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Bad fuel pump?


1990RangerinSK

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I'm really frustrated. On top of everything else (that I won't go into), this afternoon my truck wouldn't start.

1) Temperature approximately -20*C (just below 0*F, and the truck wasn't plugged in
2) The truck started this morning, and has started in colder temperatures without being plugged in.
3) The truck sat for just over an hour while I was in church, then started no problem to come home
4) The truck sat for about two and a half hours before I tried to start it again
5) The truck turns over normally, but won't start
6) I'll freely admit I could be out of fuel, but I don't think so. I put $20.00 in it (about a third of a tank) at the beginning of January, and only put about 20 miles on it. Fuel mileage of 1MPG? Really?
7) I tried turning the key on without starting it. Usually I can hear the fuel pump prime. I can't hear it prime.

So, the question is, if I'm out of fuel, will I still hear the pump (try to) prime when I turn the key on?
 


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You should still hear the fuel pump turn on if you are out of fuel. I once had a 1987 Mustang that when I would go to start it, I could hear the fuel pump turn on. Then one day after getting ready to leave work, I went to start it and NEVER heard the fuel pump turn on but it would turn over like normal. I ended up having it towed to a shop and it turned out that the fuel pump quit and had to have it replaced. So your fuel pump may have quit on you.
 
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1990RangerinSK

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That's what I'm afraid of. Unfortunately, it puts me between a rock and a hard place, because I need the truck, but I don't have $600.00 to get it fixed.
 

black_demon69

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That's what I'm afraid of. Unfortunately, it puts me between a rock and a hard place, because I need the truck, but I don't have $600.00 to get it fixed.
DIY juust pull bed and replace it
 

saskbill

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Old shade-tree trick - give the bottom of the tank a tap or two on the bottom with a soft mallet or (carefully) with a piece of wood. This sometimes will free up a worn-out pump eg: so you can limp home. In your case, you probably don't want to drive too far away if this DOES get you started, but at least this would narrow it down to probably the pump.

Different thought - its been damn cold these past few days (I'm in Saskatoon). Any chance you have some water in the bottom of the tank that froze up on ya? Wouldn't hurt to drop some gas line antifreeze in there.

Its supposed to get some warmer by next weekend. Next time you have some time on your hands and its warm enough they don't freeze off, pull the airbox tube and try a little gas direct into the throttle body. (put the gas can out of range and keep people away when you are trying to start in case she backfires). If it starts up and runs for a bit then stalls, you got fuel delivery problems of one sort or another.

Good luck!
 

Andy D

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outta gas? also know that fuel pumps dont like to run dry. If you have to pay someone to fix your 28 yr Ford, then you better be rich. R+Ring a fuel pump isn't rocket science. I would start by adding 5 gallons of gas.
 
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There is an inertia kill switch that can accidentally get tripped or unplugged or outright go bad and will not enable the fuel pump to run. Check your owners manual for details, it is on the passenger side floorboard up under the dash.

I have never ran one dry but I think the fuel pump would just run if it couldn't prime I don't think it would quit.
 

1990RangerinSK

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UPDATE: A friend of mine dropped off $5.00 worth of gas last night. It was dark (and COLD!!!!), so I waited until this afternoon to go out and put the gas in the tank.

Funny thing is, I turned the key on, and the pump primed. So, I turned it to "start", and the stupid truck started without much complaint.

Hey, Bill, I'm told that the fuel level sending unit, float and pump are a single unit. I know you're about five hours from me, but what would you want to come put it in for me?

To the guys who suggest that I do the job myself: I mean you no disrespect in saying this.... I am easily overwhelmed, especially in the last year and a half or so. Even small jobs like changing the washer fluid pump seem like a big job to me (OK, that one should be easy, but there are too many other jobs I need to do to this truck!)
 

1990RangerinSK

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Side notes: 1) yes, I feel like a dummy. OTOH, can you blame me for sounding the alarm, when the pump didn't prime? 2) Before you ask why I'd do something as dumb as run out of gas, my gas gage doesn't work. It's always on "E", except when the engine's not running (then it reads 1/4), no matter how much gas is in the tank.
 

saskbill

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Glad to hear you've got her running again (at least for the present)!

Anybody claims they've never had a no start from low gas is either fibbin' or darn lucky!

