Just curious what some of you guys have done recently on your trucks? What was the most challenging fix? Any cautionary tales?

I've switched out my brake light switch and starter in the past 6 months. Brake light switch had bad angles that made it difficult but there was zero mess Took about 20 minutes. Starter probably took 3 hours total.

 

Definately check your transmission filter and clean out the pan.

I had a nasty surprise when I did mine. The truck had 140,000 miles on it and the magnet in the pan had a half-inch of metallic gunk clinging to it and more was floating around in the pan.

I had a broken grill support that needed to be replaced so that the headlights would point down the highway instead of 15 feet in front of the truck.

I'm still trying to get the gas guage to work correctly, I've checked the intank fuel sender and it appears to be ok. I'm thinking now that the actual fuel pump needs to be set lower than the sender float so that the pump is still in fuel when the sender reads empty. Right now the pump inlet and the float are at the same level.

The windshield wipers will come on by themselves, needs a new switch and a GEM reprogram by Ford.

Rotated the tires, clean and wax? Keep the shiny side up and the dirty side down?

 

The windshield wipers on my 2000 come on by themselves randomly. So, is it the switch on the turn signal that is bad?

 

Ford has a TSB about the windshield wipers. I don't have it in front of me now. But if I remember correctly it's replace the turnsignal switch (it's all one unit) and reprogram the GEM.

Ford service manager should be able to help you out with doing it yourself.

 

Check program 00B40 out to see if your 99 Ranger qualifies, you may be in for a free fix on the intermittent wipers.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/2...on-switch.html

 

Thank you. I will check it out.

 

I'd say for me, and I'm not sure if I can call this real recent, was last year when I replaced my radiator, thermostat and hoses in the same day. The challenging part of getting the old radiator off was disconnecting the tranny cooler lines from the radiator. The bottom hose was difficult to disconnect from the block since it was very hard to get to and had a very old clamp on it that I had trouble getting off.

 

Well, for the last 6 weeks, I've been fixing up my 94 Ranger 2.3L 2WD regular cab to give to my son in law (delivered it to him today). Here's a short list of what I did:


Serpentine belt
Timing belt and tensioner
Water pump
Lower radiator hose
new Radiator support
Radiator support body mounts (one side)
Thermostat housing (re-used original thermostat)
Front shocks – <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com</st1:City>Monroe</ST1 gas shocks
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Brakes:<O</O
Both front rotors
Disc brake pads
Drivers side brake calliper
Drivers side rubber brake hose
Repacked and greased front wheel bearings, both side
replaced rear passenger side wheel cylinder

Cautionary tale 1: Yes - the rad support is a real pain. It helps to have a friend that can weld, and bring his portable MIG welder to your place to help out. Grinding out all those spot welds took a while.

Cautionary tale 2: In the course of replacing the timing belt, I had rotated the engine by hand a few times - with the belts on (both old and new) to make sure I had the process right, and to make sure everything seated properly. When I started the engine for the first time after everything was re-assembled, there was a hell of a racket from the valve cover, increasing with RPM. It was a very loud clacking and ticking. I let it idle for a minute or so before shutting off. All looked normal, nothing out of place. Tried it again, same thing. Told the wife I had a major engine problem and we wouldn't be able deliver the truck (this was Friday at supper time). I started it up to let her hear it. Then for the hell of it, I revved it up, to around 2500 rpm or so, and it quieted down some. Did it again, and it quieted even more.

So I took it for a test drive and all was well. The problem is that one or more lifters had bled down and it took a while for them to pump up again. I should have known this from my VW bus experiences what it was (happens often with my hydraulic lifters - they often are noisy for the first 10-15 minutes if it hasn't been driven often).

Anyway, in all the threads I had searched for and read on this forum about changing the timing belt, I hadn't seen that mentioned before.

Now, I guess I'd better edit my signature, because I no longer own a '94 Ranger (original owner).

 

I replaced the multifunction switch on my 2k ranger and did not have to reprogram the GEM.

 

Did you replace it because the wipers were coming on at unexpected times? Did you use a new Ford unit or a used unit?

 

Yes, I replaced it because the phantom wipers from he!! were driving me crazy. I bought a new switch online for about $40 but i don't remember where. The stealer wanted $200 to change it out, he said half the dash has to come out, pure bs, it took me about 10 min and i could do it again in 5.

 

I just went over to Brooks Hanna Ford, they wanted 160 for the switch, rockauto has it for 90, and they said it would take an hour to do the job at 85 an hour.

So I left, they also said that they couldn't pull up my Ranger on OASIS because it was more than 10 years old. What a waste.

Maybe they should be refered to as "Crooks Hanna Ford"

 

here's one site for $45
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

For you to know if it's covered under the 00B40 program, review the link I posted & read down to where it lists the vehicle year & factory it was assembled in, then you'll know if it's covered.
Sounds like the service writer you got really didn't know all they needed too.

The service letter I got back in 01 or 02 on 00B40, didn't have an experation date on it.

If this service has already been performed, then your on your own I presume.

The phantom wiper problem was being caused by contact corrosion, so some folks have taken the switch apart & cleaned it with plastic safe contact cleaner, or WD-40, relubed it with a good quality di-electric grease & have had good luck with that, so cleaning the old switch may be an option if your mechanically inclined!!!!

More thoughts to ponder.

 

I added 4 more cylinders


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