I just finished changing the passenger side spark plugs on the 4.0 Ranger. My arms are cut and bleeding, but I'm smiling. For those with 4.0's you know what I am talking about.

Just curious who does this stuff themselves. Do you take pride in getting it done and stopping to think "how am I gonna reach that back plug? It can apply to anything you do to the truck.

Or do you get mad and frustrated, wishing someone else was doing it?

 

no 4.0 here but I'd rather do everything I can handle

 

I did a full tune up on an LT1 in a Z28, just to prove I could. Wasn't easy... took a long time, but sure beat giving the dealer labor for 8hours, because thats what the shop manual sayes it takes.

 

I do everything I possibly can to my truck and take it somewhere only if I have to. My dad brought me up that way and I hated it as a kid but love it now. I dont get frustrated unless I work all day on it and it doesnt work right...

 

I will try anything before I pay to get it done!

 

Today I changed the left bank of plugs and wires. I removed the insulation from the hood, and installed the billet (bye bye vertica bars). I rinsed out the engine bay but it needs a lot more work. The electricity was out for a couple of hours so I got busy. The day turned out beautiful.

A couple of more weeks and I'll have e-fan and pulleys installed.

 

Your the UnderDrive Pulley Guy and you dont have a pulley on your truck yet?

 

HaHa. I have 3- 3.0L Rangers and they all have them. The 4.0L pulley is new to the market. I should have it next week. lol.

 

Man you have 4 rangers.

 

Looks good but any particular reason you removed the insulation from the hood?

 

to see what was on the other side. I thought it would be painted and look cleaner, which it's not. I bought a thunderbolt hood scoop to install also. Looked like it needs to come off to install it. The wifes not too thrilled with the idea of that, though. I might add that I have no idea where she hid the scoop. She's that adamant about me not installing it.

 

She's the scoop ****.

NO SCOOP FOO YOU!

 

lol

 

did you go through the wheel well to do the plugs? thats what i did, much easier

 

On the very back one I went through that flap and it was no problem. I didn't think of that until after the middle one was done, thus the scratches all down my arm. Those hose clamps on the heater hose and the metal connectors on the a/c aperatus got me pretty good.

 

here they are. I have a granite countertop business. This is me and my guys and the trucks. It's nice cause as the business was growing and we needed more trucks I would do the Hand Me Down thing until I could get my dream truck- 4x4 4.0 4 door. It's not gonna get handed down to anyone.

One of my neatest installs was there in Houston at Anheiser Busch headquarters. It was something like 17 stories up in the air and we had to make the granite so it would fit in the service elevators. We left from Killeen at 10:00 PM to install it. Finished the install at 6:00 AM. Had to stop in Cameron to sleep. I couldn't drive anymore. It just dawned on me that this was my last "all nighter" (there's a thread about it). I guess my last all nighter was a working one.

 

ya you think the 4.0L are bad try the 2.3L its like pulling teeth on the drivers bank...

 

The 3.0's are no picnic either...I do mine also.

 

well thats good D, now I know who to call when I hit 100K

 

sorry to hear you had trouble. it only took me an hour. guess the body lift helped

but i did all mine through the fenders

 

smart idea

 

I also do everything I possibly can on my cars/truck.. for some reason I dont trust others to do stuff lol. And yeah those plugs on the 4.0 was a real pita for me too, took me about 2-3 hours lol. If I would have done everything through the fenders it would have been much easier I think but still the last one on the passenger side was really hard for me.

 

Well have not changed my plugs yet, but anything I get mad and frustrated during the process but when i am done i take pride in it. Maybe during the process i would have wished somebody would have done it for me but when i done i am glad i did it myself.

 

My 4.0 OHV is pretty easy. I removed the airbox and could get my arm in to all of them then. I will agree with Zach (Redneckstone) my old 2.5L was the biggest pain ever. Why the hell do you really need 8 plugs on a 4 banger?