hi im dakotaim 21 from north carolina. just got a 97 ranger extended cab from my mom cause she just got a jeep a few months back, ive been wanting to learn how to work on cars and its the only truck we .have so i thought id try to get it up and back running for everyones convenience. its in pretty bad shape cosmetically, multiple wrecks surprised its not salvage but the engine is still running nicely the only problems (not including cosmetic) are the oil pan gasket (drips a quart every 2 weeks :'( and apparently reverse is having problems. it is a 3.0 automatic. 2wd

 

Welcome, good luck with your project.

If you really want to learn make sure to get a factory service manual or online subscription to one.

 

i got it! been reading over it for the past few days, my mom bought this ranger new in 98 and basically knows everything about it too. you guys are making everything look pretty simple too. im really intimidated by the oil pan gasket and trans jobs though.

 

Hello, I just purchased a 2001 ford ranger from a friend. Long story short, it was giving him issues and then he let it sit for about 8 months. After that it wouldn't run and he didn't want to deal with it. He bought a newer ranger and sold this one to me. I got it running and have been hit with a number of issues. I found this site in hopes to get some insight on the best course of action. I have also noticed that parts for this particular year and engine size are hard to come by. I look forward to getting help with this truck to restore it to its glory days! Little info about the truck, its a 2001 ford ranger, XL, single cab with a 2.3L engine, 4X2, automatic transmission. I'm new at this and not sure where to start a thread with the concerns I have, some help with that would be great. Issues it has at the moment are listed below:

- Transmission
- Cooling system