Excellent posts and great progress. Nothing gives you better pleasure than doing auto work yourself and saving big bucks in the process. A few points...did you say you have a 2.3? By the pictures it's for sure set up a bit different than my 94 2.3. It looks to me that your plug condition is a result of running too lean (lack of fuel). However, the difference between lean (white color) and normal (greyish white) can be fine, so study those plugs and the pictures the Haynes or Chilton will give you on various plug conditions. A lean mixture can be caused by a number of things, including a vacuum leak, gummed up intake, and (I think) EGR programs and possibly a bad 02 sensor. Most of the sensors you are trying to find will be in the vehicle emission control section of those books. Most sensors can be tested using a basic volt meter to judge resistance, voltage levels, etc...and the book should give you various specs to test them against. A $30 code scanner and a $8 volt meter REALLY helps diagnose various sensors and such. I know many people complain about modern engines but to me (knowing same basic electronics) I'd MUCH rather work with a volt meter than try to track down a vacuum leak (most of the old engines like the 83 2.3l I owned had vacuum controlling just about everything). EFI safe throttle body cleaner is great stuff and it won't hurt your engine. As a matter of fact, start that baby up and then spray some down the intake (disconect the air hose to the intake). Use your finger to open the throttle a bit (should find some kind of lever on the linkage to the butterfly OUTSIDE the intake) and spray that stuff in there. Be careful, spray it way too much and the engine could backfire a nice fireball (I don't care, I usually spray it until the engine almost dies several times...why do I need eyelashes). Also, don't miss and spray it on hot engine parts or you'll also have a fire. Anyway, doing this will blow out much of the carbon in the intake, manifold, on top of the valves, ports, etc. Also, put a good bottle of injector cleaner in the gas. On spraying the intake while running- the best stuff I've ever used was regular (non EFI safe) Gumout. However, if you use this it will eat away the protective coating inside the intake (designed to slow carbon build up). No big deal, just means you need to clean it once or so a year like I do anyway. EFI safe stuff needs help (IE: soft brush scrubbing). Still getting pinging on climbing, etc? This usually means the EGR is not working right. Did you try blowing air through it to see if it's sealing when closed, and did you see if it would let air go by when you put a vacuum load on the little hose hole? It could also be carbon build up in the combustion chamber. When you buy some fuel injector cleaner for the gas buy something good that will also clean valves, ports, and combustion chambers (about $7 a bottle). If that doesn't do it then you might need to get it down professionaly. They will disconect the fuel supply and then feed the intake a commercial grade cleaner that will clean the injectors and all else. Since this motor looks like it's been abused, I'd de-GUNK the engine. At next oil change buy a bottle of oil flush and put it in before you change the oil. Start her up and little it IDLE ONLY for about 5 minutes or longer if you feel brave. Drain the oil and this will remove a bunch of the gunk. Be warned, this may cause new oil leaks as it will clean out the sludge in the motor. It could also freeze an engine that is ready to blow so make sure you are not real low on oil when you do it. Also remember that a dirty motor will burn oil, so giving it a good de-carbing the engine and also getting the sludge out may reduce oil consumption. On the other hand, it could increase it if the sludge is blocking leaks, but I prefer a clean engine for long engine life. Keep us informed.

 

I agree with critter, those plugs kinda look like your burning lean. How long have you been running your truck with those plugs? If your lean, I'd check your O2 and pull some codes since it could be a vacuum thing. Keep us posted.

 

Nice job!!!! They look lean to me too, low fuel pressure could cause it to run lean.

 

Well, I purchased the truck last August 03'. I don't know, I thought the 2nd owner said he had changed them, but I could be wrong. I didn't drive it much since it's purpose was just to haul junk and make trips to Lowe's/Home Depot. Around December/January when the snow and ice was coming I started the drive it so I didn't mess up my car. The trans was failing at the time and there was a leak in the fuel tank (I think the severe cold cracked it). Once it got warmer I put a new tank in it and a rebuilt trans. So in total I think I had driven it less than 3000 miles before I just changed them out last weekend. I have been driving it every day now 20 miles (round trip) for work. The rebuilt trans came with a 12 month / unlimited miles warranty, so I am putting it through the test. Plus, now I can get 22-25 mpg which is close to what I get with my car due to a case of "leadfootitis". It is quite a bit faster and more fun to drive than the Ranger, but it does attract the wrong kind of attention.
I will have to get the code scanner that I keep forgetting to pick up at the parts store to see if there are any codes. I have not checked the fuel pressure yet (lack of time), and I wanted to pull the plugs to have a look at them after a week or 2 of driving. I did also notice that while my oil pressure is better than before, it is still falling on the "L" when I come to a stop after I have been driving for 20+min. When I first start it up the oil pressure is right in the middle of the gauge, then it settles to the lower part of "norm" and then down to part of the "L". And I am still curious what RPM it is at idle. It seems kind of high to me. If I had to guess, I would say around 1000+ rpm. I thought there was no way to adjust this on the EFI engines??? I did have some ideas to try when I get the time.


