Need your help! (1986 Ranger 2.9)

[d_edge95]

Hi, first let me introduce myself...

My name is David, and I am about to turn 16 (the legal driving age in Alberta.) I have inherited my grandpa's truck and have been driving it since I got my learner's permit two years ago. Aside from the truck being noisy and a little slow (which I am attributing to its age) there have never been any MAJOR mechanical issues while I have had possession. (I've had to replace the heater core, but that's about it.) That is, until now.

The 'truck' is a 1986 Ford Ranger 4x4, with a 2.9L EFI engine.

I was driving down the highway the other day, when my engine stalled (I was somewhere in the neighborhood of 90-100 km/h, or 55-60mph). It seemed like my front tank was out of fuel, so I switched tanks but the truck wouldn't start. I had the vehicle towed to my house which, fortunately, wasn't too far away. About 5 hours later, my step dad and I were about to check what was wrong with it, but when we tried to turn it over it started without any problems... so, the next day, we loaded it with garbage and took it to the dump. It quit about half a kilometer away, and this time wouldn't start.

To make a long story a little shorter, we have been working on it for the last day and a half. I verified the fuel pumps are working, so I checked to see if it was getting a spark... it wasn't, and still isn't.

What we have already done:
Cleaned the battery posts and receivers
Changed the ignition module (the 2.9 has a distributor, so it is a TFI-IV module)
Changed the distributor and the rotor
Verified that the resistance in the ignition coil is at appropriate levels
Verified the fuel pumps are in working order.


We are in the middle of moving right now, so it's kind of important that we get it working.

Thanks for taking the time to read my admittedly long story...
David

 

[Duane867]

Have you checked to see if the rotor is turning under the dizzy cap ? If not your timing chain is broken.

 

[d_edge95]

Thanks for the quick reply. I will be checking this either later tonight or sometime tomorrow, and I'll keep you posted.

 

[d_edge95]

The rotor is spinning, so I don't think the timing chain is at fault.

 

[adsm08]

Your TFI module crapped itself. Get a new one and throw it in there.

They die suddenly and often with little warning and do more or less exactly what you are describing.

 

[d_edge95]

I changed the module earlier today, but it isn't working.

 

[84bluebronco2]

Your TFI module crapped itself. Get a new one and throw it in there.

They die suddenly and often with little warning and do more or less exactly what you are describing.

I agree with you, but I believe he stated that they already changed it. MAybe a bad unit out of the box?

 

[logicgear]

you said you changed the distributor and rotor. does that mean that you changed the distributor cap and rotor or did you buy a new distributor? if you didn't it could be the pick up inside the dis. if cost isn't much of a issue a new dis is around $60 (US) or if you don't have alot of money you can take the dis apart and replace the pick up they cost around $25 (US). sorry i don't know the conversion.

Changing the pick up can be a pain in the you know what if you have never done it. you have to pull the dis out of the truck knock out the roll pin in the gear and pull the gear off slide the shaft out of the dis. remove old and install new pick and reassemble the dis. the fist time i did one it took about 30 min. total in and out.

 

[d_edge95]

Oops, I meant the distributor cap and the rotor. I didn't actually take out the whole distributor because I was afraid I would throw the timing off... if I can get time tomorrow I will give this a shot. But our mechanic friend said he could look at the truck on Monday if we cant figure it out.
Thanks a lot, I think thats one of the only things we havent tried

 

[Duane867]

YOu can test the pick up with a paper clip and a test light just as you can the module.

 

[DisturbedMXer8]

If you aren't getting spark, it's basically an open in the ignition system somewhere. Start at the wires, and work your way back... is the coil getting power? Is your pickup sending a signal? I couldn't tell you the exact places to look, but I can tell you that if you aren't getting spark, something in the ignition system is not getting power and/or ground.

 

[adsm08]

Stick a test light between the green wire at the coil and the battery negative terminal. It should flash when you crank the engine.

If not, it's the pickup or you got a bad module. If it does, you probably have a bad coil.

Wiring is usually the last suspect.

 

[mendozamm]

sounds like the pick up coil, same problems as my ranger. Swapped out dizzy and she working again