1994 Ranger fuel tank/frame cleanup & NOS part

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I'm fixing some things on my 1994 Ranger. The gas gauge hasn't worked since I have had it, the outer hose on the fuel filler neck was severely cracked, and it was having a stalling issue that matches up to a TSB about fuel volatility. The TSB says to replace things that are broken (like the filler neck), then try another gas station.

I knew things underneath were rough from years of mud and poor cleanup, so I decided to just go ahead and take the bed off and fix everything I could.

Bed off, Charles the helper underneath...
GYIstsW.jpg


The bed was surprisingly easy for two people to lift and move. I should have gotten a pic of the top of the fuel pump hanger, it was filthy.

This is after washing it...
fPnZund.jpg


You can't see the cracks in the filler neck, but they were huge. Water had to be getting in the tank.

Post cleanup, paint, and tank removal...
PDZc0AB.jpg


The frame is solid, but was covered in surface rust. I cleaned it up with wire brushes then painted with Krylon Rust Tough. The fuel tank straps and related hardware were shot, so all of that is being replaced.

Pile of goodies, including new straps, hardware, Motorcraft fuel pump, new filler neck, filter, tank cleaner, etc...
DG4wwZi.jpg


And I just got this today...a new 1994 tail lamp wiring harness...
SNoAtNA.jpg

1M323pe.jpg


All of the little plastic tabs where the connectors plug into the sockets broke on removal on the original harness, most had probably never been removed in 24 years since you don't have to take them off to change the bulbs. I asked the Ford dealer about the harness and of course it was obsolete, but they told me that Green Sales in OH showed two. I called them (can't order on their website), and two days later I had a new 1994 harness for $39 shipped to my house. The NOS harness was made about 3 months before the truck was. Kind of funny this harness has been floating around for 24 years, and is now finally going to be installed on a 24 year old truck.

I hope to maybe get it back together this weekend; weather, time, and help with the bed permitting. Next on the list is exhaust, front to rear.
 
Cool I just went through a year long go through on my 98 ranger. Took all the rust off underneath, rebuilt cross members, fixed everything that was broken and then undercoated with waxoil
 
They make a full stainless exhaust for the ranger. Might be worth it to check it out
 
Looks great, frame sure cleaned up well. I too was shocked with how easy it is to unbolt and remove a compact pickup bed with two people.
 
That's in great shape, in the salt belt many newer ones are rotted so bad they are irreparable outside of replacing the frame and broken in half. Nice job!
thumbsup2.gif
 
Thanks for sharing! I'm going to go through this pretty soon in my beater S10 to replace my ailing fuel pump, but I don't have a helper. I gotta rig a chain hoist up in the garage to get my bed off. I gotta repair the sheet metal support on it anyways.
 
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
I'm fixing some things on my 1994 Ranger. The gas gauge hasn't worked since I have had it, the outer hose on the fuel filler neck was severely cracked, and it was having a stalling issue that matches up to a TSB about fuel volatility. The TSB says to replace things that are broken (like the filler neck), then try another gas station.

I knew things underneath were rough from years of mud and poor cleanup, so I decided to just go ahead and take the bed off and fix everything I could.

Bed off, Charles the helper underneath...
GYIstsW.jpg


The bed was surprisingly easy for two people to lift and move. I should have gotten a pic of the top of the fuel pump hanger, it was filthy.

This is after washing it...
fPnZund.jpg


You can't see the cracks in the filler neck, but they were huge. Water had to be getting in the tank.

Post cleanup, paint, and tank removal...
PDZc0AB.jpg


The frame is solid, but was covered in surface rust. I cleaned it up with wire brushes then painted with Krylon Rust Tough. The fuel tank straps and related hardware were shot, so all of that is being replaced.