Thanks Ken. I still feel there is a lot of work still to do, but I believe I have the top of the engine looking stock again. When I purchased it, it had a bolt clamped into the 3/8" heater line that goes around the back of the valve cover and down under the intake, and the upper 2 heater hoses were cut with 1 piece of 5/8" hose looping the two openings in the water pump. Then there were ignition wires un-tied and spark plug wires running all over the place. I also found what looks like some type of insect nest remains on top of the lower intake manifold where the fuel rail is. A lot of dirt and dead things there too. I believe the first owner let it sit for some time before the 2nd guy bought it.

 

on my 91 2.3l ranger, the sticker says the idle is like 600-700 RPM's and mine idles at 600 once warmed up. look on the sticker under the hood and it should say. 1000+ is too high. make sure it is fully warmed up.

 

I am only guessing at 1000+ since I don't have a Tach yet. It does idle smoother than I have ever heard before, I just think it seems a bit high. I was wondering if I might have the TP Sensor off just a bit. It can rotate on the end of the butterfly shaft if you loosen the 2 screws holding it on. Also, I thought I saw a screw that would adjust the throttle linkage position at idle under that plastic cover on the side of the TB. I don't know if those will do anything for me.

I got a used cluster from a salvage yard and I was planning on swaping it in. Trust me it is fully warmed up. And about those stickers...... I have not been too trusting of those. Some have the wrong information on them. Like one I can remember says that this truck is equiped with 8 spark plugs for a 2.3L 4 banger. Now I know I have heard other talk about different setups, but mine doesn't have this. Either the factory stickers are wrong, or someone swapped an engine on me before I got it.

 

Don't know if this will help, but I had an 86 mustang 4 banger a while back (same motor). It had a tach and idled at 900 when it was warmed up. Even though it was carburated your problems sound exactly like the ones I experienced with it. I think the around 1000 idle is normal. The idle dipping (loping) that you are talking about is in my opinion a vacuum leak. These motors are nutorious for it. It could very well be an electrical problem too. I'm not sure if yours will do this but you could try this. With the engine running blip the throttle with your hand under the hood. You may see a solenoid looking thing with a piston comming out that catches the throttle lever and eases it back to idle. My experience with it is that it lets it go too far back too fast and that is what makes it lope. You may even see it push the throttle open. I could be wrong about yours since yours is EFI. But I'm kind of interested if yours is similar. I also found the intake manifold always became loose and I couldn't keep it tightened for a long period of time. Also, with the engine running take off one of those vacuum hoses that goes to the air box. Quickly put your finger over the end of the hose to plug it. You should feel a pretty good suction. Try just sticking a bolt in this tube and see if that helps. That little disc in the air box that the tubes connect to is a bi-metallic valve that opens and closes the vacuum depending on how warm it is. That is what controls the air bypass. When it is cold it pretty much closes off the fresh air and takes air right off the exhaust manifold to warm up the engine quicker. Once it warms up the valve closes and takes the suction off and allows the air bypass to close and get air normally. I almost bet that valve is worn out and doesn't work anymore. You can try to warm it up and see if you can suck air through it. If you can't get the valve to close after getting it warm, then it is most likely bad. Oh yea the metal tube going to the exhaust manifold plays in here too. If you don't have that hooked up then the vacuum tubes going to the air box aren't worth having hooked up anyway.

that's my two cents. I could be wrong about a few things, but your problems just bring back a lot of memories.
I also previously had a 98 ranger 4 banger. I had 40k miles on it and it started to idle rough. I think the MAF just needed cleaned though. It had 8 plugs though of course like all the newer ones. Nice and peppy I might add with the 5 speed manual. I think ford is plagued with rough idle problems.

 

my sticker says idle is 645-795 RPMS. and the reason it says it has 8 plugs is because most, but not all, of these 4 bangers have 2 plugs per cylinder for pollution reduction purposes.

 

The 83 Ranger with the 2.3l I used to own also had a similar problem that might prove helpful. The warm air intake duct should hitch up to a metal "grill" on the side of the exhaust manifold. Mine was missing. The engine would idle higher than it should for long periods of time because it wasn't getting things warmed up properly off the intake. Did you hitch that back up yet?

 

Thanks for the info. Mine probably says the same thing, I just haven't had time to get to it. I had heard about the 8 plug Rangers before, but I don't have that.

That hose is connected to the bottom of the airbox, but the part that is supposed to be on the manifold is rusted/broken off. The end of the tube is just kind of laying where it would have been. I may get some free time this weekend to look at it.