'85 Ranger Restomod

[85_Ranger4x4]

The fight has been ongoing, and it has been close.

It really didn't do too bad when I had the camper on it.

I replaced the noted connector. It didn't make any difference. Starting has gotten much worse as the weather has gotten colder.

I had to jump it to get into the barn, battery gave out before it would fire. Then after charging it wouldn't start again so my wife pull started it. I finally got the topper out of the garage and back on the truck so I can get the truck in the garage and really pick at it. Then I had to have her pull start it again to get it back into the garage. And she really had to pull it farther than she really should have both times, and really it seemed like it took awhile the one time in Kentucky too.

Last night I started doing the diagnostic pinpoint test on everything in the ignition. I checked the pickup and it it tested perfect. Next thing was to check the ground at the module... and nothing.

So I dug out the wiring going to the dizzy. Back when I was melting down DS modules I spliced in an actual ground wire, otherwise the entire ignition grounds thru the distributor base contact with the engine bock. It is weird, it is like in the 6-7 years the heatshrink shrunk more so one end was actually open. So I crammed my multimeter probe down in there and I have ground. Test the connector at the module and now I have ground there.

So I plug everything back in and hit it last night, it fired right off.

So tonight I go back out and I don't have ground at the module again. Give the splice the same probe therapy and I have ground again. Hit it again, fires right off again. As far as "cold start" goes, it is 32* out.

So later I am going to head back out and redo that and see if that fixes it.

 

[RayInStl]

Sounds like you found your problem. Hope that takes care of it. Intermittent problems are the worst to track down.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

If anyone hasn't caught it yet there has been a lot of stuff on the Vagabond thread featuring among others my truck as well.

Vagabonds - Vagabonds - Kentucky Adventure Tour - 2024 | The Ranger Station

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Anyone on the Vagabond trip a few things came up.

First was I don't have a way to turn the efans off from inside the cab.
A second was when driving in heavy timber it is hard to see the gauges under the dash. That is why pretty much all the pics of my truck on the trip it has the running lights on.

So I want to add a switch to kill the efans, easy to to just switch the ground to the relays. And add a two position switch to have the gauge lights come on with the key at full 12v or with the headlights on the dimmer.

So I tore it apart like a month ago to get this done. Stuff came up, winter got here and kinda shut me down. I finally got back to it. I bored out the holes from my indicator lights to double the number of switch holes in my panel. So I just put it back how I had it. The new switches have indicator lights made into them and they will take significant wiring to make work how I want. The instructions are pretty much crap too.



But I did get the new voltmeter installed that matches the rest of my gauges after 4 years.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Cold starting issues persist.

I have spark as soon as it starts cranking now. Reliably.

With the remote starter I crank it long enough it should start but doesn't. Stop. I smell gas like it is really close to flooding. Stick pliers in the choke and hit it again and it fires right off.

Pull the top off the carb, needles look great. Floats are set great. I look down in the carb with the fuel pump running and I don't see anything moving anywhere. It has 5.5psi of fuel pressure so within spec. Adjust the choke pulloff looser to no avail.

So we go on a voyage on the google machine grasping at straws. Discover there is a vacuum piston that pulls the choke off slightly when cranking to actually let air into the engine. Can't find a picture of it anywhere online at break so when I get home today I dig out my Edelbrock/Carter carb book and they actually have a picture of it in there, it is behind the choke pulloff.



I guess they can get full of stuff and not work right. still not really sure what I am dealing with I go pull the pulloff off. Everything seems to move free so I spritz it with some brake cleaner and manually exercise it. There is also a gasket between the housing and the carb body but I don't have one and I don't see anything obviously wrong with it. At 10:30 at night in a 29* driveway I try to start it from the seat. It tries to start right before the battery does a faceplant. Worry not, my 2017 battery has taken so many throat punches during this debacle it has about had it and doesn't have much for endurance anymore. Stick the charger on it and it fires off like immediately. As in it cranked for less time that it would take to say immediately. I let it run until it got up to temp and it didn't miss a beat. I did throw some brake cleaner on the aforementioned gasket looking for a vacuum leak and it made no difference in the idle.

Am I onto something?

Is my truck still screwing with me and is continuing to play shadow games?

We will see tomorrow.

Also if you remember back before Kentucky the throttle cable broke. I dropped the funny little screw that holds the cable to the bracket so I ended up just ziptying it in place. Low and behold it rode all the way to Kentucky, bounced down 300+ miles of the KAT and all the way back home on the back of the intake (it was found on the passenger side)

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Same exact story today.

Tried to start it, right before the battery died after not cranking very long it almost started. Put the charger on it and it fired right off.

Gonna have to call it inconclusive until I figure out how to get a new battery in it.

 

[SenorNoob]

That is weird. Stuff like this I why don't do carbs on a vehicle. Seems to always be the weird problems. At least early EFI either works or doesn't. (For the most part anyway, I have code 172 (lean) that shows up only when at low engine speed for extended periods. Pretty sure it's because of an exhaust leak.)

 

[Uncle Gump]

I would back the choke off a little bit... maybe it's closing under a bit to much tension. I would repeat backing it off in tiny increments until you find the point where it brings up the fast idle cam enough to catch on the high step of the cam and the choke closes enough for fuel enrichment.

During warm months... I would likely just back the choke off all the way. You might have to keep it running for a few seconds but you'll eliminate the flooding.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I would back the choke off a little bit... maybe it's closing under a bit to much tension. I would repeat backing it off in tiny increments until you find the point where it brings up the fast idle cam enough to catch on the high step of the cam and the choke closes enough for fuel enrichment.

During warm months... I would likely just back the choke off all the way. You might have to keep it running for a few seconds but you'll eliminate the flooding.

Backing the choke off had no effect.

Right now I think if the battery stayed with it it would start. It tries enough to let go of the starter switch then it dies and will barely crank. Throw the charger on it and it fires right off. I am going to try starting it with the charger on it next. The battery is very weak, I might get 3-4 turns out of a fresh charge.

Historically it has always been a great cold starter. A year ago it started great when it was -25* to go pull out the Bronco, and it had been sitting for a month

 

[Uncle Gump]

Well when I saw it in Kentucky... even after 10 minutes of cranking and key on time... the choke was still full closed. IMHO... it was too tight.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Well when I saw it in Kentucky... even after 10 minutes of cranking and key on time... the choke was still full closed. IMHO... it was too tight.

The vacuum piston I just cleaned is supposed to pop the choke open slightly when cranking.

I readjusted the choke last week and again the other day when I cleaned the piston thing.

Once running the choke always opens when I am looking at it. It hotstarts great.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Well... if it started...

 

[sgtsandman]

Money and a trip to the auto parts store is normally a good start at getting a new battery in it.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Money and a trip to the auto parts store is normally a good start at getting a new battery in it.

I walk by two new MTP-65 battrries every day at work.

 

[sgtsandman]

I walk by two new MTP-65 battrries every day at work.

Another option, I hear it was a real popular one with my mother when dad did it, is to steal the parts needed from her vehicle to fix the vehicle he was working on.