I have a 98 Ford Ranger 4x4 with a 3.0 V-6. If I run 87 or 89 octane fuel it knocks and pings real bad. It only had about 40,000 miles on it when it started this. This is my first Ford, and will probalbly be the last Ford I own. I've never owned a vehicle that knocked and pinged even if I put some crappy fuel in it. I should have never left CHEVY. Don't care to much for the newer Chevy's, but I love the 67- 72 Chevy pickups and Blazers. Any help about my problem would be much appreciated.  

Thats what happens when you put a taurus motor in a truck.                  

Ford sells so many trucks because you have to buy a new one every other year. and the only decent one they sell has someone elses motor in it.

Other than the so called car engine you talked about, you still haven't added any comments about what is causing the problem. So far the Ford dealer said it could have excessive carbon buidup in the top cylinder, and Willie from Four Wheeler said the same thing. I just don't understand an engine with low miles on it having excessive carbon buildup. I guess this is a FORD THING.( FIXED OR REPAIRED DAILY )  

maybe pick up a bottle of fuel injector cleaner (the kind that removes carbon build up) and try adding a couple bottles of that and see if that helps the truck any

just a suggestion

Thanks for your suggestion, I've already tryed that. Willie from Four Wheeler suggested that I use GM's top engine cleaner. Why GM for a Ford vehicle, I don't know? I still haven't tried that yet, but will soon.  

Just went into a new website for just Ford Rangers called www. Ranger Power Sports. com and noticed that several other 3.0 V-6 Ranger owners are having the same pinging problem that I am having with my POS Ranger. This definately is a Ford thing. There is several so called fixes for this engine, some are just cheap fixes but some are too costly to just try this and try that. I'd hate to sell this truck to someone and say there isn't any problems with it just to get rid of it. And I do not plan on trading it in for another truck, as I want to buy a late 60's to early 80's K-5 Blazer from a private ad. What do you think I should do with this pos ford?

You may have water in the carb ( or fuel injection system ) or other fuel system components. I had this problem with my old Holley 650. Sometimes disreputable gas stations mix water into their gas to extend it. The result when you buy gas at one of these places is that your car or truck runs like crap. There are products at auto parts that you can pour into your gas tank to dissipate the water in the fuel system. Most of these products are alcohol based. Alcohol dissipates water. You will need to follow the instructions on the bottle. Most of the time it tells you to fill your tank before using this product as it may harm hoses and gaskets if it's not diluted with enough fuel. - just a suggestion.

...Or it may just be a crappy ford thing. I used to own a crappy taurus, so I feel your pain. ford! Never again for me!

Good luck!

Yeah, I've tryed all kinds of stuff to try to get rid of the pinging problem. This is definately a crappy Ford thing. It's a shame the people who made and work on these trucks can't fiqure out the problem. I've made up my mind to save some money up to buy a late 60's to early 80's K-5 Blazer 4x4 and to get rid of this pos Ford. But for now I will just have to deal with it. With Ford there is no such thing with luck unless I find a person to buy it and then it will be my lucky day.  

With a ferd -  if it weren't for bad luck ye'd have no luck at all!  Doom, despair, and agony on me! ...you know the rest.

You know how I feel about 'dem things brother. You have my condolences. Maybe you should look into that pushin it off a cliff idea. You would get a helluva great feeling there for a few moments, until the financial reality set in. Sad to say at this point but the best you can do is sell it off to some misguided ferd lover out there.

Give me a shout, and post me some pics when you get your K5 Beast !

How did that old thing go.. "At ferd, quality is job one!"

I remember last year on my way to work I stopped at the local Sheetz gas & food mart and there was a older man that pulled up in a 80's K-5 Blazer. This Blazer looked pretty well kept at least for the condition of the body, and I noticed it had a for sale sign on it, $1200 OBO. I didn't have any time to go and talk to the man and I could kinda kick myself in the ass for not taking the time to write the phone # down. You never know this could have been the deal of the day. Live & learn, As for At Ford Quality Is Job One I'd like to meet the guy or gal who thought of this logo so I could shove my size 10 boot straight up their ass!!!!!!

how about you turn it into a real offroaders toy hauler.   

What? I didn't understand what you are talking about.

I saw a mid '70's Chevy 4X4 pick-em-up on the side of the road the other day listed for '$1500 or best offer'. Somebody must have snatched it up 'cause it's not there any mo.

Probably Bill Ford came up with that 'quality' BS. They figure if you propagate a lie and people start believing, it will come true. Wake up and smell the 90-weight oil !!!   I don't think I'd want that boot back dude!  Let 'em keep it up there!

Last year I saw a late 60's Chevy 2-wd with a rare at least in Md. short bed. Never did stop and look at it though. I'll have to take a ride this weekend to see if it is still there. Most of the time when I see something that I might want to buy I never have the money. Seems like it allways goes this way for some reason. Since I live in the rust belt most of the old Chevy pick-ups aren't worth buying as there's more rust than metal. I went with some friends to Carlisle Pa. Oct.1st 2005 for the car show and sale  and there was three late 60's to early 70's Chevy pick-ups for sale in someone's front yard and all of them were in really good shape. The highest priced one was $1800. I couldn't believe the low prices on these trucks. The only thing I didn't like about them they were all long beds. This is the first time I have ever been to Carlisle Pa. for the car show and sale and for now on I will be going there a couple of times a year. There's cars and trucks everywhere for sale sitting in peoples front yards, everywhere there's a spot there's a car or truck for sale. I need to shut up, I'm starting to get excited. Have you ever been to Carlisle Pa.? Since you are a (old Chevy) fan like myself I guarentee you would love this place. I guess you could call it a piece of heaven! I've done some research on the computer about my pinging problem and alot of other people have the same problem I have. Possible cures are starting with the easyest ones witch are Seafoam for carbon removal, Hotwater bypass, colder plugs, dirty MAF, EGR sensor - it says if its metal replace it with a new plastic version, check coil pack- if the part # isn't " F5SZ-12029-A " replace it. and some other major problems that I won't bother listing because I do not believe these are causing my problems. This is definately a FORD THING.

As you know I've been down that well traveled road to hell fixing that old Taurus I used to have. The solution sounds like a ferd mechanic's fix - "change everything until your bank account's empty, or the noise goes away - whichever comes first".

I'd put it up for sale "AS IS" If I were you, and cut my losses with this dog. Get what you can for it and move to greener pastures. Let it be someone else's headache for a while - You've done your time on that rock! - just a suggestion dude.

Never been to PA, - flew over it more than a dozen times though. Some other places I've been to for five minutes or less: Denver, Charlotte NC, and Memphis Tn. (airport conection flights). My most radical weather change connection was from Clark Air Force Base in the Phillipines (Luzon Island) 110 degrees - to Anchorage Alaska  4-degrees below zero - all in the same day. They made us get out of the plane ( a C-130 Hercules - MAC flight ) on the tarmac. We had to walk more than 500 feet in the freezing wind in our Summer Whites uniforms - short sleves. That's the Navy for ya! ( stands for: Never Again Volunteer Yourself )

" A little piece of Chevy heaven" - I'll just have to make it there some day!