How big of a sucker am i - The Lounge - Welcome To Our Ford Ranger Forum

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VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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I just bought a 2002 (post said 2003) Ford Explorer with 180,000 miles for 2,000. Down here that's a steal. I kinda sorta bought it aight unseen, except I saw some pictures of it. It looked good, really good. I have my mom pay the guy because it seemed like an excellent deal, no CEL no leaks, nothing. Well, when I went to go pick it up it drove fine, and I got home for further inspection....this is what I saw. The tie rod end links don't bother me too bad, that's easily replaceable. It's the other pictures that concern me.

Here she is:

Pretty, right?

Drivers side of the engine:

Not so pretty....

Underneath the truck:

Oh you poor poor truck.....

Rear diff:

Much sad :(

Also, the cv axle shafts on the rear diff were also oily.

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1983 Ranger, reluctantly taking apart. Donor/project vehicle.

1997 Ranger Ex Cab Manual 4.0 2wd, dead on arrival. Hopefully reviving for a daily driver.

1984 Ranger, currently in â‰ˆ861 pieces. Sheâ€™s donating whatâ€™s salvageable.

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Posted: Thu May 14th, 2020 09:41 am

2^nd Post

Idahome

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Nice Gen III Sploder
Whats wrong with that? I mean 180K miles you are going to have some seepage of oil from your drivetrain
2002 was 18 years ago, to me that actually looks pretty clean. It does not look like oil is dripping out it just looks"oily" like you said. Nothing to be concerned with in my opinion, at least not from these pics

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Posted: Thu May 14th, 2020 11:27 am

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JAMMAN

Owns A Torsen

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That's what I was thinking. Every pic I thought hmmmmm that's better than a lot I have seen.

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Posted: Thu May 14th, 2020 01:30 pm

4^th Post

VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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Okay, good. I'm glad you two reassured me lol I was super depressed. I've always figured oil on outside of engine = really bad. I'll clean it up this weekend, that way I'll be able to clearly tell how much is actually coming out and from where. That's a big sigh of relief :thumbsup:

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Posted: Thu May 14th, 2020 04:04 pm

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JAMMAN

Owns A Torsen

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Rear main seals on just about any engine has a lifespan without leaking of about... 70,000 miles max. Valve cover gaskets can go at about any time. Transmission front seals go out also, it is a gradual process but even with the best oil you are still rubbing a piece of rotating metal constantly with a piece of rubber.

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Posted: Thu May 14th, 2020 09:00 pm

6^th Post

VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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There is a sponge and remnants of nuts on top of the engine....

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Posted: Thu May 14th, 2020 09:55 pm

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JAMMAN

Owns A Torsen

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Sponge bob square nuts?

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Posted: Thu May 14th, 2020 10:15 pm

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VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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Lol thanks :fp

I'm actually curious why it was there/how it got there....

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Posted: Fri May 15th, 2020 07:31 am

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JAMMAN

Owns A Torsen

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It isn't too bad in Ohio, but in Michigan we had these little creatures that were like squirrels only smaller and had stripes on their back called Chipmunks. If you lived anywhere even inner city and left your car sit more than a week they would assume it was viable domicile and would set up residence. They eat the exact thing squirrels do and store it in any spot they can. Popular spots were the air filter chambers and underneath the intake of 4.6 fords.

A guy at a quick change oil place was giving me his sales pitch trying to get me to replace everything he sells during an oil change, brings me the PCV valve saying how I should replace it every bla bla bla. It had nut shells and a couple pieces of straw hanging out of it! He didn't notice it I did. This was a Dodge Daytona Turbo and the PCV valve is in an unusual location.

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Posted: Fri May 15th, 2020 10:21 am

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Idahome

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that sponge came stock on sohc engines....its a big piece of foam below the intake plenum.....no biggie.
Now dropped nuts, thats a different story. Hopefully they found replacements

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Posted: Fri May 15th, 2020 10:47 am

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VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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Lol y'all are hilarious!! That's weird they decided to put a sponge there. Idk. I drove it a little yesterday and to work today and the oil level hasn't changed, good oil pressure too so that accompanied with y'all's reassurance that the oil isn't too bad has helped me feel much better about the truck. I'm going to clean all of the oil off the road engine and trans today, probably do an oil change as well. It's cool it takes exactly 5 quarts, so there's no measuring involved and worrying I over filled! Thanks again y'all. But keep the funny nut jokes coming 410, and the funny stories JAMMAN!!

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Posted: Sat May 16th, 2020 07:11 am

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Mike69

Mustang Nut

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JAMMAN wrote:
It isn't too bad in Ohio, but in Michigan we had these little creatures that were like squirrels only smaller and had stripes on their back called Chipmunks. If you lived anywhere even inner city and left your car sit more than a week they would assume it was viable domicile and would set up residence. They eat the exact thing squirrels do and store it in any spot they can. Popular spots were the air filter chambers and underneath the intake of 4.6 fords.
Yes sir those little critters loved to store their food inside of the air cleaner housings between the air cleaner body & the air filter. They also liked to tear up the under hood insulation & pack it down on the intake manifold to make a nest on the engine. I used to see that a lot back in the late 70's & early 80's when cars still had carburetors.

