Ranger one - my son’s first Ford. 98 stepside build by 410customs

[allmyEXes]

I've been driving 4.0 SOHC Explorers since 2010 and the entire arrangement is sturdy. Any vehicle gets old and wears out and breaks down eventually. The 700k Mustang that is in our shop has the 4th engine in it.

 

[410Fortune]

Crazyestnpart is the engine is wired for 4 02 sensors even though Mazda only installed 3… there is a un used plug on the back of the block. I know because I saw it recently when I hd the transmission out twice hahaha

My bii is only dying because the frame is ripping (off road) and the a pillar is rusted out (daily driver for 20+ winters) .. otherwise she’s on her 7th transmission and 4th engine in my possession

No biggie she just needs a frame off restore
Please send help

The Mazda was built late 04 So it is a 05 model year.. I didn’t get a title but on paper it more Closely Matches the 05 book then the 02

When things settle down a bit this fall I will revisit the pcm issue.
Right now it runs great, drives great, has working everything including the check engine light hahahaha so we will run it like this for a bit.
I’m going to install front end parts, get alignment, install manual tensioners and plan to paint it late this summer. We can tackle any pcm upgrades then

 

[allmyEXes]

Yep! if it is working fine keep it as is.
I see now why I've bee calling it an '04. The sticker on the pcm and the bin file name.
Snip-it below:

 

[dvdswan]

Great work on your son's truck. I have to say, "You Sir, are a very patient man". I think I would have said "ef it" and thrown in a V8 and 5 sp a while ago. Glad to have you on this site and sharing your knowledge. AMAZING!!

 

[Josh P]

I think I would have said "ef it" and thrown in a V8 and 5 sp a while ago.

That's not a bad thing. Sometimes frustration is the motivation we need.

 

[410Fortune]

Well it’s working, not perfectly but she shifts nice and revs to the sky.
I’m getting lack of switching codes both banks rich and I’m pretty sure it’s getting about 10mpg? Will have to drive it a bit more to see if I can live with this for a few months or if I need to pursue a 01 pcm setup
02-04 would work too I guess I can always move the wires back around at the pcm hahahahaha

Thanks for the kind words
I love this little ranger she’s solid
Stay tuned
Big updates coming on the 92 explorer project

 

[GRNMACHINE]

and AWESOME work on the Bronco!! Beautiful C10 as well. Super Impressive Work

 

[allmyEXes]

Are those used o2 sensors? I recently watched a good video of how to test them on the bench. My MM ones are giving funny readings. I bought a bag full of "alligator" clip test leads to test them.
Here is one video. You may already know how to do this. I have to watch the video again because of my memory challenges.
Testing O2 sensors

 

[410Fortune]

Yes 2005 Mazda 02 sensor w 126k miles lol

So the ac was re visited again I had it all working but the clutch was energized as soon as the battery was hooked up and it killed the battery. I found the issue and re wired the ac to ignore the 5.0
PCM. The pcm would normally cancel ac at wot… not really needed. I wired this ac now same as my sport trac and same as any truck that gets a Holley

Basically the dash triggers the ac relay directly. The ground for the relay comes through both pressure switches. Wired like this, simple, but works awesome

The last step before I could hand my kid the keys was get alignment to save all these new parts and tires. The alignment shop was not happy with my old ball joints hahahaha I tried to save some money as re used some used ranger bits I had in the shop… well the boots were in bad shape even though the joints were semi tight. They did find some looseness in an inner toe rod, so they would not align it.
So I did what any ranger dude would do and took matters into my own hands

So as you dudes know
By now I’m a big fan of these new Dorman hd parts… look them up for yourself and you will see why. They are made by a Canadian company called MAs… Dorman aquired them, I have proof. I still have some
Old MAs ball joints I got on closeout new in box… Dorman didmy even change the picture or box just the logo lol

They don’t make upper so I had to go with Moog for the Uca’s and inner tie rods… Moog has been upping their game lately as well.. hopefully the boots hold up

This truck already had alignment shims so I was able to go with a one piece passenger side uca and re use the shims

 

[410Fortune]

Teardown

So first up yes those are shock extenders. The shocks I got at rockauto
Close out are Gabriel’s and decent for the $10 ea I paid, but they are too short and will limit suspension travel and eventually cause the shock bushings to fail…
So I’m trying a set of these golf cart shock extenders.. so far so good?

