PULLING MY HAIR OUT ! Need help !! Ignition Problem

[Trailrated92]

UPDATE FIXED AND RUNNING GOOD Ignition Problem

'92 Ranger 3.0 Automatic

Running fine, driven once or twice a week for the last several months. Overdue for a tune up so I took advantage of the warm up in the weather and take care of it today.

I drove the truck last night and started it right up this morning and moved it in front of the garage. Changed the plugs, plug wires, coil, cap and rotor. Now she wont start

Have fuel psi, checked at the schrader valve on the rail, and even if I didnt have that, she wont even fire on a shot of ether down the throat of the throttle body, not even a hiccup.

Have a nice fat spark confirmed at the plug.

The rotor can only go in one way, so I cant see how it could be 180 out.I replaced it pointing in the EXACT same spot as the old one was in when I pulled the old cap off.
Coil plug connector is greased with diaelectric grease and tight on the correct terminals ( pos to pos, neg to neg )

I've checked the firing order and plug wire orientation at least 5 times, if its wrong Im a moron.

Im literally at my wits end now, as I cant find or think of a plausible reason why she wont fire back up. I didnt touch ANYTHING else. I suppose it could be the ignition module that mounts on the radiator support , but I would be shocked if it went bad at the same time I did my parts replacement today , the odds of that would seem to me to be astronomical.

The terminal on the cap marked number 1 is just towards the passenger side at the firewall, between 11pm and 12am if looking down at it from above, this is where I've been told it should be at.

The only other thing I can think of is the number 1 was molded into the wrong location on the cap. I even tried that by shifting all the plug wires at the cap 1 terminal clockwise, no such luck.

ANY IDEAS GUYS ????

I called a friend of mine who is a Ford Master Tech, but he lives over two hours away so trouble shooting on the phone was the only option for him.

He said he thought he remembered something about the early 90's 3.0's having a problem with jumping their timing when shut off. But I just cant believe thats what the problem is, happening at EXACTLY the same moment that I decide to do a tuneup ? It would seem I would have a better chance at hitting the lottery and getting struck by lighting on the same day as to have the timing jump on the day I do a minor tune up.

Im really in a bind here fella's. Because of this we are now down to ONE vehicle with a family of six, AND we are supposed to be moving to another State in a few weeks, so needless to say Im in the doghouse with the wife to say the least !!

Any ideas or suggestions will be greatly appreciated, if you live in South Jersey and can fix this thing, I'll buy the beer and pay you to come to me !

.

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

next time you replace plug wires, do it 1 at a time always starting with number 1. what i do is take all the plug wires off of the spark plugs and NOT the cap. take the cap and all the wires to the workbench and compare the new and old cap. then start putting my new plug wires onto the new cap in the same location as the old one, then i put the new cap on and put the spark plug wires on the correct plug, works everytime

the best thing you can do now is to set the crankshaft at TDC so that the rotor points at number 1, then start putting plug wires on in the correct firing order and rotation.

does anyone know if the 3.0 rotates CW, or CCW?

 

[Trailrated92]

next time you replace plug wires, do it 1 at a time always starting with number 1. what i do is take all the plug wires off of the spark plugs and NOT the cap. take the cap and all the wires to the workbench and compare the new and old cap. then start putting my new plug wires onto the new cap in the same location as the old one, then i put the new cap on and put the spark plug wires on the correct plug, works everytime

the best thing you can do now is to set the crankshaft at TDC so that the rotor points at number 1, then start putting plug wires on in the correct firing order and rotation.

does anyone know if the 3.0 rotates CW, or CCW?

Rotates clockwise

 

[Big Jim M]

Howdy fellow moron! Life's a bitch sometimes ain't it? Ok here is the skinnys.. You did a bady somewhere yourself! Period. If the vehicle moved itself up there and you worked on it and now it won't start.. Ya gotta do like a crawdad..back up!
By far the most common mishap is plug wiring.. I know you think you have it right.. but most times that is the problem.
Then we have bad rotors and caps coming from the factory.. If you are getting a nice spark from the wires than I'd forget about that and go back to the wiring again.
LASTLY we sometimes accidently pull a wire...which in turn won't allow a spark.. coil wire or whatever.. But one more time..plug wires!
Big JIm

 

[Rearanger]

Have a nice fat spark confirmed at the plug.

