- Joined
- May 15, 2020
- Messages
- 5,029
- Points
- 601
- Age
- 71
- City
- Atlanta
- State - Country
- GA - USA
- Other
- Manufacturers factory tour, maybe big dealership tour
- Vehicle Year
- 1997 1987
- Vehicle
- Ford Ranger
- Engine
- 4.0 V6
- Transmission
- Manual
- Total Lift
- 97 stock, 3” on 87
- Total Drop
- N/A
- Tire Size
- 235/75-15
- My credo
- Never put off ‘til tomorrow what you can put off indefinitely
My post above about the idle was intended as “me too,” similar issue, but it’s a different truck & engine.
No, I don’t have air-conditioning on that truck. It came with air-conditioning, but the compressor has been gone since I’ve had it. I am planning on putting it back together one day, but since I have five other antique vehicles with AC, it’s not a priority.
I know what you’re talking about when the “brain” kicks the idle up when you turn the AC on. That’s a pretty noticeable step up in the RPM. That’s not my issue. My idle “wander” is exactly that, it kind of waffles and floats around, but not running real high, just enough to notice it shouldn’t be that way. And it does settle down after a minute or so. ???
I’ve checked for vacuum leaks on the little bit of vacuum stuff that’s on that 87 2.9, and I couldn’t find anything. I even used the smoke machine. I took a handheld propane torch, and just bled propane all around the head and intake, etc., bit I couldn’t get it to jump, so I don’t think I have a leaky gasket or something. I’m thinking it might be something electronic.
It’s funny, because I was thinking of posting my own thread, and here you are with a similar problem, so I figured I’d piggyback.
If it helps, I also have a 97 4.0, and when I repaired the AC last year, I had a few vacuum leaks I couldn’t find, and that’s when I bought the smoke machine. There were a whole bunch of very little leaks. I fixed most, and I swapped the 3 inch diameter sphere for one of the soup can reservoirs that’s probably a 3x8 cylinder, and that solved my problem, unless I’m under a really heavy load. That machine was about $50, but I just looked the other day and I think they’re running about $80 now.
I used to have a little squeezy bladder cheap piece of crap that would push smoke generated by a cigar you stuck in the intake. It actually worked pretty well, but after I burned a couple of my Cubans with it, I finally broke down and bought the machine. I have a lot of old cars, so it’s worth it weight in gold.
