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2.3L ('83-'97) 1990 2.3l Idles rough... vibrates horribly and idles around 800 RPM. HELP PLEASE!!!


DustinW2

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I have a 1990 ford ranger 2.3l 5 speed manual and I can NOT figure out my issue... I’ve been driving it for a while and it started right up like off the show room floor. I had my dad drive it to help me diagnose a power issue and he said put new injectors in. So I did. As I was doing so, I finished putting all brand new injectors and pressure regulator in and I went to go turn the key and it started with a little higher rpm than usual and then died immediately after. It seemed like a vacuum leak and then I checked. The FPR hose wasn’t plugged into the vacuum tree. I went to go turn the key for the second time and it still died after firing up. I tried giving it throttle in order to get the engine running and the computer caught up but all I got was a Pop from the engine bay. Keep in mind I am a 16 year old kid in a auto shop class in high school... I love cars to death and know a little more than most kids my age. If you guys could help me, that’ll be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
 


Josh B

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Hey Dustin, welcome to TRS. There isn't a lot of traffic some nights but someone will drop by eventually and help you get that sorted out. There are a lot of fine folks here :)
 

DustinW2

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Hey thanks for the welcome, I just threw my issue out there so I could potentially wake up to a running truck ?
Thanks again Josh B ??
 

alwaysFlOoReD

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Spray some fuel into the intake. Its the 50/50 test. If it fires or tries to then its a fuel issue. If it doesn't then its electrical.

Also you shouldn't touch the gas when cranking. I suspect the pop back was caused by a lean condition when you opened the throttle a bit.

If you suspect a flooded engine then you should hold the throttle wide open...foot to the floor. This tells the computer to go into flooded engine mode and the ecu shuts off the injectors.

Check the fuel pressure. It should be 30 to 40 psi for correct running. If there is an internal leak then maybe you don't have enough pressure to start. The fuel pump runs for 2 seconds and shuts off if the engine doesn't start turning over 400 rpm. Turning the key on but not starting will build up pressure by 10 psi each time you turn the key. Do that 4 or 5 times to build pressure to 40 psi and then try cranking it over.
 

Uncle Gump

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Evening Dustin...

A lot of times when this kinda thing happens... you need to go back over your work. Double check all your connections and vacuum hoses.

alwaysFlOoReD gave you some good advice and a place to start... after you double check your work.
 

alwaysFlOoReD

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Good point about checking over your work. I once had a no start issue after swapping engines. I finally tracked it down to a connector not making connection properly. Turned out the orange gasket had dried and was holding the connector apart just enough so it wasn't.....connected. Sprayed on some wd-40 and it would slip together properly.
PS it took me several months to figure it out.
 

DustinW2

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Good point about checking over your work. I once had a no start issue after swapping engines. I finally tracked it down to a connector not making connection properly. Turned out the orange gasket had dried and was holding the connector apart just enough so it wasn't.....connected. Sprayed on some wd-40 and it would slip together properly.
PS it took me several months to figure it out.
Evening Dustin...

A lot of times when this kinda thing happens... you need to go back over your work. Double check all your connections and vacuum hoses.

alwaysFlOoReD gave you some good advice and a place to start... after you double check your work.
Hey I appreciate the help and I did exactly what you told me to do and I was right... it is a vacuum leak but worse... I took the intake manifold plenum off and low and behold my intake manifold was cracked and snapped off one of the ears... good thing you guys were there with your advice... metal in engines don’t mix.
I appreciate all the help you guys gave me. It sucks that my intake plenum is shot but you know... there’s no such thing as a mechanic without any curves
Thanks you guys so much
 

Josh B

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You might get a good one of those at a wrecking yard. I'm surprised it even broke, is it made of aluminum?
 

DustinW2

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You might get a good one of those at a wrecking yard. I'm surprised it even broke, is it made of aluminum?
yep casted out of the weakest aluminum on the planet probably... I would show you but I don’t know how to upload a picture
 

Josh B

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On the window where you write a post there is an option to insert an image, there was one also to upload a file but I don't see it here now

If they break that easily I'd go for a junk yard pull, in my case anyway, because the picNpay near me has a 360 day warranty on parts, you can take it back often as many times as you need to.
They also have a core charge which you can either pay or keep both parts, in your case I don't see any point to hanging on to it
 
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Uncle Gump

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Important point about installation of engine parts...

Most of these parts have both a torque specification... and a torque sequence. These specs are used to pull things down evenly... properly seal/crush seals and gaskets and not exceed the physical limits of the part and hardware.

If you didn't refer to these specs... it could be why it broke.
 

DustinW2

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I know I said I’m a young kid and all but i am very careful with all my installations... I tighten in a cross pattern to evenly seat the gasket... but I guess it just gave out...
 

Josh B

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Is this the one you used? 15-22 ft lb in 2 step sequence.

is the site no longer accepting photos?
 

DustinW2

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I have one of chiltons book and they told me to do a star pattern at 20 ft pounds and that’s what I did. But the guy I bought this from was kind of a weirdo and probably only knew “Ugga Duggas” as his torque spec... But I order a new one anyway, parts for this truck are super duper cheap and should be here this week. It’s just mind boggling to me that people actually don’t care about a car that gets them to point b and back...
 

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