I have an 87 Ranger 2.9 that I just finished replacing my lower intake manifold gasket, and I'm having a drivability problem. No leaks. The sensors I have tested and replaced ....O2, AIC, Temp, Oil sending, and MAP. The problem is that it acts like it has an exhaust leak. Checked intake vacuum=17 steady, goes to 0 at WOT then back to a steady 17. The only other question I have is when I was putting the electrical connectors on the fuel injectors...do they have to be in a special order....like spark plug wires? I couldn't tell if they are marked. It might have an exhaust leak...but I don't have a way to check.
It has two Cats inline (CA emissions) the only check I did was pipe temps before and after Cats were equal.
OBTW...I have two lifters continue to tap, do you have to remove the heads to replace lifters?
Any help is very much appreciated.
Mike

 

Acts like it has an exhaust leak...or sounds like it? I've never had an exhaust leak that affected engine performance, only made noise. Did you mean intake leak?

And yes, you have to pull the heads to replace lifters, and even doing that generally won't solve the lifter tick. It has more to do with oil supply to the lifters than the lifters themselves. This engine was built from the 2.6/2.8 which was a solid lifter motor and so had small lifter oil passages, which proved to be insufficient for hydraulic lifters. The funny thing is, many 2.9s never develop lifter tick, and others, once they have it seems that nothing with get rid of it.

 

I think the 87 2.9 liter engine may have bank-fired fuel injectors. So you just need to make sure that the 3 injectors on each side are connected to the 3 connectors on the same side. But it really doesn't make that much difference; they all will have fuel pooling behind the valves for at least 1 engine revolution.

 

Thanks.
Still runs bad, like an exhaust leak.
Have replaced IAC, O2 sensor, Map sensor, ATC. These components didn't pass multiple tests. Then I cleared the KAM (Keep Alive Memory) by disconnecting the Neg Battery wire for 10 minutes. Then took it out for a 10 mile drive...ran bad. Pulled codes;
KOEO
67:15
KOER
77
So 67=Park Neutral position switch circuit open; A/C on (Manual), Manual Lever position sensor out of range, Clutch switch circuit failure, A/C output high(2.5l TBI).
15= KAM memory failure.
77= Operator failure WOT during test.

 

Finally over heated to a standstill on the last day of 2012 hunting season...with a field dressed deer in the back. After cooling down I drove it home. No water in the oil. So now I have torn it down...Both heads cracked. 7 in one head, 5 in the other. New cast heads back from the machine shop. Getting everything cleaned before reassembly. I'll bet these heads have been cracked when I had it installed in 1999. I can't wait to get it running.

 

New heads on, but someone must have moved my valve pins on the rocker arms. now I have to re set each valves lash. going to do it now...sure glad I kept track of my #1 cyl TDC on the compression stroke. More to come...

 

Runs now....after I turned the dist 180 degrees. put in a new O2 sensor....all the antifreeze and water must have killed it. Now I'm having problems with the clutch neutral switch not talking to the computer, and a stay wire for my cruise control...Blue/ green stripe...I don't know where it connects to.

 

Well that truck seems like it's a real troublesome beast.

I've had two Escorts that had cracked heads / failed head gaskets and so "burnt" a pile of antifreeze in the cylinders. I fixed them both but never changed the oxygen sensors and they worked fine.

Did you install the "World Products" aftermarket heads?
They supposedly addressed the cracking problem endemic on the stock 2.9 heads. Unfortunately they seem to be discontinued.