Looking for help with my 87 Ranger sc 4x4

[rickdracer]

I'm new to TRS and this is my first post on this forum. I'm looking for input in helping me figure out what happened to my Ranger. I was driving home and all of a sudden I had a loss of power and the engine started clattering something fierce. I was going uphill and found that if I gradually increased my throttle I could build up some speed but if I pushed it to the floor the engine would almost die out.

I thought I may have a fuel pump problem because of an incident about a month earlier. I managed to limp my Ranger home that afternoon. I have changed out the high pressure pump on the frame rail and the fuel filter.

I also know about the common problem with the early year Rangers and their heads. I have used sodium silicate (liquid glass) in my engine in the past to seal up minor leakage in the past. There was indications of some water in the oil when I got home. I have changed the oil and ran a oil pressure test off the sending unit tap. I have approx. 35-40 psi at idle and 50 psi at rpm. I thought that maybe all the clattering was the lifters not fully pumping up do to low oil pressure but that dosen't seem possible with the pressures I read.

Any ideas where to go from here besides a new engine? The truck is probably not worth putting that kind of money into it. Hoping someone may have ran across this problem or something similar and can help me out.

Thanks, Rick

 

[mentalbreakdown00]

Ok your fuel pressure sounds ok, but you need to check timing, and for proper spark next and let us know.

 

[rickdracer]

Thanks for the input

I haven't checked the timing yet or the spark, but it does fire right up when I go to start it. The odd thing was that the clattering came on all of a sudden and then I realized I had a loss of power besides. I'm not sure how timing or spark would be related to the clattering. But then, thats why I'm looking for input. Is there a possible relation between the two that I'm not thinking of? I will check the timing and spark out as soon as I can. I have to either borrow a timing light or go by one. I'll let you know as soon as I get a chance to do it. I'll check the fuel pressure too when I do the others, the pressures I gave were the oil pressuree at idle and revving up the engine. Maybe the fuel pressure regulator is acting up, at first I thought the clatter might be the injectors but didn't know if they would do that under low pressure or not. Do you know if that is possible?

Thanks, Rick