hi there, i just purchased a 83 ranger for a winter truck while i park my 93 f350 crew. the ranger seems to go thru alot of fuel, the exhaust smells really rich. i'm wondering if these rangers get good milege. (it has a 2.3l according to the valve cover spec decal, the previous owner said 2.0l) i'm use to diesel. just wondering on tips that might help. Thanks

 

You should get (2WD-manual) in the mid to high 20's with reasonable use. You probably have the famous sinking float in your carb. Those had a black 'plastic' float that would get saturated, and raise the level in the float bowl, thus allowing more fuel than normal to get used. Check a local parts store for a replacement, after you check the static fuel level in the bowl. The 2.0 just needs to be bored out, but I don't think they made them until 1985 when they were trying to (i think) get their fleet average mpg up.
Just my 2 cents.
tom