D

Dude#1279435

Audioholic Spartan
98 Ford Ranger
150K
3.0
Paid $2800

I bought it cause I wanted to do my own repairs. Been years since I've owned a vehicle due to bicycling. The price tag was probably too much for the market. I did it because of how clean the engine was considering its age and the underside, while having rust, was nowhere near what I'd been seeing. You could tell the sellers had put some parts into it. The wheel wells have some see through rust but overall not much. Runs maybe a little loud but smooth.

Ended up putting sand bags in the back since its 2WD. 240 lbs at the moment, but I'm guessing it's too much and will lose gas mileage, which is a joke anyway at around 13-15 mpg LOL. Shocks after winter and whatever causes the side-to-side action I'm guessing that's struts but not sure. I put in Super Tech synthetic (ie not Valvoline LOL). So far so good on the acceleration. Pennzoil/Quaker State I had bad experience with. The second I got rid of it the acceleration busted out. I remember a guy saying years back 'The Pennsylvania motor oils ya wanna stay away from. They have wax in them.' Jiffy Lube was using Pennzoil till I realized you could ask for Havoline. Instant improvement on the Olds Cutlass. I realize these old vehicles will have continual expenses but for the meantime I'm fine with that since that's what I wanted. I'd love to one day down the line find an old truck and put a refurbed engine in it. That was the point to begin with. To say I did it.

Anyway that's my story.
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Made me look up pennsylvania grade crude oil wiki....indeed is known for high wax content but apparently that's a good thing for its lubrication qualities....either way I did not know it had particular qualities like that. Can't say I've ever noticed a brand of oil making a difference in my vehicles, tho I definitely was into acceleration for a couple of 'em :). I think a friend of mine has one of those Rangers or close to it....think he's well into the 200,000 range on it, and does most of his own work, too....bought it used and fairly cheap, it's his baby.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
98 Ford Ranger
150K
3.0
Paid $2800

I bought it cause I wanted to do my own repairs. Been years since I've owned a vehicle due to bicycling. The price tag was probably too much for the market. I did it because of how clean the engine was considering its age and the underside, while having rust, was nowhere near what I'd been seeing. You could tell the sellers had put some parts into it. The wheel wells have some see through rust but overall not much. Runs maybe a little loud but smooth.

Ended up putting sand bags in the back since its 2WD. 240 lbs at the moment, but I'm guessing it's too much and will lose gas mileage, which is a joke anyway at around 13-15 mpg LOL. Shocks after winter and whatever causes the side-to-side action I'm guessing that's struts but not sure. I put in Super Tech synthetic (ie not Valvoline LOL). So far so good on the acceleration. Pennzoil/Quaker State I had bad experience with. The second I got rid of it the acceleration busted out. I remember a guy saying years back 'The Pennsylvania motor oils ya wanna stay away from. They have wax in them.' Jiffy Lube was using Pennzoil till I realized you could ask for Havoline. Instant improvement on the Olds Cutlass. I realize these old vehicles will have continual expenses but for the meantime I'm fine with that since that's what I wanted. I'd love to one day down the line find an old truck and put a refurbed engine in it. That was the point to begin with. To say I did it.

Anyway that's my story.
If the front suspension and steering are similar to similar vintage Exploders, check the steering stabilizer- lots of side to side if that goes bad, same if the steering components are badly worn. The good thing- replacing tie rod ends, ball joints, idler/Pittman arms and various links isn't difficult, but you'll need some specialty tools. Fortunately, these can be borrowed from many auto parts stores by paying for them and getting a refund when they're returned. When I do my tie rod ends, I measure the existing length, assemble the new parts (the coupler is so cheap that I just toss the old assembly), install the grease fittings and lube it before installation. I usually buy parts that have a lifetime warranty.

My Astro van has over 240K and still handles great, considering the freaking roads around here. I haven't done the ball joints, but did replace the tie rods, idler/Pittman arms and shocks.
 
D

Dude#1279435

Audioholic Spartan
Made me look up pennsylvania grade crude oil wiki....indeed is known for high wax content but apparently that's a good thing for its lubrication qualities....either way I did not know it had particular qualities like that. Can't say I've ever noticed a brand of oil making a difference in my vehicles, tho I definitely was into acceleration for a couple of 'em :). I think a friend of mine has one of those Rangers or close to it....think he's well into the 200,000 range on it, and does most of his own work, too....bought it used and fairly cheap, it's his baby.
Pennzoil bogged down my old car. Instant improved acceleration with different. My experience anyway.
 
