Mysteriously stalls out.Need you guys' expertise.

[Jarhead504]

Thanks to the input I received from you guys so far, this is what I did to my '95 Ranger 3.0 over the last two weeks: It had been running hot and losing water, about a gallon every (3) days. I figured that I would be changing the water pump soon (it was replaced in 2009), and was waiting for the right break in my work schedule to have a few days to get to it. About (3) weeks ago, it killed on me on my way to work. It was raining very hard. There was a "lunge" then the engine died. I coasted to the side of road, then into a parking lot. I waited for a break in the rain (about an hour), put some water in it, started it then drove the rest of the way to work, about 1 mile. Got off work, put some more water in it, drove about 5 miles and it died. Pulled over an waited 15 minutes and started it again. Drove and 2 miles and steps were repeated. Got home. It sat for two days, then I got to work on it.

Changed the: radiator, water pump, timing chain, radiator hoses, heater hoses, heater hose fitting (it was badly corroded and leaked), spark plugs, wires, air filter, thermostat, the temperature sensor or sending unit next to the thermostat, the harmonic balancer, oil and filter, alternator and cam sensor synchronizer unit. The cam sensor had come apart and the magnets were stuck to the top. The vane was severely bent, as almost in folded in half on itself. Since I am not a mechanic, all this took a few days, mainly with working on it after work.

Yesterday it came to life and hummed like a sewing machine; no hesitation, no vibration, no leaks; it was pure ecstasy. Drove it about 20 miles going around the neighborhood and never got over 40 mph. Then in the evening, as I was idling in front of the house, it died on me. This morning it started on the first crank. It started to stall out after just going around the block, but ran better. Again it let me drive around for 10 miles and then it started dieing, then starting again after waiting a couple of minutes. It did this each time after idling in traffic and once after waiting for my kid, idling for 5 minutes. I was afraid to shut it off.

I put SeaFoam and fresh 93 octane, Non-Ethanol gas in it this afternoon and it died twice on me since then. I'm thinking it is a fuel delivery related problem such as the fuel pump, which you can hear running, fuel lines clogged (at the rail?) or what?

Is stalling like that a fuel delivery problem? What should I check? A co-worker told me today to have the "fuel pressure" checked. When it is running, it purrs like a kitten, then it stops without warning. He said sometimes the fuel pump just gets weak and even thought you can hear it running it will not be pushing enough fuel

Any help is deeply appreciated.

Jarhead504

 

[RonD]

Is there a CEL(check engine light) coming on at any time?

A fuel pressure issue would usually cause a stuttering lack of power as pressure got lower, not an instant "death".
You can rent a pressure tester or buy one for under $40
You want 35psi to 42psi
There is a fuel pressure regulator on the fuel rail, it has a vacuum line connected to it, remove the vacuum line and smell it, if you smell gas then the diaphragm in the regulator has a hole so time to replace it.

The injectors stopping would be instant as would the spark stopping.
Since you were working on the front of the engine you may have seen the CKP(crank position) sensor and it's wires, this sensor tells the computer(PCM) the engine is turning over so to turn on spark and injectors.
These rarely fail but the wires can be damaged which could cause intermittent issues, spark and fuel could be stopped.

Google: autozone ranger 3.0l CKP
There is a good diagram of where and how to test a CKP, look at the one for the 3.0l

A clogged fuel filter or lower flow pump usually first shows itself at higher RPM, highway driving, a lack of power when full fuel load is required, engine wouldn't die and would idle fine in most cases.

I would also unplug, inspect and plug back in any connections on the engine, loose contacts can cause intermittent issues

 

[locovaca]

If you are losing a gallon of coolant every three days, you have much bigger issues than random stalling. You need to find that leak or run a compression test.

 

[Jarhead504]

Bro. Locovaca: I HAD the leak, but I have since then changed the water pump, radiator and the hoses. It does not leak any more. But thanks.

Bro. Ron D: I checked almost all of the connectors and they look clean and free of corrosion. Is there a product I can spray in the connectors to make sure they are free of all dirt, corrosion, etc.? Also, someone recommended in another thread that the owner shake and wiggle EACH connection while it is running, including "thumping" each relay and fuse as well as the inertia switch to see if any loose ones will kill the engine. I am going to try that too.

I changed the fuel filter about 6 months ago. I supposed I could change it again. I appreciate the tips, especially the one about the vacuum line on the fuel rail. I am going to try everything as this is my daily driver. You guys have inspired me to seek refurbishing it entirely. It has about 120-130K on it and I am waiting for the odometer worm drive to replace the broken one. I can't wait to get the odometer working again too.

Respectfully,
Jarhead504

 

[RonD]

Fords fuel pump relays have been known to cause problems.

The relay powers the fuel pump, the power runs from the relay to the inertia switch(passenger kick panel) then to the in tank pump.

The Computer(PCM) turns on the Relay(pump) for a few seconds when the key is first turned to ON, then once engine starts it activates the relay(pump) based on sensor inputs.
It is a long shot but easy to test, the relay will be in the engine compartment, in the power distribution box or on its own on a fender well, it should have a Green connector.
The inertia switch shuts off fuel in case of an accident, don't want fuel pumping out
The two connections on these have been known to corrode, causing intermittent stalls, so might be worth a look.