It never ends,does it ?...

[diesel4me]

Ugh..
Spent all afternoon yesterday putting a battery in my diesel pickup--a group 78 Interstate got for $10 at a flea market,the day I was stranded there after I stupidly left my parking lights on for 4 hours,back in late October I think..hoping it was good enough to get my truck jump started ,but a good samaratin helped me start it by jumping his truck to mine..

The battery I bought wasn't installed or used until I got it in yesterday--I had put the charger on it a few times ,and it seemed fully charged already,so I decided to gamble it was as good as the seller claimed and put it in the truck..

The batteries that were in it have been there since I got the truck in 2003,two Duralast group 74's that were likely a few years old before they were put in the truck,they came from a salvage yard,used..so they are beyond "done".

As soon as it got under 40 degrees, the truck barely cranked fast enough to start,then even after charging them,they still wont whip it over well enough..might be only one is junk and its draining the other one down,so before I trade them for cores or scrap,I'm going to put a load tester on them first..

So after balking at the prospects of paying well over $100 each for new batteries,I decided to try the Interstate first..after I hooked the cables to only that battery,and the truck fired right up!..so maybe it'll live..
I don't feel the truck is worth paying $200+ bucks for new batteries..

I have another red top Duralast group 74 that is a few years old,I got when a friend junked a Celebrity..plan to install that one today,on the drivers side..

I know your supposed to have a "matched pair",but those old batteries were not identical,one was a Duralast "Gold" and the other wasn't,but they were about the same size overall..

Well,it took me 4 hours to get the battery in--I had doubts the battery trays will be able to withstand the weight on both sides--the inner fenders are swiss cheese and have no real strength--the bolts on the tray going to the fender is about all that are doing anything..but I am in not able to buy or install new inner fenders-- now feel the truck may not be worth the effort to, even if I could..

I had to invent a new hold down for the larger battery--the single bolt clamp deal GM used won't cut it with a heavy battery and the tray not having all its sides intact..I used an old serpentine belt--cut it to length , bolted it to the front fender,and punched two holes in it and used a longer threaded rod in the bolt hole where the original clamp went..seems plenty strong--I don't want the battery moving when I ram snowbanks and shorting out!..

When I got the truck to fire up,I had the hood open--saw clouds of exhaust smoke belch out from the passenger side ,and the engine sounded lopey,like a gas engine that had been flooded--heard a "pop-pop-pop" every so often when it misfired,and I looked where the smoke was coming from,and assumed its coming from a chunk of the exhaust manifold that rotted off or blew out,I cant see well where its coming from,its on the bottom.. --the exhaust manifold has been crusty as hell for years,and I am praying its not a head gasket that blew----after it warmed up some it cleared out and stopped "popping"..so I'm hoping its just an exhaust leak,not the head gasket..


I had to put a used exhaust manifold on the drivers side a year or two ago,and I swear it took 10 years off my life span to do it..

As most 6.2 owners here know,the exhaust manifold bolts align directly with the frame rail--so no ratchet or sockets can be used,unless you try jacking the engine up off the mounts--even then its a toss up if you could use one then..

Doesn't matter much on my truck,all the bolt heads are round as rivets now, they are so rotted..so the torch or a sawsall is the only tool that will work..

When I did the drivers side exhaust manifold,I had to torch off every bolt head,torch slots in the manifold around the bolts,then hammer it off until it came free of the bolts--then cut off the bolts close to the manifold,and struggle to thread the thing out of there--and weld nuts on each "stud" in order to remove them,hopefully without them snapping off in the head..
Costed me $50 in oxogen and propane to cut it off..and hours of agony,bending over the fender..

It only took me 3 afternoons from noon till dark to complete the job,and I swear I have never fully recovered from doing it..luckily all the bolts came out--finding new ones was a 10 mile trip to three hardware stores,costed almost $20..not many metric bolts in stock around here anywhere..

I am not likely to be able to replace this manifold myself,I have a spare one,but no one I know wants any part of that job for less than $500 locally either..including my friend,he hates working on rusted junks like my truck,and either refuses such jobs,or quotes a outrageous price hoping the customer will go elsewhere..

I doubt I can braze or weld the manifold either--leak is on the bottom,and its so thin and flakey it will probably just blow a bigger hole--like the one on the drivers side did when I tried patching it that way..

It figures this happens now,when winter sets in,and I need the truck the most..

I'm really getting sick of the 6.2--been tempted to get those two 307's I bought earlier this year running ,and if either one runs decent,yank that p-o-s out before it decides to snap the crank, or the oil pan lets all the oil come out when my bondo & rtv patch job fails..it's been holding up OK so far,but its just a matter of time before that fails..

