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  #3301  
Old 08-14-2015, 06:30 PM
Garfield Garfield is offline
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Default Re: The "what do you hate about your Ranger today" thread

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Originally Posted by ranger002 View Post
I don't like the vagueness of the coolant reservoir. I have a 2002 2.3l duratec with the 5speed. How is the coolant supposed to be measured on the tank? While the coolant is cold or hot? And there are a Min and Max levels on the tank. Is the Min level for cold and the Max level for hot? Or is it just supposed to be between the two marks when cold??
If I remember correctly, cold was supposed to be at the top line. I may be wrong, but I know it wasn't complicated anyway.
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  #3302  
Old 08-14-2015, 07:08 PM
GSF1200S GSF1200S is offline
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Default Re: The "what do you hate about your Ranger today" thread

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Originally Posted by Garfield View Post
If I remember correctly, cold was supposed to be at the top line. I may be wrong, but I know it wasn't complicated anyway.
Since liquid expands when hot, the level will be higher when its hot.

With the cold level midway between min and max, the engine fully warmed up on a hot day leaves the fluid level at max for me. My truck has no overheating issues and runs dead center on the temp gauge.

Common leak points (if yours is going down and you have to keep refilling) are the thermostat housing, the heater control valve (mine is a brand new carquest brand from advance auto and leaks very slowly- get the motorcraft replacement), the water pump, and the stupid coolant tee beneath the intake manifold (PRAY yours isnt bad because its a nightmare to change that hose).
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  #3303  
Old 08-14-2015, 08:28 PM
Garfield Garfield is offline
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Default Re: The "what do you hate about your Ranger today" thread

That's right, I did fill mine after driving a little while, up to the top line.

Thanks for the correction.
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  #3304  
Old 08-14-2015, 08:28 PM
GLH GLH is offline
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Originally Posted by dev199505 View Post
Yeah and I was planning a 5 speed swap before it was wrecked
If a frog didn't have that bump on his ass, he would bust his nuts every jump. Something like that.
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  #3305  
Old 08-14-2015, 09:12 PM
Tyler46 Tyler46 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Garfield View Post
That's right, I did fill mine after driving a little while, up to the top line. Thanks for the correction.
The way I see it - as long as there's a coolant supply to the feed at the bottom of the tank, it shouldn't matter how much is in it. Min or Max the truck has plenty of coolant.
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People like him make me believe that birth control needs to be put in the public water supply
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  #3306  
Old 08-14-2015, 09:18 PM
GSF1200S GSF1200S is offline
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Default Re: The "what do you hate about your Ranger today" thread

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Originally Posted by Tyler46 View Post
The way I see it - as long as there's a coolant supply to the feed at the bottom of the tank, it shouldn't matter how much is in it. Min or Max the truck has plenty of coolant.
I remember hearing something on these forums about the fluid level should never be below the level of the cylinder head. Considering it has a water pump and the bottom is the feed, I dont see how this makes sense- the coolant is getting pumped through the head by the pump regardless of how low the reservoir is (as long as fluid is available at the feed).

I could be wrong, but im inclined to agree with you.
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2002 Ford Ranger XLT Supercab, 2.3L Duratec I4, 5-speed manual, 4.10 gears, ~100,000 miles
Power nothing with air conditioning; crank windows for life!
Throttle cable mod, retained accessory power mod, 2006 thermostat w/resistor mod
Headlight relay harness, Philips xtreme-vision bulbs
P235/75R15 Michelin LTX M/S2s
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  #3307  
Old 08-15-2015, 09:12 AM
wesmertz wesmertz is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GSF1200S View Post

I remember hearing something on these forums about the fluid level should never be below the level of the cylinder head. Considering it has a water pump and the bottom is the feed, I dont see how this makes sense- the coolant is getting pumped through the head by the pump regardless of how low the reservoir is (as long as fluid is available at the feed).

