Dum-Dum's XLT Ranger 4x4

[Dum-Dum]

Got rid of the Scooby and bought another Ranger. It was on Gumtree locally at a grand with a suspected HG failure.
These trucks are famed for HG failures (although not as bad as a Rover) so I was ready to accept that.
Here is the gumtree picture, she's sitting on 31x10.5R15 mud tyres..
   






I went and had a look last sunday (8 days ago) and it was either HG failure by combustion pressure into coolant or there was a block in the coolant system. A suspiciously hard top hose and soft bottom hose with heat at the top and cold at the bottom had me leaning that way. A quick test showed that the freewheeling hubs weren't locking when you engaged 4WD and so I told the bloke that with the work it needed I didn't think it was worth much more than £500 and I'd text him in a couple of days once I knew how much I was gonna get paid.
2 days later I text him and set about haggling. In the end we agreed on a price of £725 and I picked it up last Thursday. Attempted to drive it home as I've driven cars with blown HGs hundreds of miles no issues. Got a couple of miles down the road and it started overheating but there was no heat out of the blowers and when I stopped the temp went back to normal after 30secs of idling. Still had a hard top hose and soft bottom hose with heat at the top and cold at the bottom, topped up the coolant. Tried to carry on but my stops got more and more frequent until I wasn't even making it between laybys without it overheating.
Took the rad cap off after 5 mins of being in a layby and I have never seen a coolant cap like that, I thought they only did it in the movies. I'd used a rag to hold it and was gradually letting the pressure out but the steam started to burn my hand, I tried to get the cap back on but failed and it shot into the air, bounced off the bonnet and landed on the slam panel. There was then a 30 second volcano eruption of coolant out the top of the rad.

As my AA membership ends in a couple of days I decided I'd better get my moneys worth out of it. Called the AA who took nearly 2 hours to get to me, told me they didn't have the right adapters to do any tests, agreed with my diagnosis it was probably a blocked coolant system and refused to just take the thermostat out. They wouldn't do a flat tow due to the weight of my truck compared to the Transit Custom AA van so called me a flat bed from a local firm ISIS Recovery (No, Seriously) which took another 2 hours to arrive. By this point I was freezing cold and severely pissed off, partly with myself for not trying one more stint and breaking down on the forecourt of a rather nice pub (The Long Dog, Waddesdon) about half a mile closer to home.

I'd had the foresight to order alot of parts off Milner Off Road for next day delivery before going to pick the truck up including a full service kit, water pump, thermostat, aux belts and a de-cat and new wheels.
I love Milner deliveries.
   






I took the front of the truck off, flushed everything through with a hose, it was a tad sludgy but nothing terrible, the water pump was in one piece and the thermostat worked perfectly when I tested it on the hob but I fitted all the new bits anyway.
   
   






Decided it must have been HG failure as there was no blockage, poured in 2 bottles of Steel Seal with the new coolant and followed the instructions on that. Took it for a drive later and it's been perfect ever since.

I also fitted a stereo and swapped the viscous fan for an electric one but no pics of this.
   





Next morning (Saturday) I took it up to Norfolk and picked up my Cummins lump, again no issues.
   






The truckman top is staying off as it's too unwieldy for me to move on my own regularly and I often end up carrying garden rubbish, bikes, engines or scrap so it's a tad impractical for me as well as being worth a few hundred quid.
   





Plans are taller narrower tyres (for a little less road noise), Snorkel (already ordered) and a suspension lift of a couple of inches (longer shackles ordered, front is torsion bars). Gotta fit the EGR blanks and De-Cat that I've got here too. I'd love a massive body lift, 35" mud tyres and a 52" 300w light bar but we all know I'll of sold/scrapped this before then.

[mr_fish]

Nice on Chris! that last photo, what a sight! bit of a result if the repairs hold up on the head gasket, piece of piss to work on once the front is out the way

[1616six]

Don't know why but I just like this more than I should.

[darrenjlobb]

Got a tonne of filters / service parts new old stock here if any of interest...

[Dum-Dum]

Nice on Chris! that last photo, what a sight! bit of a result if the repairs hold up on the head gasket, piece of piss to work on once the front is out the way

Yeah, It's a cool looking driveway right now, will look even better once one ranger is lower, one is higher and the Cummins is in one.
I don't know what I actually fixed but I definitely fixed it as I've done about 300 miles since. I think if the HG actually goes I might swap for a full mechanical engine rather than this first of the Semi-ECU lumps.

Don't know why but I just like this more than I should.

