off topic but saw in your profile you worked on the Tomcats. That is awesome. As a kid I thought the f14 was THE jet fighter. Big powerfull bus with twin engines and the sweeping wings, every kid in my class wanted to an f14 jockey lol. Thanks for serving!
You shouldn't have an issue unless you get water in the spark plug wells in the cylinder head. That is what is causing the seized spark plugs in the Ranger. The water is also causing misfiring. The engine cover is supposed to prevent rainwater from reaching the head. There is a TSB on that issue.
Oh I agree. I learned a lesson and never expected that a new truck would have the same issues and it is the same issue. I'm sorry that this happened to you. A engine in a truck or car should never have a problem such as this.
Name another engine manufacture that doesn't use Aluminum heads on a steal block.
| Engine | 2.3 L EcoBoost |
| Model Years | 2015–Present |
| Displacement | 2.3 L (2,253 cc) |
| Configuration | Inline-4 |
| Aspiration | Twin-Scroll Turbo |
| Compression | 9.5:1 |
| Head/ Block Material | Aluminum |
| Bore & Stroke | 87.5mm x 94mm |
| Fuel System | Direct Injection |
| Valve Train | 16V DOHC (4 v/cy) |
| Horsepower Output | 270-350 horsepower |
| Torque Output | 305-350 lb-ft of torque |
I believe that he is referring to the steel spark plug threads and the aluminum head. But I wouldn't consider it a poor design. As you state, most engines are using aluminum heads.
ALL manufacturers have been using steel plugs in aluminum heads for a long time. So, I wouldn't call this out as a Ford only issue. Only thing possibly poorly designed is the control of water getting into the engine compartment. The TSB to add the engine cover is strickly Fords way of appeasing customers. This is probably a bigger issue for people who park outside. This not to pick on those people, as every vehicle is parked out in the rain at one time or another. Just a bigger issue.
Dissimilar metal is the issue, zinc played spark plugs are supposed to help this problem. Yes the Rangers 2.3 is an all aluminum engine with steel plugs, there in lies the problem. If protected from water intrusion was designed into this engine it would not be the issue of has become. These glitches in design are eating at Ford base customers, these trucks are really popular, but these costly issues will drive away these loyal customers. They will look for a midsize truck that takes care of these issues up front and not make excuses. I'm a Ford guy, driven Ford's for over 50 years, I've put up with many issues, giving Ford the benefit of doubt on these issues. Now with 40, 50 and 60,000 dollar trucks and high repair cost, failures at 30 or 40000 miles, time for Ford to rethink design and development. This engine is a great engine, just need some serious tweaking, a 4 cylinder making V8 power, just fix the next generation of this engine, they have the data to do it. RCM or reliability centered maintenance, well known process to fix design defects and or reliability issues. Ranger, sharp truck, I still love mine but will do the preventative measures to ensure a long life. Just a venting, sorry.
I think that you are missing the point, that it is not an engine design problem. Almost all of today's engines are aluminum heads with steel spark plugs. The problem some people are having is that water is getting onto the top of the head and pooling in a spark plug well, causing corrosion and misfiring. What is needed is to keep rainwater from dripping from the cowl onto the engine. A TSB addresses this with an added engine cover for those whose trucks came without one. Some on here have sealed part of the cowl to prevent the water from flowing directly onto the engine.
Yes, you are correct. But the NA Ranger is just a filler until the 6G comes out next May. Unfortunately for us, Ford isn't going to take the time or money to redesign the NA 5G. As RangerBill stated, the design flaw is in the cowl, not the engine. What Ford is failing to understand is that if someone gets burned on the 5G, they have little confidence in the 6G. I for one would never buy a first-year design. And although 6G is available overseas, we don't know the changes that will be made for the NA Ranger.
