Please help no start

[Johnnyfroese]

I have a 04 ranger 3.0 and trying to resurrect a truck that been sitting. I have no codes it has spark on all 6 confirmed the plugs are in the right spark plugs. new fuel pump confirmed the fuel injectors are working won’t even try to start on starting fluid or anything. Starter turns over plenty fast enough. I’m at a lost. It sounds like timing isn’t right.

 

[RonD]

Welcome to TRS

If you spray fuel into the intake(50/50 test) and it doesn't start then no spark or no compression

If it has been sitting longer then 6 months then there is no "fuel" in the gas tank, its a liquid but no longer fuel, and that can cause a no start even when you manually add real fuel, old gas fouls the spark

After cranking the engine over, but NOT manually adding fuel
Pull out 1 spark plug
Its tip should be WET, if pump and injectors are working
Light the tip with a match/lighter
Should burn fast and bright, that's what gasoline does
If tip won't burn easily then "it ain't fuel in the tank", lol
If tip is DRY then injectors are not opening

If you think old fuel is fouling the system then pull the fuel pump fuse or fuel pump relay
Crank engine a few times, to drain pressure
Then try spraying in fuel manually to see if it starts

With key on CEL(check engine light) should come on, that means computer has booted up OK
When starter motor starts to turn the engine over the CEL should go OFF, that means the computer is getting a good Timing Pulse from the crank sensor
Computer has no connection to Starter Motor system
The only way computer knows you want to start the engine is when it sees a valid timing pulse from crank sensor
It will then start spark first, and then injectors a second later

Computers make things much easier
But a gasoline engine is still a gasoline engine
Needs 3 things to fire/start
Spark, at the right time
Fuel, mixed with air
Compression above 120psi

If you don't know why its been sitting then do a compression test on at least 2 cylinders, 3.0l expected is 165psi

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I would check compression.

If it wont even fire on ether and its got spark thats basically all thats left.

Are you spraying the ether directly into the upper intake? Or trying to snort it through the tube? If going through the tube its possible something (usually a mouse nest) is blocking the tube.

It should run on 6month old gas. Maybe not super good...but it should do something. Ive run shit on much older gas then that.

 

[Johnnyfroese]

It’s fresh fuel since I replaced the fuel pump. I got a compression test and will be back with results. Everything that RonD says I have done and checked other than trying to run with fuel pump off if try to start with starting fluid it seems to flood it.

 

[RonD]

Pull out a spark plug after cranking, if its DRY then no fuel is coming in, if its WET light tip with match or lighter, should BURN fast and bright

 

[Johnnyfroese]

So I did the compression test and turned out very poor. All the cylinders were around 50-80. I just can’t imagine all the rings being that wore out. Not sure what to think of that bad of compression. Motor only had 150k on it.

 

[RonD]

Usually not rings
If all the cylinders are that low then the cam timing is off, which is almost unheard of on a 3.0l Vulcan engine, possible, just way way down on a list
4.0l SOHC or 2.3l Duratec can do that

I would remove all spark plugs and test again, if still under 80psi then you will need to remove some brackets and the water pump and then the timing chain cover and see whats what as far as gears and timing chain
Could be a woodruff key has sheared off

 

[pjtoledo]

try a wet compression test, squirt WD40 into the plug holes.
all plugs out, throttle blocked open.
see if the readings improve.

on a 3.0 you can see the # 1 piston at TDC (real easy on a stand)
stick a long thin screwdriver in there, the piston will hit it at TDC, then check the harmonic balancer marks'
also pull the cam sync cap off. it should point to either 10:30 0r 4:30 and of course rotate while cranking.

any oil in this engine??? without oil pressure the lifters will eventually bleed down and the valves may not open enough for good compression.
that's a long shot at best.

did it run when parked?

 

[Johnnyfroese]

I wouldn’t think rings either. I’m thinking its timing also already started tearing the front off.

i have oil pressure light will turn off while cranking, top of engine is getting oil.

 

[Johnnyfroese]

So took valve cover off and seems like timing was correct valves were closed at TDC. After that took the head off and there was slight surface rust on cylinder walls but cleaned off easily n couldn’t see any deep scratches, nothing I could catch with finger nail. Pistons looked in great shape. Nothing that would make sense for 50-80 psi of compression. Head gasket looked good also.

 

[RonD]

Can't tell if crank/cam timing is correct at the valves, both valves would have to be closed at TDC to get 50-80psi

If you want you can put a mark on the crank pulley opposite TDC, so BDC(bottom dead center) mark

The #1 intake valve should start opening at TDC mark(piston sucks in air/fuel mix) then be closed at BDC mark, next stroke is the compression stroke both valves closed at BDC so max compression as piston goes up again to TDC mark

 

[Johnnyfroese]

Yes that is what I did. And it’s all correct. Main reason I did that is cause I don’t have a crank pulley puller yet.

 

[dfratus]

So took valve cover off and seems like timing was correct valves were closed at TDC. After that took the head off and there was slight surface rust on cylinder walls but cleaned off easily n couldn’t see any deep scratches, nothing I could catch with finger nail. Pistons looked in great shape. Nothing that would make sense for 50-80 psi of compression. Head gasket looked good also.

 

[dfratus]

I was searching for a compression gage and of course I looked at Harbor Freight. Reviews for tools sold there say they tend to give low readings. If the tool you're using is HFT it may not be accurate. I'm still looking for a good, cheap gage.