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how to gauge

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
I've got a 2.3 in my Ranger, with a bit under 250k on it. Mostly unloaded highway miles, Mobil1 synthetic every 5k since new. (Fram filters until I got it at 200k, now Motorcraft. Same oil, though.)

It seems to run OK, and doesn't really show any signs of being totally worn out.

Leaks no oil, burns maybe a quart or a little less between 5k changes- hardly worrying, especially since I'm told it's done that most of it's life. Uses a little coolant- I add a pint or two every couple of months. Can't tell where it's going, but it smells like coolant under the hood sometimes, so I'm thinking there's a leak I just haven't found yet.

Engine sounds good most of the time- little valve clatter on startup if it's been sitting for a long time in cold weather, but never more than a minute. But, the steering pump is a typical Ford pump- noisy as all getout...could be covering some other sounds, I suppose.

I don't know a whole lot, but it seems to me all signs point to it still being pretty good. Are there any checks I can or should do to get a better feel for the condition of this engine? I'm kind of at the point of deciding if I should fix up this truck, or replace it (I really don't want to sell it, so I'll probably fix it), and I'd like to get an idea of the condition of the engine. If it's going bad and I decide to keep the truck, it'd be nice to know enough in advance to rebuild a junkyard motor and have it ready to drop in...

Thanks!
 
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I am no expert, but take a look at the plugs and do a compression test. Those will give you a good idea of overall condition, I would think.
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
This is probably an idiotic question (or two questions), but...
a.) if it makes decent power relative to what it did when new, and doesn't burn hardly any oil, doesn't that mean the compression is probably pretty good?

b.) would a compression test tell me much about the condition of the bottom end of the engine?
 
Ian,
One thing you might consider is an oil analysis done by an o.a. outfit like Blackstone. They can tell you how the components in the engine are fairing by what they find in the oil. In heavy equipment this is a vital tool in preventing downtime during peak demand of equipment. Our Caterpillar dealer has it's own inhouse lab.
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
That's a good idea, Brad.

I think it'll be time for an oil change in another month or so, I'll try to do that then.
 
I'm not sure about Blackstone, but with Caterpillar you pay for the analysis and you pickup/they send you a sanitary plastic jar with mailer tube to return the sample in. Another hint for accuracy is to take the sample mid drain out of the drain stream. If you do it as you pull the drain plug or out of the drain pan it will have an effect on what thet find.
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
Well, life got in the way of doing a used oil analysis in the spring...and then I forgot until I was under the truck with a wrench today, and really didn't have the option of waiting.

Anyway...she ain't sounding real healthy. On either side of the oil change. Either knocking or ticking, but I don't know enough to tell quite what it is. I mainly hear it at idle, but my P/S pump is so loud...well...it's hard to say WHAT I'm missing when I get it wound up. Screwdriver between my ear and the oilpan, then valvecover, couldn't isolate any one cylinder that seemed louder...so I'm trying to delude myself into thinking it's an exhaust leak, maybe at the manifold gaskets. I dunno, though... Buddy who knows more than me is gonna take a listen tomorrow, see what he thinks.

*Dumb question that deserves it's own thread, but that'll be later: On a scale of "easy" to "impossible", where does swapping in a junkyard motor in a parking lot rank?
 
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smokey

Hitech hillbilly
Staff member
Do a Compression test.
You could pull the belt off so you can hear the motor instead of the alt and PS whine. I have done that for a short period it won't hurt a thing.
When did you last put a timing belt on it and when you did did you put on a new tensioner.
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
Timing belt was replaced by a mechanic at around 213k miles (I'm just over 250k now). I assume you are referring to a tensioner for the timing belt, and if so I am not sure if it was replaced or not. (If you are referring to the serpentine belt tensioner, it was replaced at around 210,000 miles.)

I know about pulling the belt off, but I don't know enough of what to listen for to make it worth it unless I can get my friend to listen with me. (Not sure how busy he is this week.)
 

Skandocious

Post Whores Make Me Sick
19,076
655
California
*Dumb question that deserves it's own thread, but that'll be later: On a scale of "easy" to "impossible", where does swapping in a junkyard motor in a parking lot rank?
Nighthawk, who I think is actually Snowbunny's son, did an E4OD-to-ZF swap in his dorm parking lot. No air tools, no power tools, no heavy equipment.

I believe it took him upwards of a week, IIRC. Can't imagine it was FUN, but clearly not impossible ;)
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
I know it's not impossble...but I also know it's not easy. Hence, they define the scale.
 

mrxlh

Oilfield Trash
5,904
430
Stigler, OK
Thread revival warning.

Ian, compression will tell you the condition of the head and the pistons/cylinder wall. It wont, tell you anything about the bottom end of the engine. Take a compression reading and then put a little mmo in the cylinder and take it again. If adding mmo increases the compression, its time for rings if it doesn't increase the compression, (assuming it is a low reading) its time for a head.

Oil pressure drop is the key indicator of main/rod bearing clearance. (if you have a good average of what pressure they run when new, vs what you have now will be a big telling sign of bearing wear.
 

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