Vacuum Ball

[feellnfroggy]

They are 2.00 at a junkyard. If you can put your finger over it and it runs fine then that means it is obviously leakign vacuum. The engine is running rich because the excess vacuum is causing it to run lean and the computer is compensating. Its not misfiring in a cylinder, its just flat running like crap. Plug the vacuum hole and unplug your maf. It will most likely run the same way. You need to put that ball back on. The deal with the snow drift is most likely is sucks in the snow, melts it to water and that could be causing a misfire. I bet you put that ball back on and it will run even bette than it does now. DOes it stall once in a while sitting at a stop
?

 

[Original_Ranger84]

well since it occurs only when you hit snow drifts I assume that is because the snow is all powdery and gets all over the engine and melts and thus conducts the electricity from the bad wire else where. and when the water evaporates it goes away... I owuld replace them because who knows what else the spark could be going to?

 

[Bray D]

Never stalls at a stop, runs like a champ. Its a 3.0L with 175k miles. 4.56's, 35's, and gets 17.5mpg consistently. I REALLY don't want to mess with finding a new mounting place for this thing. I'll fiddlejack with it a little more before I buy another one, but if that's what it comes down to then that's what I'll do. Good thing is we just got some snow yesterday so I can easily test it

 

[feellnfroggy]

keep us updated

 

[Bray D]

will do

 

[babytruck]

A/C is for women anyways

we'll see about that...

 

[LearjetMinako]

A/C is for women anyways

Try living more South. When the temps hit 100*F +. And the power fails because everyones house A/C's are draining too much from the grid. You'll be damn greatful for that A/C then.

 

[4x4junkie]

I'm not getting shocked from a spark plug wire. I'm touching one of the wires that came off of the ball. It shocks consistently with RPM though haha.

I can drive through all the slushy, salt watery roads I want; I only lose spark when I hit a big drift. That makes me think its sucking snow into the vacuum or something. BUT, I can cover the vacuum line with my finger, and it doesn't start to misfire. Its all a mystery. Maybe I'll take some pics of what I'm working with.

The only thing that I can think of that is capable of shocking you would be the ignition. Somewhere somehow it does sound like a bad plug wire that's allowing the voltage to leak or short out during certain wet conditions, somehow it's getting into to whatever wires were connected to that ball.

 

[Bray D]

we'll see about that...

Try living more South. When the temps hit 100*F +. And the power fails because everyones house A/C's are draining too much from the grid. You'll be damn greatful for that A/C then.

You guys are funny. My AC hasn't worked for a couple years now. It gets hot in central IL. Temps upward of 100* (two summers ago we had over 30 days when it was 90+*), and humidity consistently above 80%.

I stand by my statement, you wemmins

The only thing that I can think of that is capable of shocking you would be the ignition. Somewhere somehow it does sound like a bad plug wire that's allowing the voltage to leak or short out during certain wet conditions, somehow it's getting into to whatever wires were connected to that ball.

Haven't messed with it yet. It runs fine as long as I stay out of the powdery stuff. I agree it seems like a plug wire, but I still think its related to the ball somehow. I don't understand how the ball is related to the my ignition system.

 

[zukirider21]

sorry to thread jack, but on my 2nd gen ranger i cant find any sort of vacuum ball on it. but there is this sausage shaped canister on top of my heater box with vacuum lines going to it. is that it?

 

[Bray D]

sausage shaped canister on top of my heater box

Link or patty?

 

[zukirider21]

Link or patty?

hahaha link, and im pretty sure its the vacuum reserve because a while back i remember running the motor for a bit and the disconnecting it shortly after and there was a good amount of suck still in it.

 

[Dweano]

If the ball was gone...or say...broke loose, touched the header, and melted a massive hole in it...cough... how would it affect gas mileage? Noticeable?...cuz I went from getting brutally horrible to S***F*** terrible mileage. And today after reading this thread I checked and my ball has a massive hole melted in it

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Yes, that would account for your gas mileage going for a loop. A big vacuum leak will result in a lean condition as stated and the computer will try and compensate by dumping more fuel to it.

 

[IlovemybroncII]

I just wish you guys would get your balls fixed