Because although you'd never admit it your alot like me. You'd probably love Will-DTurbos truck (he used to be a member on .net)

Got a tonne of filters / service parts new old stock here if any of interest...

TBH for what they cost from Milner thrown in when I'm ordering bits off them anyway is probably less than your postage alone.

[1616six]

Don't know why but I just like this more than I should.

Because although you'd never admit it your alot like me. You'd probably love Will-DTurbos truck (he used to be a member on .net)

Oh I am a massive pikey at heart don't worry!

Is that Wills truck as in the Mazda? If so, love it.

I certainly have a 4x4/pick up itch that needs scratching.

[bashbarnard]

£725 i wouldve biten his arm off persnally!! Wouldnt mond one for a daily but i already have so many other cars


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[Eeyore]

nice little write up there. glad you are happy. cant wait to see what car you have next week!

[Danny Wideboy]

If the current tyres are any good and you want to sell them, P.M me.

Nice truck BTW, still gutted I didn't catch you hooning the scooby about the A.Y before it went!

[Dum-Dum]

Don't know why but I just like this more than I should.

Because although you'd never admit it your alot like me. You'd probably love Will-DTurbos truck (he used to be a member on .net)

Oh I am a massive pikey at heart don't worry!

Is that Wills truck as in the Mazda? If so, love it.

I certainly have a 4x4/pick up itch that needs scratching.

Nah he's got a mk2 ranger, it's clean as f*ck with loads of chintzy bits stuck on and I know your into that sort of thing. Pics from the facebooks.

£725 i wouldve biten his arm off persnally!! Wouldnt mond one for a daily but i already have so many other cars

Yeah, there's alot that needs doing, the ignition is gonna fail at some point soon as it's tried it on a couple of times already, the drivers window is tempermental and I still need to fix the speedo.

nice little write up there. glad you are happy. cant wait to see what car you have next week!

Cheers mate, smart roadster next I reckon.

If the current tyres are any good and you want to sell them, P.M me.

Nice truck BTW,  still gutted I didn't catch you hooning the scooby about the A.Y before it went!

They are mate, surprisingly good for a second hand car. I need a set of 235/85R16 ATs before I sell these and I would part ex.

[Danny Wideboy]

I have Nexen Roadian At2s in 31/10.50/15 in good condition but don't think i have any 16s.
Gimme a shout when you are sorted if they are still any good.

[WiNgNuTz]

I remember Will! Met him at the first ever EA meet I attended, in my broken ass China 1.4! Awesome truck!

Yours is nice too Chris, just not as nice as Wills.

[1616six]

Ohh I remember that truck, didn't we all have a group photo in the back of it?

[Dum-Dum]

I have Nexen Roadian At2s in 31/10.50/15 in good condition but don't think i have any 16s.
Gimme a shout when you are sorted if they are still any good.

31's are too small for what I'm looking for, really want 32 or 33 (or metric equivalent)
I hope to have tyres soon and then I'll give you a shout about these muds.

I remember Will! Met him at the first ever EA meet I attended, in my broken ass China 1.4! Awesome truck!

Yours is nice too Chris, just not as nice as Wills.

I like my trucks more work like looking.

Ohh I remember that truck, didn't we all have a group photo in the back of it?

Yeah he's still got it, it really is super clean.

[Matt-Rallye]

Good going at that money and easy fix dum dum

[Dum-Dum]

Good going at that money and easy fix dum dum

Well you say that but it overheated with the heaters cold last night again.
Driving home from work, had done about 5 miles after turning the heaters onto full blast hot when I left, thought it was unusual I hadn't got any heat by that point, looked down and it was at the top of the temp gauge. Stopped and the top hose was 110*C on the IR thermometer, the bottom hose was at 15*C (just above ambient) with most of the radiator being cold. There was a huge pressure in the top of the rad when I let the cap off (another coolant volcano) however I gave it 5 mins, topped up with the correct mix of coolant and water and it was fine the rest of the way home, a further 30 miles, heat through the heaters, temp at normal and my drive includes a few big hills at motorway speeds so needs some throttle.

I'm stumpped, it must be a blockage in the cooling system, there is no other explination, something doesn't let it circulate through the matrix so the thermostat doesn't get heat (it's after the matrix) and cos it doesn't get heat from the matrix pipes it doesn't open so causes this issue. The pressure is the coolant at the top of the system boiling with the heat as it can't circulate round. Anyone have any ideas?





In other news the truck is proving itself to be incredibly practical still.
   

