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opinions on a vehicle

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hey, I’ve got an ‘88 BII, and I love it.  It gets me home from school (an hour and a half of highway), and occasionally 4 hours into NY.  It gets 350 – 400 miles out of its 23 gallon gas tank.  It has 98k miles on it, but only about 8 on this, it’s second engine.  The head gasket went, and the mechanic didn’t repair it correctly.  Also, the lifter noise is pretty common on these things, but other than that, and the rust associated with being 10 years old, I love it.  Wouldn’t pay more than 3 or 4 grand for one with high mileage, but I love it. Hi. I would like opinions on a 4×4 I looked at. It is a 1989 Ford Bronco II XL Auto with the 2.9 V6. It has about 150,000 km on it.  Looks good. Does anyone have any opinions on these trucks?  I am going to be using it mostly for skiing and comuting (sadly, not in that order). Any thoughts? Thanks. Gord — Gordon McFadden http://www.westsoft-systems.com

86 Bronco II 190K original motor etc. Mobil 2 oil change every 3k since day 1. Mass to Utah and back 4 times. Flint trail into the maze 3 times. Wandering about the San Rapheal Swell, Henry’s, etc. 2 month back road trips all over Idaho, Nevada, Montana etc. Will replace the engine and tranny before long. Would by another.

Response:

: The Bronco 2.9L is the same engine in my 89 Ranger.  That engine has a : reputation, denied by Ford, for have an lubrication problem to the : hydraulic lifters.  I’ve 120K on mine and have replaced all the : bearing, and lifters.  I still have an intermittent lifter clatter. : Apparently only a new engine will fix it now. : Have a good mechanic put an external oil pressure gauge on is and then : run it hot, freeway is best, for about a half an hour. Pull off and : stop.  If the pressure drops below about 25psi at idle, IMHO, I would : beware. Hey Jeff, I have the same problem with the 2.3L 4cyl in my ‘86 Ranger. I’ve got about 110k on the current motor and clatter has become nearly constant. My mechanic has talked me out of doing a valve job saying that this would likely increace pressure in the top half of the motor which would likely set me up to blowing a ring down the road. This scenaria is not unlikely to me as it is exactly what happened with a used Trooperthat we bought. The we bought it fron had had the head replaced (notorious for cracking heads) and we lost rings at 120k. Jeff, any idea about the  ramifications of letting the lifter clatter continue? To the original poster…. The Bronco II has a lousy rep here in NewEngland for snowy highway driving. Its short wheel base makes it squirely.  My needs in a car are similar sounding to y yours. Long commute and frequent highway trips to snowy places. I  have my eyes on a Subaru Legacy Wagon as a replacement for when my Ranger up and dies.

Response:

My father has a ranger with a 2.9 liter.  He is a tech at a large NW Arkansas dealer, and they thought that the engine was about to go, so they sold it cheap to him.  He drove it for 3 years, and finally one of the lifters stoppped.  He just had it re-built.  Still good engines, but around 140-150k, they just need a godd rebuild.  Seems to be the pattern anyway. On the birght side, when we got it out and apart, it still had the rooves fromthe factory in the cylinder walls.  No blow-by there. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yeah, but Ford denies that the lifter problem exists in the 2.9L too!  Long times between maintenance is a marketing tool that has little to do with wear. I belive Ford reccomends 30k miles on Transfer case services. <SNIP — Jeff Wilson "And now these three remain; faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love." …… Seek harmony and balance in the mountains. Find harmony and balance within…..

Response:

Gordon, The 2.9 V6 is a peppy little motor, but has a notorious reputation for lifter wear.  If you get a chance to listen to the motor start when it is cold the problem is obvious.  When I got rid of mine the motor sounded like it had marbles in the pistons.  I was told that it wasn’t doing any real damage, but it didn’t sound good. The Bronco II has an excellent turning radius, but gets real small real quick when loading for an extended trip.  Mine was a 1989 by the way. Is it silver? Mike – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi. I would like opinions on a 4×4 I looked at. It is a 1989 Ford Bronco II XL Auto with the 2.9 V6. It has about 150,000 km on it.  Looks good. Does anyone have any opinions on these trucks?  I am going to be using it mostly for skiing and comuting (sadly, not in that order). Any thoughts? Thanks. Gord — Gordon McFadden http://www.westsoft-systems.com

