My Acquired Ford Ranger

[XCRN]

I am outside Montgomery AL at my mom's new house (formerly my granddad's) and finaly get to play with a truck I inherited. A 93 Ford Ranger with a 4 cylinder engine and a 4 speed with overdrive manual transmission. Not too bad but needs a lot of work.




I don't know what all is needed to be done but the imediate issue is I do not need a key to start it, it makes a noise when throttle is applied when in 4th and overdrive below a certain RPM (don't know what since no tachometer), ladybug infestation (worse than the ants I had in the BMW), whining noise, gas gauge broken. I will not be taking it with me to OH yet since my mom could use it to take down the trash to the bottom of the hill, and I am already busy with the BMW. Anyways just thought I would share and if any of you have some insight on these trucks I would love to hear it. I fly to Seattle on the 25th so I will be getting more pictures.

[XCRN]

Oh and this.

[H311RA151N]

Ha, how cool! I have the Mazda version of this truck, 1994, same color, same transmission (M5ODR1) but with the 3.0L V6 (thank god). The Mazda B series and Ford Ranger of this generation are same exact truck minus cosmetics.

First thing it probably needs is the shifter bushing kit. Dorman makes a kit and you can find it on eBay for $20. It also likely needs the transmission fluid changed and it takes ATF, Mercon V to be exact. These transmissions are very easy to damage. Not servicing the shifter assembly will drop 1, 2 or 3 metal washers down in the transmission, which happened to mine before I bought it. I pulled a crushed up washer out through the drain plug hole. If you have a floppy shifter then you need to service the shifter assembly.

It has a Ford 7.5" rear end with an open diff. My ratio is 3.45 but with yours being a 2.3l I don't know which ratio yours will have. It's on a tag on the diff cover.

I have been driving mine for a year or so now. I paid $700 and got a hell of a deal. It had 160K on it then and has 184K on it now. I drive it everyday. My GF drove it for 4 or 5 months this year to work 48 miles one way.

My 3.0L has alright power and get's 20-22mpg constantly. The 2.3l is supposed to get better mpg but you have to drive it harder to maintain speed so it goes down easily.

You got robbed with the 2.3l '94 though. It has the lowest hp/tq of the second generation ranger at 98hp and 133ftlbs. 95-97 2.3l has 112hp and 135ftlbs. My 3.0l has 145hp & 165ftlbs, and the 4.0l has 160hp and 225ftlbs.

Your transmission is whining in 4th gear. Mine does it in 5th and has for over 30,000 miles. Just change the fluid and it should have a long life.

Most I have had in the bed is 1250lbs of green oak. It was over the limit but didn't do to bad. Fastest I have ever had it up to would be about 90mph I think. Which is flat screaming in these trucks.

Funnest thing in these trucks is going sideways when it's wet or slick out. I give mine a few moderate revs at a slow speed and let out the clutch a little fast in second while jerking the wheel a bit. It's good and pretty safe fun. The truck is so predictable and easy to maintain. I spent a few hours last winter just messing around in an empty parking lot, not being hard on it or anything. Prolly didn't see over 3500rpms the whole time just messing around and playing.

Here is mine, like I said I use mine every day.

[XCRN]

It is going to be quite a relief when I start working on this vs. the BMW both in price and difficulty. But the shifter does feel quite loose in neutral, I would assume I can leave it for a bit since I do not think anyone will be driving it until summer time. But this should be a fun and easy undertaking whenever I can take it back to OH sometime.

I am also going to try and get all of the ladybugs so with none of my tools here I am going to try and take as much of the interior out and get what I can since there was one going in and out of the headliner. I got most of the ones in the door sill but there are still more.

[H311RA151N]

It is going to be quite a relief when I start working on this vs. the BMW both in price and difficulty. But the shifter does feel quite loose in neutral, I would assume I can leave it for a bit since I do not think anyone will be driving it until summer time. But this should be a fun and easy undertaking whenever I can take it back to OH sometime.

I am also going to try and get all of the ladybugs so with none of my tools here I am going to try and take as much of the interior out and get what I can since there was one going in and out of the headliner. I got most of the ones in the door sill but there are still more.

Vs the BMW yeah it should be much simpler. EEC 4 is a mother fucker though.

Idk what's up with the lady bugs. I think that's a regional issue but IDK. My factory headliner fell down as well.

You could go 302 from a 1993 F150 with a T5... or 5.0l from a 1993 Mustang. Explorer 8.8" rear end goes in easy as well.

[XCRN]

The house has a lot of those bugs too. Me and my sister are going to pick up some furniture and she just starts screaming and I almost drive off the road because a lady bug dropped on here pants. She is afraid of them for what ever reason but I am not driving with here in this truck anymore.

I have considered a V8 but my only concern is how easy is the swap. Would those V8 swaps drop in easily or is there some fabrication work? And the wiring too? If I can just grab the harness and plug it in, that is fine.

[H311RA151N]

The house has a lot of those bugs too. Me and my sister are going to pick up some furniture and she just starts screaming and I almost drive off the road because a lady bug dropped on here pants. She is afraid of them for what ever reason but I am not driving with here in this truck anymore.

I have considered a V8 but my only concern is how easy is the swap. Would those V8 swaps drop in easily or is there some fabrication work? And the wiring too? If I can just grab the harness and plug it in, that is fine.

Lady bugs have a fowl smell to me.

It's as easy as putting a small block in an S10.

Advanced adapters has everything you need. Us manual trans guys need to go T5 though. There are many write ups and a ton of info on the net.

I'm getting ready to sell my 302 from a 1994 F150 along with M5ODR2 I pulled in the spring. I'm going 289 and World Class T5 when I find all the parts.

Older Ranger but this is my inspiration.



^^^ Doesn't have much done to it either. Doesn't lope or anything if you notice. He also says he was shifting at 7300rpm. On a stock or stockish V8.

['93CB7Ex]

have fun putting plugs in it. most only do the exhaust side haha.

[H311RA151N]

4 cylinder, 8 plugs.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=362784

[XCRN]

8 cylinder 8 plugs sounds right to me. Also not feeling the blue interior, so I might just do a black interior the same way I did the BMW. I feel confident I got it down well so it should be easy enough to do it again.

[Theos92VR4]

I got a 95 ranger splash with the 2.3l and 5 speed manual, stepside bed from my uncle a few years back. I paid him $200. Ran like shit, wound up being it needed plugs and wires. Total bitch job. After I did the tuneup it ran great though. Put 15,000 miles on it before i sold it for $1200.

I really wouldnt put any money into it, as far as swapping engines and stuff go. They are good trucks, the 2.3l is a solid motor, total dog, but solid and decent on gas. I would just keep it the way it is, spend the money somewhere else.

[XCRN]

Just something to haul large parts from the junkyard would be really nice. Most of the money going into it would be for reliabilty's sake more than anything.

[H311RA151N]

8 cylinder 8 plugs sounds right to me. Also not feeling the blue interior, so I might just do a black interior the same way I did the BMW. I feel confident I got it down well so it should be easy enough to do it again.

Yeah, I saw the blue interior. Glad I have grey.

I think I have the only year B series/Ranger 3.0l with a distributor... Wish it had coil packs.

They make really good trucks to get stuff from the JY.