I have leaky and garbled fuel injectors in my 85 2.3 liter ranger. New ones are expensive, so I was hoping to get some from a junkyard. Problem is, most junkyards dont have anything that old. I was also hoping to bump the pressure up a little about from my stock ones, so what 14-17 lb. fuel injectors from more recent vehicles will fit my 85 ranger? Thanks

 

Stick with the stock size. I think the stock injectors are #15 with low impedance. The injectors off other single plug N/A Rangers should work (up to 1988?). The ones off the early dual plugs heads might have the same flow ratings, I'm not sure.

Bumping the pressure is a bad idea unless you have some way to tune it.

 

Well I read somewhere on a 2.3 liter tech page that the injectors could be upgraded up to 17 ilb injectors without changing anything else, but the factory ones are cool for me too. It's just that most scrap yards dont carry junk that old....so...

 

I think I've read that article on using the larger 17# injectors. If its the one I was thinking of, it was written by a retard that should never be allowed near a car.

If you want larger injectors, you need to retune the computer. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not qualified to work on a car. The stock computer is programmed to use the factory injectors. It calculates how much fuel it will need, and it expects the injectors to flow a certain amount of fuel, factoring in the opening and closing time of the injectors. If you change something, you mess with the way the mixture runs, and you will end up with with a vehicle that runs pig rich at startup, pig rich at WOT, and then has to try to lean out when it is in closed loop mode, because it defaults rich.

You can use either a Jaybird or a Quarterhorse to retune the stock computer, with the Quarterhorse being the more power, more versatile and easier to use, but more expensive option. You also need to have a wideband O2 sensor, at least during the tuning process.

When this is all said and done, you get the same basic setup you had to begin with, because even though you can squeeze a little extra power with the tune, the larger injectors really don't do anything for you. unless you come up with a way to dramatically increase the amount of air your engine can flow.

 

85 Ranger with EFI?..............I had a 85 2.3 Ranger, it was carbuerated.

Possibly yours is a 86, that's when EFI showed up on everything but the base 2.0 Ranger S.

 

With fuel prices, I can see no need to feed the lima more gas than it already gets. You will just get a higher gas bill, and no more performance. The O2's are supposed to make the mix 'just so' all the time, adding more fuel is just a waste.

The California Emissions system in 1985 for Rangers with 2.3 engines had EEC-IV with fuel injection. I have one.

The injectors are almost bulletproof, and you would be better off taking them apart and cleaning them if one is gummed up. You might find that the inlet screen is plugged and you could clean that out and put it back together with relatively little trouble. If you do remove the injectors, you would likekly need a set of four new 'hats' that go on the end of the injector. The get brittle with age, and break easily. They can be purchased separately from the injector itself. Ask the dummy for a part number, as he knows everything.
There is a company in Indiana that will take your injectors, and return you a set of injectors that have been refurbished and matched for flow. Not exactly cheap, but good.
I would check with the dealer to determine if any other model years' injectors are rated the same, and use that info to scour local boneyards if you are intent on staying low budget.
tom

 

Well I certainly appreciate the detailed answer alot...and I really have no problem with factory settings but I have already soaked the injectors for a couple of days but it didnt help. The truck sat for 6-7 years at one time. Also, I know one of the fuel injectors is clogged because little droplets of gas come from one of the vaccum lines when disconnected. I was just hoping to spare myself some time and money by someone telling me to throw some in from an 05 ranger from a scrap yard. But I love that little motor the way it is quite frankly and you seem to know your stuff on those things, would you mind if I pick your brain from time to time with some more questions, because I am always messing with the truck. Thanks!