Do you still figure you need to change the pump? I know the feeling of having one vehicle to depend on, and worrying that I'm going to get it stuck somewhere and then be, well, stuck. At as you say 5 hours away, I'm hopeful; you might have just run her low enough she sucked fumes and was too quiet (????) for you to hear. If I was you and I didn't have a choice, I would try it on short drives til I got some confidence the pump was gonna keep turning, carry a small gas can and soft hammer or beating stick (see above) just in case the pump did act up. Of course if it is near end of life, the tank thumping trick is only going to work so many times, and if you know for a fact that the pump is dying you probably do want to change it before the truck leaves you walking. Just be nice if you could buy a little time into nicer weather.

I'm not a mechanic, just I guy that grew up on the farm, and likes to mess with vehicles to keep myself rolling. The 'shade tree mechanic's tricks" I've shared is stuff I've picked up hanging out with a mechanic buddy, and confirmed some working on stuff myself. I'm sorry I'm not available to work on vehicles for hire - don't have an inside place to work right now, and these days I make a real point out of trying to get through a winter without freezing fingers and/or toes. Also I'm too slow and lazy...

I have changed out a fuel tank on my 91 ranger- pulled the replacement from an 89 in the junkyard, and salvaged the 91 pump sa a spare (out on the farm in Manitoba, interestingly about 5 hours in that direction). If I had my hands on that pump and you were next door, you'd be welcome to it, but I sure wouldn't warranty it (91 had about 300k on it, though the pump was working good - changed the tank b/c it had a hole in it). I've also in the past changed the tank pump on my 88 ranger - similar setup but steel tank not nylon (got the pump from the Weyburn wrecking yard, in the days when STC freight was still a thing).

Changing the pump is pretty straightforward once you have access. Access is gained by undoing the bed bolts and raising the bed. The remove the bolts part is entirely dependent on how rusty your bolts are, but you should probably count on breaking at least a couple of bolts and the j-nut clips on the frame they thread into. In the past, I went to the junkyard (Bucks) to get replacement bolts and clips, and was amazed at the variation in how rusted the bolts were - had little to do with how old or new the truck was, more to do with the life it had lived. If I was you, I'd try to pick up a few spares (short and long) before tearing into my own truck, in part to get the experience and to gain confidence in the process.

Next step is to get the bed raised enough on the driver's side to get at the top of the tank and pump. Open the gas filler flap and undo the three screws that attach the top of the filler neck to the box. Also if you're going to be moving the box entirely off the truck, undo the wiring harness connector at the back of the box underneath.

If you have two reasonably strong people you can lift the box up and walk it back enough to access the pump (wear gloves so you don’t tear up your hands on rusty edges like wheel arches, which is pretty much where you want to lift to get a balanced load). I have also run chains/straps from the 4 inside tether points to lift the box with a cherry picker hoist. In the junkyard, to get access to salvage bolts , clips and filler hoses, I would lift one side and block it up – probably don’t try this if you have a choice – if something slips you could bend your box side or worse yet have the box fall on you! Just telling you some of the things that have worked for me.

Once you have access, you need to undo the wiring clip and the fuel hose/return line. Then there is a retaining ring that needs to be loosened then turned off like a giant nut (all the usaual cautions about avoiding sparks around the pump opening but the tank etc are nylon and plastic on a ’89-92 so not a big worry. Then the whole pump/strainer/float assembly lifts out, and you put the other one in and snug up the clamp ring and reconnect fuel lines and wiring harness and drop the box back down (replace any wonky J-clips first) and line up the fuel hose and put in the screws, and put the bolts back in the box and reconnect the rear harness if you disconnected it and you’re done (hopefully).

I would suggest doing this in at least two stages – first weekend start trying to get the bed bolts loose and see how that’s going to go – you can probably drive the bed unloaded with less than 6 bolts if you break one or two but try to be sensible about it.

I get what you’re saying about it’s one thing for somebody(s) telling you it’s not a bad job and another to do this yourself, specially if you’re working outside by yourself and its’s your only wheels and it’s this insanely cold outside. I’d say it’s not a bad job if it’s summer or you have a place to work and everything goes right. Where I’d say you might anticipate trouble is i) getting the bed bolts out (usually it’s not completely bad getting them loose but getting the relatively long piece of rusty thread to wind out all the way through the J nut can be problematic – if it starts going hard and creaking – thread it back in a bit and try again. If you can put WD-40 or even transmission fluid on the exposed threads underneath) ii) getting the bed out of the way and SAFELY blocked so you can work on pump replacement – try to get a second pair of hands for this and moving the bed back afterward.
Sorry I don’t think I can be any help in person on this. (I think I saw one of your older posts that mentioned a location – are you towards Regina?) But you’re welcome to any advice, and my best wishes.
Bill
 
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Andy D

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I dunno wha happened. I put 50 cents of gas in, 2 days ago man From Cheech 'n Chong BIL uses this on me once in a while
:grin2:
 

1990RangerinSK

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Andy: I don't know if I should laugh, or hire a hit man to take you out for that!

