1993 Ranger 3.0 Timing Reference Pointer

[TomTom59]

I've been told my timing pointer is broken off. I had to replace the distributor after the gear was worn and it shut off on the highway. Trying to find 10 degrees BTDC and wire brushed the harmonic balancer so I can see TDC 0, 10, 20, 30 BTDC numbers and lines. Just don't see a thing to line them up with. No line, no pointer. Where is it supposed to be? On the left, or right? Can't find a single photograph of one anywhere. This is a major stumbling block to getting my truck back on the road. Any and all help would be appreciated.

 

[Rearanger]

Mine's an 03 but does yours look anything like this picture?

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=11696&d=1380048410

The TDC line is a little faint but you can see it behind the HB marks on an engine lug.

 

[TomTom59]

Can't view picture

I log in at the top of the page successfully but when I click on your picture link I'm presented with a dialog box that tells me I'm not logged in. It won't let me log in with that second dialog box.

I think this is an error with the Ranger Station system on their server. I'm using Chrome so I'm about to try again with Internet Explorer, the most unsecure browser ever created.

 

[Rearanger]

The link was for the picture not the thread. Here's the link to the thread, goto the second page and you should see the picture.

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144547

 

[TomTom59]

Paydirt!

That was the problem, the site is written to MS standards, not such a good idea for compatibility.

Anyway, Mine looks a lot like the photo but mine has no large toothed wheel behind the harmonic balancer and no sensor to detect those non-existant teeth. This photo therefore must be newer than a 93.

Mine has that squarish worn-down pyramid shaped protrusion with the very tip broken off. But with this photo I can new finally determine where I'm supposed to be lining 10 degrees BTDC on the balancer up.

Thanks a million for the link and for your help! You rock!

 

[Rearanger]

Yes, I said mine was an 03.

The toothed wheel is for crankshaft position sensor, which you don't have. For the picture I've removed the sensor.

If you have the engine lug but the mark is missing then try to scratch a new one in the middle of the remaining lug, that should put you close enough. Otherwise you'll have to find mechanical TDCC by measuring piston travel through the spark plug hole with a probe. This will be dicy as it may be hard to see the actual TDC before piston starts to move downward.

Good luck.

 

[TomTom59]

Rearagner,
Thanks for the helpful tip. I fashioned a substitute pointer out of a bracket for a power window motor. Its about 5 inches long and somewhat triangular is shape with holes in it that get smaller the closer you get to the narrow end. I bent a small hook on the end and soldered it in place which forms a nice pointer. I hope to bolt it down on one of the bolts above and to the left of the original indicator and bend the bracket so it sits in the proper place.

Something I don't understand, I wonder why my 93 3.0 doesn't have a crank position sensor and no corresponding toothed wheel. DIS didn't appear until 95. Funny actually. Why would the fuel injection need both a cam sensor and a crank sensor anyway? The cam sensor should be sufficient as it is most appropriate to sense when to fire the coil and actuate fuel injectors. (when my original distributor was still in place and the key on, I could rock the rotor button left and right a bit and could hear the fuel pump come on and a fuel injector click each time I triggered the PIP sensor). Perhaps mine employs so-called "Batch Injection" and yours has Sequential Injection. Strange. I'll look at the schematic out of curiosity to see if three of my injectors are wired together in two groups with only two outputs from the computer.

If it stops raining here in Charleston, SC (presently 50 degrees) today I hope to work in it some more.

 

[Rearanger]

Something I don't understand, I wonder why my 93 3.0 doesn't have a crank position sensor and no corresponding toothed wheel. DIS didn't appear until 95. Funny actually. Why would the fuel injection need both a cam sensor and a crank sensor anyway?

Your 93 should OBD1. I believe the addition of crank angle sensor was to detect rotation speed so computer could signal misfire if expected tooth didn't arrive on time. Someone will pipe in if I'm wrong.

The cam sensor should be sufficient as it is most appropriate to sense when to fire the coil and actuate fuel injectors.

Yes, my OBD1 1992 Mitsu has only cam position sensor and it does fine. Idles much better than Ranger at 3x the mileage and 10 years older.

 

[TomTom59]

Had it running for 15 minutes today

OK, I had the Ranger running today. Idled it for 5 minutes before driving it around the block and back home. It idled smoothly (more so than usual) and sounded fine but when you goosed the throttle it had a lazy response in spooling up. Test drive proved it lacks power. I shut it off and adjusted the distributor housing a bit and it ran worse, almost cutting off. I shut it off and adjusted the distributor the other direction and it wouldn't restart. Tried to get it back to the last running position but it didn't restart.

Not sure what's wrong. Must have the rotor installed "off" from where it should be. Again I can't find any photos of a 93 3.0 distributor with the cap off sitting at the proper position when ready to fire while the timing mark is at 10 degrees BTDC. I marked the center of the PIP plug location on my firewall before I ever pulled the original distributor so I can get that back where is was.

The question is how to point the rotor where it needs to be when the crank is at 10 degrees BTDC. If someone is industrious enough to take a shot of their 93 3.0 rotor in that position that would be awesome. I find it easy to turn the engine with a breaker bar on the large nut of the alternator pulley if that helps you any. Thanks for the help.

 

[Rearanger]

Do you have a timing light?

Without a reference you'll need to put engine at TDCC then see where the rotor is compared to the distributor wire contact for #1. You could be a tooth out.

 

[TomTom59]

Hello Rearanger, This is probably where I went wrong. I set the balancer on 10 degrees BTDC when I lined up the distributor housing and rotor. I'll pop it back out and do as you instructed.

Thinking about it, there doesn't seem to be a way for the computer to alter the timing one way or the other. The rotor is solidly fixed to the driven shaft and can't move unlike the old-type mechanical distributor's centrifugal advance used to. The distributor's housing certainly can't move either. Not a major deal, just a curiosity as to how the CPU advances or retards timing unless some part of the PIP sensor inside can be shifted clockwise or counter clockwise a bit electronically. I can see that would make it trigger earlier or later in relation to the rotor position.

I noticed the inverted cup wheel assembly that triggers the PIP sensor in the distributor has one tooth that's smaller then the rest and seems to correspond with #1, is that right?

I dug up a diagram for the DIS 3.0 that shows the cam syncro (looks like a stubby distributor with no plug wires) indicating the equivalent of a rotor should be positioned 38degrees to the left of the engine's center line. If lining up the rotor with wire contact for #1 doesn't do the trick I may try the 38 degrees to the left rotor alignment.

Many thanks!

 

[Rearanger]

is that right?

Sounds right, but I haven't seen the inside of ones like yours. You'll know if that short tooth aligns close when at TDCC.

I may try the 38 degrees to the left rotor alignment.

The 38* is tricky. When I did mine 28* got a lot closer and ran fine. But getting the right shaft tooth engaged is priority.

 

[TomTom59]

Running again

Hot Dog! I got it running again. Idles smoother than it did before the whole ugly distributor gear problem reared it's head. Has the power it should have as well. Another added benefit is that it doesn't lose as much speed on a bridge with cruise on as it used to, a common complaint about Rangers so I hear. And if that wasn't good enough another odd thing has ceased, on level road when cruising between 55 and 65 any additional part-throttle resulted in bucking. That gremlin is gone. Went on a long ceremonial after-fixit ride, gave it a buggy-bath, and very happy to report all is well in the engine bay.

A huge THANK YOU has to go out to Rearanger for sticking with me, providing invaluable knowledge, and his willingness to help a fellow Ranger owner in dire straits (not to mention a strong desire to throw tools and bang head against wall). Thanks again!

 

[Rearanger]