GO-NAD!

GO-NAD!

Audioholic Spartan
98 Ford Ranger
150K
3.0
Paid $2800

I bought it cause I wanted to do my own repairs. Been years since I've owned a vehicle due to bicycling. The price tag was probably too much for the market. I did it because of how clean the engine was considering its age and the underside, while having rust, was nowhere near what I'd been seeing. You could tell the sellers had put some parts into it. The wheel wells have some see through rust but overall not much. Runs maybe a little loud but smooth.

Ended up putting sand bags in the back since its 2WD. 240 lbs at the moment, but I'm guessing it's too much and will lose gas mileage, which is a joke anyway at around 13-15 mpg LOL. Shocks after winter and whatever causes the side-to-side action I'm guessing that's struts but not sure. I put in Super Tech synthetic (ie not Valvoline LOL). So far so good on the acceleration. Pennzoil/Quaker State I had bad experience with. The second I got rid of it the acceleration busted out. I remember a guy saying years back 'The Pennsylvania motor oils ya wanna stay away from. They have wax in them.' Jiffy Lube was using Pennzoil till I realized you could ask for Havoline. Instant improvement on the Olds Cutlass. I realize these old vehicles will have continual expenses but for the meantime I'm fine with that since that's what I wanted. I'd love to one day down the line find an old truck and put a refurbed engine in it. That was the point to begin with. To say I did it.

Anyway that's my story.
I had an '01 Ranger (purchased new, because it was cheap) that I drove for 11 years - 2WD, 3.0l, 5-spd manual. Is yours an automatic? I got about 18 MPG with mine. Even when new, it was slower than the second coming. Horrible thing to drive in snow, even with weight in the back. Frickin' thing rotted away on me. Burst brake lines on multiple occasions from corrosion. Had to get some reinforcement welded onto the frame to keep it roadworthy. The bottom of the bed rotted out and the front suspension eventually broke from corrosion, which is when I got rid of it.

I replaced it with an '11 Nissan Frontier (purchased new, because it was much cheaper than an equivalent Toyota Tacoma and had a good reputation) - 4.0l, 4WD, 6-spd manual. Much heavier than the Ranger, but gets similar mileage. The only rust on it is a bit of surface corrosion on the tips of the rear bumper. It has been very reliable - I love this thing.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
When I was working on boats, Mastercraft and some other brands, along with a company called Indmar, had developed a relationship with Pennzoil. The place where we were trained is owned by someone who has PE after his name, which means 'Professional Engineer'- this is the top level of licensure for engineering and it also means they have mastery of most engineering disciplines. His shop had three dynamometer rooms, one with a 600HP electric motor, which was used for finding frictional losses in engine builds. During our training, we discussed lubrication and the use of Pennzoil- some mentioned that it caused problems but he had not seen them in his testing or the many years of servicing engines that were in marine or road use. He also told us about people who would occasionally show up to talk about some kind of oil additive- he would aske them to leave some, so he could test it and after he explained how he's able to do that, he never saw them again. He said that, unless an engine isn't operated in extreme conditions, 'oil is oil' as long as it meets the specs for grade, viscosity, etc.

Do an online search using 'Pennzoil causes problems in engines' as the search terms and it's all forums, YouTube videos and opinions, for or against.

I know several people who worked for GM in powertrain development- their advice had little to do with the brand of oil although a couple do like Mobil 1. They all had simple recommendations- keep the oil clean, don't overheat the engine.

I don't change vehicles the way some people change their underwear (every one to three years, whether they need to, or not)- I buy the type of vehicle that will serve me best & keep it until it has served its usefulness, which means the mileage will be high when I move on to the next. I have had zero problems with oil of any brand, I have used Pennzoil and I have seen absolutely no sludge or heavy deposits in any of my engines, other than my first car which was a '67 Ford LTD which hadn't been maintained well. The last five cars had 200K, 194K, 197K, ~300K and >240K, in chronological order. The first was a cast iron 3.8L V6 and was rebuilt because those had severe problems with cylinder taper. The rest needed nothing more than general maintenance and in the case of the one with ~300K, it needed oil seals in the heads. When the valve covers were removed, we saw that they were almost pristine. None of the others had any sludge or buildup of anything on/around the valve stems and rocker arms.

