Details:
1988 Ranger XLT, Super-Cab
2.3L, 5sp, 4x2
Approx ~124k

Symptoms:

Alright I have been dealing with this for a while, mostly trying to ignore it since it is damn cold and wet here on the east coast right now. Things have been getting worse in the last few weeks. The sputter just started happening, and it almost feels like it is starving for gas or getting too much when it happens. I have not re-run the code tests, but there were a few that popped up the last time I did:

1) 23 - TPS
2) 31 - EVP
3) 67 - NPS - Not important since it isn't on my trans anmore.
---------
4) 11 - System ok

I ordered a replacement TPS from a Ford parts shop that is one of the sponsors here, but I needed one right away, so I got a local parts store POS that I would use for the time being. Funny thing is, that sensor will pass the code reader if it is plugged in and NOT installed on the TB, but as soon as I screw it on to the TB it fails again. I sill don't have a Ford part to use since I was sent the wrong TPS.

Other useful (or useless) info:
I can stand on the pedal while it is in 4th gear on a flat with no knocking or pinging, and barely accelerate. Getting it up to speed is also a chore, not to mention any inclines or hills and I loose speed. It is almost like when I was a kid I had a 1 cyl moped that would do the same thing. Of course it is normal for the moped with only 1 cyl to do that.

I also don't have a compression test yet to share, but I will try if anyone thinks it will reveal something related.

There is now a hole in the exhaust under the passengers seat so it sounds like a lawn mower going down the road.

As some of you may remember, I tore this engine down last year and replace "most" of the components attached to the engine. So most of the sensors are new, and it has had this lack of power ever since then. Short story was a blown HG, pulled engine replaced all the seals and gaskets, water pump, oil pump, timing belt, temp sensor, oil pressure sensor, air sensor, The head was refreshed/rebuilt replacing the exhaust valves around cyl 2 & 3, + new bearings & seals. Basically everything short of pulling the crank, rods & pistons.
Details can be found in this thread:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/4...the-block.html

Sorry for the long description, but now I am open to ideas and suggestions.

 

Think about the O2 sensor. When you start the engine, it's in closed loop. after about 30 sec it starts using the O2 input. When they go bad, they tend to cause a rich conditon.. Check a spark plug. Is it dirty?

 

you have a hole in the exhaust, this will allow air (oxygen) in, confusing the O2 sensor into thinking it is runnning lean......you need to fix the dyke first before you start bailing

 

fflintstone - Plugs were normal last time I looked, and are OEM Motorcraft plugs. I am not saying it can't be the o2, but it is also a brand new OEM sensor. It "shouldn't" be bad.

aquanaut20 - The hole well down stream of the o2, so it will have no effect on it. Besides the hole just happened in the last 2 weeks. This has been happening since last summer.

 

Well, after the trials and tribulations of a super glued ... anyway, check the fuel pressure at the schrader valve... or the filter ... When you nailed it back together, did you happen to check the ignition timing after letting it get hot, say 15 minutes? I failed to wait that long when I changed my timing belt, and the ECM, oh so smart, "knew" to retard the timing... BLAh blah. The timing will stay at 'base' for a some time after you pull the codes so you can check the timing using a timing light and a code reader. The reader book will indicate exactly when you can check timing. Or, you can pull the 'spout' plug (in the bundle sort of under the intake manifold) the only removable plug in the mess 'o wires to force 'base' timing.
Generally speaking, fuel availability and ignition timing are the main causes of lack of power. Not every time, but a good number.
tom

 

tomw - I would generally agree.

I remember during initial assembly I lined up the the cam gear, crank and #1 on the distributor. The auxiliary shaft gear didn't seem to matter where it was as long as the dist was at #1. Anyway, yea I screwed up the initial setup/timing and it ended up at 20 deg BTDC. Ooopppps, The first inspection shop didn't pay any attention to it so it failed like twice. I took it to a Ford dealer to get it through inspection and they recognized it was out of time. I did see it after they showed me I had it at 20 deg, what can I say, I screwed up. They claimed to have set it to factory 10 deg, and they must have changed something since it passed now.

So here is my point to that ramble. I have, read, been told, searched, etc, for this stupid "spout" connector, and EVERYONE SAYS IT'S IN A DIFFERENT PLACE......! Sorry for the out-burst, but I thought I knew where it was, but now I don't know!? I tried to re-check the timing after I got it back from inspection, but I was not able to get a solid reading. I am assuming this is due to the fact that what ever it was that I unplugged is not it. Ever since then I have had 100x more critical things to take care of.

Can someone tell me, show me, pics would be great, the exact location of this spout connector on an early 2.3L EFI?

As far as checking the pressure, I will give it a shot when I get the chance, but Ford made it pretty difficult to get to the valve on the rail by putting it under the manifold. I have found no other way of getting to it other than taking the TB & upper intake off first. Great design Ford.

