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While I have been sitting around with my leg propped up I found and ordered a lightweight steel flywheel. rwdmotorsports in Great Britian has them in stock. They are actually made for the Focus and other engines but with a focus starter
( $78.to $250. at Rock Auto) and shortening the flywheel bolts a tad they work on the Ranger Duratec. $337.17 plus about $75. shipping and they have them in stock.
They are drilled for an 81/2" clutch which Esslinger Engineering has. A HD pressure plate is $115. and a 23 spline disc is $109. Multiple units have been sold to Ranger guys and he says only those two mods must be made.
Before I buy the Focus starter I am going to see if the Ranger starter can be modified by machining the mounting surfaces. The steel flywheel is slightly smaller in diameter and the Focus starter shaft is offset slightly toward the crank to compensate.
I guess it's a certain amount of a gamble but we will see. It is keeping me out of the bars while I am healing.
If you have a Duratec Ranger motor I will keep reporting on how it goes.
I actually did some welding on the frame part of the motormounts today and the leg did not complain. My left leg was badly damaged in the motorcycle wreck and has had three surgeries so far and I am hoping this is the end of the problems.
Later,
Howard

I have been working on this very issue: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13496

To the best of my knowledge, the main problem I expect you will run into with the Focus flywheel, provided that you use the Focus starter as well, is that it will be too tall. Unless of course, the clutch provided is mates up but is shorter than a stock Focus clutch. If there is enough excess thickness on it, you may be able to make it work by turning it down to place the clutch spring at the correct offset from the release bearing.

However, I also have a stock replacement Duratec Ranger flywheel at Spec clutches right now and will be discussing our options on getting a quote for a small run of them (5-10) for a few people here and a few Ranger guys. If the Focus flywheel does end up working out for you, please let me know the details. If the Focus flywheel does not end up working out for you, let me know and I'll keep you in mind as this hopefully progresses.

_________________
-Justin

"Orville Wright did not have a pilots license." - Gordon MacKenzie

Thanks for the info. I have no idea when it will arrive but I will post info as I figure things out.
Howard

Howard,

go to autozone and buy a focus starter, measure it to see if the ranger starter can be modified, if it can, take the focus one back to autozone and say it was a battery terminal that was the problem and they will give you your money back.

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this story shall the good man teach his son,
and chrispin chrispian shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the end of the world.
but we in it shall be remembered.

Good idea John.
I have finally completed my antibiotic regimen and have slowly started to work on the car. I have to finish the trans mount and verify the alignment of everything so I can tack weld them in place. I will then rough in the trans tunnel and footwells so I can pull the engine and trans and start on the flywheel clutch conundrum. The monsoon rains have made the grass and weeds explode and I have spent a lot of time mowing with the tractor and brush hog. Finished that today. This time of year I need a 30 hour day and a younger body. I still have the highway easement to mow. The State does a poor job and the grass and weeds get so tall it is dangerous to pull out on the highway because unless you are in a four wheel drive pickup you cannot see if someone is coming.
Howard

Well I am still around but have not been on the forum for a while I finished hammering alll the grass back in the ground, traded my car from my VW Golf TDI 6 speed to a new Pasatt TDI with DSG trans, and attempted to watch a meet on the salt which was rained out The entry list was a list of the fastest wheel driven streamliners both 4 wheel and motorcycle and I did not want to miss it. It is rescheduled for the 10-14 of October and I have room reservations so here we go again.
I took some pictures of what little progress I have made. I am going with the stock exhaust manifold until I get it driving so I can decide if I want to go the turbo route.
Hopefully I can stay on it for a few weeks.
Howard

Still no clutch in hand. The flywheel is drilled for an 8 1/2" 75-79 Pinto clutch and there was some confusion about that We have that straightened out now. I am moving the engine forward about 6" and dropping it 1" to improve the driveline angle and help with routing the exhaust with the stock exhaust manifold. I just need to put a 1" droop in the skid plate.
howard

Well I finished welding up the driveshaft today and painted it and the trans.yoke and the Mazda rear goodie that bolts to the differential. I have new u-joints on hand so when the paint dries I will put it together and put it in. It took a unique combination rear joint to mate the pieces but NAPA got it for me.
Next is the exhaust back to the muffler which I do not have yet. My new rear rotors and brake pads arrived today and they appear to be correct.
Someone on the forum relocated the alternator to the bottom left side of the motor but I tried searching and can't find the article.
Slow but steady progress.
Howard

glad to see you back Howard,

with the drive shaft, make sure you can get it in and out of the car when the engine and trans are hot, i had to shorten mine for that very reason.

_________________
this story shall the good man teach his son,
and chrispin chrispian shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the end of the world.
but we in it shall be remembered.

Thanks John. It's good to be out in the shop and making some progress. You also live in a flaming hot area. What radiator are you using and is it doing the job? Thanks,
Howard

Alternator reloc:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthr ... tid=156937

ON the driveshaft, I fit the pinion coupler to the pinion flange, push the slip yoke into the transmission right up to the seal lip, measure cap center to cap center then subtract 3/4".

Yep, MV8 beat me to it, I couldn't remember where I'd read that...

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

the cheapest aftermarket summit racing radiator, it just fits and can be had with the top and bottom connections on the correct sides, the lower connection requires a reducer so i used a copper pipe fitting in the hose.

i installed mine in the engine bay not under the nose, i also use the ranger viscous fan, clutch and the fan shroud with a little modification to the top of the shroud.

i made blanking plates to prevent any air bypassing the radiator.

_________________
this story shall the good man teach his son,
and chrispin chrispian shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the end of the world.
but we in it shall be remembered.

Thanks John. I got impatient and bought a Honda Del Sol/Acura 3 row radiator and other than some rerouting of hoses it fits fine. I scored some "Smart Car" leather bucket seats from Craiglist and the driver side fits very well but since I offset the engine 1" to the right to line up with the pinion, the passenger seat is a squeeze fit.
I stuck the driveshaft in with some incorrect bolts just to make sure it fit properly and set the radiator in place. Working on the footwells and getting ready to see how the pedal asm. will fit.
Going to put my Mustang in a car show tomorrow so that will be lost but will be back in the shop Sunday creating dirt.
Too much else going on in my life right now and I would like to be able to spend more timein the shop.
Howard

Hell, Howard, that's how I fit in my car!

_________________
JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom