Surging Engine

[Navyman]

Hello everyone: I am new to the forum, and would appreciate a little advice hopefully. My 87 2.9L FI engine starts nice, but when I start to accelerate from the parked position it will surge. If I try to keep going it will usually stall. Any suggestions to correct this would be appreciated.

 

[holyford86]

Pull codes, directions for doing so in the tech library.

 

[Navyman]

Pulling Codes.

I don't have the means to pull the codes.

 

[holyford86]

bare minimum you need a cheap analog voltmeter and a paperclip, you can pull codes accurately that way.

 

[Earl43P]

http://www.freeautomechanic.com/diagnostictroblecodes7.html

http://www.articlealley.com/article_48352_31.html

http://autorepair.about.com/library/a/1i/bl804i.htm

Any of those links should help you pull the codes.

Personally, I'd be looking at the normal stuff, plugs, wires, air filter, fuel filter, fuel pump pressure, vacuum leaks, etc.

Your post did not say the CEL is on, that's why I'd be looking at conventional issues, rather than an Emissions system problem. If your CEL is on, pull the codes and POST them.

 

[Navyman]

Reply to Earl43P

Earl43P: Thanks for the good info. I have changed plugs, wires, coil, air cleaner, and main fuel filter, ( the one that is along the frame rail), not the secondary ones in the fuel tank. One evening coming out of a friends place that was keeping my dog, the truck stalled, it was pretty cold. It would not start, which was the first time it would not start after stalling. I waited several minutes a couple of times, and it started. When I changed plugs the drivers bank looked very good. The passenger bank did not, they were dark, and didn't appear to be firing well. I was going to do a compression check but we had some inclement weather come in, so I just parked it. Have not had a chance to work on it since. I have been overhauling a 258 I6 so I have let the Ford sit. I have wondered if it is not the Fuel regulator? I do not have the vac. diag. for this truck and I am not sure where to check Positive vacuum? There appears to be a line coming from the Throttle position sensor but I did not find any vacuum there? When the truck is up to speed after second gear and at highway speed it does not surge, only when starting out. If I just am real careful on a flat it will not surge/cut out unless I accelerate a little bit. You can't run in 4wd in the snow or up hill in the Mountains because it will surge as you increase the throttle, and if you don't push the clutch in real fast and work the throttle just right it will stall.

 

[Earl43P]

FPR would affect all the cylinders.

+1 on the compression check.

 

[holyford86]

in 86 and 87 rangers did not have check engine lights. You're throwing parts at it right now without pulling codes. Low compression would not make an engine surge like that. It might make it idle rough but unless the motor is puking loads of blue smoke the compression is probably adequate.

 

[Navyman]

Reply Earl43P

I wonder why after waiting awhile..5 minutes or so it then started? It seems strange to have the entire right side of the engine not firing well and the left side is? Distributor damage?

 

[holyford86]

if the distributor was damaged the engine would have bad spark all around or no spark at all. The fact that you had to wait a bit before it would start again tells me that the TFI module might be bad.

 

[Navyman]

Surging engine

Fixed the Surging. Runs OK.

 

[holyford86]

what solved it?

 

[Natedog]

what solved it?

X2 waht was the fix?

 

[1987rangerxlt]

My '87 Ranger kinda surges too. I was thinking that it might be the gas, Shell, as I used to use Arco and it ran fine.

 

[djurs]

Hate it when problems are fixed and the solution isn't stated.. I think this sounded like an ignition control module.