[Matt-Rallye]

Can you hook up a hose pipe too the heater matrix and try to flush it through from both ports? If its a vblocked heater matrix causing this issue that doesnt logically explain the coming and going of the problem :/

[Dum-Dum]

Can you hook up a hose pipe too the heater matrix and try to flush it through from both ports? If its a vblocked heater matrix causing this issue that doesnt logically explain the coming and going of the problem :/

I have flushed it both ways.
I can't think of a logical way to explain the coming and going of it, that's why I'm hoping for help.

[Eeyore]

is the cylinder in the back a new fuel tank for the truck?

[Dum-Dum]

is the cylinder in the back a new fuel tank for the truck?

For the other truck yes. They hold just shy of 92l so even at FA MPG I should get a reasonable range.
I'll update the other thread later.

[procta]

Chances are it may have a massive air lock, or that the exhaust side of things on the head gasket is failing,

[Dum-Dum]

Chances are it may have a massive air lock, or that the exhaust side of things on the head gasket is failing,

Yeah but neither explains how it works for hundreds of miles then develops a problem which is cured by letting the pressure out and topping it back up then is fine again.

[Mattcheese31]

Chances are it may have a massive air lock, or that the exhaust side of things on the head gasket is failing,

Yeah but neither explains how it works for hundreds of miles then develops a problem which is cured by letting the pressure out and topping it back up then is fine again.

sounds like the standard xud HG starting to let go issue if i'm honest

[Jonny81191]

Does sound like headgasketey symptoms, take it to your local garage and get a sniff test done.

[Dum-Dum]

sounds like the standard xud HG starting to let go issue if i'm honest

Yeah I've had XUD HGs go like that (ie combustion into water) but they always maintained heat through the heaters.

Does sound like headgasketey symptoms, take it to your local garage and get a sniff test done.

The AA failed at doing a sniff test as apparently they don't have the right adapter.

[Dum-Dum]

Took a photo of the truck seen as I've got a new phone, definitely making me happy bar the random break downs.
   



And my snorkel turned up
Very nearly fitted it today but I just CBA with crawling about in the arches.
   

[procta]

Chances are it may have a massive air lock, or that the exhaust side of things on the head gasket is failing,

Yeah but neither explains how it works for hundreds of miles then develops a problem which is cured by letting the pressure out and topping it back up then is fine again.

mine was the same dum dum, letting pressure out and topping it up.  it is odd mind, what ended up happening in the end the system just let go. It blew the water out from where the water pump is. really all you are doing is prolonging really. I did your trick for nearly 3 months until enough was enough.

[Dum-Dum]

mine was the same dum dum, letting pressure out and topping it up.  it is odd mind, what ended up happening in the end the system just let go. It blew the water out from where the water pump is. really all you are doing is prolonging really. I did your trick for nearly 3 months until enough was enough.

Bugger.
Looks like I'm buying a new head and a gasket set next month then. Good thing they are cheap.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-MAZDA-BONG...Sw8gVX4HhY

[Dum-Dum]

My +2" lift shackles have arrived complete with an additional £50 worth of customs charges which I intend to argue.
If I can't find someone to go to Santa Pod with tomorrow I might have a day on the Ranger and get it lifted and the snorkel on.
   

[Dum-Dum]

Took the truck along the Upper Icknield Way today as it closes after this weekend due to a seasonal TRO
   





When I got home I decided to have an afternoon of playing with the truck, I wound up the front torsion bars 12 turns which turned out to be 60mm
   





It left the truck looking like this and means that when I fit my longer rear shackles it won't look so nose down.
   





I then fitted my snorkel. Ball ache of a job this, it's a cheap Chinese kit and in fairness it'e pretty sturdy and had all the necessary parts but the holes on the card board template were well out. I luckily found I own a 79mm hole saw which is perfect for the 77mm pipe but had to take my arch liner out which was covered in cow shit, most of the clips broke so I couldn't pit it back in and the rubber joiner which I appreciate is supposed to be tight was almost impossible to get the pipes all the way into due to the lack of space between the wings. Also I found all my 5mm drill bits are totally blunt and that I don't have a pop riviter any more so I ended up doing a 1645 dash to Wilko for drill bits and a riviter making it just before closing.
   
   





The snorkel is however on and looking good. Also I sprayed my grille satin black and stuck on a new number plate.
Liking this now
   
   





Next set of rest days I'm dropping the spare wheel off, removing the side steps, removing the EGR system, de-catting it and fitting the longer rear shackles. I might also play with the rear lighting a bit (fitting fogs higher out the way and have some work lights)