2.3L Intake manifold broken, fixable?


TC260

10+ Year Member

Joined
Sep 29, 2010
Messages
4
Points
3,001
Vehicle Year
2001
Transmission
Manual
I have an '01 Ranger with a 2.3L. To make a long story short, a couple weeks ago it started idling very rough. The code came back as the IMRC valve stuck open. Instead of just replacing the IMRC valve and checking it, the valve cover gasket also needed replacing so I pulled off the intake manifold replaced the gasket, assembled it all back together along with the new IMRC valve.

Now it runs better but still rough. Codes again came back IMRC valve stuck open and too lean in bank 1. Pulled the manifold back off to see if there was a crack or something somewhere and found this end piece that holds the butterfly valve rod broken off as you can see in the pic. Is this something that fixable or is it just replace the whole manifold time?

2.3L Intake manifold broken, fixable?
 
Where's the rubber plug?
 
I'm having the same problem and from my searches and testing I found that the manifold wears a hole right behind the power steering pump. Some have fixed it using JB weld but one problem is that it is right were the shaft for the flaps are. Apparently the shaft wears the hole. If you slip a piece of paper in between the power steering pump and the intake right up close to the head you will hear the leak suck the paper up against it and your engine will idle properly.

I have ordered a new manifold for mine. Got it off e-bay for about $200. May be able to do a temp repair by getting something down in there to close the leak in the meantime.
 
Photos

Ok here are some photos of the manifold leak problem. Hopefully this can help others. One photo will be of the old manifold with the hole and the other the new one and what it should look like. I bought a new manifold from Fairway Ford off ebay. it was $100 cheaper than at my local dealer. First one they sent was broken in transit and they sent me a new one right away.
 

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Only seems to want to load one file. I'll have to try again later.
 
Ok, I got the pictures sized right to load. here they are.
 

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Now that you have it off change that darn pcv valve if you haven't already.
 
I did that too. What a stupid place to put the PVC valve! And that plastic ring that holds it in!
 
While the intake is off is a good time to do the thermostat as well.

I don't believe there is any way to repair a damaged IMRC anymore. There was a kit, years ago, but I got the last one from the obselete warehouse in Hawaii for a customer about 2 years ago.
 
I'm doing this tomorrow and I hope it pretty easy . I was already thinking I need to do the pvc valve while I can get to it too . I got the manifold at parts.com which was Sunrise Ford in Cali .
 
Where is the hole at I can't expand the picture to see it is it where the shaft goes straight through the manifold I pulled my apart and it is full of sludge all the way up to number two cylinder had enough room for maybe a 50-cent piece of slide through it the rest was clean but It is a dead miss on number 1 and number 2 it backfires through the exhaust but not the intake getting fuel and spark and the cylinder and plugs are dry when I pull them out after driving it but it's not smoking no oil in the coolant and no coolant in the oil will straighten up and run down the freeway until you hit an incline no matter how slight and then it starts to chug and lose power is this what yours was doing?
 
hey guys is there a metal intake manifold available for this motor
 

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