One hot 2.3

[Driver4r]

So I bought an 88 ranger to be a winter rig to keep my stuff salt free, and it's a 2wd std cab long box. 2.3 that was auto but converted to 5 speed.

It was running pretty good, except it had a faint rod knock at higher rpm. But I drove it all over. 1 morning heading to work i was pulling a hill and had the radio up, it felt like it had died, so I crested the top of the hill and turned down the radio, it was still running, but was way low on power and had to slip the clutch alot to get it to start moving, so I decided I would limp it the extra mile to my work. Well after making it 3/4 the mile left to work, the exhaust manifold had gotten hot enough to ignite the heat riser tube and lit all the wiring on fire... had a cooler of water so I extinguished it.. Well some time had passed then one day I finally patched the harness back together in attempt to get it running again.
After fixing it it would start and run for a few seconds, then die. So I cut the cat off. Still the same. Checked the timing belt and threw a new one in since I was there. Same thing. Changed fuel filters, same.

New fuel filter(rear filter deleted)
New map (old burnt up)
New timing belt
New wires (old burnt up)
New plugs
Swapped out injectors

*the fuel pressure tests good
*all injectors are triggered *noid lights*
*Moving the distributor doesn't help make it better or worse
*compression is good
*passed leakdown
*tps waveform is perfect

So it has been setting for awile again to get a clear head to mess with it again.

Is it possible the ecu failed and it's pulling it way retarted? Hence the glowing exhaust.

Or is there more things I can diagnose?


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[alwaysFlOoReD]

o2 sensors?

 

[Driver4r]

Shouldn't it have a default table.?

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[alwaysFlOoReD]

Default with bad o2 will be on the rich side.

Wonder if the timing belt slipped. I don't know the 2.3 so this is a WAG [Wild Ass Guess].

 

[Driver4r]

Replaced the belt tho and it's straight up

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[adsm08]

If you take it off idle will it stay running?

 

[Driver4r]

With the new injectors I couldn't get it to try to fire off, so I dragged it home, but the last time I tried to drive it, it would try to die as I let out the clutch

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[tomw]

Make sure your timing is correct. Disconnect the jumper in the harness hanging near the distributor. Use a timing light to set the timing to 10BTDC if it will run at idle. Lock it down. If you cannot get it to run, you can 'fake' it running by setting the dimple on the crank pulley at 10BTDC. Rotate the crankshaft manually to that position. Pull the distributor cap and note the rotor position. If it is not pointing somewhere near #1 plug wire, rotate the crankshaft 360. It should now point near #1.
With the key ON, you should be able to make the coil fire by moving the distributor. Rotate the distributor CW to where the pickup is past the pointer on the shaft. Rotate the distributor CCW, so the coil is approaching the pickup, just as the pointer would approach the pickup when the shaft rotates. Listen for the coil to fire. When you hear the spark, you are darn near 10BTDC. If you don't hear it, back off the distributor and try again, listening, perhaps pull the coil wire and stuff a plug into the socket, and let it sit on grounded meta. You could hold onto the wire to check for spark, but I personally don't like how it feels. Once you have the spark occurring at the right time, again, tighten the hold down, and replace the cap & wires.
Put the SPOUT jumper plug back in place.
If you cannot get the engine to run past idle, with the timing set properly, you may have a fuel delivery problem. Pressure is one half of fuel supply needs. You also need volume. Pressure to squirt, and volume to have something to squirt. Measure volume over time, do some math, and calculate gpm - gallons per minut - likely more per hour, but what ever. If you got 30mpg, you would use 1 gallon every 30 minutes at 60mph. 15mpg would mean 2 gallons every 30 minutes, etc. 1 gallon in 15 minutes is slow, so you should be able to figure about a cup in 2 minutes (8 cups/gallon) etc. Minimum. To get by.
tom