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94 2.3 ENGINE REBUILD & SwaP ASSISTANCE PLEASE>>


FullSize Ranger

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Buffalo Wv
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72, 94, 95, 99
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2.3
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150 Grit Cylinder Hone Kit (Dingleberry Hone)
VS
3 Blade Cylinder Hone Kit (2"-7" with 80, 220, and 320 Grit Stones)

Hello, I hope I can get some assistance with my issue, My father wrecked his 94 Ranger 2.3 L, 2x4, automatic.
I need to get him into another set of wheels immediately (their only means of transportation for both my parents to doctors, grocery and so forth dad is 73, and mom is 69 so it is a must they have wheels) , my only quick option is to put him into my 04 Ranger Edge, The only issue is the engine in the Edge has a major problem> you can visually inspect the Crank and Journals without even removing or disassembling the engine due to a hole in the side of the block.
So I am looking at putting the engine out of the wrecked 94 (2.3L) complete engine package everything (ecm, wiring harness, everything 100% all of it) needed to complete the conversion, and a transmission out of my 99 Ranger, it is a 5 speed standard. If I am going to do this build for my father I might as well complete the build the way my father wants his truck built.
So his truck will be completed with: engine, ecm, wiring harness EVERYTHING NEEDED to swap the engine & transmission packages from the 94 & 99 to complete a standard swap into the 2004 Edge with the UN-obtainable engine for this truck.
The previous owner of the 04 Edge couldn't find an engine after searching for 3 yrs after he blowed up the engine, I have spent an additional 2 yrs looking for an engine and I haven't been successful either so the out with the 3.0, and in with the 2.3 L plus the standard 5 speed since the 2.3 liter will not bolt up to the factory transmission in the 04 Edge!
The 2.3L in the 94 has 150,000 miles on it, it only came with 98 hp stock originally when it left the show room, with 150,000 miles on it now I highly doubt it even has 75 HP now at this point. So I wish to go through the engine for a quick gasket & reseal job prior to installing it in the 04 Edge.

So now the story comes back around finally ( I am sorry if this ended up so long, but I didn't want to leave a bunch of information out):
SO::
3 blade hone with 3 variable grit hone stones? or a 4 inch hone with 150 grit fixed size to complete my job?

Thanks in advance for any and all help and assistance I can get from everyone!
 


tomw

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toenails of foothills NW of Atlanta
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lima bean
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2WD
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Maybe I should get into the 3.0 providing business if they are that scarce. It's the same engine used in the Taurus/Sable/Tempo/Topaz and Mazda 3000. They should be giving them away.
That said, for a quick refresh, I'd use the 150 grit dingleberry glaze breaker after removing any ridge using a ridge reamer. Make sure you clean the bores with hot soapy(Dawn) water, and wipe dry with a clean white cotton cloth. If the cloth still has 'gray' spots, clean again until it comes out white, then coat the cylinder walls with motor oil to prevent flash rust.
Clean the pistons in chemicals such as carb cleaner to remove all the buildup, and put back together. When I install, I slobber oil over all the rings, lands and grooves. Also on the cylinder walls, and piston skirts. After there is oil everywhere, they get installed.
Good luck
tom
 

adsm08

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I didn't read the whole thing, I skimmed it.

It sounds like you are asking if you need the bladed hone or the dingleberry hone to do the cylinder walls.

You probably need both, as they do different things.

The blade hone straightens the cylinder walls. The piston doesn't make a full sweep of the whole cylinder each time, so you get a lip at the top and an unworn area at the bottom, and a wide spot in the middle, so the cylinder ends up "egg shaped". The blade hone fixes this by making the walls even and perfectly round again.

The dingleberry hone goes through after that and puts the cross-hatching into the walls. This is needed for oil flow distribution, so you don't get dry spots in the walls, and gives the rings a surface they can seal to.
 

FullSize Ranger

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Buffalo Wv
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72, 94, 95, 99
Make / Model
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Engine Size
2.3
Transmission
Automatic
Maybe I should get into the 3.0 providing business if they are that scarce. It's the same engine used in the Taurus/Sable/Tempo/Topaz and Mazda 3000. They should be giving them away.
That said, for a quick refresh, I'd use the 150 grit dingleberry glaze breaker after removing any ridge using a ridge reamer. Make sure you clean the bores with hot soapy(Dawn) water, and wipe dry with a clean white cotton cloth. If the cloth still has 'gray' spots, clean again until it comes out white, then coat the cylinder walls with motor oil to prevent flash rust.
Clean the pistons in chemicals such as carb cleaner to remove all the buildup, and put back together. When I install, I slobber oil over all the rings, lands and grooves. Also on the cylinder walls, and piston skirts. After there is oil everywhere, they get installed.
Good luck
tom
Tom, Thank you very very much for your time, Input, knowledge and know-how into my project. I am greatly appreciative.
With my research the 3.0 in my 04 it is a "Y" 8th digit vin number engine, the only exact drop-in replaceable with "Y" from a 04, 05, 06. this is what has limited the availability of engines around my area and the trucks original owners ability to source an engine for the truck after punching a hole in the block! This is just knowledge i have acquired through my readings.
I am not the most knowledgeable or educated in regards to this matter that I am dealt. I can only repeat what has been read. I am not repeating 2nd hand information from a word of mouth from someone claiming to know (everything) what they are talking about.
Thank you very much for the very informative information about the difference between the 3 blade Hone & the Dingleberry Hone.
This is my 1st tear down refresh/rebuild with a fresh re-seals and re-gasket, I have spent 25 years just buying complete running & driving drop in engines from junk yards & individuals, VS tasking a tear-down, reseal, re-gasket job. I am at a point now in my life where I need to take this next step and start rebuilding my own engines and stop feeding everyone else my hard earned money! I have 2 other complete running driving engines (4.6 Liter & 5.0 Liter) sitting in my boat shed ready to be dropped into different projects. I have been waiting a long time in my life to finally be at a point in my life where I can finally take on this step of the process and stop feeding everyone else! Thank you again TOM, have a great day sir!!
 

FullSize Ranger

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Feb 6, 2018
Messages
8
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Location
Buffalo Wv
Vehicle Year
72, 94, 95, 99
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
2.3
Transmission
Automatic
I didn't read the whole thing, I skimmed it.

It sounds like you are asking if you need the bladed hone or the dingleberry hone to do the cylinder walls.

You probably need both, as they do different things.

The blade hone straightens the cylinder walls. The piston doesn't make a full sweep of the whole cylinder each time, so you get a lip at the top and an unworn area at the bottom, and a wide spot in the middle, so the cylinder ends up "egg shaped". The blade hone fixes this by making the walls even and perfectly round again.

The dingleberry hone goes through after that and puts the cross-hatching into the walls. This is needed for oil flow distribution, so you don't get dry spots in the walls, and gives the rings a surface they can seal to.
Thank you very very much for your time, Input, knowledge and know-how into my project. I am greatly appreciative.

Thank you very much for the very informative information about the difference between the 3 blade Hone & the Dingleberry Hone.
This is my 1st tear down refresh/rebuild with a fresh re-seals and re-gasket, I have spent 25 years just buying complete running & driving drop in engines from junk yards & individuals, VS tasking a tear-down, reseal, re-gasket job.
 

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