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Posted: Sat May 16th, 2020 10:05 am

13^th Post

Idahome

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I crush explorers
This means I remove engines from trucks people forgot about or just drive till they die.
You want to see some mouse houses? The stupid intake manifold on the SOHC engines gives them a wonderful warm place to live......Right where that piece of foam is on the stock 4.6 the sohc 4.0 engine has the same cavity and the same foam..... mice love that spot! It is actually pretty rare to find one of these engines without some sort of mouse house in that spot

To keep rabbits, mice, squirrels and Chip and Dale out of your intake and wiring, LEAVE THE HOOD OPEN
If its open they wont want to nest under there.....

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Posted: Sat May 16th, 2020 04:21 pm

14^th Post

VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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Noticed a humming noise while driving, I first thought it was the tires because they're kinda new and the rears are all terrains, but after reading it appears it could be the rear diff. It's a 2wd, but the humming sounds like it's coming from the front...? I know this isn't an Explorer AND Ranger forum, but any help is awesome. Or, would you suggest I create a profile on the Explorer forum as well? If so, any specific forum y'all would suggest? Thanks.

Also, cleaned the engine with simple green and a baby bottle scrub brush (don't worry, this ain't the one we use to clean the baby bottles lol. Just a cheapy from Walmart) and no sign of oil leak

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Posted: Sat May 16th, 2020 06:50 pm

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Eddie Money
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I smell a plan cooking up in here.... Ranger/Explorer... whichever one does first....V8 Ranger baby!!!! In the mean time wife gets a family ride for the baby and all.... smart man!!!

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Posted: Sun May 17th, 2020 10:39 am

16^th Post

Idahome

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explorerforum.com is the largest and the best for sure
Humming noise is very likely a front wheel bearing

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Posted: Sun May 17th, 2020 11:54 am

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4.0power
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Mike69 wrote:
JAMMAN wrote:

It isn't too bad in Ohio, but in Michigan we had these little creatures that were like squirrels only smaller and had stripes on their back called Chipmunks. If you lived anywhere even inner city and left your car sit more than a week they would assume it was viable domicile and would set up residence. They eat the exact thing squirrels do and store it in any spot they can. Popular spots were the air filter chambers and underneath the intake of 4.6 fords.
Yes sir those little critters loved to store their food inside of the air cleaner housings between the air cleaner body & the air filter. They also liked to tear up the under hood insulation & pack it down on the intake manifold to make a nest on the engine. I used to see that a lot back in the late 70's & early 80's when cars still had carburetors.
When I pulled my duramax out of storage at my buddy's farm, mice built a nest in the air box. After a hour and a half ride I get home, open the hood to find the air filter reminder totally in the red zone. Needless to say they completely filled the lower air box and chewed the filter. Thankfully nothing got thru the filter! Next story. Had a Mini Cooper come into the shop I used to work at. Complaint was that the vent in the dash smelled like death. Drop the glove box door remove the cabin air filter to find a mouse nest with dead mice in it..... yea. I hated cleaning that up.

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Posted: Sun May 17th, 2020 01:03 pm

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Tsquare
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Early Toyota v8s had a chamber under the intake runners. The starter fills a small portion of that area. Vermin like to build nest in there if you do not drive it daily.

The starter solenoid is the weak link in the Toyota. The other is that the power band doesn't start till 3500 rpm.

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Posted: Sun May 17th, 2020 08:00 pm

19^th Post

mhoward
Hey look ~ they ~ bounce!

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@VelociRanger: I was looking at the pics you posted and all I could do was think: "wish my truck was that clean and oil-free". Dude, you've go nothing to worry about. :-)

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2003 Ranger Edge / Extended Cab / Flareside / 3.0L FLEX / 5r44e Auto / 2WD / 8.8 LS 4:10 / Sonic Blue Pearl

So many mods... so little time...

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Posted: Sun May 17th, 2020 11:48 pm

20^th Post

VelociRanger
Iâ€™ll probably do it tomorrow

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mhoward wrote:
@VelociRanger: I was looking at the pics you posted and all I could do was think: "wish my truck was that clean and oil-free". Dude, you've go nothing to worry about. :-)

Thanks man. It's funny, if i had looked at it before I bought it I would've left without it...now I can't stop driving it!! Lol. It rides so smooth, there's enough power to have fun (not too much fun)...this truck has spoiled me, going back to driving my Ranger is going to be difficult! It might be time to invest in a project...... :-P

we'll see though. I've made so many plans and never followed through with them, I don't want to get ahead of myself. Hopefully we'll go back to normal hours at work soon.

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