1989 BII Grinding & Gas Gauge

[walkinghill]

Hi, I am looking to buy a 89 BII with the 2.9l v6 efi. its got a 4-speed with OD. I went and took a test drive and a grinding noise sounds like it comes from the transfer case. It grinds in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and OD. In 4th, it purrs(plan to change with bigger exhaust). I looked under the truck and it appears to have a small leak. It's either coming from the transfer case or traveling to the transfer case from the bell housing. What could be wrong with it? Also, the gas gauge does not work. What could be the problem with that? And thirdly, after taking the test drive, I popped the hood and there was some smoke(not much) coming from what my cousin thinks is the valve cover. Would I have to replace the valve cover if that's the problem? Thanks in advance.

 

[Seabronc]

For starters, I wouldn't buy a truck with all those problems. They are probably just the tip of the iceberg. Go find another truck to buy.

Good luck,

>-

 

[walkinghill]

well, I only got $750 and he's offering $850 for it. but being that it's grinding, he dropped it to $700. It's the only vehicle that I could find that good of shape with my price range. I've always wanted a BII and I have a friend who works on Fords and his parents worked as sales people for a ford dealership. So, I might be able to get a discount. The gas gauge is not really a problem because I'm pretty good with electronics.

 

[Cube]

As far as I understand, the gas gauge, if it's stuck at E, could just be that the little brass float inside the tank is full of gas. I worked on a '64 1/2 Mustang with that problem. As far as the grinding goes...I don't know. Look into a rebuild kit for it down the line. The valve cover bolts on my B2 rattled loose and they leaked. So try just torquing them down. If you don't, it'll be a big greasy mess for you down the line. Trust me.

 

[walkinghill]

I'll try tightening down those bolts on the valve cover and I found that the previous owner actually cut a hole in the bed to get to the gas tank so I'll check it out.

 

[Elmo]

well like seabronc said with that many problems and what seems to be limited experience and knowledge in working on vehicles buying this truck will be a crash course in mechanics for you and your cousin. But hey we all had to start some where. Just be prepared to be with out a ride frequently till you get the most major problems taken care of.