I think it'll be easier to swap another engine in it, than replace the exhaust manifold and oil pan,plus it'll still have other potential failures waiting to happen--the rusty fuel injector lines,the vacuum pump that doesn't work well enough to get the TH400 to shift properly,and more...and most of all,I'm sick of cold start issues,replacing glow plugs,dead batteries..tired of paying more for diesel fuel and getting the same MPG as a gas engine too..

I think its time to make this a "yard truck" and either use it only around the yard--or take it all apart, and fix everything wrong with it--only thing that's keeping me from doing it, IS me..

The past week or two I've been having irregular heartbeats at night lying in bed,and multiple other health issues,and this seems "serious"..
I may end up in the ER,or worse, feeling like I do now,if I attempt doing the manifold replacement or an engine swap...worst time of the year to start a project too..

I'm in no condition to do all that work--I'll be lucky(and happy), to just get the other battery in it today...and hope they pan out ,and I don't have to buy two more new or used ones and start over..

 

[dyeager535]

It never does!

I used to have to work on my junk nearly every day just to get to work. I'm glad I'm fortunate enough now to no longer have to do that, but even still, the K5 being a "secondary vehicle" gives me enough problems to keep me busy. This time of year is hard to get motivated to work on it, wet and cold.

Not nearly as bad as your situation, but I've spent untold hours trying to "improve" (read: get working without actually replacing parts with aftermarket parts) the tailgate on this thing. After multiple disassembles, cleaning, buying components I think would make it work as good or better than factory, the only way to get the dumb thing to halfway work is to leave the bolts that hold the window tracks, loose. The key window switch works intermittently, even though I've had it apart and made sure there is nothing wrong with it internally, and that it gets power and ground.

I pulled the battery tray out because it was starting to rust, and I noticed it was cracking in a spot. Took a bunch of time cleaning it all up, reinforced with some angle iron welded in a couple of spots, painted, then coated it in some of that stuff that is similar to plasti-dip. Put it in the truck, realized my "improvement" meant I could no longer mount the jack handle in that spot. And it's rusting again.

On the plus side, I get in the thing, and it cranks up immediately, and runs like a top.

 

[diesel4me]

My physical condition is deteriorating rapidly I'm afraid--from several things,not the least of which,my inactivity level--sitting in the house at the computer,watching TV,etc,far too long thanks to crappy weather,cold,rain,and lack of money to pursue any "hobbies" has gotten my legs quite weak,and my back issues have been crippling at times,especially after I am forced to do anything strenuous like work on anything,deal with snow removal,even walking around at a store or other place ends up making my legs ache so bad I have to look for a place to sit and recover..

It wasn't so bad when I could walk around at the outdoor flea market once a week--my legs would be dead by the time I made several "rounds" in the huge field they hold it at,but they would feel better after they recovered..sitting inside all day ,with it getting dark by 4 pm now,has gotten me in terrible shape..

Plus I'm now 60 years old..I haven't felt "good" for decades,now old age is catching up with me..to be truthful, I never expected to live this long..

The latest "crisis" is my heart starts to pound as soon as I do anything,and lately even lying in bed after I've put myself thru some outdoor activity,I notice "missed beats" and about every 4th or 5th heart beat is strong enough to make the bed move--after awhile it will go away,but it doesn't take much to start it acting up again..

I know sitting around does me no good,but when you feel like your going to have a heart attack the minute you do anything,it discourages you from doing anything to bring on that feeling..

I know much of it is lack of muscle tone,and poor circulation from inactivity--but I think I have several other underlying conditions too,and I'm not eager to go get a diagnosis--if it is something serious,I'll be a nervous wreck, and probably croak faster than if I didn't know..

I suppose the years of taking NSAID's for back pain has now affected my heart,which had A-Fib previously--the warning label on the pills states "increased chance of stroke,heart disease,or death " among the many serious "side effects"...especially after long term useage..

If I felt well,I wouldn't be sitting here posting about the many issues my truck has--I'd be fixing them,or already have the dam thing in good condition..instead I patch things up,mickey mouse a "fix" to get by temporarily..which comes back to bite me in the a$$ later..

I'm having difficulty adjusting to having only one vehicle registered and road legal---though it's been 5+ years since I had another vehicle at my disposal to use in the event mine was "down",I still hate not having a "spare" to go get parts with,or use to get around until the truck is repaired..

Every time my truck can't be driven,I have to beg someone for a ride,wait until they can take me somewhere,and taxi's and uber cost more than $20 each way,to go 5 miles to a parts store..