 

The connector on my '85 EFI 2.3 is on the drivers side, hanging out of the bundle that goes toward the engine from the area near the coil. It has a small (1/2"X1") plug thing hanging out from it with a red/yellow dash(from memory, and it is wearing out) wire.
THe wire comes into the plug and right out again. Same color wire. Maybe yellow/black dash... It is the only removable plug you will find in that bundle. It hangs out nearer the bottom of the intake manifold than the fender liner.
Hope this helps...
If it passed Emission test, most likely the dist is in the right position, unless it was not tightened down... That points to the fuel supply -pump, lift pump, filter sock on the pump intake, filter, or pressure regulator. I haven't changed the filter since 1984, in December... factory filter. I guess shame on me, but it still works fine. THe regulator can get jammed and flood the intake or a dripping injector could be making the mixture too rich on restart. I guess I'd check the pressure. A gauge is about $30. Haven't had to do it on mine, so I don't know how hard it will be.
good luck

tom

 

Yea, I have a pressure gauge. I have checked it in the past (some time last year), but not recently.

The fuel filter has been changed in the last year, and I did check the FPR for fuel in the line a while back, so I will look again. The Tank is only 1 or 2 years old and the screen/sock was clean then.

I am not sure if our engine bays are set up the same, but I thought mine was on the driver's inner fender liner near the coil. Problem is, there are a handful of connections there and at least 1 or more that are not plugged in. It has been like that since before I bought it a few years ago. I was under the impression that if you unplug this little mystery device the timing should stay at "x" deg BTDC no matter what RPM you are at. So if you rev the engine, the timing shouldn't change. Right? IIRC, mine still changed even with what ever it was I had unplugged. That is why I didn't think I was getting an accurate reading.

As I see it I have the following tasks to complete based on the questions asked here:

1) check FPR for fuel in the line
2) check the fuel pressure
3) inspect plugs (take a pic if I can)
4) do a compression test for S&G
5) check timing (take a pic of the mess of wires/plugs if I can)
6) swap PCM (I have a spare)
7) pull all the current codes
8)
9)

Any other suggestions. Is no one concerned about the TPS passing while off the TB and failing while on it? I think I have my old TPS so I can try that one again until I get the new one from the supplier.

Thanks for the advise guys, and keep it coming.

 

FWIW, Ford made a change in the TPS ... There is a diode in there somewhere that directs electric spikes to ground. They moved it from its original positin electrically speaking. My brain doesn't hold the details any more. It can be determined by reading the resistance between connnectors and then swapping the red/black wires on the multimeter. In one directin the ohms will be Mega and in the other they will be MUCH lower. A diode is sort of a one-way valve for current. It will shunt to ground current that otherwise would back-flow when the current source is removed. Just like the spark that a coil produces when the field collapses as the 'points' open...
Anyway, they moved that and you could check and compare resistance readings with the old TPS.
The spout connector on mine is nearer to the intake. You can leave it in if you hook up a code reader and check the timing after it has done the KOER tests for about 2 minutes I think. The ECM will 'static' the timing for that time after the KOER tests are run... I think. If you have a code reader, check the manual for details.
tom

 

tomw - Thanks for the input. I will see what I can get done this weekend with the codes, TPS, fuel pressure, etc.... Was I correct that the timing should stay at "x" deg BTDC no matter what RPM you are at with the connector unplugged?

One check done yesterday on the way home.
1) check FPR for fuel in the line - it was dry and flowing plenty of air.
2) check the fuel pressure
3) inspect plugs (take a pic if I can)
4) do a compression test for S&G
5) check timing (take a pic of the mess of wires/plugs if I can)
6) swap PCM (I have a spare)
7) pull all the current codes
8)
9)

Ok, so the "hole" is a little bigger now. This is a foot or two behind the converter, so it isn't the cause of anything but noise right now.


Can anyone spot the "spout" connector in these pics, or should we be looking elsewhere?

 

SPOUT iis not in that pic. It is closer to the intake manifold.
It is a connector with (mine) a red/yellow stripe on the 'plug'
blk/white stripe on one wire
yellow/green stripe on the other
The plug (1985 EFI/Cal emissions) is an old-style connector, not the rectangle used on later models. It is 'round with a flat' and is hanging out of the plastic loom by the intake.
I just went outside and looked. The bundle in question leads towards the back of the cylinder head. In the bottom picture, it would be almost in line with the rearmost master cylinder brake line, but a little further rearward, and closer to the intake. It apparently would be hidden behind the reservoir of the m/cylinder.
tom

 

I did some wrenching this morning to see if I could find anything wrong.

1) check FPR for fuel in the line - it was dry and flowing plenty of air.
2) check the fuel pressure - Checked, but with a slight problem.
3) inspect plugs (take a pic if I can) - They looked fairly good and all the same, I will post a pic when I get them uploaded.
4) do a compression test for S&G - all 4 cyl were 190 to 195 psi.
5) check timing (take a pic of the mess of wires/plugs if I can) - At idle it read 10 deg BTDC & never got above 20 deg BTDC.
6) swap PCM (I have a spare)
7) pull all the current codes
8)
9)

#2 - I tried to get the adapter on the valve to hook the gauge to, but I couldn't get a reading, so I tightened it down some more. I guess that was too much for the little rubber o-ring inside as it all split apart. So I got a reading of around 30-35 psi while the engine was running, but I had to shut it down since it was leaking from the adapter. So, I believe the pressure would likely be higher if it were not for the bad seal.

