Rear diff covers now available

Indy650

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I remember when I was stationed in Georgia in the Army I went on leave to Upstate NY bought a restored 1984 f-250 with a 351 and 4 speed standard. The previous owner must have put 3.50 gears or even lower in that thing because it screamed doing 70mph. Those 4 speeds were geared low but it was pretty much topped out at 70-75. Decided I just couldn't drive it that far on the highways. Always wanted to put 4.11's in it but ended up selling it. Man I regret it that was a gorgeous truck.
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Indy650

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didnt have a spec of rust on it an absolute gem for upstate NY

P_20200114_000303.jpg
 

Mokume

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Lol, well I got a horror story here for ya concerning an F series

Back in 1989 or so I, my Dad was looking for a beater pickup.
He located a used '82 F150 reg. cab with an 8 foot bed at some used car lot, it had a 300 6 cyl. mated to 4 speed manual, he bought it and drove it home. The truck was originally sold new in Nebraska, the rear end was geared way high, like a 2.30 or so, perfect for Nebraska, not so for Hawaii.
We've got some relatively steep and long inclines here (did I mention the trans had wide spaced gears?), long story short, you either screamed in second or mind-numbingly lugged it in third.
But wait there's more...
The 300 had a slight but definite miss to it, I did everything in the book to locate this miss, including a compression test. As I am working on it, I notice blue silicone sealer around the oil pan mating surface (man, I sure hate that stuff). Somebody had yanked the pan for reasons unknown.
So, in my last-ditch effort I yank the head and find nothing obviously amiss until I rotate the crank to clean off the top of the pistons, then I noticed that # 5 piston is not reaching full TDC, turns out someone had changed the # 5 piston and rod with one from a 240...this explained why they dropped the pan. A 300 is a mildly stroked 240.
A correct piston and rod later, the 300 ran like a top, but the truck still had that blasted super high rear end...I could of re-geared it, but my Dad sold it as is.

Scouts honor...
 

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Everyone has their opinions I guess. I'm not an expert on metallurgy but I do know that aluminum can take impacts better than cast iron especially billet/forged.
That's literally not correct. Aluminum has good tensile strength, please explain where a diff cover experiences tensile forces. You think a silly diff cover is forged? Cast iron can have better elastic and shear strength, which is exactly what a supporting structure of the diff housing experiences under flex of the axles or hitting a rock. These are not opinions, this is physics.

The weight argument is funny. Cast iron diff cover added 2 lbs to my 4500 lbs truck. Oh no

Cooling argument is funny too. Especially after watching the Banks youtube videos. Is heat in the new Ranger diff even an issue, and what "cooling performance" does an aluminum cover with some fins get you in practice? No evidence of either.

Ford Performance gets my $$ in this one, not that I need it or plan on buying one.
 

Mokume

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didnt have a spec of rust on it an absolute gem for upstate NY

P_20200114_000303.jpg
That looks almost exactly like my Dad's did, same color, red pinstriping too, 'cept his was a 4x2.
My last full size Ford was an '86 F-150 Lariat 4x4 Styeside short bed with a 351W, 4V carb. and a C6, I had special ordered it and picked it up in Dec. 1985. She was my dream truck, until a drunk t-boned me on the right side in early 1989 with a hugeass Caddy, the insurance company totalled it, the truck resembled a horseshoe...the drunk almost died, the hood of the Caddy pierced the windshield.
 


Indy650

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That's literally not correct. Aluminum has good tensile strength, please explain where a diff cover experiences tensile forces. You think a silly diff cover is forged? Cast iron can have better elastic and shear strength, which is exactly what a supporting structure of the diff housing experiences under flex of the axles or hitting a rock. These are not opinions, this is physics.

The weight argument is funny. Cast iron diff cover added 2 lbs to my 4500 lbs truck. Oh no

Cooling argument is funny too. Especially after watching the Banks youtube videos. Is heat in the new Ranger diff even an issue, and what "cooling performance" does an aluminum cover with some fins get you in practice? No evidence of either.

