87 Ranger 4WD 5 spd 2.9V6

Fuel sending unit

My 16 YO son brought home this 87 Ranger from a neighbor's front yard and we're in the process of getting it going after a 10 year rest, apparently with several gallons of gas in the tank. It's a 4 WD, 2.9 V6 with 5 speed. So far, we've dropped the tank (and broke a nylon fuel line) and plan on replacing the tank, in-tank sending unit, high pressure pump, filter and injectors before testing the rest of the truck. Any counsel/advice appreciated!

 

Keep at it!

Looks like a nice little truck!

 

Fingers crossed. Good=one owner, lady driven, no accidents, rust free, 105K, V6, 5 spd. and 16YO son interested in it says he's willing to work on it with me (priceless!). Bad is that previous owner said it sat for five years. I think it was closer to ten if that fuel sending unit is any indication. Trying to be methodical about going through it and getting it back on the road. Fuel system first (tank, sending unit and low pressure pump, high pressure pump, filter, injectors). We'll see how well it runs after that. I'm guessing cooling system will be next followed by brakes. Fuel system will set us back in the $250 range in parts through some careful shopping. Add in a new battery and the tow and I'm nearing the $500 original budget to see if we could get it to run. Any and all suggestions, tips, recommendations and encouragement appreciated.

 

Fuel system first (tank, sending unit and low pressure pump, high pressure pump, filter, injectors).....

You can clean the tank using chemicals and some chain/nuts'n'bolts/rocks plopped inside and shaken/soaked. Nothing special unless the insides are rusted up. The media will loosen anything that could/would plug the pump pickup 'sock'.
Sending unit- good luck finding a new one. Maybe better to just replace the electric pump and the line connecting the pump to the outlet fittings. The rest is the gauge sender, which is just a potentiometer. It should be 'cleanable' using brake clean or carb cleaner.
Likely the high pressure pump will work. If if works, it should be fine without any other attention.
You can replace the injectors, but you could also have them professionally cleaned, or use a cleaner that 'feeds' the injectors directly. FoMoCo injectors do not have a reputation for needing cleaning. You will likely break the 'hats' on the tip of the injector as they will be hardened by age/heat/etc. The look like a hat turned upside down and pushed onto the outlet end of the injector.
The 2.9 was noted for two failure points as I remember. The lifters got noisy as the cam bearings wore and allowed oil pressure to drop, and the cylinder heads were noted for cracking. Unless oil changes were done regularly, and even when done regularly, the engines mostly became noisy. They are also noted for being thirsty. The 2.8 predecessor in the Mustang had a plastic-toothed timing gear. At some point, the plastic gives up and shatters, allowing the timing chain to clatter around and open/close valves *****-nilly. The bits and pieces of plastic can be left in the oil pan if that occurs. I do not know if the 2.9 inherited the plastic gear as spec'd by the Germans who designed the 2.8. Replacements from after-market are all-metal.
If/when you go to remove the injectors(you do NOT have to as they actually internally hold very little fuel to turn into gum/sludge) be careful to work them free of the fuel rail. The injector can be pulled from the intake with some wiggling, and also from the fuel rail with some twisting and wiggling. When you re-insert, use some grease/oil on the O-rings.
tom

 

Thanks, Tom. Making progress. Found a relative who works for LMC Truck. We used his employee discount to get a new tank for less than what local radiator shop quoted to boil out the old one. Tank is a Spectra unit. New fuel sending unit with the pump and a new HP pump in hand from Amazon for under $125. Old stuff all out and all that nasty gas -- man does that stuff stink -- drained and disposed of. Fuel filter cannister was empty. New paper filter located for that. Next is to reassemble and make new fuel lines after breaking the old plastic ones. I'm thinking of skipping replacing the injectors, at least initially. Your thoughts/guidance appreciated on that step as well as any other counsel on bringing this back to life. Oil/filter has been changed and new battery installed.

 

I had 2 87 rangers w/the 2.9, and I had great luck with them. I took a radiator out of an Explorer-up to 1994 you can use in those in the rangers. Ihad to use the 2.9 upper radiator hose and the explorer lower hose if I am not mistaken, gave the vehicle extra cooling capacity. Just keep the vehicle cool and you wont have a problem with the heads cracking, you can also try to find 89 and newer 2.9 liter heads, also had better valve cover design against leaks.

 

Good looking rig, sounds like you are headed the right way on getting it going. That's going to be a great truck for your son!

 

Thanks. Previous owner said she parked it because of oil leaks. Hoping those are mostly from valve covers and that we don't have any other major issues liked cracked heads to deal with. Like your idea of swapping radiator from a later model Explorer. Tons of those in the yards here.

 

It lives! After new fuel tank, new sending unit with low pressure pump, new lines from the tank to the fuel filter, new fuel filter and two stabs at the high pressure pump (first one was defective), the old Ranger moved on its own power tonight. We only drove it a couple of miles to put gas into it (no tags and DMV is closed because of COVID 19) but clutch is good, transmission shifts nicely, gauges and turn signals work and, most importantly, it stopped. Not bad after a 10 year slumber. We'll give it a careful going over Saturday and start making a to-do list. Thanks for the support. I'm sure I'll have more questions …

 

Cool, Congrats!

 

Thanks! Bright spot, and a bit of a diversion, for all of us. We're under stay-at-home orders so going over to the shop where the Ranger has been sitting for a few weeks was a nice break. Shop owner is a friend, is healthy (he says he's got too much asbestos, antifreeze, gasoline and used motor oil in him for any virus to take hold) and we waited until after hours to minimize any contact. We will likely try to bring it home Saturday and begin the full assessment of what things need to be done. Hoses and belts are a bit "crunchy" and I'm sure truck could use a tune up (plugs, wires, cap, rotor). Cooling system likely will need attention. Oil and filter already changed. Any other thoughts appreciated. This link should go to a short video of the truck running https://share.icloud.com/photos/0YCL...FFkkKnCRED3StQ

 

I had oil leaks on my 4.0 a couple years ago. Thought it was rear main seal and valve covers. Turned out to be valley gasket (intake) and valve covers. They also found a leak from pan gasket (had to lift engine not pull). Now pan has a few more seeps. Anyhow good vehicle for a new driver, have fun working on it. Going over to the shop this morning as I had the truck evaluated for suspension repairs (300000+ miles on it) and they said front end in good shape, needed a couple of parts but that was it. I told them to R&R all rubber bushings and also do the rear spring bushings. $1500 includes front end alignment but still is far better than $40000 for a new truck! Biggest issue Ive ever had was with transmission have had it since 2000 when I got it for my son to go to college with have spent less than $5000 since we bought so its been dependable/durable hope yours is the same.

 

When you go to remove the 'crunchy' hoses, twisting them on the fitting before trying to pull them off seems to break them loose better. If you can't twist them, you can use a blade to slit the hose, and then work from there under the hose around the piping using a flat blade. Don't put scrapes into the heater tubes, radiator tubes, or other parts, be careful.
With 10 years rest, having working brakes is a surprise, but, I think flushing out the master, the calipes and wheel cylinders, and lines would be a good thing to do, especially if you live where colder weather is common. Brake fluid is hygroscopic, in that it wants to absorb water, and that water will work fine as brake fluid(besides the rust problem, that is), until the brakes get hot, and the water(fluid) starts to boil... New fluid avoids that, especially if the master cylinder cover/gasket are kept tight and in place.
tom