• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

2.3L ('83-'97) Timing belt broke& No start mystery Struggles. Please help!!


Joined
Nov 23, 2025
Messages
6
Points
1
City
Hotchkiss
State - Country
CO - USA
Vehicle Year
1991
Vehicle
Ford Ranger
Drive
2WD
Engine
2.3 (4 Cylinder)
Transmission
Manual
Hello, I need help from the brilliant hive mind!
Ok, so 91 Ranger 2.3 was sitting for 10 years. My father in law bought it. Was running fine.
Couple days later, dies on him, first trip to town less than 10 miles of driving since he purchased.
I flat towed him home. Pressure gauge on fuel rail. Less than 20 psi and dropped near zero right away. Replaced fuel pump and filter. Siphoned old gas out. 17 gal fresh fuel in. Pressure gauge reads 35ish and hold pressure pretty well.
Still no start. Pulled plugs. They were trashed. Replaced all 8 plugs and wires (dual spark system). Confirmed excellent spark on passenger side coil.
Still no start. Peaked behind timing cover. Oh look, broken timing belt. Replaced timing belt, and tensioner. Marks line up on crank and cam.
Oil pump doesn't need to be timed right?
Turn engine over by hand plenty of times, marks continue to line up every time.
Still no start.
Also, something keeps draining the battery all the way dead..
I have many many hours into this truck and I'm starting to loose faith in myself.. please help..

My logic tells me I'm not 180 out.
Confirmed TDC by viewing #1 through spark plug hole and it lines up perfect with TD mark on timing cover.
Checked that plug wires are properly routed in order from coil to plugs.
 
Should I try a starting fluid test?
Is there a way to test icm?
Oh yeah, is the CEL supposed to help me verify the Crank Position Sensor somehow. Will that work if I don't have the serpentine belts or cooling system hooked up?
 
Have you checked all the fuses and relays ?
 
I'm surprised a belt that sat 10 years lasted that long before it broke.
Try pulling the #1 plug, sticking a screwdriver in the hole and rocking the engine back and forth by hand to verify the TDC mark is correct before getting too involved.
 
I'm surprised a belt that sat 10 years lasted that long before it broke.
Try pulling the #1 plug, sticking a screwdriver in the hole and rocking the engine back and forth by hand to verify the TDC mark is correct before getting too involved.
Yes confirmed TDC mark already, thanks
 
Have you checked all the fuses and relays ?
I have. But at this point, worth a double check I think. Thanks.
Would everything pertinent be In the power center under the hood? Or do you think i should I check everything in the one under the dash driver side also?
 
Marks line up on crank and cam.
Oil pump doesn't need to be timed right?
Marks line up to what? I seem to recall that while the oil pump does not need to be timed, it is involved in the timing process. Off the top of my head the cam sprocket index mark needs to be pointed at the oil pump when crank is at TDC.

I could be way off base, I've only looked at the procedure once and it was a year or two ago.

Edit: Yes, the alignment mark on the cam sprocket should be aligned with center tab on the plastic cover, whick also has it pointing directly at the center of the oil pump sprocket. The oil pump sprocket itself does not have a special orientation for timing, but it does drive the distributor (or camshaft synchronizer) so you'll need to make sure that is also aligned with the rest. Assuming that nothing else has been changed, aligning the oil pump sprocket should put the synchronizer where it should be, but still worth verifying.
 
Last edited:
My logic tells me I'm not 180 out.
Confirmed TDC by viewing #1 through spark plug hole and it lines up perfect with TD mark on timing cover.

Did you confirm that you were on the compression stroke for TDC?
 
The aux pulley doesn't matter at all on '89-94 other than the rare California model '94's with a cam sensor.

Unless the fuel injectors are stuck open or something I'm not sure what is going on yet without thinking on it... the system is pretty simple being batch fire and waste spark... The CEL can flash codes, there's instructions in the tech library on the EEC IV code area.

It wouldn't hurt to try starting fluid but also check for big vacuum leaks as they matter on the mid '90 up models with MAF sensors.

Dumb thought, on the crank sensor, the belt didn't wad up and break off any of the chunks of the sensor did it or bend up the vanes? There's two rows of vanes on the balancer.
 
Did you confirm that you were on the compression stroke for TDC?
Excuse my ignorance. First timing job. How would I know? It's giving me little sputters on cranking now but not firing all the way. Seems like you could be onto something here as it's not a nice even cranking rhythm
 
Excuse my ignorance. First timing job. How would I know? It's giving me little sputters on cranking now but not firing all the way. Seems like you could be onto something here as it's not a nice even cranking rhythm

Watch the valves. You want TDC when the intake is open on the down stroke but both valves are closed for the complete up stroke.

Or, put a finger in the spark plug hole; you want to feel pressure as the piston moves up on the up stroke.
 
As long as the crank is on TDC and the cam is lined up it should be good to go.

It is important to note there are two marks on the cam gear, a diamond and a triangle, I think there are at least since the cam and aux gear are the same, ones for lining up the cam and the other the aux shaft, the mark on the inner timing cover should match the shape of the mark... If it's an uneven cranking then something is wrong...
 
Marks line up to what? I seem to recall that while the oil pump does not need to be timed, it is involved in the timing process. Off the top of my head the cam sprocket index mark needs to be pointed at the oil pump when crank is at TDC.

I could be way off base, I've only looked at the procedure once and it was a year or two ago.

Edit: Yes, the alignment mark on the cam sprocket should be aligned with center tab on the plastic cover, whick also has it pointing directly at the center of the oil pump sprocket. The oil pump sprocket itself does not have a special orientation for timing, but it does drive the distributor (or camshaft synchronizer) so you'll need to make sure that is also aligned with the rest. Assuming that nothing else has been changed, aligning the oil pump sprocket should put the synchronizer where it should be, but still worth verifying.
Thanks Josh. It was off a couple teeth. Got it lined up. Seemed like it possibly helped a little. Just got it to start by flooring the gas pedal while cranking. Ran like shit only whole giving it lotsa gas. I would maybe think clogged injectors.. but it doesn't fire off of carb cleaner. So... is it possible for timing to be off 180(does that mean exhaust stroke, not compression stroke) if cam is lined up on center tab pointing to oil pump sprocket, crank is on the money mark, and oil pump is pointing to cam mark also. All timing marks seem perfect..
Is it more likely to be crank sensor? Or ICM at this point?
I'm about to go buy compression gauge and also verify that the TDC I'm looking at is compression, not exhaust by pulling #1 plug, holding it on the wire and hand cranking with key on, watching for spark
 
It wont fire 180 out.no attempting, no nothinf but crank
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Event Coverage

Events TRS Was At This Year

TRS Events

Member & Vendor Upgrades

Become a Supporting Member:

Or a Supporting Vendor:

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

TRS Latest Video

TRS Merch

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Ranger Sponsors


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad


Product Suggestions

Back
Top