I could be wrong, but im inclined to agree with you.
I have the 4.0 sohc and I have 1 cold fill line. When the engine is cool and not running it should be at the line(which is really hard to actually see because its on the bottom half of the reservoir blocked by my air intake haha
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  #3308  
Old 08-15-2015, 09:45 AM
Tyler46 Tyler46 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GSF1200S View Post
I remember hearing something on these forums about the fluid level should never be below the level of the cylinder head. Considering it has a water pump and the bottom is the feed, I dont see how this makes sense- the coolant is getting pumped through the head by the pump regardless of how low the reservoir is (as long as fluid is available at the feed). I could be wrong, but im inclined to agree with you.
Yeah the whole system is under pressure anyways, "Great idea, Ford"

It may not look like it, but the whole tank is above the head anyways for that reason - so idiots don't crack the head when the tank runs low. At least a few inches. And if you noticed the little coolant tube that supplies the tank runs from the feed to the heater core, goes up sharply over the AC compressor and then sharp back down to the tank to prevent any air from going back into the system. Ford did pretty well designing this engine.

Just wish they didn't have a 3 quart oil pan or a water-cooled transmission. *sigh
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Originally Posted by guell View Post
People like him make me believe that birth control needs to be put in the public water supply
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  #3309  
Old 08-15-2015, 09:53 AM
Ordinary Biker Ordinary Biker is offline
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Default Re: The "what do you hate about your Ranger today" thread

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Originally Posted by Tyler46 View Post
Yeah the whole system is under pressure anyways, "Great idea, Ford"

It may not look like it, but the whole tank is above the head anyways for that reason - so idiots don't crack the head when the tank runs low. At least a few inches. And if you noticed the little coolant tube that supplies the tank runs from the feed to the heater core, goes up sharply over the AC compressor and then sharp back down to the tank to prevent any air from going back into the system. Ford did pretty well designing this engine.

Just wish they didn't have a 3 quart oil pan or a water-cooled transmission. *sigh
Boiling point is higher under pressure. Not sure I get your point. And what do you mean by water cooled transmission? If it is an auto, it has a cooler, so it will live longer.
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  #3310  
Old 08-15-2015, 10:03 AM
Tyler46 Tyler46 is offline
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Originally Posted by Ordinary Biker View Post
Boiling point is higher under pressure. Not sure I get your point. And what do you mean by water cooled transmission? If it is an auto, it has a cooler, so it will live longer.
Oh I see what you mean, I was telling GSF1200S that the tank level doesn't matter, it's pressurized.

But yeah on the Duratec models the transmission cooler lines go into the radiator, get cooled by the coolant and return back to the tranny. No auxiliary cooler.

Not to mention both the damn cats are an inch from the tranny pan. Its not hard to overheat the trans on this thing, I've done it once before just by driving up a steep hill at 4,000 RPM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by guell View Post
People like him make me believe that birth control needs to be put in the public water supply
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  #3311  
Old 08-15-2015, 10:55 AM
Ordinary Biker Ordinary Biker is offline
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Default Re: The "what do you hate about your Ranger today" thread

Ok. But I thought EVERY auto went through the radiator, and only special packages had an aux cooler, that was in addition to passing through the radiator.
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  #3312  
Old 08-15-2015, 12:28 PM
Tyler46 Tyler46 is offline
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They might but I'm not sure. I can check my friends 4.0 Expo, she has an Aux cooler but I'm not sure on the radiator.

I just think it's not efficient enough, id like to keep the trans temp down but the factory set up doesn't allow it to be as cool as I want it.
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Originally Posted by guell View Post
People like him make me believe that birth control needs to be put in the public water supply
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  #3313  
Old 08-15-2015, 02:44 PM
ranger002 ranger002 is offline
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Hey guys, what is the consensus about running 93 non ethanol fuel in the 2.3. A friend told me that it might not be good for the engine to run 93 octane fuel.
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  #3314  
Old 08-15-2015, 03:06 PM
Ordinary Biker Ordinary Biker is offline
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Default Re: The "what do you hate about your Ranger today" thread

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Originally Posted by ranger002 View Post
Hey guys, what is the consensus about running 93 non ethanol fuel in the 2.3. A friend told me that it might not be good for the engine to run 93 octane fuel.
It's just throwing your money on the oil company. You get nothing out of doing that.
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  #3315  
Old 08-15-2015, 03:08 PM
shawn_house102 shawn_house102 is offline
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Default Re: The "what do you hate about your Ranger today" thread

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Originally Posted by Ordinary Biker View Post
It's just throwing your money on the oil company. You get nothing out of doing that.
X2
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