Spadilla7
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2021
- Messages
- 16
- Reaction score
- 4
- Points
- 3
- Location
- Chattanooga, TN
- Vehicle Year
- 1990
- Make / Model
- Ford Ranger XLT
- Transmission
- Automatic
I am new here, just did an introduction on the introduction forum. I am in need of help for those that have experience with the ranger. First, I will give some background information on the truck. Then what’s been done to it, and finally where we are today.
Myself, my wife and my son and drove down to GA to pick up a running 1990 Ranger XLT with a 2.9L. The kiddo wanted a truck to tinker on and drive around town in. It is his second car. The problem with the truck was it had a known blown head gasket. It ran but we couldn’t run it for long, less than 5 minutes or it would start to overheat. The engine ran great otherwise. Ok, no big deal.
We trailered the truck home and proceeded to pull the heads and sent them to a machine shop to have them checked out. In the meantime, we replaced items in the engine bay: new radiator, carbon canister, new coolant reservoir, radiator hoses, water pump, t Stat, engine coolant temp, coolant temp sending unit, replaced the o rings for the a/c system, new accumulator., and a new O2 sensor. There is only one to my surprise located where the down pipes meet down by the transmission.
We got a call that the heads were cracked so we got remanufactured heads complete with new valves, guides, seals, and springs.
Installed all new head gaskets and installed the heads with 16 new bolts and torqued them down in the 4 steps as instructed. Installed the rods and rockers arms back to their exact locations. Installed new gaskets on the lower intake manifold, Installed the distributor back to where it was, TDC on compression with rotor pointing to number 1. Installed 6 new fuel injectors, and proceeded to put the rest of the motor back together using new gaskets where applicable. Connected all of the vacuum lines, hoses and electrical connections. Installed new plugs, wires, coil, cap and rotor. Reconnected the battery. Cranks but no start.
Listened for the fuel pump to kick on when ignition is turned on, it does.
Double checked the firing order and the plug wires on the distributor, 142536. All good. Checked the fuses, relays all good. Double checked the injector harness to make sure all injectors were plugged in correctly, they were.
Time to do the 50/50 test. Sprayed starting fluid, No joy, just cranks no sputter.
I grab a Ford OBD1 scanner cause I don’t have patience to count sweeps on a voltmeter. I get code 21 and 14. 14=PIP. So, I go ahead and replace the TFI and I decide to replace the distributor as well since it is 30 years old. Put the engine back at TDC on compression stroke. Replace the distributor and TFI with the dizzy point at #1. Code 14 is now gone, but still no joy, cranks but doesn’t turn over. 50/50 test again nothing.
I have a code 21 which is the engine coolant temp sensor, it’s a new sensor so I’m not sure what that is about.
I have adjusted the distributor in increments as I have cranked it, nothing.
Now, here is one issue. I found a broken wire that I have no idea where it goes. It is attached to the same harness that the oil pressure sending unit and the coolant temp sending unit. I have no idea where it goes. The coloring on the wire seems faded so its either a white with pink stripe or a white with red stripe. It has to go somewhere in that vicinity around the ac compressor, power steering pump, etc. I have been under the truck all over the top of the truck and I cannot locate where it goes.
So, that is where I am, y’all. It’s a long read and I appreciate those that stuck through it. But, I wanted to make sure everyone that reads it gets a good picture or where the truck was and what’s been done to it, and where we currently are.
I hate the thought of no compression since the heads are fresh, with new gaskets and the motor ran prior to the tear down, so I guess that will be my next test if nothing else comes up.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Myself, my wife and my son and drove down to GA to pick up a running 1990 Ranger XLT with a 2.9L. The kiddo wanted a truck to tinker on and drive around town in. It is his second car. The problem with the truck was it had a known blown head gasket. It ran but we couldn’t run it for long, less than 5 minutes or it would start to overheat. The engine ran great otherwise. Ok, no big deal.
We trailered the truck home and proceeded to pull the heads and sent them to a machine shop to have them checked out. In the meantime, we replaced items in the engine bay: new radiator, carbon canister, new coolant reservoir, radiator hoses, water pump, t Stat, engine coolant temp, coolant temp sending unit, replaced the o rings for the a/c system, new accumulator., and a new O2 sensor. There is only one to my surprise located where the down pipes meet down by the transmission.
We got a call that the heads were cracked so we got remanufactured heads complete with new valves, guides, seals, and springs.
Installed all new head gaskets and installed the heads with 16 new bolts and torqued them down in the 4 steps as instructed. Installed the rods and rockers arms back to their exact locations. Installed new gaskets on the lower intake manifold, Installed the distributor back to where it was, TDC on compression with rotor pointing to number 1. Installed 6 new fuel injectors, and proceeded to put the rest of the motor back together using new gaskets where applicable. Connected all of the vacuum lines, hoses and electrical connections. Installed new plugs, wires, coil, cap and rotor. Reconnected the battery. Cranks but no start.
Listened for the fuel pump to kick on when ignition is turned on, it does.
Double checked the firing order and the plug wires on the distributor, 142536. All good. Checked the fuses, relays all good. Double checked the injector harness to make sure all injectors were plugged in correctly, they were.
Time to do the 50/50 test. Sprayed starting fluid, No joy, just cranks no sputter.
I grab a Ford OBD1 scanner cause I don’t have patience to count sweeps on a voltmeter. I get code 21 and 14. 14=PIP. So, I go ahead and replace the TFI and I decide to replace the distributor as well since it is 30 years old. Put the engine back at TDC on compression stroke. Replace the distributor and TFI with the dizzy point at #1. Code 14 is now gone, but still no joy, cranks but doesn’t turn over. 50/50 test again nothing.
I have a code 21 which is the engine coolant temp sensor, it’s a new sensor so I’m not sure what that is about.
I have adjusted the distributor in increments as I have cranked it, nothing.
Now, here is one issue. I found a broken wire that I have no idea where it goes. It is attached to the same harness that the oil pressure sending unit and the coolant temp sending unit. I have no idea where it goes. The coloring on the wire seems faded so its either a white with pink stripe or a white with red stripe. It has to go somewhere in that vicinity around the ac compressor, power steering pump, etc. I have been under the truck all over the top of the truck and I cannot locate where it goes.
So, that is where I am, y’all. It’s a long read and I appreciate those that stuck through it. But, I wanted to make sure everyone that reads it gets a good picture or where the truck was and what’s been done to it, and where we currently are.
I hate the thought of no compression since the heads are fresh, with new gaskets and the motor ran prior to the tear down, so I guess that will be my next test if nothing else comes up.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
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