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Crank No Start Issue


hilawfresh

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In need of help. Still having a no start issue. Crank was slow at first, replaced starter, cranks normal but still no start. Found out fuel filter is clogged, replaced but still no start. Although this time, there's no fuel going through the fuel line. Replaced frame rail fuel pump but fuel feels like slow going through the pump. Now I've been searching through the net and found out that rangers usually have 2 fuel pumps (one in frame, one in tank). Does anybody know a link or part number for in tank fuel pump? Thanks in advance.
 


RonD

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Welcome to TRS :)

1985 2.8l V6 Ranger used a carburetor so had a mechanical fuel pump on the engine, no pump in the frame rail or in the gas tank

So what year and what engine do you have?

1986 to 1988 2.9l V6 Rangers were fuel injected and did have 2 fuel pumps, one in the frame rail and one in the gas tank
1989 and up just had a fuel pump in the gas tank, all Rangers

With either you can spray fuel into the engine and see if it starts, if it does then spark and compression are good and fuel delivery IS the problem
If it still doesn't start then fuel might not be the problem
Called the 50/50 test
 
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hilawfresh

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I just realized that the previous owner had removed the mechanical fuel pump and installed a universal fuel pump. 12V tapped on the red wire going to the ignition coil. He was driving it until head gasket gave up.

I have a 1985 2.8L ranger. I did check to see if there are sparks, triple checked timing, everything checked out. Maybe for some reason the pump gave out because I kept cranking it not knowing the fuel filter was clogged?
 

RonD

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If you put a little gasoline down the carburetor and try to start the engine that will tell you if spark and spark timing is OK, also if there is enough compression to vaporize the gasoline
Its the only way to test that, there is no "tester" that works better than 50/50 test

The problem with electric fuel pumps is that they have no suction power like a mechanical pump had/has
So an electric pump CAN NOT PULL gasoline out of the gas tank, over the top of the tank

That's why the 1986-1988 needed TWO electric pumps, one in the tank to get gasoline over the top and one in the frame to get the gasoline to the engine with a higher pressure

Once you get the one electric pump primed, it will probably stay working as long as the gas tank is never allowed to run dry
Remove the fuel line at the carburetor and put its end in a container to catch the fuel
Remove the gas cap from the tank
Put a short hose in the tank and use a damp rag/towel wrapped around the hose to seal it
Turn on the pump
Blow into the hose, which increases pressure in the tank
You are trying to force the gasoline in the tank up and over the top of the tank to start a SIPHON to the electric fuel pump
The more gas there is in the tank the better

Once gasoline is flowing into the container shut off the pump

Inspect the gasoline in the container, gasoline goes bad after 6 months, its no longer a "fuel" that works in a gasoline engine very well
Remove the hose and towel

After a few minutes, turn on the pump again and see if fuel comes out the hose into the container without "priming" if so that means the SIPHON is holding so pump should be able to work

There is also a filter IN THE GAS TANK, if the in-line frame filter was clogged then the in tank filter may be as well
 

4x4prepper

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> I have a 1985 2.8L ranger.

Install a mechanical fuel pump. I have experience using 12v fuel pumps and the Mr. Gasket ones are iffy at best and some models are just plain junk.

These are still going strong :

fuel pump: precision m16158
2017-01-17

fuel filter: Mr. Gasket #9748 clear glass
2017-01-17

If I was going to go 12v and low pressure for a carb, I would use an OEM VW pump, those work well. Or a good aftermarket version.

VW Super Beetle External Inline OEM Replacement Fuel Pump 1975-1979 -

 

RonD

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One heads up on VW Beetle pumps, the Beetle gas tanks have a fuel outlet on the BOTTOM of the gas tank, and the gas tank sits high, so there is a Gravity feed to an inline pump

One of the drawbacks of high pressure pumps is that they have no suction, they need to have fuel at the inlet to pump it out, they can not pull fuel in
With a Beetle that's fine since fuel will flow out of the bottom of the tank to the pump, no suction needed

With most vehicles, like Rangers, the fuel outlet for the gas tank is at the TOP of the gas tank, so the high pressure pump must be IN the gas tank so it always has fuel at it inlet
In the 1986-1988 Ranger with EFI a low pressure pump was put in the gas tank to feed the in-line high pressure pump in the frame rail

Mechanical pumps, like the old diaphragm pumps on engines, have lots of suction, so could pull fuel out and over the top of a gas tank, but they can not generate high pressure on the outlet side
 
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hilawfresh

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I just removed my gas tank and took out the sender unit. Turns out my ranger doesn't have low pressure in tank fuel pump. I was surprised since from what I read in the books, that all 85 and above have in-tank fuel pump.

I re-installed my sender today and it seems like it doesn't suck in enough fuel in the fuel line. Is this the conclusion that I'll need an in-tank fuel pump?

If I do, I noticed that there are 4 wires coming in for an in-tank fuel pump. Which ones pins are the 12v & ground? Also there is also 2 fuel line output, is there something I need to connect the other one to?

Thanks
 

RonD

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If its still using the carb the 12v inline low pressure pump should be fine
Take the fuel line off at the carburetor and put it in a container to catch the gasoline
Turn on the fuel pump and see how it flows
Should be a nice steady stream of fuel with NO AIR BUBBLES
Air bubbles mean there is a break/leak in the line some where, so when pump is off its losing its siphon to get fuel out of the tank

If fuel is not flowing out or is very slow then most likely the low pressure pump is failing

It reads like previous owner may have replaced the gas tank or just the assembly in the tank with a 1986-1988 unit, which would have the 4 wire connector and 2 fuel lines for the Fuel Injected engines
1985 only need the one fuel line and 2 wires for the sender
 

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