I also dread going anywhere in the truck,knowing all its issues,and one could disable it far from home--not a good scenario when you can't afford a tow truck or AAA..

I have wanted to put my van back in use--but after sitting since 2003,it too needs a ton of work--and the transmission might not be good now after sitting so long,it refuses to move until I add at least 2 qts of fluid,and I see no leaks,yet it is low on the stick when I go to move it every few months..the calipers are probably junk,I did put a new master cylinder and a few new steel lines on it last year,but never got to register it...it isn't good in snow either,or very warm in winter,so its not an ideal winter vehicle either..

Been thinking of selling or parting out my '85 K10 diesel Suburban..
I let it go to hell sitting since I bought it in late '09,and now the rockers are gone,and it too will need everything the van would after sitting so long,and I'd still be stuck with a diesel..it runs OK,but it'll need attention..

The nose on it is a lot better than my pickup is,I could swap it onto it--but the frame on it is practically mint too,it seems a shame to cut it up,but its 700R4 is dying too,it loses reverse supposedly and wont go in OD..only reason I've kept it is I put a nice Diamond plow setup on it,and it might last long enough to plow my driveway in the event my pickup has a major malfunction..the Burb has a nice interior,bucket seats,etc,but I'm not sure I'd like driving a "bus" sized hulk around any more..my vision being poor makes driving a big vehicle more difficult than a smaller one..

I'd like to just buy a different truck or car,but neither my finances or my ability to repair the things a "new" vehicle will need,will leave me no better off than I am now,really..if I cant fix what I own now,I wont be able to work on anything else either..

One "good" thing did happen yesterday--I dropped one of the side post battery bolts,and couldn't find it,but in the process of fishing for it with a magnet,I found a 6" long 3/8" drive Snap-On extension,that had evidently been lost by a previous owner 15+ years ago!..
It barely had any rust on it,I was surprised..

 

[Abusfullofnuns]

You need to get to a damn doctor and make a plan to get on a track to being healthy. The local YMCA has classes specifically for you. They are called silver sneakers classes and there will be folks way worse off than you. I am sure it’s scary not knowing what’s going on, but what if it’s a simple fix and you’re just ignoring it until you die from it?

Don’t sit and feel sorry for yourself, that way of life doesn’t solve anything. My advice is to start listing parts/trucks and get yourself a reliable car. I just bought a 2007 Avalon Limited with 130K miles for $2500 without a single issue. Deals are out there if you have cash and are ready. I only grabbed this one because it was cheap and would allow me to get a sports car instead of a payment for a daily driver. I understand that $1000 cars usually have a host of issues. However, itll be a hell of a lot easier to fix an old corolla than swap frames/motors/transmissions in a rusted out squarebody. Put some cash together and maybe we could find you a beater from a non rust belt state.

Until you get healthy, the projects need to go away. You need to accept that you’re done with that stuff until you take care of yourself. Time to cut your losses and start working on yourself.

I don’t mean to be harsh, but consider it a little tough love from the south. Less time complaining and more time working to get to a better place.

 

[diesel4me]

Yeah,I know,you mean well,but you don't know my situation here really either..but your advice is appreciated..

Much of my health problems are long standing and were not addressed fully as they should have been back when I was my parents caretaker.
Everyone my age says they feel no better than I do--,its just "getting old" and not keeping yourself in good shape previously that is catching up with me now..my curved spine also puts a strain on my heart and other internal organs..
My brain still thinks I'm 30,but my body says F-U when it comes to actually doing what I could even at 50, now..

Last thing I want to end up doing is trotting from one doctor to another,or a hospital,and undergo numerous tests...think I'd prefer to just croak than have to deal with that stress daily until I expire..
If I ever end up needing a bypass or other serious surgery,I doubt I'd be able to live thru it..

I stay away from doctors as much as possible..but if I feel really bad off,I will get to the ER ,and by ambulance if need be..(wouldn't risk trusting my truck or myself to get me there )..

Right now this state is the only one with the flu at "epidemic" status.
So I stay away from the public,only go out when I have to buy food or pay bills..

Going to my doctor will likely put me at high risk of catching it in the waiting or examination room--also do not believe in flu shots,never had one,and rarely got the flu,I think I've had it maybe twice in my life-and the minute you walk in there,they want to stab you with a needle ,the flu shot--pneumonia shot--shingles shot..

Screw that--last shot I had years ago for tetanus ,my arm hurt for months..they hit a nerve..there was a report on the news yesterday saying many shots given by drug store employees don't get done right and that can mess your arm up for a long time..
I seem to only get bronchitis ,not the flu,if I get a bad cold,and they have no shot for that yet..

