Problems starting up after rebuild

[jwzimm]

Hello All,

I posted a recent thread about my brothers truck. The story is that he blew the motor off-roading and snapped a rod. I discovered here that a 3.0L shortblock from a Taurus would work in this truck. We found a good motor and just finished the rebuild and installation. No comes the problem.

We we went to turn it over it cranks well but wouldn't fire. I was able to get it to fire by flooring the gas pedal and cranking it until it caught. It will not idle at all and I have to keep it above 3000 rpm just to keep it alive. One thing I noted is that while I am modulating the gas if I hold the pedal constant the motor will hold an rpm for a couple seconds but it suddenly acts like the fuel cuts off. The only way to keep it from dieing is to give it more gas and feather it.

This truck has been sitting for the better part of 18 months now so we thought the gas would have gone bad. We siphoned off as much as we could (PITA by the way as you can't just stick a hose down the filler neck). There was some gas still in the tank but probably about a gallon. We put in 5 gallons of fresh gas and gave it another try. It still won't idle at all and I need to floor it just to get it to start.

The check engine light it NOT on while it is running. The only thing I can think of is that there is still bad gas in the lines. We only ran ti for a couple minutes and I am not sure how long it would take to get the old gas cleared out. I told my folks to fill the entire tank up with fresh gas and try and run it longer to see if we just need to clear the old gas out.

Does anyone here have any thoughts on what might be the issue here? I am very sure the engine is mechanically sound as we had it torn all the way down to the shortblock and reassembled with all new gaskets and such.

Please let me know if anyone has any thoughts on this.

Thanks in advance.

p.s. here is the details on the truck:

2000 Ford Ranger 4x4
3.0L V6 flex fuel engine
Manual tranny

 

[fordman4x492]

there might be water in the tank. does the fuel pump kick on when you turn the key?

 

[pwrranger88]

could be the fuel pump is weak or a clogged fuel filter

 

[jwzimm]

Thanks for the responses guys.

The fuel pump does kick on with the key, I can hear it.

Water in the tank could be possible as well. I would have to drop the tank again and flush it out.

As for the fuel pump and filter, I assume those are in the fuel sending unit inside the tank, yes?

I guess if my folks don't find anything this week We will have to remove the bed and get at the fuel sending unit. (the truck is at their place and I can only make it there on the weekends).

Keep the idea coming though.

 

[stmitch]

My fuel filter is in the driver's side frame rail under the cab. My truck's a 2000 3.0 flex fuel for comparison.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

The fuel filter should be located pretty much under the drivers door inside the frame rail (you need one of those fuel filter removal tools to get it off, and it can be a PITA if its never been done before). But yeah sounds like water in the fuel. Or possibly the timingis a click off or something...?

 

[jwzimm]

Thanks again for the inputs folks.

I am leaning toward water contamination as well. The plan is to use HEET in the fuel tank and dilute the water by filling the tank full of fuel. We are also going to change the fuel filter as it is probably time anyways (80,000 miles on the clock).

I am hopeful this will solve the issue.

Again, thanks for the input on this. This is why I love the online community forums, there is always one for your car and there is likely 10 others who have had the same problem. Gotta love the collective...

 

[wvfarmboy]

put a can of seafome in the tank it helps burn that old gas

 

[HardcoreKeith]

Could you disconnect the fuel line somewhere convenient, stick a tube on it, run that to a container, and jump the fuel pump & let it run?

 

[jwzimm]

I could do that. I didn't know where to jump the pump before but I know where it is now.

I do have one question for all of you though. Could a bad MAF sensor cause any of this? The MAF did sit inside a soaking wet intake for about a year. I took it out and cleaned it with MAF cleaner before we tried the startup.

I will keep you all posted with results.

Thanks again,
Jason

 

[jwzimm]

Figured i would update this with the results. We decided to try and disconnect the MAF and start the truck. It fired right up (albeit a little rough). Turns out the MAF sensor was shot but not bad enough to throw a code. We picked up a new one and she runs great now.

We are now the proud fathers of a Taurus/Ranger Frankenstein motor.

Thanks again for everyones help!!