Project D2D, a challenging challenge bound Ford Ranger.

More stuff happened today. I greatly dislike AN line making even the nylon stuff.

I went and mocked up extra parts while I waited for the ones off the engine to be cleaned up better.

First up is some of the fuel rail with the "new" fp regulator and already purchased and available adapter fittings.

Like I said I hate making lines, but it's a necessary evil for this project. Final line placement:

The return line loops under the filler neck before hiding in the frame. The main feed loops back around and down before joining the return line. The vent is just going to have a small filter and vent to atmosphere.

I was able to make the one feed line from the tank to the filter, before giving up for the night.

That is it for today.

Until next time, minitrucks rule!!!

Makes me wonder how much fuel lines are going to cost me. 

In reply to Stampie :

I will have $300 ish in mine for just 4 straight-8 fittings, 2 -6 straight fittings, and 15' of line in each size. Filter was $20. Adapters were 10/each and I have 6 of them.

I bought a $150 GM truck plastic fuel line repair kit off Amazon from a company in Schwartz Creek, MI it has feed and return lines plus all the connectors and are shrink fit once assembled. There's enough line to do both $h!tbarge and Dummer and anything else I may need.

Looking good! I like watching other people play with 2.3t stuffs since I've all but sworn them off. Hahaha

In reply to AWSX1686 (Forum Supporter) :

I mostly had too.... But free leftovers are still free. 

In reply to Ranger50 :

Fair enough. I've been temped to jump back in, but I must resist...

Finally. Success. Fuel lines are finished! What a pita..... Now it's the hope they don't leak.

I then had to turn to plugging off everything I deleted. This included the egr off the exhaust manifold, coolant temp sensor and coolant recirc feed, and the turbo coolant feed. At least they were all pipe threads.

What I'm actually completely shocked about is the manifold is NOT cracked.

Were today ended....

Once, I have my rockauto order delivered, I can go about replacing the water pump, thermostat, water outlet, and putting on the  now cleaned up original lower intake too.

Until next time, minitrucks rule!!

Still making some progress with cash flow issues rearing it's ugly head at the moment.

Anyways, RockAuto shipped in some needed parts, since I have a 30yr old engine and locally nothing is available anymore. I picked up a new outlet without the bypass hose, thermostat, water pump, intake gaskets, turbo gaskets, and some new plugs.

Of course, the gasket for the outlets is absolute garbage, so rtv it is. Everything went somewhat smoothly on removal and install. I had to make one parts store run for a cap and clamp to put in the water pump nipple. Everything now on top but the turbo and lower intake are bolted on "permanently".

Now I want to back up for a second and rant. GDIT Ford you stupid mfer's... those spring clips are about as convenient as having a drive thru colonoscopy.... I fought for a good 30 minutes trying to figure out getting them back together. I didn't know I would have to break out a hammer and screwdriver. 

But they are together.

Tonight was a shift in gears, as I've got most of the "easy stuff" taken care of now. 
I tackled the horrible job of cleaning up transmission parts without the aid of a parts washer. Couple cans of brake cleaner, small screwdriver, and a few razor blades got me a good enough clean for what I'm needing at this time.

This is what I have to start with at this time, one complete s10 trans from Arizona, if you recall, plus a loose tailshaft housing and shifter plate I picked up in Knoxville. In the meantime, the shifter plate fell off the bench and "fell out of time". It was jammed up solid and when it did or could move the shift shaft wasn't seated into the plate properly. I found one picture worth a crap online, sat down, and went about fixing the broken one. Sure, I could have pulled the other one off, but damn that thing is caked in grime I just didn't want to deal with today. But I fixed it! Then I went to cleaning and 2.5hrs later... I was able to put in a new output shaft seal and wrap it up for the night...

Before:

After:

If dad taught me anything, they don't have to look immaculate, they just have to be clean.

Now, I'm at a dilemma point. Do I keep the upper in the stock over the valve cover configuration? Or rotate it 90 or 120? The alternator isn't staying there either, it's going to the passenger side.

Roughly 90^ rotation:

120^:

That's all for the time being... Car show tomorrow in conjunction with my local hometown festival featuring red flannels,  then at least a week at home in TN.

Until next time, minitrucks rule!!

1.0 update for today...

Got in last night late after a week with the kiddos and put on the 93-94 ranger bracket.

Got up today and worked some more on this pig.

Changed out the timing belt and the much needed crank hub to get everything (hopefully) in alignment. Hub courtesy of the old motor.

Now it time to find an alternator and check pulley alignment...

More to come....

I miss my 2.3t stuff sometimes, actually debated putting one in my zephyr until I seen the cost of turbo coupes these days! 

2.0 for today.

Got an alternator. Verified water pump pulley is in line. Now I just need the crank pulley.

That finished up today.

Until next time, minitrucks rule!!

Today was supposed to be a transmission day but that quickly got foiled by a seized bolt. I have done everything but torch the head off it to remove it, but that was slated to be done tomorrow, keyword was. Instead I'm having to swap out a broken and burnt up 6l80 in my 210k mile Avalanche in the driveway. All so I can be at work Monday in Florida, 20hrs away.

So I guess it's still a transmission day, just different.

Until next time, about 5 months from now, minitrucks rule!!

So I bought a part... that won't work without major work. 

Sadly, no dowel pin holes. Plus I'd need a special torque converter, pinto at the flex plate and turbo 400 everywhere else.

Back to the drawing board....

Yet another parts update and a quandary....