 

If you have fuel coming from the vacuum line, then you may have a perforated diaphragm in the fuel pressure regulator. It is a 'can' mounted on the fuel rail with a vacuum line attached. At idle, the vacum in the manifold is relatively high, so there is 'light load' on the engine. When you goose it, the throttle wide open, the vacuum in the manifold drops to zero, relative. The diaphragm then has no vacuum pulling on it, and allows fuel pressure to the injectors to increase. If there is a hole in it, vacuum will pull extra fuel into the intake and make the truck run poorly. A bad MAP will also make the idle wander all over the place as the computer doesn't know the true load {based on intake manifold vacuum} on the engine, so will diddle with the fuel injection rates depending on what garbage notion the MAP is sending. MAP == Manifold Absolute Pressure.
tom

 

Would a perforated diaphram in the regulator also cause difficulty in starting? I thought that since there was a possiblity of a clogged injector that the reason it was hard to start was because the injector was flooding it....But I have a new fuel pump, fuel filter and new plugs and wires, even a new starter but it is still hard to start sometimes. I was assuming an injector was to blame. What's your take?

 

If it is perforated, it can let the pressurized fuel in the line from the pump to the fuel rail leak through, into the tube connected to the intake manifold. Viola, extra fuel when you go to start up. Perhaps too much, making it difficult.
If an injector were 'drooling', you could attach a fuel pressure gauge, and watch it leak down. If the check valve in the pump leaks, same thing. If the engine is hard to start, you can check for pump drainback by cycling the ignition several times to get the pump exercised for it 3-5 second prime before you turn to "start". That would pressurize a leaked-down system, and make it easy to start right up if it were suffering from leakdown.
tom

 

TomW, you are a smart guy! Actually, I do sometimes prime the pump to see if it helps but it never does. I went out and bought a pressure regulator this evening so I will know soon if it helps, but I definitely think the regulator diaphragm had holes in it (how the hell do you know what the inside of that thing looks like?) because of the smell. I will install it tomorrow and let you know what happens...Thanks!

And which pump has the check valve? The tank pump or the one on the frame? I am assuming it is the one on the frame since its closest to rail...anyway, the one in the tank is new. But like I said, its most likely not the pump because I did try priming it frequently a while back until I quit doing it because it never helped and I didnt want to abuse my new pump all the time...

 

The owners manual, {yes, I still have it}, stated that if you ran out of gas, you should cycle the ignition switch from OFF to ON to OFF about ten times before trying to start the engine. That was to prime the fuel system. I don't think you would damage the pump by cycling the switch that many times, and if the manual says that should be sufficient priming, you can eliminate leakdown as a cause. I think.
I'm not sure where the check valve is, but there has to be one or the system pressure would not only fall off, but the fuel rail would drain back into the tank, slowly, I'm sure. Starting from cold would be interesting every day if the fuel rail was empty...
I have a mind picture of how I would make the regulator, but am not sure if I ever saw a 'cutaway' to make that picture. Under the diaphragm would be a spring that pushed on the diaphragm, and also on a pin that metered, or varied an opening through which fuel could flow. As the vacuum increases, the diaphragm pulls down, closes off the metering hole, and compresses the spring. When vacuum is low, the spring overcomes the vacuum, and pushes the diaphragm back, opening the metering.
Look on the web for images of pressure regulators and you'll likely find one that is vacuum operated, or at least get the general idea of how they work.
tom

 

Okay I replaced the regulator last night night and it DOES seem to help at startup so far, but when I took off this morning in it it did the usual sputtering and hesitating until it warmed up. I drove it alot last night after I put it on and it really seemed to drive better and started up relatively easy, but as for the sputtering this morning, I am at a loss. I discovered last night the PCV valve needed replacing, so I'm off today to get that, but I'll be able to give a better update after I've driven it a bit more.

 

If the ACT or ECT incoming air temp and coolant temp sensors are non-functional, it will sputter and hesitate until it warms up. You can check the resistance of both when it is cold, and then check when it is warmed up to see if either one is 'fixed' or open. The resistance of each is a function of temperature, and if you measure across the sender, you can check them as the engine warms to see if they track upward or downward. {I don't remember.} But if they don't change, they are not working any more.
tom

 

What is the ACT? Where can the two of those be located? I have a haynes manual so it's probably in there. So far it has started up every time on the first try no problem, but still fumbles while driving until its warm. Also I replaced the PCV yesterday because a friend told me it might be why the engine ticks also until its warm, not getting oil circulation. It only has around 100K on the motor since 1985. Might need your help after we get this sorted out with my 79 inline six timing issues. You up for it?