Response:

They are known for bad drivetrains overall… poor engine life, weak auto trans, and weak rear axle for off roading.  If you find a good one, and it chacks out with a mechanic, you might be okay with stock size tires and no extreme offroading…

Response:

Do you really think that a 2.9 is BAD on gas? i have a 4.3 in my chevy and its pretty good. Granted you are NOT going to get the milage you would out of a 4 but, the power of a 6 is a compromising factor in the issue. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I would like opinions on a 4×4 I looked at. Depends on your application. It is a 1989 Ford Bronco II XL Auto with the 2.9 V6. It has about 150,000 km on it.  Looks good. Have your mechanic inspect it. Does anyone have any opinions on these trucks?  I am going to be using it mostly for skiing and comuting (sadly, not in that order). A waste for commuting.  A gas hog. Any thoughts? Van.general?

Response:

I belive Ford reccomends 30k miles on Transfer case services. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The Bronco 2.9L is the same engine in my 89 Ranger.  That engine has a reputation, denied by Ford, for have an lubrication problem to the hydraulic lifters.  I’ve 120K on mine and have replaced all the bearing, and lifters.  I still have an intermittent lifter clatter. Apparently only a new engine will fix it now. Have a good mechanic put an external oil pressure gauge on is and then run it hot, freeway is best, for about a half an hour. Pull off and stop.  If the pressure drops below about 25psi at idle, IMHO, I would beware. I’ve had some problems with the rear wheel only ABS system locking up in snow.  Don’t know if it applies to the Bronco’s different body. Also ask the owner how often he changed the transfer box oil.  With 150K on it, I hope he did it about every 5k.  A 4WD friend recently told me that Ford transfer boxes need regular flushing and changing. Also heard this as a general comment on "Click and Clack" I would like opinions on a 4×4 I looked at. Depends on your application. It is a 1989 Ford Bronco II XL Auto with the 2.9 V6. It has about 150,000 km on it.  Looks good. Have your mechanic inspect it. Does anyone have any opinions on these trucks?  I am going to be using it mostly for skiing and comuting (sadly, not in that order). A waste for commuting.  A gas hog. Any thoughts? Van.general? — Jeff Wilson "And now these three remain; faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love." …… Seek harmony and balance in the mountains. Find harmony and balance within…..

Response:

My 89 ranger with the 2.9L injected engine get about 20 in the city and 25 on the freeway. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Do you really think that a 2.9 is BAD on gas? i have a 4.3 in my chevy and its pretty good. Granted you are NOT going to get the milage you would out of a 4 but, the power of a 6 is a compromising factor in the issue. I would like opinions on a 4×4 I looked at. Depends on your application. It is a 1989 Ford Bronco II XL Auto with the 2.9 V6. It has about 150,000 km on it.  Looks good. Have your mechanic inspect it. Does anyone have any opinions on these trucks?  I am going to be using it mostly for skiing and comuting (sadly, not in that order). A waste for commuting.  A gas hog. Any thoughts? Van.general?

– Jeff Wilson "And now these three remain; faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love." …… Seek harmony and balance in the mountains. Find harmony and balance within…..

Response:

Yeah, but Ford denies that the lifter problem exists in the 2.9L too!  Long times between maintenance is a marketing tool that has little to do with wear. I belive Ford reccomends 30k miles on Transfer case services. <SNIP

– Jeff Wilson "And now these three remain; faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love." …… Seek harmony and balance in the mountains. Find harmony and balance within…..