#3 - They were all fairly clean with just a light white'ish/grey to the end. Nothing out of the ordinary. Pics when i get them uploaded.

#4 - I did this both "hot" & "cold" just to see if there was any difference. None at all. All 4 cyl were even at 190 to 195 psi. It only took 3 to 4 revs to get to max pressure.

#5 - I did NOT try to adjust this, I just wanted to get a reading at idle since I was running out of time. Once everything was warm, it would idle at 10 deg BTDC, and if I rev'ed it up it would only get to about 20 deg BTDC. The strange thing is that just as I would hit the throttle it would dip down to somewhere around 10-15 deg ATDC, before jumping up to 20 deg BTDC. Is this normal for the 2.3L? I would have thought with the timing fully advanced it would have jumped up near 30 deg BTDC.

I think I may have found the "spout" plug (didn't mess with it due to a lack of time), and yes I did read in the code reader's manual how to check the timing for 2 min after the codes are read, I just didn't have time to pull the codes and adjust/check the timing that way.

The other semi odd thing is that the idle is not smooth unless it is up around 1000 RPM. I know there is no real adjustment, but there is a throttle stop on the side of the TB that I can some-what manipulate the idle speed with. If the idle drops down around the 800 RPM range it will surge in a rhythmic pattern up and down. If the idle is up around 900-1000, it is better.

Anyone with thoughts, comments, suggestions? So far nothing has been terribly wrong, so I have to think it is a connection or sensor doing this to me.

 

Please help, this is getting really anoying to drive. I am trying to make this easy to get the facts with the bullet list, so here goes:

Symptoms/Findings:

• MPG dropped from 23+ city to 18-20.
• There is virtually no pick-up (no pun intended) after it is warm. It is "ok" at best when cold.
• If I park, go in a store, come back out and start up, it will start fine, then 10-30 sec later it will start to stumble/sputter.
• TPS is believed to be bad from old codes that were pulled.
• Idle is VERY rhythmic once it is fully warmed up. Kind of like what a sound wave looks like. When it dips down in RPM it almost dies.
• Idle is normal at "morning"/cold start-up, and as I said the power is better, but still not normal.
• Timing at idle (didn't touch "spout" connector or anything else) was 10 deg BTDC, and didn't get more than 20 deg BTDC when I rev'ed the engine.
• "Total timing" never got above 20 deg BTDC. (Don't know if this is a problem since I can't find a listing for "total timing".
• Had to use the throttle stop screw to bring the idle down from 1000-1200 to around 800-1000. This is when I noticed the poor idle.
• Filling the tank seemed to improve the idle quality.
• Compression tests were 190-195 across all 4 cyl.
• No new codes were pulled yet (lack of time to do it).
• Fuel pressure read ~30-35 psi while running +leaking, and I couldn't get a reading with the engine off due to the little o-ring that fell apart (reason for the leak). New o-rings coming from the gauge manufacturer.
• No fuel found in the FPR vac line.

Pic of the plugs (I know it isn't great, but it was the best of the ones I got):


Sensors/parts replaced during the "overhaul" with OEM Ford parts:
Air temp
Coolant temp
Oil pressure
PCV
O2
EVPS (sp? acronym) - EGR position sensor
Cap, rotor, plugs, wires, coil
Air filter
Water pump
Thermostat
Tensioner
Oil pump


Non Ford parts:
TPS - Ford part on order, but I don't have it yet.
EGR
Fuel filter - I have an OEM one but this one should still be good.
Timing belt - I have the OEM one now, but didn't at the time.
Also, the head was cleaned, resurfaced, std valve job, 2 valves and springs were replaced, new bearings & seals.

 

Have you checked your fuel injectors and make sure you put them in the right way? You said you overhauled the engine. If you put them in upside down, it will run ok at an idle, but not to great any other time. It's just a thought, it's something that's been done before. Awhile back we hade an f150 come in it had a 4.9L and acted allot like yours. We fought that truck for 2 weeks before someone noticed the upside-down injectors. We turned them over and the truck ran great. just a thought, It's worth a look.
Let us know what you find
Chris

 

I have been thinking about the injectors lately, but to answer your question, no they are not in upside-down. When I pulled the engine I just pulled the whole fuel rail off the manifold with the injectors still in it.

The reason I was thinking of the injectors is it might explain the loping idle if one or more of the injectors is not spraying properly. Not to mention the hint of fuel in the air. I kind of justified that to myself (probably incorrectly) that it was just because of the rough idle and not all of it was being burned.

I am anxious to get the replacement o-rings for the fitting to go on the fuel rail. That way I can get an accurate reading while running & while off.

Do you know anything about the timing? I still don't think it is supposed to jump to "x" deg ATDC when I hit the throttle.