If possible, I'll contact the facility where I was trained, to get additional info about Pennzoil issues.
 
D

Dude#1279435

Audioholic Spartan
I had an '01 Ranger (purchased new, because it was cheap) that I drove for 11 years - 2WD, 3.0l, 5-spd manual. Is yours an automatic? I got about 18 MPG with mine. Even when new, it was slower than the second coming. Horrible thing to drive in snow, even with weight in the back. Frickin' thing rotted away on me. Burst brake lines on multiple occasions from corrosion. Had to get some reinforcement welded onto the frame to keep it roadworthy. The bottom of the bed rotted out and the front suspension eventually broke from corrosion, which is when I got rid of it.

I replaced it with an '11 Nissan Frontier (purchased new, because it was much cheaper than an equivalent Toyota Tacoma and had a good reputation) - 4.0l, 4WD, 6-spd manual. Much heavier than the Ranger, but gets similar mileage. The only rust on it is a bit of surface corrosion on the tips of the rear bumper. It has been very reliable - I love this thing.
Yep automatic. It does not accelerate real well. I have to keep my foot high on the pedal to get it to go better. My cousin had an 85 Ranger and beat the living he'll outta it. He owned it for a couple years around 1995 and had to put maybe $20 in it. Two other peeps owned it after him. I guess it depends on luck I dunno. I have a garage so should be fine. I only plan on using it for winter.
 
D

Dude#1279435

Audioholic Spartan
When I was working on boats, Mastercraft and some other brands, along with a company called Indmar, had developed a relationship with Pennzoil. The place where we were trained is owned by someone who has PE after his name, which means 'Professional Engineer'- this is the top level of licensure for engineering and it also means they have mastery of most engineering disciplines. His shop had three dynamometer rooms, one with a 600HP electric motor, which was used for finding frictional losses in engine builds. During our training, we discussed lubrication and the use of Pennzoil- some mentioned that it caused problems but he had not seen them in his testing or the many years of servicing engines that were in marine or road use. He also told us about people who would occasionally show up to talk about some kind of oil additive- he would aske them to leave some, so he could test it and after he explained how he's able to do that, he never saw them again. He said that, unless an engine isn't operated in extreme conditions, 'oil is oil' as long as it meets the specs for grade, viscosity, etc.

Do an online search using 'Pennzoil causes problems in engines' as the search terms and it's all forums, YouTube videos and opinions, for or against.

I know several people who worked for GM in powertrain development- their advice had little to do with the brand of oil although a couple do like Mobil 1. They all had simple recommendations- keep the oil clean, don't overheat the engine.

I don't change vehicles the way some people change their underwear (every one to three years, whether they need to, or not)- I buy the type of vehicle that will serve me best & keep it until it has served its usefulness, which means the mileage will be high when I move on to the next. I have had zero problems with oil of any brand, I have used Pennzoil and I have seen absolutely no sludge or heavy deposits in any of my engines, other than my first car which was a '67 Ford LTD which hadn't been maintained well. The last five cars had 200K, 194K, 197K, ~300K and >240K, in chronological order. The first was a cast iron 3.8L V6 and was rebuilt because those had severe problems with cylinder taper. The rest needed nothing more than general maintenance and in the case of the one with ~300K, it needed oil seals in the heads. When the valve covers were removed, we saw that they were almost pristine. None of the others had any sludge or buildup of anything on/around the valve stems and rocker arms.

If possible, I'll contact the facility where I was trained, to get additional info about Pennzoil issues.
I just changed oil. It was black. I haven't decided if it's a lemon or something else. The check engine light is back on already. That's why I put synthetic in. Maybe a sensor. It was weird because I've put maybe 2k on it and the dipstick was coming out clean but started to burn more.

