88' 2.9L Having Issues

[DueyCuminer]

Ok to start things off I'm very capable of fixing a vehicle when I know what the parts actually are with that being said I rarely know what the parts are or where they are located.

I have an 88' ranger 2.9L. Exhaust cut before the cat and straight pipes back. When it idles or you hold rpm at a constant it sounds like a boat motor out of water and occasionally there is a big clod of black smoke (most common) a back fire and a cloud of blue smoke or just a lot of white smoke. Started doing it after I washed the engine well out with degreaser and water hose. When idling it likes to drop to 500 Rpms and will idle fine if you give it a quick push on the gas pedal to jump Rpms to a quick 3-4k and then it will idle around 1100-1200. When I get going down the road it will randomly go to the boat motor sound and will only stop when you increase speed (ie push down on the gas pedal). If you try to hold speed it will continuously run like poo. It was only doing this until I hit the interstate but now it does it pretty much constantly. I've read that the air fuel ratio is off but have no idea where to adjust. Also been told to check various filters for blockages but again have no idea where to look. Please help.


Also the belts started squealing really bad on start up or when you let it die from idle (take it out of hear while going down the road it's a stick shift) and put in gear to let it start back up at the same time these issues presented themselves.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Go through and check all your vacuum lines. There should be a diagram on the radiator support. Replace any hard or cracked hoses. Replace the PCV valve if you havent and clean the air charge senser with rubbing alcohol. Make sure all the sensers are plugged in and then disconnect the battery for 1/2 an hour to reset the computer. It wouldnt hurt to just clean all the connectors under the hood with electrical cleaner and put back together with dielectric grease. look for bare shorted and broken wires and fix as necessary especially around the exhaust manifolds. A bad engine coolant temp senser can make it do wierd stuff is the engine running at operating temp? You can pull the codes but make sure all the wiring and vacuum lines are good first. Probably wouldnt hurt to just replace the vacuum lines all the way around as well as the PCV.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

You really need to put the cat and a muffler back in. Could be the O2 senser is freaking out from lack of back pressure?