Pile of goodies, including new straps, hardware, Motorcraft fuel pump, new filler neck, filter, tank cleaner, etc...
DG4wwZi.jpg


And I just got this today...a new 1994 tail lamp wiring harness...
SNoAtNA.jpg

1M323pe.jpg


All of the little plastic tabs where the connectors plug into the sockets broke on removal on the original harness, most had probably never been removed in 24 years since you don't have to take them off to change the bulbs. I asked the Ford dealer about the harness and of course it was obsolete, but they told me that Green Sales in OH showed two. I called them (can't order on their website), and two days later I had a new 1994 harness for $39 shipped to my house. The NOS harness was made about 3 months before the truck was. Kind of funny this harness has been floating around for 24 years, and is now finally going to be installed on a 24 year old truck.

I hope to maybe get it back together this weekend; weather, time, and help with the bed permitting. Next on the list is exhaust, front to rear.


I would do the exhaust while the bed is off the truck .
 
And put some never seize on those bed bolts. Anything you ever need to do back there is a snap with the bed off as opposed to [censored] falling on your face getting in your eyes ect. They should put a sipper on those things. If you haven’t already you might want to change the fuel pump out on that beast sent you either have to drop the tank or pull the bed to get at it. They’re pretty cheap and of course not very well built so it’s a good thing to get rid of to save your headaches down the road. Besides you don’t know what Kind of toll ethanol gas has taken on that over the years especially being built for ethanol was commonly used. Fuel lines arenanother thing that goes to [censored] On those vehicles and are easily changed out with the bed off. That’s one nice looking truck he got there
 
So far my 1990 Ranger XLT has been great. It now has 75K miles from new. Belonged to my Dad that bought it new and has been a garage queen most all of its life. Had to replaxe the usual stuff but it has the late 2.9 without the head crack issues. Even the AC works great after a compressor replacement.
 
Thanks for the compliments guys. It's no Concours-quality restoration, but it'll do.
grin.gif


Originally Posted By: WyrTwister


I would do the exhaust while the bed is off the truck .


I was thinking about going ahead and knocking that out, but having the bed off doesn't actually provide much more access. There's only one hanger directly under the bed and it's easy to get to. The hard part is going to be the banged up y-pipe.

Originally Posted By: Trav
That's in great shape, in the salt belt many newer ones are rotted so bad they are irreparable outside of replacing the frame and broken in half. Nice job!
thumbsup2.gif



Thankfully the frame is rot free on this one, even the tail end. It has spent most of its life in the south, but it has seen a lot of mud. Mud doesn't seem to do nearly the damage salt does to these though. A few of the bolts had become one with the clip nuts...I had to use a cut off wheel on one. I am not reusing any of the hardware.

Originally Posted By: vwmaniaman
So far my 1990 Ranger XLT has been great. It now has 75K miles from new. Belonged to my Dad that bought it new and has been a garage queen most all of its life. Had to replaxe the usual stuff but it has the late 2.9 without the head crack issues. Even the AC works great after a compressor replacement.


Nice!
 
Update...

Everything is back together, finally.

Re-assembly was NOT as easy as I had thought with the truck on the ground and the driveshaft attached. Things came apart pretty easily because one of the straps was rotted through, but putting the tank and new straps in was a headache with the truck on the ground. Unbolting the driveshaft at the differential end probably would have been the way to go, but I didn't really feel like unbolting more things and just cursed and twisted through it. I was not pleased with the Dorman bed bolt set I bought. They did not screw together well and one actually stripped, even with careful threading, and I had to reuse an original bolt/clip nut.

Anyway, I'm glad to be driving it again. Unfortunately the stalling issue was not resolved with the fuel system work, but it did finally throw a code that lead to the coil, and that seems to have resolved it. The fuel system work needed to be done anyway, so I'm happy. It runs literally like a brand new truck, as it should with the pile of parts I threw at it.

ZdvNe4b.jpg


LLZSgXm.jpg


gr8fy3V.jpg


With the bed on...
feJVBup.jpg


hipGugu.jpg


And this is one reason why I put so much work into a beat up 200K mile Ranger, best small truck interior ever...
grin.gif

fJD797C.jpg
 
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