2.3L ('83-'97) Loud popping while cranking

[RustRatz]

Also, what does the spark inhibitor look like?

 

[RustRatz]

Replaced CEL, and guess what? It’s staying on

 

[RonD]

Spark inhibitor is in the ICM, prevents driver side coil from sparking

Ford engineers believed it would be better and produce a Hotter/stronger spark for cold starts if just one coil pack was working
Which is "true" but wasn't really needed
Spark is weaker when starter motor is active, i.e. 12volt drops down to under 10volts because of starter motor draw


Yes, if CEL is staying on then no crank sensor signal, and no spark
Could be crank sensor or the ICM

 

[RustRatz]

Probably crank sensor. I’ll have to tear it down again, and see if it wasn’t at top dead center when I put it in.

 

[RonD]

Cam timing needs the TDC setup
Crank sensor just needs correct alignment to the spinning Wheel/cup that's on the crank

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yeah, can't time the crank sensor wrong, there's a key on the crank pulley, the only thing you can do is not bolt it in at the right spacing so it gets broken on the vanes...

My vote is just a bad crank sensor, it's hard to get good parts the last few years...

 

[RustRatz]

Well then, I’m not quite sure on what went wrong. I’ll have to test the crank sensor. It may be the harness, because it had the exact same symptoms with the last engine. I’ve replaced anything that could’ve been bad.

 

[RustRatz]

Scott, Ron, do you guys think it could be my fuel system? Possibly the in frame fuel filter or fuel pump?

 

[RonD]

Do the 50/50 test
Spray fuel into the intake
Try to start
If it starts, runs and dies you have a fuel delivery issue
If it doesn't start then its a spark(or compression issue)
50/50 instant results

 

[Shran]

Scott, Ron, do you guys think it could be my fuel system? Possibly the in frame fuel filter or fuel pump?

Anything could be the problem at this point, a no start and loud pop could be any number of things and it's a waste of your money to fire the parts cannon at it.

Have you verified that the timing marks were lined up correctly when the belt was installed? Easy to check that. I accidently put mine on two teeth off years ago and it ran but not well.

Also, quit "deleting" things unless you know exactly what you are doing. I cannot tell you how many times I've fixed something that wasn't broken in the first place because someone "deleted" it.

 

[RustRatz]

Yeah, before the engine was pulled out of the 93, it ran and idled fine. No misfire at all. And the “deleting” I’ve been doing, is necessary. The egr valve had gone bad, and the egr pipe from the manifold to the actual valve was cracked open like 1/4 of an inch.


Plus it’s not just one loud pop. It’s only a loud popping when I try to turn it over.


Plus I might as well throw parts at it because they’d need replacing soon anyways

 

[Josh B]

You said it's doing same as the 1st engine, what was wrong with that one

 

[RustRatz]

Josh
It would run for a few seconds, then die and only crank after.

 

[Shran]

Plus I might as well throw parts at it because they’d need replacing soon anyways

The risk with this approach is that you are potentially replacing good used parts with new that might be DOA in the box. Yes, it is a fairly common occurrence these days. It just adds more variables to an already complicated problem.

 

[RonD]

Yeah, before the engine was pulled out of the 93, it ran and idled fine. No misfire at all. And the “deleting” I’ve been doing, is necessary. The egr valve had gone bad, and the egr pipe from the manifold to the actual valve was cracked open like 1/4 of an inch.


Plus it’s not just one loud pop. It’s only a loud popping when I try to turn it over.


Plus I might as well throw parts at it because they’d need replacing soon anyways

Spark timing is off, cylinders/spark plugs are firing when exhaust or intake valve is open/opening
This can be slipped cam timing or crank sensor