I recently bought a 92 ranger 2.3 that suddenly got louder (it had a slight rattle sound) and lost oil pressure on the hwy.I got to where I was going(it now sounded like a diesel),got groceries checked the oil and and drove the remaining 25 mi home.The odometer obviously turned over and reads 83k miles.The truck came from California with an exellent body/frame.
Kerosene flush?
Before my buddy's 49 Ford Custom was given to him,his uncles used kerosene mixed with oil to flush/clean the engine after sitting in their father's garage for 20 yr.They drove it around town like this also.When he had the engine and trany rebuilt,he was told that the engine was extremely clean when dismanteled.He thinks this might work with my problem (no oil pressure showing) of a probable plugged oil pickup screen,at least restoring oil flow until warmer weather.I drove it home from Amherst like this (25 mi) so there must be some oil still getting up top.Anybody have any experience or know of a similar situation.Thanks guys.
PS:The plan being to drain the oil and examine it for metal,cork,etc.Then repeating the same procedure.
Update:I drained a lt of oil and and added 1 Lt of kerosene.I started it up and let it run for a couple minutes and shut it off for 1 min.I did this about 5 times till engine was warm.The first time I started it the oil pressure needle came up to normal briefly but only once.Still no oil pressure.

Plan 'B'? Has anyone ever removed the oil filter and used a turkey baster in its feed pipe (or compressed air) to backflush through the oil pump to unclog the oil inlet screen (with diesel).I am going to try to scrape some sludge off the screen with a wire through the drain hole.If that doesn't work I will replace the oil with diesel and run it for several minites.

Note 86 Bigred's post below:
" 12-19-2009, 10:23 AM
86bigred
Posting Guru
1986 Ford F-250
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: patricia ab canada
Posts: 1,388


What I have done was drain the oil,fill the crank case with diesel fuel,fire the engine up and let it idle until it gets to operating temp,shut it off drain pan fill with oil and new filter.

Beware though that diesel will clean you internals,and mayclean sludge that is sealing the engine right now and with the internal cleaning you will get oil leaks, so be prepared to replace gaskets.I know this won't hurt your bearings. Had a big truck with a weaping injector while driving down the high way , and did this to an old 79 f250 with a 400 about 12 years ago and she's still going today. __________________
81 f150 302 4 sp od daily driver
86 f250 460 t19 4x4
67 ramber rouge 232 I6
68 pontiac paresenne 305 turbo 400
1975 diplomat motorhome 440ci " <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

 

Why not take the pan off and clean the screen?

 

Couple of quick thoughts:
1. What year
2. What engine
3. Have you checked or replaced the oil sending unit
4. Have you installed a direct reading gauge to see the actual oil pressure

 

I edited my first post and should add it's a 5 spd and still seems to have the same amount of power.Also I replaced a Lt of oil with a Lt of diesel and ran it for 2-3 min at a time shutting it off for about a min each time for the oil pressure to drop.The oil pressure did come up to normal the first time momentairly only to fall back down.I did this yesterday and the day before.The weather is too cold to do much with it.I will try scraping the screen with a wire before I do the diesel flush.
When I drained most of the oil and added the Lt of diesel,I felt for sludge,etc and found none but someone added something to the oil slightly slimmy? with a definate smell to it that I can't place (ATF?).The mechanic who sold this may have added ATF to quiet the lifters??There is no knocking either.

 

It's a very bad idea to run the engine AT ALL when you think that there is no oil pressure. You're working on the assumption that something is clogged, but for all you know, the oil pump may really be broken. Check the oil pressure sending unit first, and if that's OK then find the source of the no oil pressure problem instead of just flushing the engine.

 

A few times I started it and the needle came up to normal...the sending unit is ok.Oil pumps don't go suddenly.I've never had an oil pump go bad.I've done a ton of searching and reading and I would bet (am betting) its clogged.All the symptons match.Thanks

 

They do go suddenly. Bet an engine if you like. Wise choice is pull the pan, replace the pump and make certain all is good. Betting is guessing

 

if the screen is clogged then there will be sludge in the whole engine , you could pull the valve cover off and look and see if there is any sludge up there and if so then clean it out and also clean you return holes so oil can drain back down ! after that then pull pan and replace pump and screen !

there is no easy way to clean out a engine that has sludge build up as that comes from years of no maintenance !