As some know I have camped out in Florida over this winter... This weekend was the normal NMRA Spring Break Nationals. I competed in True Street class, a quick 30 mile cruise then followed by 3 back to back to back passes with no hood lifting, refueling, etc.... I finished that no problem with a brand new 2021 Mustang GT. It's just berkeleying slow on the stock tires and overly complex..... Linda wish I had kept looking for an older version but oh well... Finished with an average of 14.5 after tanking my first run with a 16.7, but the other passes were 13.7 and 13.5.

Picture of the slowass whip:

So now, I bored y'all with why I was there in the first place, what does it have to do with my Ranger build? Well since the OMC adapter is a dud, I knew about a cnc machined adapter but it's expensive for a flat piece of aluminum. It's the last day and I'm cruising the swap meet area, aka the Nelson's parts store, for the last time looking for cheap parts to use. 
I scored big time...

2.3 bellhousing adapter to v8 and sfi flexplate, 2.3 crank but v8 converter pattern, for $100! Easily $500 new. Now to just get all the needed hardware and bolt this crap up and decide on a transmission. Le sigh...

Until next time, minitrucks rule!

Mini update yet again...

So I took a trip from nc to Michigan to see kiddos and do some work on the nagging little crap I can get done quickly.

Remember that trans bolt? Well it doesn't exist anymore because torch. Took the head off and beat the bellhousing off with a sledgehammer.  But then I was left with this:

Of course it was after heating the bellhousing up and using some pliers to get it moving after a few failed attempts at welding a nut on to remove it.

Much better because I can't find another one of these external hydraulic slave bellhousings, only the push pull cable ones.

Now I'm just waiting on a buddy to take it to his work and clean it up and maybe put a helicoil in as the bolt took a couple of threads with it... Oh well. It's another step closer to completion.

Until next time, minitrucks rule!

berkeley it, I worked on it again, if only for about 10 minutes last night...

Accessory belt drive is done! I found a crank pulley in a pick n pull in Florida and also grabbed the water pump pulley because Ford. Glad I did as the previous water pump pulley doesn't have the same offset. 

I reused the janky tensioner because I just want to be done with something at this point.

Next up is getting the dealer ordered clutch dowel pins installed, that will be here Monday because of vintage warehouse in Memphis. I can then put on a new flywheel, clutch, bellhousing, and start on getting the clutch hydraulics worked out. I am certain I'll be making a new ptfe -3an line for everything to work properly.

Until next time, minitrucks rule.

Always enjoy your updates. And yes. Mini trucks rule! 

Short time update day..

Definitely did not get a whole lot done on it, but still made some progress towards completion.

I was able to pick up my special ordered dowel pins and hammered them into the flywheel.

That's as far as I got on the clutch before I turned my attention to the steering. As I said before the alternator was my only real external belt driven accessory. That meant the power steering had to go. First problem was the castellated nut did not want to depart its humble home... A 4" angle grinder proved to be the needed eviction notice. Once the inner tie rod was free from the pitman arm, the intermediate shaft was pulled from the column stub and the steering box could be removed. Let me tell you, it's a heavy pos. Cleaned up the area and installed the new used manual box I got back in AZ from 2 yrs ago. Doing this meant the intermediate shaft required a simple mod to fit. The steering boxes have different spline counts and diameters between each other. I did this in the past on my 96 without issue. I had to drill the swaged rivet on the coupler end and hammer the rivet out. It's simply the matter of bolting the different coupler on. Anyway enough rambling...

Goodbye power wasting steering system...

Hello Mr Armstrong.

Backside of the coupler showing the unknown grade of m8 flange nuts I used to just keep this project rolling.

Until the next update: minitrucks rule!! 

Yet another small update because I'm a retread....

I was able to put the inner tierod back onto the pitman arm after a run to the help aisle at the FLAPS.

Then I got foiled because I thought I had this in spades....

But nooooo, I have this E36 M3 instead.

Oh well clutch install has to wait another day....

Until then: minitrucks rule!

In reply to Ranger50 :

Happy Birthday!  Did you work on the minitruck that rules?

Stampie said:

In reply to Ranger50 :

Happy Birthday!  Did you work on the minitruck that rules?

Thanks Stampie!!

Sadly no. This took up today instead:

Not really D2D related at this moment....

But.... 

Saved a $300 fuel cell I bought back in 99? with a $65 part. Still has never had fuel in it... Best part is the 3/4"npt outlet....

In reply to Ranger50 :

Glad to see progress! 

Well, I plugged away at it some more today inbetween kids and school plus a little bit after dinner.

Long story short here, I really hate wiring but I so dislike how Ford runs there E36 M3. So, I guess I'm going to learn how to wire plus eliminate lots of weight and unused circuits.  To run a drag and drive, you just need the essential stuff like lights, horn and wipers. Everything else is a luxury. 
Tonight I finally finished pulling the rest of the harness from the cab forward into the engine bay and labeled as I went just so I can identify the c150 connector that nobody can find what circuits go where through it. I would like to really eliminate it and go to a mil spec quarter turn deal.

This is the crappy 30yr old harness:

The troublesome connector:

In addition, I'm relocating the battery to somewhere that isn't the passenger front corner of the engine bay.. I took advantage of a sale at Racewire Solutions and picked up there relocation kit for under $500 shipped. Seems expensive right? Well, it is because it's how batteries should be wired without excessively unnecessary wiring.

Complete kit I ordered, including extra heatshrink, boots, and ring terminals.

I mean it included a cable pass through bulkhead, super small battery cutoff switch, cables, and a 200amp relay switch. Just wire the alternator to the one side of the relay switch and when the cut off is used it kills the car.

My plan for the switch is to just "epoxy" it into the passenger side reverse light. 

This is where I ended the night because I really should buy more parts and pressure washer... I want an ugly truck but damn, it sucks working on one.

Until next time: minitrucks rule!!