95 Small 4 cyl, Rough Idle, No Power, 153,000

[logsaw]

This vehicle came from Minneapolis and had a hard life there in the sodium chloride. The 5 spd truck went to a local shop to replace front engine timing belt, idlers, front seal and the like, for preemptive work. Prior to that, I personally replaced all sensors except for crank and cam sensor. Shop also replaced crank sensor. I had also replaced rear coil pak, wires and plugs on passenger side and fuel pump. After my initial work on it, the truck ran great, good power and all.
I take the thing home and discover it now idles somewhat rough and has no power if I tromp on it. I have the exhaust partly down as it needs replacing. I thought possibly the interior of the large oval muffler may have collapsed, building back pressure. I slip a good opening in the muffler, but still the lack of power if tromped on. The catalytic converter was also removed for the exhaust work and test, thinking it might be bad and building back pressure.
I ordered a new coil pak for the secondary ignition on the drivers side along with plugs and a cam sensor.
I tested the rail fuel pressure which read 37 - 42 lbs.
So what is the problem????? Could it be the shop got the timing belt somewhat wrong?? I appreciate the input. Jay

 

[tomw]

Given the lack of power, I would double-check the cam timing. There is a plastic plug on the engine timing belt cover just about behind the upper radiator hose that allows access to inspect cam timing. The cam sprocket has a triangle that should be aligned around the 4:00 o'clock position when the crankshaft is at TDC. You can set the crankshaft using the timing marks on the cover, or set the keyway at 12:00, then check the cam mark. If not visible, rotate the crankshaft 1 turn, and check again. The pointer varies depending on vintage, some having a pointer bolted in place, others have s cast-in ridge kind of near the actual front of the head / block.
The fuel pressure is regulated by engine vacuum, increasing when vacuum is removed from the regulator. You might want to check volume of fuel over a measure of time to insure you do not have a filter problem.
tom

 

[logsaw]

logsaw 95 Ranger No Power, Running Rough

tomw,
I had the Ranger in the local shop (small truck stop) to replace the small front of engine stuff. Drove it home and no power and it run poorly. I took it apart this noon and sure enough the timing is off, including the oil pump pulley. Either the factory or someone else has white paint spots on the teeth of the cam and oil pump pulleys, which I am assuming must line up with the the diamond mark on the inside of the timing belt cover. However, the cam pulley belt guide, (on the back side of the cam pulley) also has more than one diamond mark on the guide but neither of which match the painted tooth. I am thinking I need to stick with the painted marks???
So I set the crank pulley at the TC mark on the cover. I also line the cam pulley painted tooth with the mark on the inner timing belt cover and likewise with the oil pump pulley. What say you to this??
Thanks, logsaw

 

[tomw]

My truck is 10 years older, and I can only relate to cam & crank marks. The aux gear that runs the oil pump on some also runs the cam position sensor(both cam & aux sprockets are the same size.
The crankshaft should be at TDC, using the mark on the cover, or the keyway at 12:00.
The triangle on the cam sprocket should be at the pointer around 4:00 o'clock. Some have pointers that are cast into the metal, mine has a bolted on pointer that is actually near the edge of the sprocket and can be seen using the removable plug access port.
The aux shaft, I assume, should be aligned with a pointer, or a specific clock position.

From the painted spots, etc, I do not think your mechanics were too familiar with your setup. The factory did not use paint for marks to my knowledge.
You can still use a timing light to check the spark timing is somewhere near reality, but it will run best with the aux set properly as it diddles with the SEFI - sequential injection - so the fuel is spritzed at the right time for each intake valve.
tom

 

[logsaw]

Tom,
If I do not use the paint marks on the edge of the cam and oil pump sprocket, then I have no mark or anything to go by, except only two very faint diamond marks on the belt guild of the cam sprocket. Then the question would be which of the two diamond marks on the cam sprocket should be used. And what would I do with the oil pump sprocket as there are no marks there. ???

 

[tomw]

Rewind. The triangle on the cam sprocket is on the front edge of the sprocket.

If it were mine, I'd be taking it back to the 'techs' that needed paint... and let them figure it out. OTOH, if you don't trust them, then get out a wire brush, or other cleaning tool and clean the front edge of the cam sprocket and take a pass at the aux sprocket also.
If there is a timing gizmo operated by the aux sprocket, such as a CPS stuffed into the distributor hole(older models) which drives the oil pump and the CPS(cam position sensor), it must be timed to know when #1 is at TDC on the firing (compressed) stroke.
Setting the crank at noon, and the cam triangle at about 4:00 and the aux(I don't know) so it is at the #1 position, will set cam & ignition in synch with the #1 piston position and all others will follow.
Look at the picture in this diagram:

http://www.ranger-forums.com/sohc-2-3l-2-5l-lima-engines-135/2-3-liter-timing-marks-diagram-76148/

The aux sprocket mark is at noon, with the others as noted.

tom

added:

here too:

http://www.fordrangerforum.com/4-cylinder-tech/48586-camshaft-position-sensor-location.html

 

[logsaw]

Yep, triangle on the cam sprocket and a well nigh worn off diamond on the auxiliary sprocket. That did the trick. I suppose the local shop did not see the barely legible auxiliary marking and were using paint markings that were way off. Hmmm?
Thanks, Tom,

Jay