1986 Ford Ranger 2.0 Idle/Stalling Problem Help!

[ianthegreat]

I'm spraying a little starter fluid down into the carb to give it a little jump start. I sit there and crank it for about 3 seconds while slowing giving it a little gas, pressure seems to build up and spit it out the top. I think that's also why I saw liquid at the base of the carb, because so much pressure was building up it would seap the gaskets. Could that little flap deal at the bottom of my carb may not opening cause it to spit back out the top? hmm... I'll check that tomorrow, maybe I connected something wrong. Any other ideas?

 

[Mark_88]

If it's not actually starting or hasn't ran since you put it back together...the timing could be off...or your firing order...when the fuel gets spit out the top you've got the valves opening at the wrong time and the cylinder is actually pushing fuel out on the compression stroke...

Or so it seems...

 

[ianthegreat]

That makes sense.

Based on what you're telling me, I need to remove the timing belt and adjust the camshaft to correlate with the pistons?

I will study up on this.


*edit* I think I understand.. so my intake valve is actually opening when the piston is on it's way up (why i see the fuel spitting out the carb)? When it should actually be opening right at when the piston is going down (tdc)?

 

[RangerFabWorks]

did you take your distributor out?

 

[ianthegreat]

did you take your distributor out?

No, that is one thing I have not done.

I am pretty *un*informed when it comes to timing - I'm not sure what all I can do to fix the timing. The only sort of adjustments I have experience with now is with a timing light. If I remove the distributor, what should I be looking for to make sure timing is properly aligned?

*edit* found a decent website explaining it

 

[ianthegreat]

alright i cranked the engine over with a breaker bar and my thumb over the spark plug on cylinder one. right as it loses pressure on my thumb I stop turning.. the cam shaft sprocket is lining up tdc and my mark on the crank shaft pulley is lining up tdc. i removed the distributor/rotor but do not know how to align it.


Short video summarizing the pictures below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrRJZYqIDkQ

camshaft sprocket pointing to tdc

crankshaft pulley at tdc, i don't have the cover on which shows this.. and please disregard the orange paint job

removed the distributor

With that said, why would I be blowing gas out of the top of the carb if it appears that both the camshaft and pistons are set properly. Am I missing something?

 

[RangerFabWorks]

if you remember which way the rotor was pointing when you took it out, just flip it 180 degrees.

if not, with the engine at tdc point the rotor at the number 1 spark plug.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

the reason your backfiring out the carb is because your firing on the intake, rather than the exhaust.

the distributor is either 180* out (turned around) or the timing is too retarded.

 

[ianthegreat]

Thanks blackwidow. I'll try tonight.

This now makes so much sense!!

"The process to install a distributor is as follows: Crank the engine over until the number one piston is coming up on the compression stroke. You can remove all the spark plugs and crank it over with your finger in the #1 spark plug hole and wait until you feel the compression start to build up. Both valves will be closed.

Next, watch for the timing mark to come to TDC. Stop the cranking there. Now set the distributor so that the rotor is pointing at the #1 position on the distributor, ie. where the #1 spark plug wire would be when the cap was in place.

Insert the distributor into place and make sure the gear is engaged. Then push it into place. The distributor gear is a bevel gear which means that the distributor shaft will rotate when you push it into place. You need to watch to see how much it turns and then compensate by backing off the position on initial insertion so that it is perfectly lined up when it is fully seated.

The oil pump shaft may be driven by the bottom of the distributor. If it is then it may be difficult to get the distributor to line up with the hex shaft in the oil pump at the same time you have the gears lined up. When you are absolutely sure you have it ready to go in and have the gears engaged, just rotate the engine a slight bit until the oil pump shaft lines up and it will go in easily.

Recheck the position by going thru the cranking process described above and make sure that the rotor points to the #1 position on the cap when the crankshaft is lined up on TDC on the compression stroke.

Remember, the crankshaft is lined up on TDC twice as the distributor turns around, once on TDC when the piston is coming up on the exhaust stroke and once when it is coming up on the compression stroke!! Don't get the two positions confused. Make sure you are on TDC on the compression stroke."

 

[ianthegreat]

well... got it up and running.. idles perfect. hurray!

then... over heats with a good amount of smoke coming from the exhaust manifold side.

i guess it wasn't meant to be

 

[dangerranger83]

My god all that work and it still is over heating? I cant think of what is causing the problem. Could the oil system be failing? There has to be a crack or something somewhere that is allowig coolant into one or more of the cylinders.

What color is the smoke? If blue its oil, if white its coolant (and if cold outside then the smoke will be white for awhile till the engine warms up) and if black its to much fuel.

How long does it take for it to over heat? If in a very short amount of time then there is a curculation problem. What said it was over heating, a guage? There might be an air pocket in the cooling system and keeping it from curculating and/or making it read hot, happened to my bro-in-laws truck.

 

[ianthegreat]

Heats up pretty quick, within a minute or two. I was reading from the oil temp gauge, but it hadn't even gotten near hot enough to be burning by the time smoke was coming from the engine.

Smoke could be white, tough call. It isn't very thick. I'll take a video of it tomorrow.

 

[Robert_1967]

change the thermostat, it might be stuck closed, and if your useing the old water pump, it might be slipping on the shaft and not pushing enough water.

just my 2 cents worth

 

[locovaca]

Heats up pretty quick, within a minute or two. I was reading from the oil temp gauge, but it hadn't even gotten near hot enough to be burning by the time smoke was coming from the engine.

Smoke could be white, tough call. It isn't very thick. I'll take a video of it tomorrow.

Are you sure it's not just burning that paint off or something like that?

 

[Mark_88]

Are you sure it's not just burning that paint off or something like that?

Ditto...with all that new paint there could be some burnoff...especially if it's not the high heat engine block paint...

I painted my exhaust system with what I thought was high heat paint...it wasn't meant for exhaust systems because they can reach 800* to 1200* (apparently)...there was quite a bit of white smoke from that...but it only lasted about two minutes...just enough time to fill the garage with it though...