Ranger 2.3 cracked block?

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Jon - 01 Oct 2006 01:39 GMT

Hey hey everybody,

I'm curious to get a few opinions on how often people have run across
cracked blocks in the 2.3 Ranger....I'm out of the wrenching business
for the moment, otherwise I'd be running tests right now. It has
definitely overheated good and proper, and at the very least cracked
the head. Suffice it to say I've got to assess things curbside, and
though the truck, repair job, and ante just to play fits my needs, I'm
a bit hard pressed to put a junkyard motor into something that won't
surpass a $1000 in value once running, driving, and smogged.

So until I can schlep a compressor for a leakdown and do a cooling
system pressure test, I'd very much appreciate some advice from
experienced parties.

Thanks in advance, your wisdom is worth its weight in gold...heh heh
-- Jon

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Tom Adkins - 01 Oct 2006 04:14 GMT

> Hey hey everybody,
>
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> Thanks in advance, your wisdom is worth its weight in gold...heh heh
> -- Jon

If it overheated bad enough to crack the head, the rings are very suspect. The 2.3
head and block castings are pretty substantial so you must have REALLY overheated it
to crack the head. That is likely hot enough to take the temper out of the rings. The
block is very likely ok.
If it were my truck, I'd look into a used engine that I could hear run. Don't base
the dollar value on resale. Base it on "How much is this truck worth to me?" If the
rest of the truck is in good shape and is paid for, $1K isn't a bad investment if it
will last another 2 years without other major repairs.
2.3s are plentiful and rather inexpensive here in the US. Your writing style leads
me to think you could possibly be elsewhere. (?) If so, my opinion is only worth it's
weight in tin.

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zwsdotcom@gmail.com - 01 Oct 2006 04:57 GMT

> me to think you could possibly be elsewhere. (?) If so, my opinion is only worth it's
> weight in tin.

<http://www.metalprices.com/> over $4/lb. Not too shabby.

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Tom Adkins - 01 Oct 2006 05:39 GMT

>>me to think you could possibly be elsewhere. (?) If so, my opinion is only worth it's
>>weight in tin.
>
> <http://www.metalprices.com/> over $4/lb. Not too shabby.

He He, I didn't say it was worthless <snicker>, maybe I should have said "worth it's
weight in Aluminum Alloy" instead. ;)
I'd like to think my espousals are worth a bit more than lead. I always try not to
expound any more than metallurgically necessary.

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Jon - 01 Oct 2006 06:59 GMT

> >>me to think you could possibly be elsewhere. (?) If so, my opinion is only worth it's
> >>weight in tin.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> I'd like to think my espousals are worth a bit more than lead. I always try not to
> expound any more than metallurgically necessary.

Wow, and I thought my speech tended to be flowery (guess "schlep"
exposed the truth). Well done.

To bring it to an end...

SoCal by residence...where I suppose you could say dirt cheap 4 cyl.
trucks are in "short" supply. They're quick to go straight to Mexico
or to light construction workers.

Thanks for the op, Tom. I was trying to accomplish two things: get a
buddy out of his not-drivable Ranger, and get out of my gas hog
head-cracking son of a b Ram. He did indeed cook the 8 plug head good
and proper, and in any event pushed coolant out the exhaust....so
either it sprayed a piston, cracked the block, or cracked into the
exhaust port. In any event, it amounts to moving money around and not
making it or getting ahead, whether it's putting in a $350-450 junkyard
motor or a $300 reman'd head. I'm the first moron to squeeze more life
out of a dying pile of old iron, but I suppose someone has to say
"when". !Muchas Gracias!

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Hawk - 02 Oct 2006 21:03 GMT

> SoCal by residence...where I suppose you could say dirt cheap 4 cyl.
> trucks are in "short" supply. They're quick to go straight to Mexico
> or to light construction workers.

Too bad you are so far away (I'm in MN). I have a 2.3 with 7000 miles on it that
has been sitting in my garage for years. I had been thinking about selling it
recently (quite cheaply I may add) as I just moved into a new house and would like
to reclaim the space for other things. It's been a looong time since I've had a
vehicle I could use it in, so it just sits.

It is a motor I rebuilt from top to bottom and had intended to use for weekend
racing at a local track, but for money reasons it ended up only doing duty in a
Mercury Bobcat getting me back and forth to tech school. I installed a new crank,
rods, pistons ( bored 10 over if I recall correctly ), cam, new valve train, etc.
It ran like a watch for the year I drove it. Unfortunately for me it never did
make it to the track.

The worst part is that I spent a considerable amount of money at the time putting
it together.

Oh well ...

(*>

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Backyard Mechanic - 01 Oct 2006 15:30 GMT

> Hey hey everybody,
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> definitely overheated good and proper, and at the very least cracked
> the head.

Find the local rag that handles For Sale ads and look for something wrecked
with a 2.3 in it.. you dont say what year, though, and that matters...DIS?

Only Cracked heads, I've seen in 2.3 that Ive looked at and bought to
restore/swap, have had the Exhaust Seat crack. Only cracked block I bought
was in an XR4 Ti that the original owner kept topping off with just
water... till it froze and he then drove it to the dealer a mile away to
trade in.

Signature

Yeh, I'm a Krusty old Geezer, putting up with my 'smartass' is the price
you pay..DEAL with it!

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