FTE Small - cooling problems

small-list-digest Thursday, July 23 1998 Volume 02 : Number 205

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Ford Truck Enthusiasts - Ranger, Explorer, Bronco 2 and Aerostar
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In this issue:

FTE Small - cooling problems
FTE Small - FW: Consumer Request Response
FTE Small - Adjusting Torsion Bars on 98 Rangers
Re: FTE Small - Adjusting Torsion Bars on 98 Rangers
Re: FTE Small - Adjusting Torsion Bars on 98 Rangers
FTE Small - re: beeping cure
Re: FTE Small - Adjusting Torsion Bars on 98 Rangers
Re: FTE Small - Adjusting Torsion Bars on 98 Rangers
Re: FTE Small - re: beeping cure
Re: FTE Small - re: beeping cure
Re: FTE Small - cooling problems
Re: FTE Small - re: beeping cure
FTE Small - A/C Performance Questions
Re: FTE Small - A/C Performance Questions
Re: FTE Small - Oil change interval, continued...

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Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 07:35:55 -0000
From: Michael Peacock
Subject: FTE Small - cooling problems

Hi, I have an '86 BroncoII(2.9Lefi). It is running hot, in stop and go =
traffic the meter hits the red. I've checked the coolant level, it's =
good. I'm running 50/50 coolant/water. The engine has a clutch fan. I =
have read about putting auxillary electric fans on to reduce temp. so I =
went to a junk yard to try and find a cheap fan I could adapt to my =
radiator. The man at the yard would not sell me a fan(not without =
protesting). He said if the stock unit is working correctly the truck =
could not overheat. I need some suggestions as to what to check, what to =
suspect first, and where to put my limited cash first. Thanks for any =
replies!=20

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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 07:41:23 -0000
From: Michael Peacock
Subject: FTE Small - FW: Consumer Request Response

To Ranger and BroncoII owners:
This is a response to a request for low gears in the transfer case for =
our vehicles, if you could take a moment to email the company below with =
your request for double-low transfer cases. Thanks - Mike

- -----Original Message-----
From:Jan Gremillion=20
Subject:Re: Consumer Request
Jan Gremillion [pullpal

rof.net]

Dear Michael -

At this time, there is not enough of a call for this adaptation, and =
Advanced Adapters has no plans to start R & D. I'm told that utilizing =
the current Atlas would prove very expensive & time consuming.
It couldn't hurt to keep voicing your opinion, and getting your friends =
to do the same. Maybe someday there will be a majority, and enough =
cause for them to get something together for you.
Regards,

Pat Gremillion
Premier Power
Welder___________________________________________________________________=
___
_

>Build a 4 to 1 transfer case for Ranger and BroncoII Consumers! There's =
a
>lot of us out here!

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Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 09:31:33 -0500
From: "David Steelman"
Subject: FTE Small - Adjusting Torsion Bars on 98 Rangers

Hey folks.
Some of you had expressed interest in any info I dug up about adjusting
the torsion bars suspension on the front of the new Rangers.
I happened across an article in the February issue of Off-road.com about
adjusting the TB suspensions on some sort of Japanese truck. Basically, the
article showed how to gain height and stiffness by adjusting a single bolt
on each side. The author urged caution about how far you could adjust
without damaging your torsion bars or causing binding in the drive train,
so I'm sure the same applies to the Fords.
I checked out the TB set-up on my truck and sure enough, there is an
adjusting bolt that adds or removes tension. At the rear of each TB is a
cover that bolts to the outside of each frame rail and wraps under the
bracket that holds the TB. The cover has a hole in the bottom towards the
inside of the bracket. Sticking through the hole is a bolt. Adjusting this
bolt either adds or removes tension on the TB.
The article about the "other" truck stated the procedure as follows:

1. Before you do anything, measure the distance between the top of the
front wheel rim and the top of the fender well.
2. Set the P-brake, chock the rear wheels and jack up the front of the
truck (with the jack under the cross member) until the front suspension
hangs free. The article states that you should not adjust the bolts while
there is tension on the suspension, which makes sense. As always, be
careful. Use jack stands.
3. Adjust the bolt on each TB. To add tension, tighten the bolt. To remove
tension, loosen it. This is where caution should be used. Don't turn the
bolt too much. Before I started this, the bottom A-arms on my truck were
nearly level with the cross member, so I felt like I had plenty of room to
play with. Other trucks may have been set differently from the factory. The
first time I adjusted the bolts, I turned them 2 and a half complete turns.

4. Lower the truck, drive it a bit to "set the bars in place" and measure
again. If you want more or less height, or if the two sides are uneven,
repeat the procedure and adjust accordingly.