Bill: Thanks for that, I'll keep it in mind, although I don't think I'll be doing the work. I might get a farmer friend to do it for me, I don't know.
 

1990RangerinSK

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UPDATE: This gets stranger all the time. I went to fill the gas tank today, and it only took about $24.00. The gas can that I filled holds probably $5.00, so I should have had, assuming that I had an empty tank, $5.00 in the tank. That would mean that I put a total of $29.00 in the tank, which is where the pump cut out after filling the fuel tank and the gas can.

So, either 1) I REALLY had half a tank in it (because it should take just over $60.00 to fill my tank when it is bone dry), and something else is wrong (intermittently), or 2) the pump cut out early.

To the pump cutting out early, my 2010 Fit did that all the time, because of the route of the filler tube. HOWEVER, I don't remember either of my other Rangers having that problem, and I don't think this one has when I've filled it in the past, either.

I keep coming back to the fact that I didn't hear the pump prime on Sunday, and I have to wonder... Is this thing going to leave me stranded at some point in the near future? I *have* had a fuel pump fail on me in the past, on another vehicle (1989 Topaz, actually). For a few months before it failed, when we went on a road trip, once in a while it would kick and buck. Then, one day, in the middle of nowhere, it up and quit, the car stalled, but a moment or two later, it started again, so I drove a little further and it stalled again. We got it towed after that. To make a long story short, on the Topaz, it was fine, but once in a while it acted up, until it finally outright quit and had to be replaced.
 

Andy D

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You're in a winter climate. Here's the scenario: You are in a blizzard, temps are dropping , you're in the boonies. Then the rassen frassen FP finally dies... You are on the 11o'clock news when they uncover your Ranger next MAY. Fix the thing . Dont even try to start it. Unscrew the filler neck. Get a T-55 bit for the bed bolts. After you get them loose ,unplug the wiring harness. Raise the bed up front to gain access to the tank. Carefully undo the fittings and wiring plugs. Unscrew the big plastic nut and lift out the pick up.

OKay, now you're on your own. The Rat's main pump is external. However, things to check is the pickup. In cars of yore, this was a brass screen called a sock. Often, the sock's bottom would clog with gunk and not pickup below a certain level. Your symptoms make this a possibillty. How ever so does a dying pump. Another possibility is the plug. It was 1/2 gone and the remains crumbled. I was left with 4 female connectors with no positve locking.a loose connection would raise hell. Also ,the gauge pickup wire is one of these and yours doesn't work? Hmmmn Some ridiculous price for the replacement. Once I sussed out what went where, I soldered the females to the males. This is the stuff you run into on old heaps, vintage cars, whatever.

Anyway, when confronted by things like this, I do some interweb searching and give it a try.. Good luck. :D
 
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saskbill

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If you're looking to source a used fuel pump/intake sock/gas level float& sender assembly, www.car-part.com is a Hollander-based lookup that shows you (hopefully) compatible parts from wrecking yards across Canada/US.

You'll have to supply a few details (eg: supercab or regular, 17 or 21 gal tank). Interestingly searching for an 89 takes you down a diffrent path than for a 90 and up - I would have thought they'd be the same. Again interestingly, some configurations for 90 and up show interchanges up to 93 or 94 - again I'd be confident up to 92, but if a couple of more years gives you more options for donors, great!. Some of the listings also show engine size - I don't think this is SO important - to be safe, maybe stick to pumps from V6 trucks rather than I4s to feed your 2.9 - would welcome any imput from someone with better insight than me as per pump compatability!

Long story short, I suspect the wreckers at Brandon or Weyburn can hook you up with a cash and carry compatible used pump at a reasonable price with some kinda warranty (prob 30 days return a bad unit for another used one or something like that). It's up to you whether you want to go to the trouble of putting in a used pump that might fail on you, either right away or down the line. But, since the toughest part of changing the pump is probably going to be cracking the bed bolts loose and replacing the rusted away/broke ones, it could be worth considering.
 
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