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2.9 Pandoras box


bobbywalter

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Location
woodhaven mi
Vehicle Year
1988
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V8
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BIGGER
Transmission
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sawzall?
Tire Size
33-44
My credo
it is easier to fix and understand than "her"
usually the land at the top is visibly fractured...and if the ring died a horrid death the cylinder writes the novel.


bind/hang is suspect....step 1 compression test....step 2 leak down. step 3 pull covers and crack out degree wheel if two is kicking you in the berries....

then.....lift the head....get new pushrods or whatever its telling ya...
 


PetroleumJunkie412

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Dirtman's Basement
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1988
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Ranger
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2.9l Trinity
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Manual
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4WD
My credo
Give 'yer balls a tug. Fight me.
usually the land at the top is visibly fractured...and if the ring died a horrid death the cylinder writes the novel.


bind/hang is suspect....step 1 compression test....step 2 leak down. step 3 pull covers and crack out degree wheel if two is kicking you in the berries....

then.....lift the head....get new pushrods or whatever its telling ya...
If you don't write a book on engine diagnosis, in the exact same way you write on here, the world will lose something truly amazing.
 

bobbywalter

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Location
woodhaven mi
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
FORD mostly
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
BIGGER
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
sawzall?
Tire Size
33-44
My credo
it is easier to fix and understand than "her"
i wish my ol man would write one.....especially for 351 windsors and the 300 six.


and harleys....hondas and guzzis....and....and and.
 

Uncle Gump

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Location
Ottawa IL
Vehicle Year
2006/1986
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Ranger/BroncoII
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4.0L SOHC/2.9L
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My credo
Lead follow or get out of my way
As much as these engines suffer from top end lubrication... I would probably ensure that the rockers rotate smoothly on the rocker shaft also. There could be an issue with a rocker binding up and not letting a valve close.

This still wouldn't explain the scratching noted on the piston.
 

97RangerXLT

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1997
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4.0
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2"
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31"
along with Gump's suggestion,, what about a weak spring, one that is not pulling that valve up into the seat fast and or far enough?
 

PetroleumJunkie412

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My credo
Give 'yer balls a tug. Fight me.
Just out of curiosity... Which heads are on your engine? And what year is your block?
 

Pix3L8

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2.9L
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6
when I get home ill add a video I have of it running and pictures, I have a video of it running with the timing all whacked out the first day I got it running and a one later that day when I got it timed correctly, maybe that will help
 

Pix3L8

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6
Just out of curiosity... Which heads are on your engine? And what year is your block?
the block is an 87 with to my knowledge original heads, the block also has an AcDelco sticker on it and a bunch of specs from a previous rebuild, bored pistons, shaved crank etc etc. and I know Ac Delco is not Ford affiliated and I have no clue when they did the work, ill upload pictures later
 

PetroleumJunkie412

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Make / Model
Ranger
Engine Size
2.9l Trinity
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Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
My credo
Give 'yer balls a tug. Fight me.
The plot thickens... ;brownbag;
 

Dirtman

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It's up there.
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It's down there.
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It's really never a good idea to bore the pistons...
 

PetroleumJunkie412

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4WD
My credo
Give 'yer balls a tug. Fight me.
It's really never a good idea to bore the pistons...
Good advice. Pistons like excitement. Dump gas on them and blow it up.
 

Pix3L8

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6
alright, gentlemen, I'm going out to the shop to take some pictures for you
 

Pix3L8

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6
alrighty, I went out and took some pictures for you guys. I took a picture of the piston, the rods, the block, and the head as well as one of my crusty plugs.....ok rangerstation...do your thing
IMG_E3991.JPG
IMG_E3992.JPG
IMG_E3993.JPG
IMG_E3994.JPG
IMG_E3995.JPG
IMG_E3988.JPG
 

Pix3L8

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Location
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Vehicle Year
1989
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Bronco ii
Engine Type
2.9 V6
Engine Size
2.9L
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
6
I'm starting to think purchasing a new block or salvaging one from a junkyard might not be a bad idea, and just reuse my oil pan, intake, and all the accessories I already have. I'm tired of messing with this thing and ide like to just build the motor one more time and be 100% positive it's correct, in spec, and going to get me down the road. also, note that cyl above looks very clean because I wiped it down looking for damage, all the cyl looked sooty and pretty much the same when the head came off. I put some oil in the cyl while I was at college for the week so cyl 2 and 3 look much dirtier than they actually are.
dirtman also commented about the bore, I got the truck as is and drove it 30k with no real issues I wanted to do a good teardown and rebuild over the summer and that's when I realized someone before me had done some customizing to the bore and crank (I suspect someone hooned the truck a little too hard in the past and blew the engine to hell, also note the block is sleeved with the .040 oversize.)
 
Last edited:

bobbywalter

TRS Technical Staff
TRS Event Staff
V8 Engine Swap
TRS Technical Advisor
TRS Banner 2012-2015
TRS 20th Anniversary
Ugly Truck of Month
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Joined
Aug 9, 2007
Messages
23,470
Reaction score
4,667
Points
113
Location
woodhaven mi
Vehicle Year
1988
Make / Model
FORD mostly
Engine Type
V8
Engine Size
BIGGER
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
sawzall?
Tire Size
33-44
My credo
it is easier to fix and understand than "her"







it gobbled down something.
 

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