Help me troubleshoot... ranger 99 ohv

[Corbanzo]

So I had an overheat due to a cracked radiator and ended up losing the head gaskets.... got a new one in, meticulously made sure it was clean and did everything to spec... I ended up buying new heads, got a good deal on a set from alabama cylinder after talked to my machine guy and him cringing at the ford 4.0 head crack scenario.

After getting everything back together and sealed up tight... I still have problems. It is running like it has a mean intake leak. I've checked everything over and all seems fine. But it won't even keep running unless I'm on the throttle, hard on the throttle and it revs up nice, when i let off it sputters all kinds of misfires and dies. Lots of misfires at low rpms until I rev it up big. So exactly the sort of thing an intake leak would do... a really really bad one. Thing is... all intake gaskets are new and i spent time to make sure it went together just right. Had to do the intake on this thing a few years ago and it went together nice that time.

So what could it be? I have new heads, same rocker rail, same lifters and push rods.... I may have mixed up my push rods a bit, but they are almost exactly the same length... there were a couple rare birds but like one mm difference is all. - Wouldn't seem like that mix up would make it this bad.

Maybe new valves have to make lifter adjustments? Any other ideas? I inspected all the old parts I put on the heads and they all look good, only at 130,000.

Might end up doing another leak down test to double check the head gasket but I'm sure they went together solid, and this doesn't seem like a compression problem, seems like an intake problem.

Ideas?

 

[RonD]

Did the EGR get hooked back up?

Have you tried spraying Quick start or similar around the intake so see if there is a leak.

 

[Corbanzo]

Well I can't get it to stay running to check for a leak but there is no way. I sealed it up tight... Egr is back in place.

 

[RonD]

Do you smell fuel?
Maybe a couple of injectors are stuck open
Also make sure injectors are pushed down into intake

Get some tape and/or bolts and start plugging up the larger vacuum hoses or connections, i.e power brakes, PVC, etc...
Also plug the EGR tube.

If it is a vacuum leak this might find it but should also get the engine to the point it will run at a fast idle so you can spray around the intake to see if there is an open seal.

 

[woodyedmiston]

Pushrods

It will run with one of the pushrods off to the side of the lifter cup. Gives that type of problem.

Been there done that. Not too bad to fix.