I ended up adjusting the bolts on my truck a TOTAL of six turns and I
gained about an inch and a half. Maybe a little more. My truck now sits
level and the front end now looks like it really is a 4x4. The ride
stiffened up some, but not too much.
After reading the article about the other truck and then looking at my
Ford, the Ranger's TB suspension appears to be simpler and very well
designed. Any regrets I had over buying the truck with the new suspension
are now gone. I like the idea of being able to adjust my ride height and
firmness with the simple turn of a bolt.
If you would like to read the article about the other truck, which I
would recommend, the address is:
http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.off -road.

com /4x4web/toyota/tech/torsion/
Oops! Sorry for the foul language. ;-)
A guy at a local 4x4 shop said it shouldn't be too long before companies
like Rancho begin offering beefier TBs for the new Rangers.
If anyone else tries this, let me know how it goes for you. And if my front
suspension falls out I'll let you know ASAP.

Dave
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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 10:45:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ryan Tourge
Subject: Re: FTE Small - Adjusting Torsion Bars on 98 Rangers

Any words of advice about doing this to a truck with the off-road package?

~
Ryan Tourge rtourge

superior.net
- -------------------------------------------
CCCCCC FFFFFFFFF DDDDDD
CCC CCC FFFFFFFF DD DD
CC FFF DD DD
CC FFFFFF DD DD
CCC CCC FFF DDD DD
CCCCCC FFF DDDDDDDD

Chestertown Volunteer Fire Company
- -------------------------------------------
Firefighter EMS First Responder

~

On Wed, 22 Jul 1998, David Steelman wrote:

> Hey folks.
> Some of you had expressed interest in any info I dug up about adjusting
> the torsion bars suspension on the front of the new Rangers.
> I happened across an article in the February issue of Off-road.com about
> adjusting the TB suspensions on some sort of Japanese truck. Basically, the
> article showed how to gain height and stiffness by adjusting a single bolt
> on each side. The author urged caution about how far you could adjust
> without damaging your torsion bars or causing binding in the drive train,
> so I'm sure the same applies to the Fords.
> I checked out the TB set-up on my truck and sure enough, there is an
> adjusting bolt that adds or removes tension. At the rear of each TB is a
> cover that bolts to the outside of each frame rail and wraps under the
> bracket that holds the TB. The cover has a hole in the bottom towards the
> inside of the bracket. Sticking through the hole is a bolt. Adjusting this
> bolt either adds or removes tension on the TB.
> The article about the "other" truck stated the procedure as follows:
>
> 1. Before you do anything, measure the distance between the top of the
> front wheel rim and the top of the fender well.
> 2. Set the P-brake, chock the rear wheels and jack up the front of the
> truck (with the jack under the cross member) until the front suspension
> hangs free. The article states that you should not adjust the bolts while
> there is tension on the suspension, which makes sense. As always, be
> careful. Use jack stands.
> 3. Adjust the bolt on each TB. To add tension, tighten the bolt. To remove
> tension, loosen it. This is where caution should be used. Don't turn the
> bolt too much. Before I started this, the bottom A-arms on my truck were
> nearly level with the cross member, so I felt like I had plenty of room to
> play with. Other trucks may have been set differently from the factory. The
> first time I adjusted the bolts, I turned them 2 and a half complete turns.
>
> 4. Lower the truck, drive it a bit to "set the bars in place" and measure
> again. If you want more or less height, or if the two sides are uneven,
> repeat the procedure and adjust accordingly.
>
> I ended up adjusting the bolts on my truck a TOTAL of six turns and I
> gained about an inch and a half. Maybe a little more. My truck now sits
> level and the front end now looks like it really is a 4x4. The ride
> stiffened up some, but not too much.
> After reading the article about the other truck and then looking at my
> Ford, the Ranger's TB suspension appears to be simpler and very well
> designed. Any regrets I had over buying the truck with the new suspension
> are now gone. I like the idea of being able to adjust my ride height and
> firmness with the simple turn of a bolt.
> If you would like to read the article about the other truck, which I
> would recommend, the address is:
> http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.off -road.

ford-trucks.com Wed Jul 22 10:32 EDT 1998
> From: "David Steelman"
> To:
> Subject: FTE Small - Adjusting Torsion Bars on 98 Rangers
> Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 09:31:33 -0500
> X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
> X-Priority: 3
> MIME-Version: 1.0
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
> Hey folks.
> Some of you had expressed interest in any info I dug up about adjusting
> the torsion bars suspension on the front of the new Rangers.