This time of year is the worst far as I'm concerned..the cold,long dark nights,short days,all add up to you not doing as much as you should,and you either over-eat or don't eat enough (of the right foods too)--next thing you know you feel like the walking dead..

I got the other battery in the truck this afternoon..
Didn't try starting it,it should have no problems,time will tell..
The old batteries were dated January 2001,and August 2002--both were low on water,the charger probably made it evaporate from being left on them so much recently..

Going to be about 20 F here tonight..
Tomorrow its going to start off icy here,then turn to rain,and get up to as high as 60 degrees,and Saturady is supposed to be about 50 with sun and little wind--then back to the 30's Sunday and the rest of next week..so the batteries wont get a real "test" until it gets frigid here again..

I have been looking on craigslist and FB marketplace for a better vehicle,but I'll tell you,there ain't much out there for under $2000 you could even make it home in--everything is either rotted ,bad frame,blown tranny,needs engine,has 300,000 on it,or has no title..
If they GET that much for such junk,I may as well keep and fix what I have..
Only one truck caught my eye,a late 90's Ford Ranger 4x4 about 30 miles away for $750 B/O....you know I'm no fan of Fords,but I am not much of a GM fan lately either,their frames rotted out in 10 years or less ,and I'm not up to speed on "newer" engines with computers..

The Ranger is a 4 cylinder 5 speed,4x4, extra cab ,looks good,only a little cab corner rot,ad states its 'very clean" underneath--but it came from NH and all the guy has is an old registration,he bought it to use around his yard ,but never did much with it he claims..
I wouldn't be against having a smaller 4x4 truck that gets decent gas mileage,or a manual tranny for a change..but they are few and far between around here for under 2K,and I cant afford to spend that much ,and get my roof fixed and other house repairs done,or be able to pay the taxes in February..

 

[campfire]

The Ranger is a 4 cylinder 5 speed,4x4, extra cab ,looks good,only a little cab corner rot,ad states its 'very clean" underneath--but it came from NH and all the guy has is an old registration,he bought it to use around his yard ,but never did much with it he claims..
I wouldn't be against having a smaller 4x4 truck that gets decent gas mileage,or a manual tranny for a change..but they are few and far between around here for under 2K,and I cant afford to spend that much ,and get my roof fixed and other house repairs done,or be able to pay the taxes in February..

Every used car purchase is a gamble, but Rangers from that era are quite reliable. Much more so than what you have now. They're not hard to work on by modern standards. For almost every repair I'd rather work on my Ranger than on a square body. Everything is smaller and lighter, so parts are easier to change. And it's not cramped under the hood like most newer cars (stick with the 4-banger for easiest access). It's not a bad choice at all, given your vehicle preferences. The only thing to watch for on those trucks is frame hangers. They like to rust out, particularly the rear leaf spring mounts. Otherwise I have few complaints. Between my family members we have had at least 6 of them. And I only sold mine when car seats forced my hand.

 

[diesel4me]

I'm well aware of the frames and shackles,spring hangers rotting off Ford Rangers,(and full sized trucks too!)--I have repaired a few of the frames on them in the past for friends and customers when I worked at the parts stores--more than one was about to junk the truck when they got rejected for a sticker..

One thing about the Rangers is the frame from behind the cab can be unbolted and replaced with a salvage yard one,also I've heard you can make one into a long bed or short bed by swapping that section of frame,and use the parts needed off the donor like the drive shaft,etc..

I wouldn't want one with the V6--the 4.0 anyways,they usually need a timing or balance shaft chain after 100,000 miles and its a tough job to do in the vehicle--be easier to just swap another engine in..but I'm not up to that task any more,not if I can help it..

I'd prefer a 5 speed over an automatic too--until the clutch needed replacing that is..I'd likely have that done by someone else when that time came unless I could borrow a lift..

The 4 banger uses a timing belt,but they aren't interference engines and replacing one isn't that bad a job..the 4 banger would be better on fuel and powerful enough for my needs to get me around,and still be able to haul something like a riding mower or the trash to the dump..and they are much easier to work on..

An extra cab one would be preferable,but those are harder to come by that aren't all rotted,and I'm not sure they put a 4 banger in a 4x4 extended cab,or even a 2wd..

I'm not against a decent S-10 pickup either,but they do suck to work on--I helped a friend put a starter in one with a V6 and it was a nightmare,I had to pry up on the engine after taking out the motor mount bolt and hold it up while he fumbled around trying to position it just right so it would barely slip into place..
His also had the "spider" under the intake crap out--it was over $300 for a new one and a sucky job to install it,you had to take the whole top of the engine apart..
The frames on those rot too here,usually behind the front tires under the floor..

