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Rebuild, Remanufactured, bail Ranger Pickup

Started by rbhunter, September 06, 2009, 07:49:07 PM

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rbhunter

We brought a 1988 Ranger pickup cheap with a miss. It is four wheel drive and the body and interior is in pretty good shape and the 4 wheel drive works. It is an automatic. I knew when we brought it I may have to have an engine put in it but failed to check the prices since the last rebuild I had on a V8. I was shocked at the price of a Remanufactured engine.

I can bail out for what I have in it but it really drives nice except the number one piston does not have compression.

After looking at the price of used trucks I am wondering if it would be worth putting an engine it.
The engines have 3 year warranties but upon reading reviews it sounds like the warranties may be only on paper.



I think it would be worth it if the engine would hold up. It is a 2.9 liter and I do not want to consider a used engine since I have heard bad things about this engine. But if I could get a three year warranty and an engine that would last I am considering it other wise I will bail out.

What do you all think and are the remanufactured engine shops you have had good luck with or bad?

"Said the robin to the sparrow, I wonder why it must be, these anxious human beings rush around and worry so?"
"Said the sparrow to the robin, Friend I think it must be, they have no heavenly father, such as cares for you and me."
author unknown. Used to hang above parents fireplace.

Don_Papenburg

Is there a good engine  machine shop in your area? Do you have any interest in mechanical work ?  That should be a minor job  , set of rings and a valve gob while the head is off.
Frick saw mill  '58   820 John Deere power. Diamond T trucks

stonebroke

what is the price for a reman engine?

Stonebroke

gary

I have bought manufactured engines from auto zone. One was good and the other had a cracked block. Their warranty does not cover labor. With a lot of arm twisting I got the manufacture to split the cost of putting in the second engine. It still cost me extra but I was stuck between a rock and a hard place on that one. I change quite a few engines on a regular basis most of the time I get them from a junkyard. I have only gotten one bad engine out of probably 30 from a junkyard.
With your engine you are probably better off with a rebuild or look for another vehicle with same engine that you can hear run and then swap them. 

rbhunter

The remanufactured engines run from about 1500 up to about 2500. I saw one somewhere searching on the internet for about 1200. I am working 10 hour days and saturdays with optional Sundays that will probably mandatory before long. I have switched positions at work to fabrication operator / setup. The workload is expected to increase as they close the other plant.  I don't have much time anymore so I will probably pay someone to put it in. My son brought it with his own money and will pay for the engine. I will probably pay for at least part of the labor. I knew going in the engine my be bad but did not realize they were that expensive. He really likes the truck and says he will keep it several years if we get it runnning good. He wants to know what I would do. I told him that we need to get all of the information and to check what we can buy for the same price and decide from there. I am leaning to sticking an engine in it myself but am not sure if that is the best way to go.

I have searched on the internet for complaints and also reviews of the different companies. Like all things I have found some complaints on all of the companies. But there have not been alot but some on each and the complaints have centered around the companies not standing behind their warranties.

"Said the robin to the sparrow, I wonder why it must be, these anxious human beings rush around and worry so?"
"Said the sparrow to the robin, Friend I think it must be, they have no heavenly father, such as cares for you and me."
author unknown. Used to hang above parents fireplace.

Faron

We put a Jasper reman in our forklift ten or eleven years ago.  Also a 350 in a pickup.  The 350 outlasted the truck.  The forklift engine is a Ford 300.
I picked up the 300 one evening, and installed it the next morning.  I had just test run it, and got a call from Jasper.  " I hope you haven't installed that engine yet.  You were supposed to get an engine equipped for LP gas, and this one was not."  They recommended I install the correct engine, and offered to pay the labor bill to do so.  I changed the engine, and never charged them for the labor.  That engine would have lasted past the warranty period, and if it had then failed, I would not have ever known the difference. I appreciated their honesty in letting me know.  The engine runs as good today as the day I put it in.  I can't tell you anything about warranty, as we never had any problems.  If I had to change an engine today, I'd get a Jasper.
http://www.jasperengines.com/index.php
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.  Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote. - Ben Franklin

stonebroke

If it is only one cyl it could be something as simple as a bad spark plug or wire. Or a bad coil or a broken rocker arm or bent pushrod or a bad lobe on the cam or a broken ring on the piston. a lot of choices. Most of them cheaper than a new engine.

Stonebroke

caz


Chico

If it were me I'd go to a 2300 carbed. Tough motors and  easy to rebuild. Change the oil reg and the timing belt every 50 000 or so and it'll last and assuming your son is like most boys he's going to play and the 2300 will take it
Chico
And agree with Jasper good co that stands behind their stuff
Take the valve cover off and turn it over see if the rockers are working on #1 could be a bad lifter  or just need a heador some headwork witch would be a lot better that jerking the engine only takes and hour or so to pull head about the same back on If it ;s all working and still no comp.and it's not losing oil it shouldn't be too serious a hole in the piston or a broke ring or bypass in the piston would either pump oil  out the breathers or use oil  .See if you have excessive crankcase press,if so broken or worn rings or ring lands
JMO
My Daughter My sailor MY HERO God Bless all the men and Women fighting for us today If you see one stop and thank them

Faron

I think Flip's great uncle??? founded Jasper Engines and Transmissions.
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner.  Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote. - Ben Franklin

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