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03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 10:29 am

mayor wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 8:07 am

03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 6:43 am

mayor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 15, 2022 4:55 pm Congratulations to me, I retired! Now, I can do all the things I've neglected the past 25 years.

My '97 Ford Ranger transmission bit the dust and a rebuilt trans cost more that the truck is worth - it had 250,000 miles on it. Searched high and low for a used transmission - as far away as Wichita Falls.

Just curious. What are they getting for a rebuilt transmission these days? It has been years ago but I think it was around 1100 dollars.

What I could locate were $1200 and up.

I should have mentioned the 1100 I paid more than 30 years ago included taking out and installing. I am guessing the 1200 was if you do removal and install yourself.

That is correct. I take it out, take it in for a core and bring the rebuilt - and rebuilt means just bad parts are replaced, reconditioned or remanufactured means all new parts - home for the install.

this timing cover job has been just marginally easier than a transmission replacement. at least I'm not under the car lifting 200 lbs. I don't have a transmission jack. The van is in much better condition than the truck was.

I sold the truck for $800 and purchased the van for $3000. I have the timing cover off and I'm cleaning up. Waiting for new studs. Thankfully nothing broke. The rest will be a piece of pie.

Oh, and I used heat on just the studs 'til cherry red. I thought I typed all this in this morning but don't see it.

03Lightningrocks wrote: ↑Thu Jun 16, 2022 6:43 am

mayor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 15, 2022 4:55 pm Congratulations to me, I retired! Now, I can do all the things I've neglected the past 25 years.

My '97 Ford Ranger transmission bit the dust and a rebuilt trans cost more that the truck is worth - it had 250,000 miles on it. Searched high and low for a used transmission - as far away as Wichita Falls.

Just curious. What are they getting for a rebuilt transmission these days? It has been years ago but I think it was around 1100 dollars.

What I could locate were $1200 and up.

Congratulations to me, I retired! Now, I can do all the things I've neglected the past 25 years.

My '97 Ford Ranger transmission bit the dust and a rebuilt trans cost more that the truck is worth - it had 250,000 miles on it. Searched high and low for a used transmission - as far away as Wichita Falls. Found none. I couldn't afford any of the trucks on craigslist so started thinking out of the box. I just need something to carry a load. I found a 1998 Windstar van with only 48,000+ miles on it for a good price. I did research on the van and some of them had issues with head gaskets, intake gaskets, and transmissions. Most of the problems were fixed by '98. I looked it over really well before I bought it and couldn't see any major problems. I started doing all the 24 years of maintenance on it. Parts from RockAuto are pretty cheap so that cost didn't add much to the cost of the vehicle. Stabilizer links, tie rod ends - the rubber boots were crumbling -, oil and coolant change. The coolant had a brown scum of some sort. After a flush I watched it and the coolant looked good for a couple of thousand miles. Then I started seeing what looked like oil. I decided the transmission was leaking into the radiator because it was also leaking externally from the radiator. No water in the oil ever. Replaced the radiator. Never overheated. Then I started smelling antifreeze. Chased the leak down to a timing cover. Oh, no. It's a big job, but not a difficult job. Lots of parts to remove. Now to my question - I know there are mechanics more experienced than me that visit here.

One of the studs that goes through the water pump and timing cover into the block is seized. Can I put heat on that stud to back it out? What is the likelyhood of warping the aluminum timing cover? I found studs for $10 each. Any ideas, suggestions or comments about the windstar will be received with the notion that I've already bought it /smilie. Thanks. Oh, and I have nothing but time.

thanks for your assistance, gents. I followed the wire from the temp switch to the dash and discovered that jr had swapped the brake light switch and the temp light in the sockets. the brake pressure switch under the hood is bad and he had connected it back up.

He learned another lesson.

thanks again.

2farnorth wrote: ↑Fri Jul 27, 2018 9:26 pm Check the bulb socket. (if you can get to it) Sounds like its shorted to ground. As I remember it, if it is a singled wire sender then the wire on the sending unit completes the ground path in an overheat condition. If you have a light with the wire disconnected from the sender then there is an alternate ground path.

I'll remove the socket from the instrument cluster. if it is grounded there, it should extinguish.

lots of good ideas. thanks. I knew these are the smartest people on the interwebs.

the wires under the dash are less than ideal, but for 50 years old, the harness is still in fairly good shape. there have been some 'repairs' done. the harness under the hood going to the temperature sending unit is especially doctored. it could be the ignition switch, maybe?

it is a nice, cool looking car. We got a sedan because we couldn't find an affordable coupe. I put way more money in it than I wanted, but it needed to be safe and reliable. it runs really well. he's finding out all about gas milage. it got him through 2 years of high school fine. now, things, like me, are beginning to show some age.

warnmar10 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 27, 2018 8:22 pm

mayor wrote: ↑Fri Jul 27, 2018 7:55 pm ...


, pulled plug off of unit, still have light.


...

That wire is shorted to ground somewhere between where it attaches to the sending unit and the red lamp on the dash.
I'd start tracing the wire starting from the sending unit to the firewall.

good idea. I'll disconnect it at the firewall and jump the wires going to the coil so it will run and see if we still have a light. at least that will let us know which direction to look.

if we don't find it tomorrow, he needs to get something so he knows the temp is OK until we can run it down. I hate electrical problems. we checked the ground strap from the block to the firewall. disconnected it, scrubbed it and the firewall connection down with a wire brush and reconnected. I've seen that cause weird problems. still no luck.

I had the water pump changed a few months ago. I had to change out the radiator and heater core due to leaks. while we were checking out the repairs, the light was on. I know it isn't hot because we flushed the cooling system before replacing everything. the water was running clear. has new radiator and heater core. replaced sending unit, still have light, pulled plug off of unit, still have light. i'm pretty certain it is electrical. we had to pull the most everything out of the dash to remove the heater/ac box. after reinstall, we have this light. I've got a schematic and there really isn't much to that circuit. replaced the little voltage regulator behind the dash. I've been incorrect before, but I'm pretty sure it isn't hot. that's why I want to install a gauge. The three gauge clusters are easier to get. may go that route.
this is my son's learn to mechanic car. he's getting a head full and a pocket empty.

My son has a 1967 ford fairlane 289. Having problems with temperature idiot light. It stays on. Changed the sending unit. Have a schematic. I'm pretty sure it is a wiring problem but until we can hunt down the problem, i need to add a temperature gauge. So, I've come to the smartest people on the internet - even smarter than the google. I've looked for a gauge and have found several, but I want a recommendation for the gurus here. I want a single gauge. thanks!