Changing fuel injectors

[mikkelstuff]

Just wondering how hard it is to change out the fuel injectors on my 2002 Ranger 3.0L?

I keep getting this engine warning light - miss on cylinder number 4 - a miss which I never feel. The electrics seem to be fine - clean spark plug, relatively new ignition wires, coil pack, and cam synchronizer. BG-44K injector cleaner cleared the warning for several tanks of gas but the gremlin has returned with colder weather. I clear the code but it returns in a day.

So now I'm thinking I should swap out the injectors - 130,000 miles on the engine. This doesn't look to be a difficult job save for all the crap covering the intake runners.

Any experience with this?

 

[Fordblue213]

You may be able to do cylinders 4,5 and 6 without pulling the upper intake. 1,2 and 3 need the upper pulled.

I had the same misfire problem. Ended up being heads and head gaskets.

I swapped the injectors, which seemed to help but the problem came back.

Look REALLY close at your plugs. If there are hairline cracks in the porcelain, you have coolant getting into the cylinders.

https://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177236

 

[mikkelstuff]

Oooooh, I don't like the sound of this BUT now that you mention it, this 3.0L is very slowly loosing antifreeze and I can't find any leaks.

I don't have that much experience with these 3.0L engines except in Mercury Sables (assuming that is the same V6). Are they prone to head gasket leaks?

 

[mikkelstuff]

Ford123 - read your head replacement post. Ouch! My 2002 Ranger has 133,000 miles on it but who knows. I'm guessing I'd better run a compression test on this engine for starters.

 

[Fordblue213]

Yep, and this truck isn't neglected. I've owned it since 2003 and its had 3000-4000 mile oil changes, 30,000 mile transmission fluid and filter changes and 50,000 mile coolant flushes its whole life.

It's only sat for a month or 2 at a time while I was gone for work, and that was under a covered car port.

Just time and use finally caught up with it. People ask why I still have the same truck. My answer is that is has been paid off for 15 years and I'm fine with putting a fraction of what would be new car payments into it every year to keep it going.

 

[cbxer55]

Tell em to FOAD. I'm still driving a 98 Ranger I bought in 2000. Has almost 160,000 on it now. It's my daily driver so my 04 Lightning can stay in the garage and rest.