kicks back on starter

[model-a]

Great forum you have here, couldn't find any threads pertaining to my problem
02 Ranger 3.0 not flex fuel 115 K miles
It started all of a sudden bucked a couple of times and then I could only go about 40 mph acts like starving for fuel. no power
fuel pressure 60 psi and flow seems ok
replace fuel filter no change
replace coil plugs and wires no change
replaced cam sensor and drive for sensor seem like new
tab on drive seems to be in correct place when timing mark or crank at 0
rocked crank back and forth to see if slop in timing chain very little and tab moves immediately as I move crank
so now it won't start and kick back on starter like out of time or wires crossed
put old coil back on to see if autozone coil wired incorrectly internally no change
separated plug wire to eliminate cross fire
checked wires from ecm to coil for internal short

 

[Rearanger]

It started all of a sudden bucked a couple of times and then I could only go about 40 mph acts like starving for fuel. no power

so now it won't start and kick back on starter like out of time

If this was a timing belt vehicle I'd suspect it skipped a tooth or two or three. No experience with these timing chains but I'd dig deeper into mechanical timing. Can you do a compression test?

 

[model-a]

The compression check shows 3 and 5 low, 80psi and all others over 180

 

[Rearanger]

The compression check shows 3 and 5 low, 80psi and all others over 180

That may also point to mechanical timing.

 

[model-a]

According to an auto repair guy on the radio my compression test indicates it didn't jump time (they all should be low). I put a dial indictor on the exhaust rocker arm and as I am turning the crank and the rocker arm is moving. As I am fiddling to get my socket on another bolt on the front pulley I see the dial indicator going back to zero, thus the valve is closing, so the lifter is collapsing. This should explain my low compression.

 

[pcollins]

Valves closed= more compression. maybe i'm misreading something here?

 

[Rearanger]

so the lifter is collapsing.

On hydraulic lifters when there's no oil pressure they will "collapse". The movement you see, especially with a dial indicator, is the lash adjustment movement.

It may not be a coincidence that the low compression is on 5 & 3, two cylinders in firing order - 1,4,2,5,3,6

 

[model-a]

my dial indictor numbers are bogus, crappy HF mount. No problem with cam lift. The 2 dead cylinders are 2 and 5 not 3 and 5 as I stated before. I put air pressure in #2 on the compression stroke and TDC and can hear air leaking in the exhaust pipe. Same thing with the #5.

 

[Rearanger]

It started all of a sudden bucked a couple of times and then I could only go about 40 mph acts like starving for fuel. no power

Leaking valves does not seem conducive with sudden symptoms. Fact is though your compression is half what it should be on those two cylinders and will need repair, although the "no power" symptom seems harsh for two low cylinders.

If you're going to pull the heads then that would be a good time to pull front cover just to confirm proper time.

 

[model-a]

I agree that I need to do a valve job. I have the exhaust apart and am thinking the muffler or cat are blocked with something coming apart internally. I tried starting with main cat disconnected and it still kicks back on the starter, which still indicated a timing chain issue.