I am the fairly new owner of a '87 Ranger 2.3 litre 2-wheel drive automatic. Just recently the timing belt broke and as it was also leaking oil at the rocker seal. I thought what the hell I can fix this. ( I am very mechanicaly inexperinced but broke, stubborn and have a friend who DOES like to work on cars)
So I took it all apart. Put it all back together - the crank shaft was set properly - the distributor was as close to the first mark as could be - ect.
It was sluggish and no power. Having read other descriptions, on this site, of timing being off, they sound just like what I had/have.
We (my freind got involved once I was into setting the positions for the TDC) played with the timing and it got better but it still has no power around third. If I play with the gas it will suddenly "find" fouth and get power again but with some unevenness.
The transmission was fine before all this - I'm sure it's just timing BUT (all this for a simple stupid question) we can't be sure because neither one of us has a CLUE where the in-line spout connector on my poor baby is. So the timing has been by guess work and sound. We are both afraid to push it up more because it is reading just beyond twenty at idle right now WITH the spout conncted and have NO idea how that relates.
If any one can help I would appreciate it. Also, I can answer the question of wether or not I should ever try and work on my own vehical again.

 

Whoa... timing should be around 10BTDC unless your balancer has spun, then it would read funny.

I don't have first hand experience, but unplug the thing on the front of the distributor, that is your "spout connector."

 

I think your belt is off one tooth. You should not have needed to mess with the timing if it ran fine fine before the belt broke. Better redo the belt.

 

I know it should read at TEN but that's with the in-line spout connector dissconncted - so I have no idea what it's really at.
Th problem is finding the in-line spout connector - there is nothing like that conncted to the distributer. The Hayes Book says "near the distributer" but that doesn't help much and the front of the truck sticker says locate and disconnect.
What does it look like - does any one own something close to that year who knows where it is?

I'm afraid that your right -the belt is probably off a tooth - but I'll still need to find the spout connector to check it's all fine and running at the right speed once I get it going again.

I had to play with the distributor to get whole mess apart in the first place (too much has not been done to the truck in too long) So whether I shouldn't have touched it in the first place - I have now - and need to find the in-line spout connector to find my way back to right off it (sigh)

Thanks for the promt replies

 

The spout connector is a small rectangle shaped piece that plugs into a single wire, the spout is usually grey in color and should be dangleing by the distributer or running up high along the fire wall.
Dan

 

Thank you - there is no single wire from /near the distributor. There is a grey rectangle that plugs into it - but it has five/six wires (and I know the truck won't start if it's not plugged in cause i forgot it wasn't and tried)
I have not completely searched the fie wal so I'll hi that today.
There is a single black wire that plugs into itself - but it is attached to the neg of the battery dangles beside it then leads into a bundl of wires which disapears into the engine and is very hard to trace. - could that be it?
If I do find something which loks like what you've described, what should I expect when I unplug it ie, will the engie idle slower, sound different, read different on the timing light. Any clues to confirm,Yes that was it?
You guys are giving me hope (even if it is that I can fix this by redoing th belt - it will be asier now that I've done it once and the bolts are not ten year seized) - thanks

 

On my '85 the spout is between the distributor and the driver's side inner fender, it is a plug that sticks out of the loom. It consists of a small plastic plug with a wire loop that as you put it "plugs into its self", IE it comes out of the connector and runs back into it. That's where I'd begin looking anyway.