> I ended up adjusting the bolts on my truck a TOTAL of six turns and I
> gained about an inch and a half. Maybe a little more. My truck now sits
> level and the front end now looks like it really is a 4x4. The ride
> stiffened up some, but not too much.
> After reading the article about the other truck and then looking at my
> Ford, the Ranger's TB suspension appears to be simpler and very well
> designed. Any regrets I had over buying the truck with the new suspension
> are now gone. I like the idea of being able to adjust my ride height and
> firmness with the simple turn of a bolt.
> If you would like to read the article about the other truck, which I
> would recommend, the address is:
> http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.off -road.

com /4x4web/toyota/tech/torsion/
> Oops! Sorry for the foul language. ;-)
> A guy at a local 4x4 shop said it shouldn't be too long before companies
> like Rancho begin offering beefier TBs for the new Rangers.
> If anyone else tries this, let me know how it goes for you. And if my front
> suspension falls out I'll let you know ASAP.
>
>
> Dave
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------------------------------

Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 14:57:25 -0500
From: Bill Adams
Subject: FTE Small - re: beeping cure

>Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 15:49:06 -0400
>From: Ken Morrill
>Subject: FTE Small - beeping

> Does anyone know how to disable the annoying beeper that beeps 5
>five times everytime I start my truck (98 Ranger)
>Thanks
>Ken

Here's one way:
1. Remove the device fron the vehicle.
2. Place device on firm surface such as a sidewalk.
3. Strike device with large hammer several times.

This should cure the problem :)

On the serious side, you might be able to just unplug the beeper.
- --

Bill Adams
1966 F-100 Custom Cab, 352 V8, PS, AC, Long bed
1961 F-100 Unibody, 223 and a three on the tree!

The WoodButcher's Shop
"http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.geocities.com/heartland/plains/6640"

,.-----__
_ ,:::://///,:::-.
_| ~~. /:''/////// `` ::`;/|/
\, *_} /' ( Ford ) :://'`\
\( .' , |||||| `/( e \
-===~__-'\____ ```\_____/~`-._ `.
~~ ~~ `~-'
**************************************************************

**************************************************************

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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 10:22:03 -0500
From: "David Steelman"
Subject: Re: FTE Small - Adjusting Torsion Bars on 98 Rangers

I guess I should have mentioned that my 98 Ranger has the Off-Road package.

Has anyone heard anything else about adjusting the TBs on the new Rangers?
I have thought about calling some 4x4 shops, dealerships or Ford themselves
to see if they would provide any info. If I come up with anything I'll post
it.

Is there a source for technical info from Ford that would provide info such
as this to average Joes such as myself?

Dave
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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 10:24:33 -0500
From: "David Steelman"
Subject: Re: FTE Small - Adjusting Torsion Bars on 98 Rangers

More info on my truck:
98 Ranger 4x4 SuperCab flareside, Off-road package, 235s on 16 inch rims,
3.0 5spd man.

Dave
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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 12:01:49 -0400
From: Geoffrey Hoffman
Subject: Re: FTE Small - re: beeping cure

>Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 15:49:06 -0400
>From: Ken Morrill
>Subject: FTE Small - beeping
>
> Does anyone know how to disable the annoying beeper that beeps 5
>five times everytime I start my truck (98 Ranger)
>Thanks
>Ken

I hate to suggest it, but if you look at the seatbelt buckle itself, there
probably is a switch inside of it. Don't take it apart, but if you can find
something like two wires coming back from the buckle along the support for
the buckle, hooking those together may do something, making it think that
the seatbelt is always on, and will turn it off. Test this with a meter by
plugging the seatbelt in and seeing what happens, and if you then have
continuity when the belt is in. If so, just hook them together. If there
are more than 2 wires, you may need to do some detective work. If there is
only one, then it probably gets switched to ground or something.

I have not done this; this is just an idea. I don't recommend turning off
a seatbelt warning, but this is may be the easiest way without removing the
whole device, since that beeper warns of things like "headlights left on"
or "keys left in" (if it is like my truck).

good luck....
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
Geoffrey Hoffman http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.pobox.com/~hoffy/
ICQ: 10113446 gch2

cornell.edu
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Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 09:40:43 -0700
From: "Alan Wilson"
Subject: Re: FTE Small - re: beeping cure

At 12:01 PM 7/22/98 -0400, you wrote:
>>Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1998 15:49:06 -0400
>>From: Ken Morrill
>>Subject: FTE Small - beeping
>>
>> Does anyone know how to disable the annoying beeper that beeps 5
>>five times everytime I start my truck (98 Ranger)
>>Thanks
>>Ken
- ---------

