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99 Ranger 2.5 liter manual Missing, "pecking"


nbates55

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Truck has been missing for a while now, just now getting warm enough here to put the new plugs and wires in Ive bought. Driving today and going up a long hill and theres this loud "whooshing" noise under the hood, truck loses power and starts pecking. Make it to the top of the hill and turn it off. Check the oil, full. Nothing smoking or otherwise looks out of order. Start it back up and it misses and pecks for a minute but then quietens down. Start home (4 miles) and it does fairly well except in 4th gear accelerating. Ease it into 5th and it quietens down. Make it home. Park and its idling fairly smooth and not pecking. Any ideas?
 


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Carefully check your coolant in the radiator and the overflow when it is cold. Make note of the fluid level of both because you may have to do this again in a fews days. If you don't see anything wrong then check compression from the easy side. This is how i would start with limited info.
 

nbates55

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Coolant Level

I did check coolant later this evening. About a quart low. Filled it up.
The overflow system doesnt seem to work. Jug is always full. At one time the little rubber hose was stopped up. Cleaned that out not that long ago. Seemed to make no difference. I do usually check coolant ever so often, and the truck has always lost a little coolant, but not an alarming amount. Started it up. Sounds good at slow idel, but give it a tiny bit of gas and at fast idle I can hear a light tapping. The truck has had a light tap when cold for a couple of years.
Anyway, drove it about a quarter mile to the corner market. And back. No apparent issues like earlier today. Dont trust it tho.
 

nbates55

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O.k., I got 6 of the plugs put in, and new wires on that 6. Left the back 2 on the drivers side. Ordered a plenum gasket. Gonna have to pull the top half of the intake. Just too hard to get to otherwise. The plugs are worn out. One of them on the passenger side had the whole end blown out of it, just hollow.
Seems to run o.k. so far, but thats just it. Sometimes it runs pretty good, but most of the time not.
 

nbates55

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Better, but no cigar yet

Truck runs much better. Isnt missing all the time as it usually does. Went to town, did pretty good. Even runs a tad stronger. BUT, coming back up the same long hill where it showed out yesterday, it showed out again about 3/4 of the way to the top of the hill. Not as bad mind you, and it didnt knock, but it started missing. Sounds kinda like the jake brake on a big truck. Not that loud, of course. I let off the gas a little and it smoothed out. Got on top of the hill on the flat and mashed her down a little and it tried to do that again. let off again and it quit it. Otherwise, I can get on it pretty good and it goes o.k..
Now, knowing that the plugs were pretty bad, and 2 of them are still in there on the drivers side, yall think it may be flooding out those 2 cylinders under a load like that on that hill?
 

Andy D

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R+R the last 2 plugs and report back. How are the other ignition bits?
 

nbates55

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Other Ignition Bits per Andy

Well, Im putting new plug wires as I go. The coil packs I assume are o.k., no way for me to really tell. I see a LOT of small wires at their plugs, for example, where they plug into the coil pack, where they plug into various sensors, etc., that are deteriorated and the insulation gone somewhat, but none are actually touching. Dont think thats it.
I think the drivers side sparkplugs are the business end arent they? Dont the ones on the passenger side just burn (supposedly) the exhaust gasses? Thats the side where one had all the guts blown out of it. It had platinum plugs in it, a dusty tan/white color on the ends, and worn down pretty bad. Im putting Ford platinum plugs back in it.
Anybody know how hard its gonna be to take the top half of this intake off to get the last 2? New gasket for it comes tomorrow at O'reillys.
 

nbates55

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I plan to finish up tomorrow. How hard is it top pull the top half of the intake? They said it would be a steel gasket. Does it need to be siliconed? Thanks
 

Big Jim M

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I never use any type of gasket sealer on ANYTHING! Much less a metal gasket. the sealer would simply get in the way.
If both surfaces are clean and smooth the gasket is designed to do it's job without any filler, which is all any type of sealer can do.
Big Jim
 
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I once had a 1998 with a 2.5 but don't remember any trauma with plugs on the difficult side. You should notice an improvement by changing all the plugs. I still recommend a compression check afterward.
 

nbates55

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Resolved (So Far)

Finally got the last 2 plugs and wires in. Didnt pull the top half of the intake either. To get the last one next to the firewall on the drivers side, I took the wheel off, cut a little of the plastic wheel well liner out with my tin snips and had a clear view of the plug then. Still took 2 men. I got above and my friend got below crammed up in the wheel well and we finally got that one and the plug wire on. Honestly, all 8 were rough enough, but the wires were about as bad to get off and new ones on as changing the plugs were. No room to work and no good way to get in position to get any grip with hang or pliers.
Anyway, added a new air filter and so far, its running like a champ. Knock on wood! Thanks for all the input :)
NB
 

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