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2.3L ('83-'97) Losing power at 3300 rpm


Savethejake

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Coon Rapids, MN
Vehicle Year
1990
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Ford Ranger
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Manual
Hey guys need some advice. I’ve been lossing power at around 3300 rpms pretty consistently. Happens most at highway speed but parked in neutral if I rev up past 3000 it does the same thing. It hits a wall and loses all power. Changed fuel filter been throwing in a bunch of fuel cleaners. Cleaned the mass airflow sensor but I’m stumped
 


LIMA BEAN

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Check out your FPR (Fuel pressure regulator) They are infamous for that and more, only about 15 bucks and one 10 MM bolt and vacuum line to deal with. Pull the vacuum line off key on and off and if it smells like gas or squirts in your face your close. Should go to a vacuum tree in the manifold that also goes to your brake booster. Make sure you let us know so others can learn. Also if it is bad you sucked gas into your brake booster and that diaphram is doomed. If the FPR fails completely your engine will hydro lock with fuel (hard if not impossible start after shut down) and that goes into your crankcase oil and you can spin bearings and possibly bend connecting rods. If it does hydro and you have to get home first and foremost disable the coil so no spark NO SPARK! Pull the plugs, stand back and crank it over to spew the fuel out of the cylinders DANGER DANGER DANGER. Be aware your exhaust will also be fuel soaked.
 
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tomw

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toenails of foothills NW of Atlanta
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lima bean
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Given the brake booster itself has vacuum, being pulled FROM one side of the diaphragm, how will it pull gas in to doom the diaphragm? I am missing something.... I'm trying to figure how it could pull fuel into itself. There is vacuum in the large line, engine running. Step on the brake pedal, and a valve opens, allowing the vacuum to pull against one side of the diaphragm, helping to push the master cylinder rod and apply the brakes. Foot off, the valve closes, and no more vacuum, no connection... Still in a bit of question on how fuel gets in.
Could the throttle position sensor be mal-adjusted, giving the ECM bum info?
You can have proper fuel pressure, but if the flow is restricted, it will not have enough fuel to operate the engine above a certain point.
Did you check fuel delivery volume? Jumper the fuel pump relay after connecting a gauge with a diverter to the schrader valve. Run the pump for a measured minute(or do math) and figure the delivered volume captured in a container with measurement marks.
tom
 

Savethejake

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Joined
Oct 26, 2020
Messages
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Location
Coon Rapids, MN
Vehicle Year
1990
Make / Model
Ford Ranger
Transmission
Manual
Given the brake booster itself has vacuum, being pulled FROM one side of the diaphragm, how will it pull gas in to doom the diaphragm? I am missing something.... I'm trying to figure how it could pull fuel into itself. There is vacuum in the large line, engine running. Step on the brake pedal, and a valve opens, allowing the vacuum to pull against one side of the diaphragm, helping to push the master cylinder rod and apply the brakes. Foot off, the valve closes, and no more vacuum, no connection... Still in a bit of question on how fuel gets in.
Could the throttle position sensor be mal-adjusted, giving the ECM bum info?
You can have proper fuel pressure, but if the flow is restricted, it will not have enough fuel to operate the engine above a certain point.
Did you check fuel delivery volume? Jumper the fuel pump relay after connecting a gauge with a diverter to the schrader valve. Run the pump for a measured minute(or do math) and figure the delivered volume captured in a container with measurement marks.
tom
I will try that. This issue has been around for well over a year so I feel like with what the other guy was say my truck wouldn’t run anymore. Just found out the my plug wires are arcing but my truck doesn’t run rough other than this issue so I don’t think that would cause it. Typically I can let up on the gas and feather my way out of it on the highway or just pull over to not block traffic but I’m basically stuck going 20-30 mph but it clears up pretty quick. That’s why I’m stumped. It’s just a pain in the ass and I’ve had a few shops look into but they won’t test drive it to see the actual problem
 

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