Looks like it will be a good daily driver when you get these little kinks worked out. 
Picked up a first Gen STX
- Thread starter Lonesome7.3
- Start date
Lonesome7.3
By whatever means necessary …
I had to go out of town and it is killing me that I did not hear it run before I left.
Lonesome7.3
By whatever means necessary …
The ranger sat untouched because I went out of town for a week. Today I spent most of my time addressing details. A lot of the wire loom was brittle and all of the electrical tape on the harness was degraded. As I reinstalled the harnesses I wrapped new loom and retaped them. I also stuck a bunch of zip ties in there to keep it all neat. I addressed any missing bolts. It looks like someone has done work in there before and just did not feel like bolting everything back down. Of course all the vacuum lines are from 1987 so I replaced most of them. Right now I am dealing with the EGR valve and everything that bolts to it.
That Crazy Squirrel
I'm too LAZY to Choose a ... oh **** it...
A lot has changed since I did this stuff for a living in the 90s, but one trick I had back then for dealing with vacuum lines was to replace them with silicone airline tubing from the pet store. It's sold in the aquarium section and worked quite well for vacuum lines. Never dried out or got brittle.
Lonesome7.3
By whatever means necessary …
Very cool idea, thanks.
Lonesome7.3
By whatever means necessary …
Just took it for a test drive and it runs waaaaaaaaaaaaay better. It needs timing and I think I hear a vacuum leak and I have what sounds like a top end tic.
Kennyray
Full Access Member
You may have to recheck your valve lash or it could be an exhaust leak.
Lonesome7.3
By whatever means necessary …
I was going to adjust and check the valves. But the manual made it very clear that i am not to do that. I have never trusted "self adjusting" anything. it almost sounds like a plug wire arching.
Kennyray
Full Access Member
Best way to find out if it's a plug wire is to wait til dark, then mist the plug wires when it's running. If you have any bad wires they will show up as a light show....
Lonesome7.3
By whatever means necessary …
I doubt that is the problem. It had that sound before I replaced the plugs and wires. It is more noticeable now that the engine is running quieter. I think it is a lifter or a fuel injector.