You're probably one of those guys that leave the passenger side air-bag in
the "off" position too...some people...:)
Alan Wilson
(ICQ Pager - http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://wwp.mirabilis.com/153491)

Madden 98 Players Page
(http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.cris.com/~Usctrojn/madden.shtml)
NBA Live 98 League Page
(http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.cris.com/~Usctrojn/NBA98/NBA.htm)
Alan's Ford Ranger Site
(http://www.ford-trucks.com//lc/lc.php?action=do&link=http://www.cris.com/~Usctrojn/Ranger/ranger.shtml)

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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 12:57:52 EDT
From: Mudwizer

aol.com
Subject: Re: FTE Small - cooling problems

TRY TO REPLACE YOUR THERMOSTAT.....
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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 10:58:26 -0800
From: Thom Cheney
Subject: Re: FTE Small - re: beeping cure

Alan Wilson wrote:

> You're probably one of those guys that leave the passenger side air-bag in
> the "off" position too...some people...:)

I know you wrote that in jest... but actually, I was glad my '97 Ranger
doesn't have a passenger air bag. The safety nazis demanded an air bag
& got it, even though all the mfg tests showed that they were
dangerous. The gov't wanted a "passive" safety restraint because people
were not buckling their seat belts. Now we have to buckle our seat
belts to save us from the air bags deployed in a crash!!! Fortunately I
am over 6' tall & can drive with the seat far enough back that I am out
of danger from the explosive blast of an air bag charge detonating.

Just like our asinine third brake light, some senator wants to be
remembered as MR SAFETY and we all get stuck with the results.

TC
Happy to relieve the gov't of their insatiable
need to keep me safe from myself

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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 22:31:19 -0400
From: "Anthony Rifici"
Subject: FTE Small - A/C Performance Questions

I was hoping that one of you Ranger/Explorer 4.0L w/ R134a A/C owners
could help me out with a few questions.

How long does it take to cool down your truck on MAX A/C on an 80+
degree day w/ high humidity, when the truck has been sitting in the sun all
day? Can it keep up w/out being on MAX? I heard R134a doesn't perform as
well as R12. I bought the truck a year ago and always thought the A/C
seemed weak.

For the 5-speed drivers: Before buying this truck, I had never driven a
manual w/ A/C. How much does the A/C effect your city driving
erformance( part-throttle, low RPM acceleration). My truck seems to stumble
over itself to get moving when the air is on. It is as though I am towing
something and then it breaks free. RPMs drop like a rock when I take my
foot off the gas. The compressor clutch seems to cycle a whole lot. The
truck drives completely differently in stop and go traffic w/ the air on
than it does w/ no air. Is this normal and do I just have to give it more
gas w/ A/C?

I figure that these two might be related to a low charge. Anybody know
how hard it is to charge the system yourself? Parts America sells a kit for
less than $50, so I would like to save money if I can.

Thanks in advance,
Tony
'94 Ranger Supercab, 4.0L, 5-Speed

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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 23:01:16 EDT
From: MindEfx

aol.com
Subject: Re: FTE Small - A/C Performance Questions

The compressor on the 4.0L (maybe all fords, but i dunno) turns off if you
floor it (ie.full throttle) As far as not putting on MAX, why not, all it does
is recirculate air from in the car (taking cooler air and just making it
cooler yet), rather then on regular were it takes air from outside and cools
it. Its doesnt use anymore gas or put more strain on it or anything. I have
a 1993 Ranger SC with the 4.0L and the 5 speed..I noticed a little difference
in power with the a/c on, but nothing to make note of, didnt really bother me
too much.

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------------------------------

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 23:17:09 EDT
From: Jckarkka

aol.com
Subject: Re: FTE Small - Oil change interval, continued...

In a message dated 98-07-20 05:22:42 EDT, tsw

johana.com writes:

programmed into it??

Yes, I know that one can change the percentage to use with some special
key change, but why wouldn't it be set to 5k miles from the factory??
>>
I'm not sure how the Ranger strategy is set up, but normally these things are
set up with an algorithm that takes into account miles driven, fuel consumed
over those miles, and hours run. Ford, as well as the other manufacturers,
has a large database of field and laboratory oil degradation and engine wear
(wearmetal analysis and post test engine teardown). With this database, it is
relatively easy to come up with an algorithm which can determine a safe
(usually quite conservative) oil change recommendation.

This is all possible because the data necessary to support the engine control
strategy is there anyway with a modern electronically controlled fuel
injection system. It is simply a matter of manipulating data that is already....

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