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90 Ranger 2.3L starts but won't run


Carter

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Vehicle Year
1990
Make / Model
ford
Transmission
Manual
Hello everyone,
I am hoping someone on here can help me out. I have a 1990 Ford Ranger 2.3L. I rebuilt the motor over the summer, when I finished, I test drove it and it ran perfect. However this is where it gets bad. The next day I went to start it up it would not start. I found out the crank position sensor got cut. The harmonic balancer was bent, probably got dropped at one point. Anyways, I replaced the harmonic balancer, and the crank position sensor. Which I thought would fix this issue, but instead I can only get the truck to start and then it dies like a second after firing. Does anyone have an idea of what would cause this? Would the fuel pump cause this if it wasn't giving the correct fuel pressure?
 


tomw

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Location
toenails of foothills NW of Atlanta
Vehicle Year
1985
Make / Model
ford
Engine Type
2.3 (4 Cylinder)
Engine Size
lima bean
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Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
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If you can, connect a timing light to monitor spark. Start the engine while turning the timing light on. If the spark disappears just before the engine stopping, you might have a problem with the ignition. If you have a remote TFI, they have two circuits, (at least), one for start, and another for run. The former can continue to work while the latter fails.
tom
 

RonD

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Welcome to TRS :)

Spray gasoline or Quick Start(ether) into the intake directly to see if engine will stay running by adding fuel manually
If it does then yes, fuel system is the problem

If it still dies then spark is the problem

50/50 test


Cycle key on and off 3 times before trying to start engine
Listen for fuel pump in gas tank to run for 2 seconds EACH TIME key is turned on
 

Carter

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Not sure about how to hook up the timing to a monitor. I do know it has a circuit breaker for run and I’ve checked that to see if was blown but it isn’t. Is there a wire to check for it? As to spraying gas or starter fluid into the intake, I know if I push the gas pedal it stay running but it runs rough. Should I try to spray fluid in instead to check?
 

tomw

Well-Known Member
U.S. Military - Veteran
Joined
Aug 15, 2007
Messages
1,613
Reaction score
46
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48
Location
toenails of foothills NW of Atlanta
Vehicle Year
1985
Make / Model
ford
Engine Type
2.3 (4 Cylinder)
Engine Size
lima bean
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
2WD
My credo
vertical and above ground
There are two kinds of timing lights, one is connected in series with a spark plug wire, and is just a neon(?) bulb that flashes when the spark plug is supposed to fire. The other style has a connector for the plug wire, series or clamp on, that senses the spark, and turns on a brighter light(powered mostly by connection to the vehicle battery terminals) that again, flashes when the spark is supposed to fire.
Older vehicles, maybe new, had marks on the crankshaft pulley that indicated the TDC - top dead center - position when the #1 cylinder's piston was at the top of its stroke, compression or exhaust(can't tell by looking). Spark generally occurs BTDC - before Top Dead Center - so there are marks to indicate that happening.
If you can get the engine to start, but run poorly, then, the sparking system must be working to some degree. Adding fuel to the intake manifold, or spraying into the air inlet won't make it run better. Something else is wrong.
I would check the timing marks on the sprockets to see if the cam was timed properly along with the aux shaft(if needed). If the belt slipped a couple teeth, it would possibly make the engine run poorly. Before spending time & $$'s on 'stuff' wild guessing, check and measure what is right there in front of you. The simple things can cause big problems if checking them is skipped. With a newly re-built, things may have gotten assembled properly, but the teeth slipped. The 'book' says to rotate the cranshaft through two complete revolutions after changing or installing a new belt or other cam/timing components. That way you are sure there were no teeth hung up out of place when the belt was tensioned, etc.
tom
 
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