 

Update:After starting the truck and still no oil pressure,I drained the oil and replaced with diesel after first scrapeing the screen with a wire.The needle came up when when I started it but fell back down after 15 sec.I ran it for about a min and shut it off.I started it again with the same results and on the 3rd startup the needle only came up to about 1/4 and fell back down.I repeated this 2 more times with no needle movement and let it set a couple hrs,then drained the diesel.No lumps or anything came out nor was the oil that was in it dirty.Someone put ATF in the oil before I bought it to quiet the lifters is my opinion which explains the smell and texture of the oil.It was too cold to try to back flush through the pump.The diesel did no additionalharm to the engine.Friday's supposed to be warmer...maybe then.I am waiting to hear back from a lady who is selling a 98 B2500 for $350 with cap and bed liner.It's an automatic (410 rear end ?).She said it's saftied till Aug but won't pass again.(Will that '98 engine,2.5,bolt to my,'92,2.3,5 spd tranny?)Thanks
__________________

 

My bud with the 49 Ford has been a mechanic for about 40 yr although not a high percentage of engine tare-downs (he was the top rated Midas specialist in Halifax).He took me down to Halifax to buy this and said I was 'buying the body'.We didn't expect the engine to last real long but at least till spring.I've been watching Kijiji for a parts truck since I got it.I Thanks to all you guys who know what you're doing."I'll be buck".
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The 2.5 should bolt right up unless it has the dual spark plug engine. The early 90's had a problem with the oil pan gasket flaking apart and leaving little bits to plug the pickup screen. I don't believe you can remove the pan [surprise!] without lifting the engine off the mounts. You cannot 'back flush' the oil pump unless it is a real leaker. It is supposed to be sealed enough to build pressure, and you should not be able to flow fluid backwards w/o moving the gears.
I would remove the sending unit and temporarily install a real gauge. Most of the sending units close at ~5psi, and the gauge is wired to read in the middle if it gets any signal at all, so it is basically just a funny-colored idiot light. Yours may not be wired with a resistor on the cluster back panel.
I honestly don't think that ATF would break loose enough to hurt the engine, and most 2.3 valve lifters do not stick. I have never heard of one with lifter tap, but there's always a first time.
tom

 

Thanks Tom.I took the oil filter off and it was empty so I gave up on it.I found a 97 with 2.3/5 sp (same as my 92).Are there any issues such as wireing harness,speedometer hookup, I need to know about when swapping?My son,Tom,has facilities down in Halifax if I can get this down there.I'm going to try to tare off the oil screen and see if that will let the oil flow.Thanks

 

I have read about some using a piece of wire to scrape off the pickup screen as a 'get by' attempt. Some were successful, at least for a while. Personally, I would not run the engine at all if I knew it had such bad oil pressure, unless I planned on junking it[the engine].
Can't say for sure about the swap. If you stick with the '92 ignition, etc, you should be able to get it running. The major difference is the ignition system change to 'coil packs' at some point in time, and using cam and crankshaft position sensors instead of a distributor, but I don't know the exact time frame.
tom

 

The 92 has those changes,("change to 'coil packs' at some point in time, and using cam and crankshaft position sensors instead of a distributor").I think the engine is toast although it isn't knocking yet.I'm going to try to bust a hole in or tare off the oil screen so I can drive it to Halifax about 110 mi.Thanks again.

 

I live in a sparsely populated county and this is my only transportation.Everything is moot now.We just got back from taking it to my son's shop in Halifax.It never got any louder and I had to drive about 55-60 mph (45-50mph showing on the speedo) or the rpm's were too low because of the 235/15" tires.I started it and shut it off immediately without the new filter on to see if any oil shot out.It did so I put the filter on and over filled it by 1 Lt.I drove all the way to Halifa110mi) with no problem.My buddy couldn't see any smoke although it did use that extra Lt of oil.
The donor truck is still in the snow.The guy has a mini junkyard behind his house.The truck is minus an alternator but drivable with a battery.But..there's another car in front of it with a bit of shoveling to do.Tom's going over in the morning to see how it sounds.He buys Civics all the time and does the mechanical and body work and resells them after a paint job (along with ATV's) so he is used to engine swapping.This is what he moonlights in.I'll let you know how it goes.