Next I basically remove the caliper and caliper bracket. Hang the caliper out of the way. Remove the 32mm cv axle nut and ubj pinch bolt. Release the tie rod castle nut and lbj castle nut. Then with a hammer the knuckle comes loose
Cv axle is hung out of the way
Snap ring removed on lbj. All areas cleaned with wire brush

Ballpeen hammer makes short work of lbj
Grinder makes short work of old sway bar links

Longass flatheadnscrewdriver gets right to the inner tie rod boot metal ties

When it turned all the way passenger while working on the pass tie rod ends

 

[410Fortune]

Inner tie rod nut exposed
I have this giant speed wrench I use for this nut
Loosen and remove entire tie rod assembly

I use a pick and some nail polish to mark the upper control arm uca position and camber shims. This way I can put the new parts in about the exact same position and keep our current alignment

Old uca on the ground
I place the camber bolts and shims in order on the ground so they can be re assembled the same locations

New uca installed
New lbj pressed in
New sway bar link in place
New tie rod assembly in place

 

[410Fortune]

Now some tips

I make a simple jig from cardboard
Box. Drill a hole for the stud on the inner tie rod and you can get an accurate measurement of the length of the parts you removed
We are concerned with the distance from center of stud on the outer tre to the face of the jamb nut on the inner tre

Now can cut the old tie rods apart so we can get the boot and small
Clamp. New inner and outer tie rods can be assembled with clamp and boots to be exact same length

Use the jig and your new tie rods assemblies will be same length as what was removed, again keeping current alignment

Sometimes you need a hammer to lightly tap the uca into its mounts. When that happens do it like this. With the correct angles and all the fuel and brake lines removed from their clips (drivers rear bolt) you can get the bolts and shims in. The
Bolt and shims need to rotate and change positions in order to slide into their slots

Lower ball joint pressed in
The cup is wiped clean and any rouge is removed with emery cloth before
Pressing in the new. Due to the angle of our lca I sometimes use a wrench like this to ensure a straight “press”. Lbj is fully seated and snap ring, zerk installed

 

[410Fortune]

Everything re assembled and torqued to spec
Upper control arms are torqued to 65 ft lbs AT RIDE HEIGHT or you will tear your bushings

Truck alignment was decent enough to drive to town for a real alignment

You get faster and faster at rebuilding these front ends over the years. The ford sla torsion bar suspension is decent, easy to work on and good parts can be had cheap enough.. like say compared to a Toyota lol lol

Quick trip to town on a Saturday am and Les Schwab $120 later she’s aligned

One of these things does not belong

Time to finally prep and sell the Chrysler

In a Sea of ford rbv (I’ve been known to have a few rangers)

This one doesn’t fit

Wife has been helping w the mowing so I can focus on trucks. We have so many raspberries it’s crazy

Good problems to have!

Gave my son the keys last night! Hopefully the ranger is now 100% on the road
I will still be working on it to get rid of the check engine light… I will find the perfect 99-01 sohc pcm donor or have Greg fix me up a new pcm!!

Project spare parts

1999 Ranger stepside supercab
4.10 limited slip
05 sohc 4.0
5r55e
Bw1354e
Torsion twist
06+ front clip, mirrors, steering wheel
06 wheels
05 Mazda interior, plastics, rubber floor, center console
Slider back window
2010 bench seat
Mazda carbon fiber radio bezel
Aluminum one piece rear d shaft
Custom exhaust
eBay headlights w sequential turns, led smoked tails and high mount stop lamp
02 sport larger front brakes, pvh delete
Explorer luggage rack
245 16 at tires / copper 245 studded snows

Many many upgrades and mods to get to this point

Just getting started

 

[410Fortune]

Ranger is doing great
Jeep has been sold
2015 Camry w only 92k miles acquired
Still searching for a 99-01 sohc pcm w oats
Module and key/ tumbler. What’s with the junk yards these days? Somebody goes through and cuts all the keys off the cable and removes them from the trucks… dang crack heads

 

[allmyEXes]

Post #112 has some pictures that won't load.
My PATS off guy is temporarily unavailabe but the two 4.0 SOHC PATS off programs that I have at the moment is the 2002 one from my Sport Trac 2L2A-12A550-AC, which you said may have been used on some early 2003s. It has a hardware code of MP2-111. We would need a pcm with that hardware code to flash the 2002 program to. And I have a PATS off version of Bailey's first pcm bin file which has a 2004 part number that you said came out of his 2005?
Here is the same snip-it from post #103 showing the 2004 part number and it has a hardware code that is MP2-27A. I would like to re-flash Bailey's first pcm with that program and another 2004 pcm with a hardware code so close that I think it will work MP2-27B. That was the most recent pcm that you mentioned.
Forum doing some odd things tonight with pictures. It won't let me add the one in post #103. But it is up there.
When I get of minute, I'll send you a DM with the long list of PATS off that I do have. Several of them you already are aware of.

 

[Josh P]

Ranger is doing great

The one for sale?

 

[410Fortune]

Won’t let me add pictures
Forum jacked up