My cousin does that. Changes cars ever 2-3 years. Loves his new Dodge truck. First time in years he's decided to own vs lease.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
I just changed oil. It was black. I haven't decided if it's a lemon or something else. The check engine light is back on already. That's why I put synthetic in. Maybe a sensor. It was weird because I've put maybe 2k on it and the dipstick was coming out clean but started to burn more.
Sensors don't make oil turn black unless their failure causes the engine to run rich (O2, Engine Coolant Temp sensor, Intake Air Temp sensor, MAP/MAF sensor, etc). Any of these will cause the check engine light to show but if I wanted to check for codes, I would go to an auto parts store and use their scanner. Some places don't do this, so call around to find one. Also, just seeing a code doesn't mean it's time to start firing the 'parts cannon'- this isn't an efficient way to diagnose and it ends up costing a lot of money/adding to the frustration. If it shows any codes, clear them and if they return, look further for problems- sometimes, it IS just a bad sensor/sender, though. Does the temperature gauge needle seem too low? That would make it run rich and could be caused by the thermostat or its gasket.

Do a compression test and, if possible, a cylinder leakdown test. Remove the fuel pump fuse beforehand and if the compression is low in one cylinder, it may be the cause. Also, if you run it until it's warmed up to normal operating temperature, remove the oil filler cap and look for puffs of smoke. Also, if the filler cap has milky deposits and water droplets, it's not a good sign. If possible, look into the area under the valve cover and check for anything that looks odd/bad.

Some engines turn the oil dark sooner than others- check the Ford Ranger forums to get more vehicle-specific info.

Did you look at the air filter?
 
D

Dude#1279435

Audioholic Spartan
Sensors don't make oil turn black unless their failure causes the engine to run rich (O2, Engine Coolant Temp sensor, Intake Air Temp sensor, MAP/MAF sensor, etc). Any of these will cause the check engine light to show but if I wanted to check for codes, I would go to an auto parts store and use their scanner. Some places don't do this, so call around to find one. Also, just seeing a code doesn't mean it's time to start firing the 'parts cannon'- this isn't an efficient way to diagnose and it ends up costing a lot of money/adding to the frustration. If it shows any codes, clear them and if they return, look further for problems- sometimes, it IS just a bad sensor/sender, though. Does the temperature gauge needle seem too low? That would make it run rich and could be caused by the thermostat or its gasket.

Do a compression test and, if possible, a cylinder leakdown test. Remove the fuel pump fuse beforehand and if the compression is low in one cylinder, it may be the cause. Also, if you run it until it's warmed up to normal operating temperature, remove the oil filler cap and look for puffs of smoke. Also, if the filler cap has milky deposits and water droplets, it's not a good sign. If possible, look into the area under the valve cover and check for anything that looks odd/bad.

Some engines turn the oil dark sooner than others- check the Ford Ranger forums to get more vehicle-specific info.

Did you look at the air filter?
Temp gauge is a little on.the cold side. About 10% lower than the middle.

Yep some creamy white inside the oil fill cap. Very faint smoke but it's cold outside too.
 
Last edited:
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
Temp gauge is a little on.the cold side. About 10% lower than the middle.

Yep some creamy white inside the oil fill cap. Very faint smoke but it's cold outside too.
If the 'smoke' is white, it's likely to be condensation, not actually smoke. Take a whiff just after startup and after it's warmed up- if it smells like unburned gas, burning oil or anything odd, look into the problems.

BTW- this engine may have two temperature sensors; one for the gauge and one for the ECM. If this is the case, it's more reason to use some kind of diagnostic scanner that shows data, rather than just codes. That way, you can see a lot more info in real time and make better decisions about where to look. If you see that the other ECT (Engine Coolant Temperature) sender is also low, its resistance will need to be checked and a chart should be available online to show the temperature to resistance relationship. The resistance change is usually an inverse of the temperature change, so high resistance would cause the ECM to 'think' the engine is cold, even if it has been run to normal operating temperature. At that time, it should be delivering less gas, not more.
 
D

Dude#1279435

Audioholic Spartan
Sensors don't make oil turn black unless their failure causes the engine to run rich (O2, Engine Coolant Temp sensor, Intake Air Temp sensor, MAP/MAF sensor, etc). Any of these will cause the check engine light to show but if I wanted to check for codes, I would go to an auto parts store and use their scanner. Some places don't do this, so call around to find one. Also, just seeing a code doesn't mean it's time to start firing the 'parts cannon'- this isn't an efficient way to diagnose and it ends up costing a lot of money/adding to the frustration. If it shows any codes, clear them and if they return, look further for problems- sometimes, it IS just a bad sensor/sender, though. Does the temperature gauge needle seem too low? That would make it run rich and could be caused by the thermostat or its gasket.

