Drag Truck - The Danger Ranger

ksack

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That fuel tank needs to go, you can buy a cell on eBay for the time and materials you have invested in what you have, call that a learning experience and hope a track official never sees it.\

Tank isn't a permanent solution. It isn't pretty but it also doesn't leak. Getting the truck running without breaking the bank is the goal. $20 is much better than $200. Fuel cell will come eventually.


If you are sticking with the OE front suspension, swap in a manual steering Ranger steering box.

All the stock ranger boxes run inside the frame rails. No way of getting the steering shaft to them. The coyote is a wide motor.
 

ksack

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Goal for the long weekend was to start it for the first time. Unfortunately a few weeks ago I melted one of the cam position sensors while welding some stuff. Ordered a new one and it turns out there are separate ones for the intake and exhaust cam and I ordered the wrong one. Closest one is 100 miles from me so it's going to have to wait until next weekend to give it a shot.
 

RocketcarX

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wtf how is that 66.00 yet my little alum tanks for my radiator and s/c coolant were 130 a piece
I've used a 20 gallon version of this for a customer and beside it not being packed as well as I would have liked it's been perfect. The 20 gallon cell is $125 shipped.
 

ksack

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It runs! Below is the video. You'll notice is stumbles after I give it a little gas. Log shows that it advances the spark and never brings it back. Throwing codes P0345 and P0349, both are cam position sensor A circuit/circuit intermittent. Only thing that changed since I pulled the motor was I melted a cam sensor and replaced it. Tried swapping banks with the sensors and threw same code so it isn't a bad sensor. Don't see any evidence of harness damage so I don't suspect a wiring problem. Took the alternator in and it tested good but I have other suspicions. I fried the starter on accident so I suspect I may have messed up the alternator but didn't show when it was bench tested. You can see from the log that the voltage does not go up once the motor is started which leads me to think I may have fried a diode. Only other possibility is there is some corrosion on the VCT solenoid plugs which may lead to a bad solenoid. I need to keep troubleshooting. Through all my forum digging, the causes I've found are bad battery, bad alternator, bad sensor, bad vct solenoid, damaged wires, or a broken cam phaser.

Other progress: Brake lines installed and bled, need to wire line lock. Steering rack installed, needs an alignment and support bearing.


O3E2P5u.jpg
 

tjm73

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What do you mean by "melted a cam sensor"?

This was an mistake he talked about a few pages back.

Goal for the long weekend was to start it for the first time. Unfortunately a few weeks ago I melted one of the cam position sensors while welding some stuff. Ordered a new one and it turns out there are separate ones for the intake and exhaust cam and I ordered the wrong one. Closest one is 100 miles from me so it's going to have to wait until next weekend to give it a shot.
 

ksack

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Update to last. The other sensor plug wasn't fully seated due to plug deformation from the same welding. Complete oversight on my part and about $50 worth of sensors. Sensor will be here Wednesday so hopefully that'll solve that problem.
 

Sky Render

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This is a cool project.

Doesn't Ford Racing make a control module that lets you run a Coyote without having to screw around with what stock sensors and modules you need to keep? I think it includes a DBW pedal and wiring harness, too.
 

ksack

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This is a cool project.

Doesn't Ford Racing make a control module that lets you run a Coyote without having to screw around with what stock sensors and modules you need to keep? I think it includes a DBW pedal and wiring harness, too.

They do, but it only works for manual transmission. There are companies that make modules for the auto trans but that's an extra 1-2k. Instead, I went with a full swap from the donor F150. Cost about $5.5k for the full truck.
 

ksack

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Codes are gone with the new sensor. Still idles rough after about 15 seconds so I need to work on refining the tune with my tuner. This weekend I got the steering 100% finished and wired up the linelock. The switch that came with the Moroso kit was originally wired incorrectly so it was hot when the button was disengaged. Took it apart and wired it up correctly and now works as advertised. I'm going out of town for a couple weeks so don't expect much progress. Up next is getting the seat installed and it should be ready for a test drive once it gets all its fluids.
 

ksack

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Sometimes you forget how many things go together to get a vehicle running. Got the seat mounts installed and the floor pan patched last weekend. Sorry no pix of that for now. Spent the day cleaning out the garage and making room for both the donor and the race truck to fit while work sends me away for the next 5 months. The F150 barely fits in my garage but I got it in there. It had been in the driveway for the last year while I took parts off it. See y'all in October!
NzIBrli.jpg
 

RocketcarX

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Where is work sending you, what do you do if you don't mind me asking? I love traveling, if I didn't work for myself I think I would have found a way to be on the road.
Put some stabilizer in the ranger, or run the fuel out of it!
 

ksack

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Where is work sending you, what do you do if you don't mind me asking? I love traveling, if I didn't work for myself I think I would have found a way to be on the road.
Put some stabilizer in the ranger, or run the fuel out of it!

Didn't even think about stabilizer for the Ranger. Already have it lined up for the daily and didn't even consider it. Thanks! Going on an Uncle Sam sponsored trip to a far off land, if you catch my drift.
 

ksack

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Hey friends I'm back for a couple weeks. In my time away, I was able to figure out that my idle issues are due to a lack of fuel. When I pulled all the evap stuff, I got rid of a few fuel pressure sensors that the system needs. Will be switching to a return system with a fuel cell in the bed. Hoping to have it running happily before going off on another adventure. Spring and summer look like I'll be around quite a bit so I'm hoping to make good progress and even a pass down the 1/4 mile later in the season.
 

ksack

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Update! Got the return system installed. Running a 15gal tank from Rhodes, 385lph AEM pump, Tanks Inc pressure regulator with Vibrant fittings and braided hoses. Had my tuner remove all the fuel system signals and run the pump with key inserted. Works like a dream! Also got the full cooling system installed by cutting down a few of the hoses since the radiator sits much closer to the motor than it did in the F150. To get it driving, need to build a battery tray, mount the coolant tank, connect the shift cable, and fill trans and rear end with fluids, and reinstall the driveshaft. Other things it needs is seat harness installed, lights connected, exhaust lengthened to dump near the edge of the body, harnesses tucked away, firewall patched, and a driveshaft loop.
6RtAz7D.jpg


To84qqV.jpg



 

ksack

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Since the last update, I've filled fluids and reconnected everything. Took it for a test drive 2 weeks ago but had a really bad bounce. Worked with racestar over the last 2 weeks and we came to the conclusion that my hub centric rings were not centering the wheels properly. Turns out my custom axles have hubs that are a little more than 0.5mm larger than factory, so the supplied hub centric rings did not fit over them. The custom axle hubs also barely protrude beyond the face of the rotor. To fix this, I flipped the hub centric rings and shaved them down so that they would both fit over the hub, as well as protrude out to help center the wheel. They take a little finessing to get on, but the wheels now center on the hubs. The wheel issue was solved today, so I got to do this:




Tracks are starting open around me so its time to get the truck track ready. I also bought a trailer a few weeks ago so the donor truck is loaded up and prepped for drop off at the scrap yard next weekend. Pulled the rear axle, front brakes, and wheel so I can pull in some cash off Craigslist.

sElsyUL.jpg



And the truck as it sits today

Z9zNYCV.jpg
 

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