Whats wrong with my ranger???

[88Turbo]

I have an 88 ford ranger and its turbo. The guy I got it from had just got it running before he sold it to me and I knew it had some bugs to figure out. The motors a stock ranger block, roller cam, forged pistons, cold air intake, ported heads all the goodys. Wiring is from a cougar, trannys from a stang.

Now my question is, when i start the truck it revs really high, and stays that way untill I begin to drive it, but as soon as that clutch is to the floor shes right up in the revs again. It smokes some white smoke while running. And really dosent seem to have the power a turbo vehicle should have.

Could it just be a vacum leak?? censors?? blown head gasket possiable??(ive heard simular stories with that the case). Or maybe the timings off??

Your input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[88Turbo]

Oh come on guys! If I dont get this figured out soon, the motors coming out and a carbed 351 is going in.

 

[dp88]

I would just go with the 351 put that me i love them.

 

[88Turbo]

Yeah I would but its sorta a waste of a new motor

 

[LearjetMinako]

White smoke is not a good sign. It could be a coolant leak internal of the engine. If the white smoke has a blueish tint, then it is oil that is being burned off. If it is oil being burned off whiled running, then the piston rings are most likely gone out.

Check your coolant level constatnly
Check your oil for a milky color &/or if the level goes up or down

 

[Tedybear]

Can of worms.

Could be the engine, or the turbo itself as most have coolant provided to keep the units bearings as cool as possible. Bad turbo seal would either dump oil or coolant into the exhaust mix.

S-

 

[gribly]

Can of worms.

Could be the engine, or the turbo itself as most have coolant provided to keep the units bearings as cool as possible. Bad turbo seal would either dump oil or coolant into the exhaust mix.

S-

Usually there is no physical way for coolant to get into the exhaust or engine oil in a turbo, as it's in passageways and there is no seal to speak of since it doesn't encounter any moving parts, it'd just put oil the the exhaust in a worst case.

 

[heptofite]

or it would put oil into the intake, and it would run through the engine and produce smoke.

 

[feellnfroggy]

White smoke is most likely water. The por power is mostl likely a bad tune or the wrong size impellers. High revs are most likely a vacuum leak somewhere. If he completed the truck and then sold it, its not complete. You have about 5 or six problems that you need to work out one by one. He may have had the heads ported, but thats not to say he didnt buy used heads to port and they coulda been warped or cracked, you know what I mean? Start picking issues and sortin em out, one by one. Start with the high revs, then address the white smoke, then when the engine is reliable as is, begin looking into reason for a lack of power. My recommendations.

 

[88Turbo]

Ill check out a few things you guys mentioned, anymore info would be a great help

 

[crusin93]

If you have the mechanical ability to do a 351 swap this should be a no brainer! How about you give us some more info like cranking compression accross the board, manifold vacuum at idle, wastgate settings, iginition timing base and total advance. Have you even run a cooling system pressure test?
No purpose in diagnosing a high idle condition if you have a bad head or a burnt turbo.

 

[88Turbo]

I acctually might get my hands on a full motor, tranny, and wiring from a 1988 mustang. Its a 5.0L High output, if I can get it, its going in.

But for now.... ill check some things over when I get the chance.