Newbie-Please help crank, no start issues

[chareng]

Hi Everyone! I have a 88 4x4 Ford Ranger, 2.9. My truck was running fine, one morning it wouldn't idle, I took another vehicle to work. That evening it wouldn't start. I changed the battery and now it won't start. It is cranking but won't start. Everything checked out ok with the fuel pump relay and the inertia switch. Any suggestions at what to check next? I am at a loss. Thanks in advance for any suggestions, I am at wits end!!

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! Did you check to see if there is a spark on the spark plugs?

 

[ridge903]

yea i was thinking make sure it is getting a spark and is it caberated or fi cause if it is caburated you say that all of a sudden it wouldnt idle your jets for your idle could be clogged or the whole carb gummed up and not wanting to let fuel through so before i pulled and rebuilt it which is no big deal its only gunne be a two barrel i would take the fuel line off of the carb and see if it is getting pressure to there if it is look into the inside of the carb when you turn it on and try to start it with someone else pushing the peddle all the way down and see if it is getting gas.... or you could spray some carb cleaner down in the carb and try starting it and see if it fires up then you know you have spark and once it starts if you can keep it running by giving it gas you would know you have your lo pressure jets clogged and it would be a simple rebuild...or if it wont fire up look into the plug wires and plugs make sure they are good and then check you distributor cap and rotor contacts to see that they are worn down and preventing a good spark.....hmmmm seems like i have thrown alot out there.......

lets sum it up like this if it has been awhile since it had a tune up i would do the following

rebuild carb
plugs
plug wires
distributor cap
rotor
fuel filter
air filter
and pretty much anything else you know of that is routine maintence that hasnt been done in a while

 

[ridge903]

oh and i just say you are from ky.....welcome to the forum and i miss the good ol ky i used to have an 88 ranger that suddenly wouldnt idle but i could keep it running by keeping my foot in the gas and had build up on the jets not too bad to rebuild the carb took me about 4 hours since i had my dad looking over my shoulder pestering me the whole time as i was still in highschool at the time