Ford Performance gets my $$ in this one, not that I need it or plan on buying one.
I think a silly diff cover is forged? Actually yes, many are. There are advantages and disadvantages to both there are many articles debating which is better. I'm not gonna sit here and argue about it I just don't care that much.
 

Indy650

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Lol, well I got a horror story here for ya concerning an F series

Back in 1989 or so I, my Dad was looking for a beater pickup.
He located a used '82 F150 reg. cab with an 8 foot bed at some used car lot, it had a 300 6 cyl. mated to 4 speed manual, he bought it and drove it home. The truck was originally sold new in Nebraska, the rear end was geared way high, like a 2.30 or so, perfect for Nebraska, not so for Hawaii.
We've got some relatively steep and long inclines here (did I mention the trans had wide spaced gears?), long story short, you either screamed in second or mind-numbingly lugged it in third.
But wait there's more...
The 300 had a slight but definite miss to it, I did everything in the book to locate this miss, including a compression test. As I am working on it, I notice blue silicone sealer around the oil pan mating surface (man, I sure hate that stuff). Somebody had yanked the pan for reasons unknown.
So, in my last-ditch effort I yank the head and find nothing obviously amiss until I rotate the crank to clean off the top of the pistons, then I noticed that # 5 piston is not reaching full TDC, turns out someone had changed the # 5 piston and rod with one from a 240...this explained why they dropped the pan. A 300 is a mildly stroked 240.
A correct piston and rod later, the 300 ran like a top, but the truck still had that blasted super high rear end...I could of re-geared it, but my Dad sold it as is.

Scouts honor...
wow that's crazy. I love the 300 straight six. It would be a guy that put a rod and piston from a 240 in a 300 that also plastered silicone all over the pan! I can't stand silicone especially when people use way too much. I had a guy bring me a 3 wheeler engine to rebuild he had just had it rebuilt and the idiot that did the work used so much silicone it plugged the oil line running to head and it seized the cam up. Where silicone is needed I only use that grey threebond stuff I think it's called 1211 or something like that.
 

Mokume

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wow that's crazy. I love the 300 straight six. It would be a guy that put a rod and piston from a 240 in a 300 that also plastered silicone all over the pan! I can't stand silicone especially when people use way too much. I had a guy bring me a 3 wheeler engine to rebuild he had just had it rebuilt and the idiot that did the work used so much silicone it plugged the oil line running to head and it seized the cam up. Where silicone is needed I only use that grey threebond stuff I think it's called 1211 or something like that.
Absolutely correct, many mechanic wannabes love to slather that crap on engines, not realizing that it is the gasket itself that does the sealing.
I've worked on a few engines where that stuff got dislodged and wound up plugging or restricting the oil pickup screen. Just by virtue of someone using that stuff speaks volumes about their ignorance.

Many new engines have done away with gaskets, then and only then will I use P......x Ultra-Gray silicone sealer, in moderation of course.
If there is a gasket used, the only gasket cement I use is G........h, period, additionally, there is only one brand of gaskets I use if genuine is not available, that brand name is hyphenated and starts with an "F" and ends with an "O".

Of course, no sealer whatsoever on a head gasket, unless the manufacturer specifies it.
 

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actually now that I think of it I think the 4 cyl Mustangs had the 7.5
If you’re referring to 87-93 fox 4 bangers they had the 7.5. I’m not up in the 79-86 fox details. 8.8 in 85 + (may be earlier on some like SVO) 5.0 cars through current although different variations. Surprised Ford hasn’t kept the 8.8 back in Ranger but perhaps the ROW Rangers already had the current versions in production and not worth changing.
 

