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2.3L ('83-'97) Bucking, loss of power under load-solved


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Hey everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has had this issue before. My 2.3l ranger (manual) (fuel-injected) runs pretty good around town at low speeds doing easy driving. However, when I drive it out on the highway, especially going up hill in a higher gear, when the engine is under the most load, the engine will sometimes violently buck and shake my whole drivetrain making a loud grinding sound in my transmission and such. The spark plugs, wires, coil packs, fuel filter, air filter, and fuel pump are new. The injectors are original. Fuel pressure is good, at least in the driveway. My mass airflow sensor looks spotless and I’ve tested it and the throttle position sensor to verify that they’re indeed working. I’m happy to answer any questions to get a better idea about it.

Also, does the 91 2.3l have a camshaft position sensor in addition to the crankshaft position sensor?
 
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sfetter

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We've got a 91 2.3L that started pulling the same crap, just going uphill. Come to find out it doesn't do it when the fuel tank is full; starts doing it when we've burned it down by 4 or 5 gallons. So, suggest comparing full tank vs. 1/3 or 1/2 tank.

Looking in the tank, there's a round structure that comes up from the bottom of the tank and wraps around the fuel pump. We suspect somehow the pump is getting starved on hills - at this point we're not sure how that round part gets filled, and there's seemingly no data out there on the internal structure of the tank. At some point we're going to pull the pump again and look around. May or may not apply to your situation, but it sounded close enough that I thought I'd pass along what we know.

Hope this helps....
 

RonD

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There is a "sock" filter at the bottom of the fuel pump, it needs to be changed when pump is changed or if it gets clogged

1991 has a Return fuel line that comes from the Fuel Pressure Regulator(FPR) in the engine bay

The Return line connects to the top of the tank and its line inside the tank goes down the assembly and empties at the bottom of the tank/assembly next to the fuel pump(this may be the line you are seeing/describing)

The pump has an internal line that goes to the top of the tank, and that's connected to the OUT to Filter line
If this line in the tank gets a leak then it can suck air IN once fuel level is low enough for leak to be exposed to air in the tank

Electric fuel pumps can/do generated 80+ psi of pressure
The FPR up thru 1997 were set for 43psi, 35psi running pressure
So a leak in this internal line wouldn't be noticed too much as far as a loss of pressure, but sucking in AIR would be
 
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sfetter

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Thanks, that's all good to know. It's a new fuel pump (that's another story for another day, but we got several that were junk out of the box) but we'll look at that hose from the pickup to the pump.

The round structure I mentioned is more of a well - roughly the diameter of the access hole in the top of the tank where the fuel pump and gage unit goes in. Kinda like a big juice can open at the top. I expect it's there to keep the pump pickup from becoming unported at steep angles; something I'm a little too familiar with due to my years in the aviation world. But it's not something we paid a lot of attention to in the umpteen times we've been in there, so I don't know how it fills or drains. But I suspect either that hose you mentioned or this structure are the problem.

More when I know it....
 
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Sorry I haven't updated this old thread. The problem ended up being mixed up spark plug wires on the exhaust side coil pack for me. I fixed them and it runs like a champ now. Feel free to keep posting though.
 

alwaysFlOoReD

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Thanks for posting your fix.
 

BuckHilt

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Old age and deception beats youth and enthusiasm every time.
THANK YOU!!!
I have been fighting this same issue for a few weeks now. Swapped #1 and #3 on the exhaust side and all is good in the world once again! Can't believe I missed that!
 

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