Response:

Hi. I would like opinions on a 4×4 I looked at. It is a 1989 Ford Bronco II XL Auto with the 2.9 V6. It has about 150,000 km on it.  Looks good. Does anyone have any opinions on these trucks?  I am going to be using it mostly for skiing and comuting (sadly, not in that order). Any thoughts? Thanks. Gord — Gordon McFadden http://www.westsoft-systems.com

Response:

Hi. I would like opinions on a 4×4 I looked at. It is a 1989 Ford Bronco II XL Auto with the 2.9 V6. It has about 150,000 km on it.  Looks good. Does anyone have any opinions on these trucks?  I am going to be using it mostly for skiing and comuting (sadly, not in that order). Gordon McFadden http://www.westsoft-systems.com

  Gord, my father owned one, a 1989 as well I believe. He used it as a company vehicle to inspect transmitters in remote sites in Ontario Canada and covered lots of highway miles with it also. He had it 3 years and replaced it with a 92 Jeep Cherokee at first opportunity and recently replaced the 92 Cherokee with a 98 Cherokee.     Auto went on him but was revived by a fluid change. No other big problems. It did not ride or handle well due to the overly stiff suspension and yet ironically sagged and had to have springs added to handle the modest weight of his test equiptment after a year or so. He felt it has "tricky" to drive on winter highways, not very stable.   Off-road it did poorly as well due to the non-articulating suspension (swaybars front and rear). It would lift a tire and be stuck. 4 wheel drive van page: http://www.glinx.com/users/sbest Tire chains, camping gear, tools,82 Bronco and some shooting stuff too.

Response:

The Bronco 2.9L is the same engine in my 89 Ranger.  That engine has a reputation, denied by Ford, for have an lubrication problem to the hydraulic lifters.  I’ve 120K on mine and have replaced all the bearing, and lifters.  I still have an intermittent lifter clatter. Apparently only a new engine will fix it now. Have a good mechanic put an external oil pressure gauge on is and then run it hot, freeway is best, for about a half an hour. Pull off and stop.  If the pressure drops below about 25psi at idle, IMHO, I would beware. I’ve had some problems with the rear wheel only ABS system locking up in snow.  Don’t know if it applies to the Bronco’s different body. Also ask the owner how often he changed the transfer box oil.  With 150K on it, I hope he did it about every 5k.  A 4WD friend recently told me that Ford transfer boxes need regular flushing and changing. Also heard this as a general comment on "Click and Clack" – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I would like opinions on a 4×4 I looked at. Depends on your application. It is a 1989 Ford Bronco II XL Auto with the 2.9 V6. It has about 150,000 km on it.  Looks good. Have your mechanic inspect it. Does anyone have any opinions on these trucks?  I am going to be using it mostly for skiing and comuting (sadly, not in that order). A waste for commuting.  A gas hog. Any thoughts? Van.general?

– Jeff Wilson "And now these three remain; faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love." …… Seek harmony and balance in the mountains. Find harmony and balance within…..

Response:

Hey, I’ve got an ‘88 BII, and I love it.  It gets me home from school (an hour and a half of highway), and occasionally 4 hours into NY.  It gets 350 – 400 miles out of its 23 gallon gas tank.  It has 98k miles on it, but only about 8 on this, it’s second engine.  The head gasket went, and the mechanic didn’t repair it correctly.  Also, the lifter noise is pretty common on these things, but other than that, and the rust associated with being 10 years old, I love it.  Wouldn’t pay more than 3 or 4 grand for one with high mileage, but I love it. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi. I would like opinions on a 4×4 I looked at. It is a 1989 Ford Bronco II XL Auto with the 2.9 V6. It has about 150,000 km on it.  Looks good. Does anyone have any opinions on these trucks?  I am going to be using it mostly for skiing and comuting (sadly, not in that order). Any thoughts? Thanks. Gord — Gordon McFadden http://www.westsoft-systems.com

Response:

I would like opinions on a 4×4 I looked at.

Depends on your application. It is a 1989 Ford Bronco II XL Auto with the 2.9 V6. It has about 150,000 km on it.  Looks good.

Have your mechanic inspect it. Does anyone have any opinions on these trucks?  I am going to be using it mostly for skiing and comuting (sadly, not in that order).

A waste for commuting.  A gas hog. Any thoughts?

Van.general?

Response:

Does anyone have any opinions on these trucks?  I am going to be using it mostly for skiing and comuting (sadly, not in that order). A waste for commuting.  A gas hog.

Useless for skiing too. It won’t fit on the lifts & I have this crazy image of a 4×4 on skis, heading down the slopes. — Lloyd Bowles The Mad Canoeist "Keep the open side up!" http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/clearstreets/358/index.html

Response:

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