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If you’re referring to 87-93 fox 4 bangers they had the 7.5. I’m not up in the 79-86 fox details. 8.8 in 85 + (may be earlier on some like SVO) 5.0 cars through current although different variations. Surprised Ford hasn’t kept the 8.8 back in Ranger but perhaps the ROW Rangers already had the current versions in production and not worth changing.
ROW rangers have an entirely different rear end, most notably with rear drums, and a multi spring leaf pack. The dana m220 was likely chosen for its efficiency over the ageing 8.8 design. The fact that the Dana design is shared with other light duty truck(Jeep, GM twins) likely keeps costs low, as opposed to designing and supplying their own light duty axle. Ford uses the “super 8.8” in the medium duty f150s, as well as the 9.75” rear end.
 

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If you’re referring to 87-93 fox 4 bangers they had the 7.5. I’m not up in the 79-86 fox details. 8.8 in 85 + (may be earlier on some like SVO) 5.0 cars through current although different variations. Surprised Ford hasn’t kept the 8.8 back in Ranger but perhaps the ROW Rangers already had the current versions in production and not worth changing.
Pretty sure the SVO has a 7.5" trak-lok like my turbo tbird. 8.8 I want to say went in on 87+
 

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Mokume

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If you’re referring to 87-93 fox 4 bangers they had the 7.5. I’m not up in the 79-86 fox details. 8.8 in 85 + (may be earlier on some like SVO) 5.0 cars through current although different variations. Surprised Ford hasn’t kept the 8.8 back in Ranger but perhaps the ROW Rangers already had the current versions in production and not worth changing.
If I am not mistaken, my '00 Ranger had the 8.8 axle, I do know, however, that it was a 3.55 locker. This gearset, coupled with an OHV 4.0 and a 5 speed automatic did make for some spirited stoplight derbies.
I was drawn to the Cologne motor because of my experiences with the 2.8 in the German-made Capri's, that sure was a torquey little motor.
But, at any engine speed above 4K and requests for more power resulted in just more engine noise, with little, if any, additional forward thrust.
Any engine speed above 5K was needless thrashing of metal...:(
 

Nutty 5.0

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If I am not mistaken, my '00 Ranger had the 8.8 axle, I do know, however, that it was a 3.55 locker. This gearset, coupled with an OHV 4.0 and a 5 speed automatic did make for some spirited stoplight derbies.
I was drawn to the Cologne motor because of my experiences with the 2.8 in the German-made Capri's, that sure was a torquey little motor.
But, at any engine speed above 4K and requests for more power resulted in just more engine noise, with little, if any, additional forward thrust.
Any engine speed above 5K was needless thrashing of metal...:(
From my days having my 93 GT, I know your Ranger like you had did. Many of us converted to 5 lug and some rangers and tire exploders had them depending on the motor. One side of the axles was the right length as direct swap to 5 lug. But not sure years, etc. Many of the local yards had one axle missing lol. And the posi diff’s as well as 3.55 and 3.73’s too. I went with the long gone M-2300-K conversion that gave you the front 94-98 Cobra PBR calipers and the rear turbo coupe rear 11” sized 94-98 Cobra disk setup. It was pricey but worth it. My buddies went with the Ranger axle conversion route. Later I found a 31 spline F150 8.8 that I rebuilt with new clutches and some aftermarket 31 spline axles. With a Vortech S trim and AFR 185’s it was a fun car that ran 11’s at 127 on 95 cobra R wheels and street tires. It was featured in MM&FF and 5.0 Mustangs and Super Fords a year later.
 

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If anyone is still looking I saw Steeda is offering a Ford Performance branded cover for the Dana M220.

https://www.steeda.com/ford-performance-m-4033-r-ranger-differential-cover-kit

Amazon has them too - it was the only site that had images of the inside and after watching the Banks Power videos I am reluctant to consider it because of cast-in shelf where the badge sticks out might mess with lubricant flow. A little digging shows that the Ford Performance differential is a rebranded Dana Spicer (differential manufacturer) part. If there is a Dana part number for their branded version (usually cheaper) I can't find it.

Looks like one of our members did a nice video on swapping out the diff cover and you can see the internal casting:
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