Completed Project Kirby's 1991 Ranger Build Up

[410Fortune]

Compression test for sure
One of the new parts in your
Engine could be?? On the 4.0 ohv last few years I have battled valve stem seals and valve seats… some of the reman heads are not good

When the long crank happens did you check for spark? I forget

That tool box is so slick!!! I just want to use that ice scraper it looks so new

 

[Kirby N.]

Yes I checked spark with a spark tester and with a timing light. It pretty much has the hard start all the time now. It won’t start without throttle input ever.

 

[410Fortune]

Does it fire up directly when you touch the throttle?

Your engine is a 91 and the throttle body also came with this engine?

 

[Kirby N.]

It does not fire directly when I give throttle input. I have to work the throttle quite a bit. Initially it sounds like it wants to, but then it goes into this rough start crank for a while. I usually move the throttle from closed to open slowly a couple of times and it eventually it starts. If I crank it without any throttle it won’t ever start.

The throttle body is not original. When I installed the new engine, I cleaned the stock throttle body with brake and carb cleaner thoroughly and destroyed all the film on the butterfly. So I purchased a new old stock ford throttle body. Also there hasn’t been anything that I have replaced that immediately caused this issue. I replaced the throttle body right after I installed the engine because it had a crazy high idle.

I do think it seems to be getting worse- although the temp swings here in colorado make it tough to tell.

 

[410Fortune]

Do you have the old tb?
What year did your new tb come from?

The 91-92 th had a small hole in the butterfly
The 93-94 did not?
I don’t think it’s gonna fix your no start issue
But that little hole was there for some reason on the 91-92 intake /iac
I fixed an idle issue we were having on. 84 ranger gone 92 explorer by drilling that small hole in the butterfly

Does the truck behave the same if you unplug the tps?
You have a vacuum canister on this truck? Plumbed and working? All vacuum check valves in place, brake booster holds vacuum?

 

[Kirby N.]

I don’t have the original tb, I believe this one is a 90 or a 91 but I can look.

I have a meeting then I will check the start with no tps plugged in. Checking the booster for vac- can I just plug the line and see if the problem persists?

 

[Kirby N.]

All vac lines in place. Canister is in place. I replaced the purge valve and check valve in the vac lines.

 

[Kirby N.]

It starts the same with the tps unplugged, but I have a check engine light when the tps is unplugged. Also the idle hangs at 1200 rpm.

 

[Kirby N.]

If I resart it immediately, it starts ok with no throttle input. If I wait 1 minute or more to start it, it starts like crap again.

The tb is a 92 I believe. Here is a picture of the part number and the hole in the butterfly:

I do believe the brake booster is holding vacuum . When I unplug it there is still vacuum and a plugged the hole and tried a restart and I still had the hard restart.

 

[donalds]

Have you smoke tested this thing
Sorry for the stupid question
I feel like it's a vacuum leak I've seen this before

 

[Kirby N.]

Hmm. I did smoke test it. I found a little leak at one of the hose clamps on the intake tube. Tightened it up and that was it. Nothing anywhere else. I can test it again.

 

[Kirby N.]

What do you guys think about injectors and new o rings? I can't get new injectors. When I did the engine I got a set that was remanufactured injectors and flow matched. They are all clicking consistently.

 

[Kirby N.]

Compression test for sure
One of the new parts in your
Engine could be?? On the 4.0 ohv last few years I have battled valve stem seals and valve seats… some of the reman heads are not good

When the long crank happens did you check for spark? I forget

That tool box is so slick!!! I just want to use that ice scraper it looks so new

I need to do a compression test. I’ll do that tomorrow maybe.

 

[Kirby N.]

Hmmm. You remember when you told me to check compression @410Fortune

 

[Kirby N.]

I should have.

I started with cylinder #1 when the engine was warm. It read 30lbs. I thought the loaner gauge must be garbage. So I went and bought another gauge.

By that time the engine was cool.

Here is what I got cool:

1- 30 warm with other plugs in. All plugs out 10.

2- cool with all plugs out 15

3- cool with all plugs out 90

4- 50 warm, cool with all plugs out 30

5- cool with all plugs out 65

6- cool with all plugs out 45

I am surprised it even runs.

I added oil to #4 to see if it changed and it went to 40. That could have just been the oil volume.

The plugs all looked pretty lean. #1 looked the best

#3 looked like the rest

 

[410Fortune]

Dang that’s low compression
And in all of them hmmm

So
30-15-90
50-65-45

Remind us the history of this engine?
I would be looking for a 99-2000 ohv
Or heck sohc swap! It’s all the rage
Sorry to see that

 

[Kirby N.]

New test wot and hot engine. All plugs out. Fuel off.

1-10

2- 20

3-100

4- 25

5- 75

6- 50

 

[Kirby N.]

A little history-

It is not a wore out engine- that is what is odd. At 38k miles ago, I put in a new remanned motorcraft short block that I had bought off a guy who never used it in a crate. Insides looked spanking new. It had set in a crate for probably 5 years when I got it, it probably set in my possession for 10. It was crated in plastic wrapping soaked in oil. I installed everything new I could possibly think of when I put it back together.

the old engine wasn’t having any problems except it was leaking like a ford. It was wore out from the miles- but it never gave me any issues. It went 314k.

ha. The heads were a bit of a challenge. Because it was a 2000 style block and pistons, I had to use 95tm heads to keep it stock compression. I found some loaded nos units on eBay, but when I got them they were 93tm. So i found some 95tms at the junk yard and had a local machine shop go through them and swap the valve hardware.

when i assembled it, it had a noise in the valves. So I took the heads off and took them back to the machine shop. They said they went through everything and it was fine, but that they hand lapped them just to be sure.

I swapped to nos ford lifters from new ones melling ones I bought and installed and the noise went away.

So it still idled odd, but ran ok and I have been driving and tinkering with it.

 

[410Fortune]

What the heck?? Is it timed correctly? I mean how can a new engine and new head give those numbers
Something fishy

Valve covers need to come off

 

[Kirby N.]

What the heck?? Is it timed correctly? I mean how can a new engine and new head give those numbers
Something fishy

Valve covers need to come off

How do I tell if it’s timed correctly? The computer does that part right? I checked it with a timing light and pulled the spout. It seemed correct, did all the advance and stuff it was supposed to.