just a couple questions. I noticed that the Lincoln shifter angles differently than the ranger's. Does it feel any different when shifting because of the different angle? Doesn't look like a problem to me but just wondering.

Did you do the turn signal stalk as well? That too is different in terms of angle. The one I have now angles downwards so my hand is always at the lower position of the wheel and it's at my finger tips. Perfect location. With newer rangers they angled it up and I don't like that. With the Lincoln it seems like it's up but not nearly as high as the new rangers. Any issues with that as far as comfort?

I really like how both look but one thing that makes me wonder if I should do it is that there is no chrome in the inside of the truck at all. Everything is black/cf wrapped...etc. I'm wondering if this is going to stick out and look out of place.

-Nigel

 

Bent the hood brackets back straight to put the hood in the middle where it belongs. The fellow we bought it from had hit a barrier at low speed and bent the driver side fender and shifted the hood to the right. The fender will get looked at this weekend.

Also knocked a big dent out of the rear driver quarter panel. Just tapped it with a hammer from the inside and it popped right out.

In the future (probably spring) the whole truck will get repainted.

 

I made a post on the Technical/Electrical forum, but it hasn't been approved as yet...'09 4.0L 4x4, power windows, mirrors and door locks stopped working all at once...passenger side operates door locks...very curious...water intrusion in Smart Junction Box/Body Control Module; corrosion around perimeter of circuit board...swapped salvage box to try to improve situation...donor box from '07 unit w/o power windows/locks....after realization of donor box not going to work; replaced original module, but while plugging in the multiplug levered blocks, the module started ticking like a hazard relay...when all the plugs were installed, the ticking stopped.....but when the truck started to drive away, NOW no radio AND no headlights.....any thoughts on this issue would be greatly appreciated...thanks in advance...cheers...!!!

 

Sorry for the delay in responding. Not getting notifications like I used to. Anyway, here is a new photo of the radio bezel. It is pure crap at the moment, as this was my first attempt at CF vinyl. Have learned a lot since then and will re-cover it this winter along with my door panels.

 

Carbon fiber wrapped radio bezel brothers unit...lol Mine below.

Also officially mounted my rear window louver. I'm happy with the fitment compared to how it should have been from the manufacture. They had these hinge brackets up top which then created a horrible gap in the upper top portion. I tapped out the hinge pins, then dremeled off the hinges, then added a couple extra mounting on the sides/bottom so that it sits flush against the window. Looks much better. Visibility out the back is definitely affected but not drastic. It's darker in the cabin too which is nice.

-Nigel

 

Got both the left and right front fenders off, straightened up, and mounted back on. Now working on installing the new front bumper.

 

Nigel,

Your bezel looks great! Hopefully mine will look like that when I re-wrap it this winter. Louver looks good also!

 

I have only worked on / have experience with 1999, 2001 and 2003 Rangers... none of which have the SJB. However, you mentioned corrosion on the circuit board. Did you try to clean that off with contact cleaner and a tooth brush or anything similar? The corrosion could be causing a short or back feed. I know that isn't particularly helpful though...

 

How to check pressure & remove the spare tyre on a Ranger.....

1) Get compressor out and crawl under the back of the truck, discover the valve is up against the truck.

2) Look at the attachment point and realise it makes no sense and you can't remove the spare tyre.

3) Find placard on how to change wheels, discover the location of the toolkit needed to lower spare wheel.

4) Discover there is a nice empty space where the toolkit should be, along with what may as well be an "I.O.U" in it's place.

5) Go online to ask where the best place to buy a toolkit is :(

 

I hear ya brother! Mine is empty also (no I.O.U. though). Found a jack at the local U-Pull, but couldn't find the crank handle. I have chrome lug nuts, so I use a 1/2" breaker bar and a new 6-point socket for that.

 

Found this for the wrench: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01HFF4S...=3AWDRT4LYKSS7

And this for a handle: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01HFF4Y...=3AWDRT4LYKSS7

That's for a single extension though.

Found this for the wrench/extension set, but no suitable bottle jack.
https://smile.amazon.com/98-11-Range...KV6PYDVWJ53W6V

 

Awesome! I never thought about finding it on Amazon. I think I am going to get the kit, so I have everything I need. Thanks for the links!

 

Yeah, if i can find a suitable bottle jack (it's generic except the cupped top) then i'll likely do the same.

 

Your links got me to thinking, so I checked out eBay.

98-09 FORD RANGER EXTENDED CAR OR REGULAR SPARE TIRE JACK WITH TOOLS OEM | eBay

This may be what you need. :)

 

Holy crap that's spendy, though i did in fact see that one last night, look at the second picture, it's clearly been painted over corrosion :(

I think that new kit from Amazon and just a bottle jack from ebay might be the best bet.

 

I'm seeing a lot of jacks listed up to '01 - was there a change to it in '02?

This F150 jack from '01 looks the same as other Ranger jacks, any problems using it?

2001 Ford F-150 F150 XLT Jack | eBay

 

There was no change from 1998 up. The F150 jack looks a little beat up, but appears to be the same one.