92 Ford Ranger not firing

[wjk9673]

I just received a 92 Ford Ranger about a week ago. In the mornings it will turn over but it won't fire up. If I let it sit for about a hour AFTER making my first attempt she'll start right up. She'll pop right off any time after that, for the day. Does anyone have any idea as to what's going on with my "New" used baby? The previous owner replaced the fuel filter, but he thinks maybe that the distributor cap and spark plug and plug wires may need to be replaced. What to you think? ANY insight and advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[MrE_Powers]

i am thinking it is either air or fuel related.

 

[Nhaz]

at this time of year you could be running into boiling butane. I'll let Allan explain on this link here.


http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46637

 

[adsm08]

Hmm, that's interesting. I've never had the misfortune to run into that myself.

 

[snake]

Find out which it is missing, fuel or spark. You can shoot it with starting fluid and see it it rocks off- then you'll know it isn't getting fuel. You can take a plug out, put it back into its wire, ground it, have someone try to start and see if it has spark. You'll need to know which you are missing to go further.

If I had to guess I'd say fuel pump relay. Common problem and certainly intermittent. When you try to start in the morning, leave the window down or door open with radio off and listen when you first turn the key to the "on" position before starting- you should hear a "ZZZZZZZZZT" type noise for a few seconds which is the fuel pump pressuring up. Don't hear the noise? FP relay or pump itself, or inertia switch (but the last two not intermittent usually)

 

[Ranger44]

TFI ignition module. Horrible little beast.