Do a compression test and, if possible, a cylinder leakdown test. Remove the fuel pump fuse beforehand and if the compression is low in one cylinder, it may be the cause. Also, if you run it until it's warmed up to normal operating temperature, remove the oil filler cap and look for puffs of smoke. Also, if the filler cap has milky deposits and water droplets, it's not a good sign. If possible, look into the area under the valve cover and check for anything that looks odd/bad.

Some engines turn the oil dark sooner than others- check the Ford Ranger forums to get more vehicle-specific info.

Did you look at the air filter?
Will check the air filter to see if oil and whatnot is in there. PCV valve replaced and pull a spark plug to see if there's oil on it. Otherwise forums suggest valve seal or piston rings.
 
D

Dude#1279435

Audioholic Spartan
BTW, not sure what I was thinking when I bought the vehicle. Guy said the flappers work, but when I put the fan of full blast not much comes out. So I think probably fan or flappers and probably heater core. Not sure though. I wonder if engine thermostat effects that? Anyway, think the mistake I made was not testing driving it longer.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
Will check the air filter to see if oil and whatnot is in there. PCV valve replaced and pull a spark plug to see if there's oil on it. Otherwise forums suggest valve seal or piston rings.
I meant that it should be checked to see if it's not choking the engine. They're a frequently neglected item and they can cause severe power loss.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
BTW, not sure what I was thinking when I bought the vehicle. Guy said the flappers work, but when I put the fan of full blast not much comes out. So I think probably fan or flappers and probably heater core. Not sure though. I wonder if engine thermostat effects that? Anyway, think the mistake I made was not testing driving it longer.
OK, I'll bite- flappers? Are those the dampers for the HVAC?

Yeah, if the thermostat isn't closing or if it's leaking (some have a silicone seal around the perimeter- Escalade is one example), the coolant will continuously circulate and it won't have a chance to reach the normal operating temperature. Also, a lot of vehicles have a heater control valve- they can be operated by vacuum and if the little hose leaks, not only will the valve not work the way it's supposed to, the engine may idle fast and bog on hard acceleration because the idle air controller may be more closed than it should be.
 
D

Dude#1279435

Audioholic Spartan
OK, I'll bite- flappers? Are those the dampers for the HVAC?

Yeah, if the thermostat isn't closing or if it's leaking (some have a silicone seal around the perimeter- Escalade is one example), the coolant will continuously circulate and it won't have a chance to reach the normal operating temperature. Also, a lot of vehicles have a heater control valve- they can be operated by vacuum and if the little hose leaks, not only will the valve not work the way it's supposed to, the engine may idle fast and bog on hard acceleration because the idle air controller may be more closed than it should be.
I really am not entirely sure. My impression was it regulates air intake, but I dunno the fan just has different speeds.
 
panteragstk

panteragstk

Audioholic Warlord
Yep automatic. It does not accelerate real well. I have to keep my foot high on the pedal to get it to go better. My cousin had an 85 Ranger and beat the living he'll outta it. He owned it for a couple years around 1995 and had to put maybe $20 in it. Two other peeps owned it after him. I guess it depends on luck I dunno. I have a garage so should be fine. I only plan on using it for winter.
Ford auto trannys from that era are...not that great. However, parts are everywhere so you could rebuild it when the time comes for cheap. That's a good beater vehicle that you can do just about everything yourself.
 
D

Dude#1279435

Audioholic Spartan
I had an '01 Ranger (purchased new, because it was cheap) that I drove for 11 years - 2WD, 3.0l, 5-spd manual. Is yours an automatic? I got about 18 MPG with mine. Even when new, it was slower than the second coming. Horrible thing to drive in snow, even with weight in the back. Frickin' thing rotted away on me. Burst brake lines on multiple occasions from corrosion. Had to get some reinforcement welded onto the frame to keep it roadworthy. The bottom of the bed rotted out and the front suspension eventually broke from corrosion, which is when I got rid of it.

I replaced it with an '11 Nissan Frontier (purchased new, because it was much cheaper than an equivalent Toyota Tacoma and had a good reputation) - 4.0l, 4WD, 6-spd manual. Much heavier than the Ranger, but gets similar mileage. The only rust on it is a bit of surface corrosion on the tips of the rear bumper. It has been very reliable - I love this thing.
When it hit holes and man covers the things just thuds so not sure what to make of that. Am thinking the frame wasn't designed that good, or just old.
 
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