2.9 bogging down no power

liamkeough88 · Jun 10, 2014

The ranger has been on and off the back burner for some time now. Thinking about selling. Going through trying make her road worthy etc and this is my issue

Idles and throttles up nicely but when you hit the road and gas it she feels like she is dragging a ton of bricks. Boggs down under its own weight. Fuel pressure regulator vacuum line smells clean and fuel pressure sits at 30psi at idle and 40psi when the vacuum line is disconnected. Should I rig up an extension on my guages line to get a reading while I'm driving to ensure its not spiking? Or perhaps move on to the other gremlins? (map and o2 sensor)
Need to dig up my code scanner but if my memory serves me right the last time I felt like addressing this issue code 22 came up.
Thanks

Dave90ranger · Jun 10, 2014

address your code issue first if you can but i had a similar issue while driving, would bog down and fall on its face badly. i ended up finding out i was losing fuel pressure under load and higher RPM's which ended up being my fuel pump was going bad and not keeping up the pressure. you could have a different issue but thats what i had go wrong. i had started with fuel pressure regulator and everything else before i did that. one thing i will say, dont go with an advance auto parts fuel pump as i went through 3 within a year and finally went with a pump from rockauto.com and havnt had an issue for almost 2 years now.

hope this helps you out some and gives you something to go on at least.

liamkeough88 · Jun 10, 2014

Yeah I think I'm gonna get a long hose that I can run up into the cab or onto the hood with my fuel pressure gauge on it and go for a spin. Definitely feels fuel related. Lol. Ive replaced the pump on the frame rail once already but that was probably circa 2003 and pretty sure I bought it at an advance. Lol

Dave90ranger · Jun 10, 2014

ahh you have a 2 pump set up. im lucky and only have the one pump in the tank. do you hear any sort of like popping like its backfiring in the intake when it bogs down? i heard it alot when i had issues.

someone with a 2 pump system may chime in on their knowledge but its similar to my system i believe so your second pump may be weak but tests will confirm it for sure.

liamkeough88 · Jun 10, 2014

No popping or backfiring. Just feels like I'm yanking on a tree stump. Revs up smooth even under load just is bogged down with no power.
If my memory serves me right last summer I had terrible misfires and starting issues. Ended up being the distributor. I had a heck of a time getting the timing right. It reads good now but often wonder if I need to remove the distributor and spin/ advance it another couple of gears then re install and set the timing again. Most likely not the cause of my issue but any thoughts?

Dave90ranger · Jun 10, 2014

cant hurt to double check your timing and where its lined up and such. i know i have checked mine countless times just to be sure. i had the help of my dad watching the timing while i moved the distributor so we had it perfect in time. having it a few gears off may cause an issue, i would double check that as well if it isnt too hard to do as a precaution if you question it. but i would check the fuel pressure while driving first as that isnt hard to do and everything.

liamkeough88 · Jun 11, 2014

Fuel pressure is good. Holds at 30psi idle and 40psi when driving around. So fuel pressure is out. Where to next?

Dave90ranger · Jun 12, 2014

hmm interesting. how is the exhaust? like is it plogged up ect. maybe have a blocked up cat. causing it to bog down and lose power. maybe try and see how hot it gets after driving it.

3kakr4 · Jun 12, 2014

I had an 87 B2 that wound up having a weak spring in the distributor. It revved fine idling, but when it hit a hill or I tried to pull a trailer, the timing wouldn't advance and it lugged down something terrible

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

liamkeough88 · Jun 13, 2014

Last time I took a crack at solving this issue (last summer) my initial thought was a clogged cat. Disconnected the exhaust just before the cat and took it for a spin. Made no difference. Distributor was put in last summer to get the truck running then during test drives I noticed this issue. As for wether or not the issue existed prior to distributor replacent I honestly can't say. Truck had so many other issues causing it to run poorly that it's hard for me to remember.
Years ago, when I first took this truck off the road to build it up the way I dreamed it to be in high school it ran great. At least as great as a 2.9 can. I guess this is what I get for taking 6 years to finish it up. Lol
I pulled the distributor thinking maybe this issue is related to something I may have not done properly when I first installed it and am gonna install it all over again and double check everything to make sure it's not just a timing issue or something to do with a mistake I may have made when I put it in last year. (See my other post)

Gilbee01 · Jun 13, 2014

I would also check compression and see if your not holding it under load .

-gil-

liamkeough88 · Jun 15, 2014

The more I've been reading the more I have begun to suspect it may be a faulty o2 sensor.

I pulled the sensor and did the " heat up with a torch and measure voltage test."
Results are as follows:
Voltage ranged in the .8's to as high as 1.32. No issues dropping down once heat was removed.

If this method of testing is accurate then those kinda volts would certainly cause a reaaalllly rich mixture.
Possibly my problem? Thoughts?

update*
Perhaps its just the inaccuracies of this testing method but I just spent a little more time doing it again and got consistent readings in the .89 to .91 volts range when heat was directly applied with the torch.

Tedybear · Jun 17, 2014

o2 sensors are heated so as to allow the computer to hit 'closed loop' operation and they work very well when 'at temp'.

That being said--the o2 sensor is actually 'sniffing' your exhaust to determine the level of Oxygen present. (HEGO-Heated Exhaust Gas Oxygen sensor is the nice set of letters FORD uses)

So just hitting it with extreme heat with a torch isn't a test worth doing--as you're just heating it and cooling it, and that's not what it's designed to 'read'.

It's best done with it installed in the exhaust flow, engine running...and letting either the EEC4 computer do it's thing with the testing/codes...or following instructions on using a multimeter to see if the o2 sensor is correctly monitoring the unburnt fuel in the exhaust. (aka...to rich or to lean)

S-

2.9 bogging down no power

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

New Member

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Today's birthdays

Member & Vendor Upgrades

Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad

Amazon Deals