92 2.3l please help stuck at work!

[dans92]

hi, my name is daniel and i just bought a 92 ranger xlt with a 2.3l 5spd 2wd. the problem im having is that it runs kinda ok when its cold or first started and drove. after about 30 mins for driving or i guess when it heats up it sputters bucks, no power, then pops and dies. it will start back up and sometimes idle for about 5 secs then sputters and dies. if it sits for a while it will start and run. i crack the trottle and it revs really good then gets hot and dies. ok, now for what work has been done. both coil packs, all wires, all spark plugs, fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel rail, injectors, fuel pressure regulator, crank sensor (but from a junkyard) the guy before me said he had put a ignition module on it but it looks as if it was one from a junkyard. iv cleaned the battery terminals and all connections. i even had the exhaust inspected and the muffler was stopped up. put a new muffler on it and it did good for about 2 days and now its acting up again. but i only made 30 -40 min trips at the most. now at work this morning i just went 2 mins up the street and now when i was coming back to the shop i felt the power loss as if i lost a cylinder or something. sorry for the long post but i wanted to give as much information as possible. i'v been working on ford for a while now but this has got me stumped. im leaning toward the original owner got a bad ignition module from the junkyard because it gets to hot to touch when it acts up.
thanks.
p.s. i did search a bit from google and this forum and their solutions are whats allready been done...any ideas...?

 

[blisted]

Catalytic converter could be stopped? Could have been what clogged the muffler. Try pulling out the front o2 sensor and seeing if that alleviates some of the issues.

 

[dans92]

yeah well the guy that worked on it he took the exaust off at the manifold and drove it around and did fine. so he said he was going to take the exhaust off and punch through the cat, i went to go eat and came back and he said the cat didn't have anything in it and the muffler was hot, so he replaced the muffler. so im wondering if he didnt screw me by lieing and just went the cheap route and didnt really look at the cat and said it clogged the muffler. is there a way to punch it out? i dont have emissions? i just need a temp fix. you said to remove the o2 sensor, im guessing that would free up the exhaust? also the check engine light was on when it first acted up, after i messed with the battery and cleaned it because they were corroded it went off then i started and it was still on, then i found a lose ground strap looking to come from the wiper motor, it wasn't connected to anything so i hooked it back in the spot on the engine and it seemed to have more power but i drove it around the parking lot and when i got it it spit and shut off on me again. i got under the truck and i cant see where he would have looked through the cat. ?

 

[fastpakr]

Check the codes. Instructions are in the tech pages. All you need is a paper clip. Post results here.

 

[dans92]

yeah when i start it now the light is off? i think it only comes on when it gets hot and sputters and dies. then when it cools down and i start it up it gone? maybe ill try to see if i can get the code to come back.. does the computer store the code even if the light is off?

 

[fastpakr]

Yes, the computer stores the codes. Read the tech article and all will be explained.

 

[Frank The Tank]

You can punch out the cat with a slender pipe and a hammer... or you can replace it with a high flow one.

But the standard rule of thumb is that cats don't just go bad... they are a non moving part, if a cat goes bad... the real trouble lies upstream.

Frank

 

[dans92]

well it has a little miss in it and probably running a little rich. so im thinking that after 174k it could have possibly damaged the cat.

 

[dans92]

seems it looks like im getting code 33 witch is egr malfunction and the next one seems to be either 13 or 133 i was giving some odd blinks and there is no 133 code on your list so im thinking it is 13 which is isc?

 

[fastpakr]

You will only get three digit codes. KOEO first, pause then repeat KOER. Pause, one pulse to separate before you get continuous codes, then Continous codes are output and repeated.

 

[dans92]

i tried it but i get 33 then 13 then just 3?

 

[dans92]

ok its not the cat i just inspected it and i was able to stick a garden hose behind the cat all the way up to the 02 sensor. there is nothing there! so i know that is not blocked. i looked at my t-belt and its loose almost as if i wanted i could pull it right off the cam gear with my hands. would this cause a loss of power,backfire and when the vehicle get hot it wants to sputter and buck. it runs like a champ when cold though no matter what load its under it just feels like it has power loss. i know these motors arent powerfull to begin with but it if i go up a slight hill it falls back below 45mph even with my foot buried in 3rd gear. this is confusing and i have a 20 mile trip home and getting married tomorrow i need my ranger (cries)

 

[dans92]

ok just did the KOER then KOEO now im getting just one code 111 wich is all system ok???

 

[96Greenster]

ok just did the KOER then KOEO now im getting just one code 111 wich is all system ok???

I had a similar problem on my 96 2.3L, It was the fuel pump. No problems since... Try replacing the fuel pump.

 

[dans92]

it has already been replaced and i hooked a fuel pressure guage to it and tried driving it and it still fell on its face at 35psi?