86 ranger won't start, firing order?

[lost86broncoii]

Hey just changed the plugs and cap on my ranger 2.9 auto the other day drove it home and it would barely make it up to 30mph sounded like death, so i figured i messed up the firing order, went out yesterday got some nice accel wires to go with new plug, cap, rotor. started fresh on the wiring from the best diagram i could get offline. now the truck won't start at all? pretty sure the firing order is set up right, but looking at the 86 bronco ii i have the two trucks distributors are at very different angles. What can I do to double check my firing order is right or could it be my timing is off bad and replacing all the new parts threw it off even more? trucks not starting, i got spark from the ignition wire, and fuels at the rail(although pressure seems weak and lacking)... thanks for the help, gotta get this truck running before dark :-/

when setting up the wires i used the screws in the distributor as my points of reference, is that right way or should i have just done it to the postition of the wires?

 

[NEVERDONE86]

http://http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/2_9_Page.html
hope this helps!

 

[Kornfed]

autozone.com has every diagram for every engine, with and without distributor free if you register with them, it helped me a ton when the local Ford dealer was a worthless trip in regards to my firing order and plug location

 

[lost86broncoii]

Thanks for the autozone tip, just re-checked the firing order against their diagrams and my bronco ii's. They're the same... not good. Changed both fuel filters, checked for pressure at the valve on the rail, when just primed by turning the key I can get it to squirt out gas. Pull the number 5 plug and put an old spark plug on it, turned key saw spark. But still can't even get the truck to fire. Will sit there and spin all day but then makes a ka-clunk sound from inside the engine which makes me think the firing order is backwards or something, like a backfiring or something? I put a new coil, TFI, Accel wires, motorcraft finewire plat plugs, both fuel filters, new cap and rotor. Now its not firing, what could cause this? I hear a sound from the exhaust every now and then while cranking which could almost be a cylinder firing or trying too.... but only sounds like on of them, then comes the clanking from the engine and it stops turning over. Any help would be very much needed and appreciated, thanks guys.

 

[triumphrider-1]

Check to make sure the rotor is in the correct position. Also check that the #1 spark plug wire is in the crroect orentation when compared with the diagrams.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Put the #1 cylinder on TDC of the compression stroke. put your finger in the #! spark plug hole and with a wrench tour the crank clockwise until you feel pressure. Then look at the timing marks and put it on TDC. Look at the position of the rotor you want to use the post on the cap that the rotor is pointing at as #1 cylinder. Then go clockwise with the firing order from there. #1 should be around 11 oclock as your looking at the dizzy from the front of the truck but it really dont matter. Another way is with a timing light have someone crank on the engine as your looking at the timing marks. keep changing the timing lite to different plug wires until you see the timing marks with the lite, use that post on the cap for #1 and set the firing order from there. Have you checked the timing chain, with a wrench turn the crank clockwise and watch the rotorand get a referance point then tur the crank slowly counter clockwise until the rotor begins to turn. If the crank turns more than a few degrees before the rotor turns you probably need a timing chain and sprockets. GL

 

[lost86broncoii]

I am going to try that out first thing tomorrow thanks, just called it quits for the day. After half a bottle of starting fluid couldn't get so much as a cough from the engine. Its gotta be the timing or rotor position like you said. I tried turning the distributor just a little bit each way and tried to fire it but no change. But I didn't locate TDC on the 1 cylinder, I will post again tomorrow after that and I might even run out and buy a timing light while I'm at it. I have been working on these 2.9's for a while but never messed with timing and the distributor in the past, didn't have problems with them before. But this ranger has got me completely stumped and I got to get it driving this week. Thanks again for your help triumphrider-1 and kimcrwbr1 will keep you posted.

 

[marauderx]

Yeah, I was looking through my weber carb book, and to get more advance, they just said to move all the sparkplugs one terminal, maybe some yahoo did that, instead of restabbing the distributor...

 

[lost86broncoii]

It did seem like it was off when I changed the plugs compared to the bronco ii's wiring set up on the cap, so I started fresh when I put the new wires on just pulled all the old wires off and set it up like the bronco ii's. So I bet that could be whats up with it, but now i wonder if its one terminal to the left or right... Thanks marauderx, I'll be looking into that tomorrow too now.

 

[lost86broncoii]

Hey sorry I didn't get a post up earlier had some cable problems yesterday, we had to go a whole night with out netflix :-O lol. But any way, I just moved all the spark plugs one terminal forward and the truck started right up. Thanks for that tip Marauderx, that was exactly what the guy before me did with the truck. Well the truck is running again but still has a bad miss/bogs down upon acceleration or just rev'ing it up in park or neutral. At idle and up too around 1500 its fine but try giving it more gas or going to the next gear(auto) and its bogging out pretty bad. Also but a new engine coolant temp sensor on it today, and adjusted the spark plug gaps better, but still can't get the truck over 30 mph and its bogging out bad like its getting no fuel or a real bad miss?

 

[triumphrider-1]

That sounds like timing is off yet.

 

[Mark_88]

Or vacuum advance is messed up...oh, wait...this is EFI...well, whatever is responsible for advancing the timing...maybe the computer needs to be reset with all the new parts it may not recognize the engine...lol

 

[lost86broncoii]

I'll try unhooking the battery for a while to reset it. When I get paid tomorrow I might just get a timing light and double check that. I noticed the fuel pressure seems to drop pretty quick at the check valve after turning the engine off. Is that a problem with the injectors or FPR?

 

[lost86broncoii]

Hey guys, I finally went out and got a code reader, hooked it up the ranger and got a code 18 from the Continuous /memory, the book says.... Loss of tachometer input/IDM circuit failure/ SPOUT circuit grounded. Where do I start from here, any one else had this code? Thanks for any help in advance, really need this truck up and running today.

 

[hopster]

have you set the timing yet