no spark

[bassist21685]

so i think this is my first real post on this forum. hopefully i get some help. i went ignored on dezertrangers.

basically my 3.0 ranger is not turning over, its trying but no dice.
i have fuel pressure, but no spark. iv replaced the coil, icm, and have tested for spark after the coil and there is no spark. iv replaced all the relays and still nothing. i dont think its a ground because i was driving when the rpms just dropped and the engine would not turn back over.



any ideas or things to check?
my 2c would say its the crank sensor, but there is no crank sensor!?

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

the "crank sensor" is inside the distributor. check for power to the ignition coil with a test light. then check for ground while cranking, the light should flash. if it does and you have power you need a coil. if it does not flash and you have power then it is likely the pickup coil inside the distributor since you have already replaced the ICM

 

[rurouni20xx]

+1 brutus, sounds like the cam position sensor (thats what its called in the newer trucks, the distributor/oil pump run off the cam gear in the rear) isnt putting out voltage to your icm. without input voltage there is no way the icm can know when to send the pulse to the coil to charge it and so on. havent had to replace one or check it so im in the dark on that repair. keep us posted on what you find. there should be a resistance reading specification on the input voltage lines to the icm from that sensor to check it, just dont kno where you would find them. as for checking current running to the icm from the input lines while turning the truck over i dont believe its enuff to trigger a test light or multimeter, but its worth a shot.

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

i know what a gm is supposed to put out of the pickup coil, but on a ford i can't remember.

as far as fixing it? we usually just replace the whole distributor, im not sure if you can take off just the pickup without removing the roll pin and take the distributor shaft out of the housing

 

[bassist21685]

thank you! ill keep you posted! ill test it tomorrow. so if the the crank sensor is in the distributor, its a magnetic hall sensor? i wonder if it would be easyer to just replace the hall sensor rather than the whole distributor? if the hall sensor is replaced, does the timing need to be adjusted?(just because if i take out teh whole distributor im going to have to play with timing-right?)

 

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

yes. make sure you remove the SPOUT connector before you adjust timing though

 

[rurouni20xx]

on dodges and chevys its a hall sensor i kno for fact, im pretty sure it is on a ford too, the chevys and dodges they are interchangeable, ford idk.

 

[bassist21685]

so just to keep updated, the truck is running great! thank you for everyone's incite, you guys were dead on. it was the hall sensor in the distributor, i had to replace the whole unit. unfortunately, you cannot replace just the hall sensor... but when i pulled the unit, the gear on the end was all chewed up, the teeth were all jacked up.... what does that mean?..lol

 

[kauffmannl56]

I have the same problem my gear on the bottom of my distributor was all chewed up too. Replaced it and it did it again a week later. Any ideas? Please please help asap!!

 

[Big Jim M]

Oh Wow!

I have the same problem my gear on the bottom of my distributor was all chewed up too. Replaced it and it did it again a week later. Any ideas? Please please help asap!!

If I ever pulled a dist and the gear was chewed up...I'd be scared shitless! That ain't good...not even a little bit good.
First I'd be thinking maybe the dist needed a shim to raise it away from the camshaft some?
Then I'd be thinking maybe the camshaft had traveled and squeezed the dist gear?
Anyway I'd be pulling the new one from week to week and giving it a good looksee.
If the new dist shows some unusual wear I wouldn't drive that rig out of town! I'd be thinking of camshaft bearings... and if that cam is held in place by a thingy on the timing gear cover I'd be getting me a new one of those..
Big JIm

 

[kauffmannl56]

Well I talked to a local mechanic and he said that it may be the oil pump going out on it as well...makes sense since the pump is driven by the distributor and if that was really hard to turn over then that would chew a gear up real fast. Any other ideas guys a need help fast!!!! And if you think that this is it is there ANY way of doing it without pulling the entire engine cause this is a driveway fix not a garage or shop fix. Thanks please just email me at zandyrglobal@gmail.com this thing is too slow to keep checking.

 

[Big Jim M]

The key word here is MAY!

Well I talked to a local mechanic and he said that it may be the oil pump going out on it as well...makes sense since the pump is driven by the distributor and if that was really hard to turn over then that would chew a gear up real fast. Any other ideas guys a need help fast!!!! And if you think that this is it is there ANY way of doing it without pulling the entire engine cause this is a driveway fix not a garage or shop fix. Thanks please just email me at zandyrglobal@gmail.com this thing is too slow to keep checking.

A pump going bad would simply cause more strain on the gears... I doubt seriously chipping and searing would occur (but I have been wrong before!)
From your description I tend to think the two gears aren't meshing properly.
Which would be a problem wiht the camshaft moving either forward or backward in the engine just a little..
I've seen a few ruint oil pumps and none of then caused the cam gear to go away. But like I said, I've been wrong before...just ask my wife!
Big JIm

 

[kimcrwbr1]

I am not sure on this but I have read the gear on the distributor has to be the same type of metal as the cam it might be something to research especially sense it seems to be a recurring problem.

 

[kauffmannl56]

Well then what would make the cam move?

 

[Big Jim M]

WRONG! We use brass gears on the replacement chevy dists in our wranglers.. We use the hei dists instead of the ford stuff that came on the late CJ's and square headlight Wranglers (YJ's).
Big JIm