If I was to get an S-10 I'd go for the 4 banger/5 speed version..but you rarely see a decent one around here for sale under $2500,and few extended cab versions..

I don't really need a full sized truck just to putt around town,get groceries and go to swap meets,or a 4x4 either,seeing I'd not be using the small truck in the winter much ,if at all--but I'd have to keep my pickup or Suburban to plow the driveway,and possibly drive during the winter months..

 

[campfire]

An extra cab one would be preferable,but those are harder to come by that aren't all rotted,and I'm not sure they put a 4 banger in a 4x4 extended cab,or even a 2wd..

They definitely did make 4-banger long cab Rangers. And most of the 4-bangers are 5-speeds, too. So your desired combination shouldn't be too hard to find.

 

[diesel4me]

The combination may not be hard to find,but finding one that's not about to fold in half from frame rot will be..
Not sure how well a 4 banger will propel a long bed extended cab model..probably no worse than my 3 ton K2500 with the 6.2/TH400 !.

90% of the FB and CL ads for Ford Rangers here are "parts trucks" due to rust and rot..seems everyone wants a small pickup around here too,so they don't sell for cheap money very often..only if they are broke down and need lots of work..

 

[campfire]

The combination may not be hard to find,but finding one that's not about to fold in half from frame rot will be..

I hear ya. Rust is a killer, eh?

Not sure how well a 4 banger will propel a long bed extended cab model..probably no worse than my 3 ton K2500 with the 6.2/TH400 !.

It's better, actually. 100HP pushes a 3500# Ranger (of any configuration) a lot faster than 140HP pushes your 6000# plow truck.

 

[campfire]

Side note, there are no long cab long bed Rangers. You either get short cab (R10/R11) with 6' bed, short cab with 7' bed, or long cab (R14/R15) with 6' bed. But there is no 8' bed, and there are no long cabs with 7' beds. Sad, I know. Cargo-wise, I'd rather have a 7' Ranger than an 8' S10, thanks to the extra width and height. I'm not even sure if you could find an 8' S10 anymore, they're pretty scarce.

 

[diesel4me]

The shorter bed wouldn't be much of a problem,seeing my current 8 foot stepside bed with a tool box is roughly the same dimensions..
About 6 feet long and 50" wide..it has hauled everything I've wanted it too,and only once did I have to leave the tailgate open to fit a lawn tractor in it..a smaller bed will prevent me from hauling more junk home too..

Been looking all morning on FB Marketplace and Craigslist--there isn't much to be had around here as far as a decent small pickup you could hop in and drive home ,and not have to spend another $500+ bucks on it..most all are priced well over a grand,even ones needing an engine or transmission or body & frame rot repair..

The ones I posted about yesterday didn't show up today too,they may have sold already..going to have to keep my eyes peeled for one--I have a few friends who frequent salvage yards and buy used vehicles to flip,maybe one of them can come up with something decent at a not so unreasonable price..my house's repairs have first priority right now..

 

[K5Jimmy]

I have a 2000 Ranger, 4cyl, 5spd, xcab. Bought it off my neighbor whose daughter drove it thru HS. She hated it because it wasn't a Mustang. Got caught in a hailstorm, so when he went to trade in the dealer lowballed him bad. He offered it to me for what the dealer would give him.... $3000. Except for the hail damage this thing was clean as a Safeway chicken...with 66k miles. I just turned over 200k, replaced the oe clutch at 191k. No oil consumption between changes. If it ever dies, I'd have another one in a heartbeat.

 

[swettysblazer]

I had an extended cab, with the jump seat, long bed 2wd, 4.0, 5 speed Ranger.

 

[blazer74]

I have a 2000 Ranger, 4cyl, 5spd, xcab. Bought it off my neighbor whose daughter drove it thru HS. She hated it because it wasn't a Mustang. Got caught in a hailstorm, so when he went to trade in the dealer lowballed him bad. He offered it to me for what the dealer would give him.... $3000. Except for the hail damage this thing was clean as a Safeway chicken...with 66k miles. I just turned over 200k, replaced the oe clutch at 191k. No oil consumption between changes. If it ever dies, I'd have another one in a heartbeat.

1997 4 cyl Ext cab Ranger 2x4. Bought in 99 with 29K.
Clutch at 205K. A/C Comp at 275k 393k at present. 86 miles 4 days a week driver, 23 mpg. 1/2 qt oil in 5k. Fits me like a glove for a driver. Sits when I’m off work. Everything works.