I've checked the firing order and plug wire orientation at least 5 times, if its wrong Im a moron.

It sounds like a timing issue. If you have the wrong cap then maybe the plug location on the outside of the cap is not the terminal location inside the cap. Compare the old and new caps, or replace with old cap and see if it starts. Do you have access to a timing light? That will confirm firing order at plugs. Do you have good spark at all the plugs?

 

[Trailrated92]

UPDATE !!!!!!

Ok as of 5pm today she's running again and fixed

Your not gonna believe what it was though !

I found a couple guys that own a mobile mechanic service and had them come over today, the one guy is Blue Oval Certified and was just recently let go from an NHRA Top Fuel Team when Snap On pulled their sponsorship. Told me on the phone no charge to come check it out and no charge at all if they couldnt fix it, no matter how long they were on it.

These guys really went out of their way. They tried EVERYTHING, including pulling distributor , computer and other assorted parts off another '92 3.0 parts truck I had out back.

After three hours they were even stumped and started to sound really discouraged and frustrated. Because of the way it was acting, including no start despite 40psi fuel pressure at the rail, and good spark, and good TFI module and no computer codes thrown, they were starting to come around to the idea of jumped timing or the timing somehow being 180 out for some bizarre reason.

Instead of pulling the front end off the motor, the one guy had a last ditch idea to switch the plug wires around on the cap, exactly opposite of whats called for. As soon as he did that she fired right up on the first try !

The only thing they could chalk it up to is that at some point before I owned it someone did a timing chain set and put it on the wrong way, with the "locating marks" on the cam gear and crank gear oriented like a chevy, with the cam dot at the 6pm spot and the crank gear at 12. Instead of the proper Ford way of both marks being at 6PM.

 

[Big Jim M]

I TOLD YOU SO!!! You made a baddy!! Your mistake was to not look to what you were doing. First thing to do is to replace the wires right where they were.. You didn't do that.
The mistake was the install of the dist was 180* out. You could get it back to shape by pulling the dist and turning it back to where the #1 wire was correct. I betcha the timing gears are in sink..
What did the guys charge you?
Big JIm

 

[Big Jim M]

did a timing chain set and put it on the wrong way, with the "locating marks" on the cam gear and crank gear oriented like a chevy, with the cam dot at the 6pm spot and the crank gear at 12. Instead of the proper Ford way of both marks being at 6PM.

BTW this is in TIME! since one travels at 1/2 speed of the other either way is in correct time.
Big JIm

 

[Trailrated92]

I TOLD YOU SO!!! You made a baddy!! Your mistake was to not look to what you were doing. First thing to do is to replace the wires right where they were.. You didn't do that.
The mistake was the install of the dist was 180* out. You could get it back to shape by pulling the dist and turning it back to where the #1 wire was correct. I betcha the timing gears are in sink..
What did the guys charge you?
Big JIm

Nah Jim, I think your misunderstanding. I DIDNT pull the distributor AT ALL yesterday when I did the work, just changed the cap, rotor,coil ,wires.

The guys today DID pull the dist and replace with the other one out of my parts truck, just to see if it made a difference with the Hall Effect Module.

 

[mixwell]

I had a very similar problem on my 01 3.0 after I replaced a cracked head.. Got everything together and checked about 10 times with someone else (no lie) the plug firiing order (mine is a coil pack) and it was correct.. A co worker had an 00 ranger 3.0 and popped his hood so I could see and everything was right.. My friend had a bug that "it sounds like the firing order is off" even though he himself confirmed the standard order was correct.. Well we swapped a few wires and voila it fired right up.. My firing order isn't stock but it starts right up which was a real head scratcher but nontheless it works now.. go figure.

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

Nah Jim, I think your misunderstanding. I DIDNT pull the distributor AT ALL yesterday when I did the work, just changed the cap, rotor,coil ,wires.

The guys today DID pull the dist and replace with the other one out of my parts truck, just to see if it made a difference with the Hall Effect Module.

your mistake was not paying attention to where the wires came off. it happens to us all once and then we learn to pay attention

 

[Viper Command]

Here is your lesson learned, check your new parts to your old parts, the rotor was made 180d off, I have seen this once before.