Years ago I had a 07 XL 2.3L Auto that I absolutely loved but sold it when I bought my 2013 F-150. I used to see the miles start to climb more and more on the F150 I decided to get another daily driver.

Ended up finding a White 2001 XL 2.5L 2WD Single Cab Step aside with 84K miles. The previous owner you can tell didn't take much care of the truck so although it's in ok shape it surely needs some TLC. I bought the truck Saturday. Between then and now I changed the battery, replaced the fuel filter, replaced the 4 intake side plugs, cleaned the MAF, cut and painted the antenna, painted the grill, fixed a leaking vac line that was causing the AC to blow only out the defrost vents, fixed the leaking 3rd brake light, installed a LED bulbs in the dome light and 3rd brake light, aligned the headlights, rewired the rear speakers, cleaned the interior up some(seats need to be cleaned again), and gave it a quick wash.

The paint still shines but has a bunch of spots that the paint has chipped and is rusting some places the paint is flaking as well. The roof has the biggest paint issue so I plan to sand and prime the roof and then buy some white or maybe even black vehicle wrap and install it on the roof.

Future plan are to fix small rust hole on the drivers front fender, change the shocks, wheels and tires, clean it up real good and depending on how well the roof wrap turns out I may wrap the entire truck.

It's a daily driver/work truck so I'm not to concerns about making it look perfect just want it to be a good reliable truck.

The issue I'm trying to figure out is that there is a random rough idle a do havnt been able to find the cause of. With that being said after replacing the 4 intake side plugs which 1 was a AutoLite and 3 where NGK all with gaps around .060 to the correct MotorCraft plugs gapped at .044 it helped a lot but it still has a rough idle and at times it surges. I quickly looked for vacuum leaks but didn't dive deep into looking for it other than listening for one. I read the PCV valve could be a issue but with me only spending a few mins looking for the PCV I was unable to locate it. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks, hope to bring the truck back to great shape. I do some mechanic work on the side and love having something of my own I can slowly bring back to good shape.

Wayne

 

Welcome back.

You got the last year of the Lima SOHC engines, in mid-2001 Rangers started getting the Duratec 2.3l DOHC engines, like you had in the '07.

Try here: Finding the PCV Valve - Ford Ranger Forum


For vacuum leak test have engine warmed up and idling
Unplug the wires from the IAC Valve, it will close
Idle should drop to 500 or engine may even stall, either is good it means no air leaks
If idle stays at 700 or higher then there is a leak.

Start pulling off vacuum hoses and plugging port with your finger, when idle drops you found leaking hose or device.

On the off chance someone has tried to adjust the "idle screw" this might give a false high idle.
Fuel injected engines can't use an "idle screw", no jets, they do have an anti-diesel screw on the throttle linkage, and it "looks like" an idle screw.
If idle stays high with IAC Valve unplugged then you can see if the anti-diesel screw is still where it should be, back it out a bit, if idle doesn't change then screw it back in where it was.
If idle does drop then keep backing it out until RPMs are at about 500, below 600 is fine.
No vacuum leak, plug IAC valve back in and see how idle is now.

 

When disconnecting the IAC, the engine wants to die so that means no vacuum leak right?

I found the PCV valve today and plan to change that tomorrow. Today I also fixed the water temp gauge. I hooked up a SCT and datalogged the the coolant temp parameters and the ECM is only seeing a max of 170ish degrees when idling with A/C on max in South LA that tells me that the T Stat appears to be stuck open. When I return the coolant temp sensors tomorrow I'll use those funds to purchase the TStat and PCV. Turned out the sensors was NOT bad and causing the issue with the gauge. It was just that the brass housing of the sensors that was on the truck was corroded enough to not make contact. Hit it with a wire brush and she is working now. After that I'm really at a lose and not sure if I should continue to deal with it and figure out the random rough idle issue or cut my loses and just sell it and look for a newer one.

Wayne

 

Some one may have put a 180degF t-stat in, should be 192-195degF t-stat.

Instructions here: I am replacing a thermostat on a 2.5 L OHC engine Ford Ranger-the

 

Yesterday I ordered a T-Stat, T-Stat Seal, and a PCV Valve. I was able to pick up the other 4 plugs as well. Yesterday evening I swapped out the 4 exhaust side plugs and in doing so broke two plug wires so today I'm going to pick up a new set. I also checked for vacuum leaks and rerouted the vac lines because the previous bypassed the canister and heater core valve which he did wrong and was causing the A/C to blow out the defrost vents when acclerating.

On the way home from work yesterday the damn fuel line popped off the fuel filter and damaged the fitting so now I need to replace that too. Its always something, but I'm so close to getting it running top notch. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I'll have it all fixed up!

RonD - Thanks for the link! I also found a troubleshooting guide online for the EGR that I'm going to do as well.

Wayne

 

Well i finally had time to finish the tune up on the truck and its running great besides a slight problem that after searching seams to be a well known issue.

The issue is that its hard to start sometimes but i figured out a way to make it started as if nothing is wrong. I turn the key to the on position and until i hear the fuel pump cut off, turn the key off and then turn on again. Once i hear the fuel pump stop it turn the key and she cranks right up.

So with that being said i have been reading about a "check valve". What is it? Where is it?

Oh and i picked these up today! Cant beat them for FREE, just some cleaning up and some paint and they will be as good as new!

Wayne

 

Good work on those wheels and everything else


Fuel injection requires higher pressure to work, 1997 and older Rangers used a 35-40psi fuel system, 1998 and up use 65-70 psi system.

To hold that pressure when engine is off there is a check valve in the fuel pump, basically just a flap that the pump pushes open when it is on and then closes when pump is off and held closed by the pressure remaining in the line between pump and fuel injectors.
So when engine is running the fuel pressure at the injectors would be 65psi, when off it might drop to 50psi and then hold that pressure for a few months, not hours or days........months.

Ford safety mechanism only allows fuel pump to run for 2 seconds if engine RPMs are below 400rpm, this would prevent fuel from being pumped out of broken fuel lines in the event of an accident, i.e. broken fuel line would cause engine to stall, run out of gas, so pump would shut off, even if key was on
So when you first turn on the key, engine at 0rpm, pump only runs for 2 seconds, this 2 seconds adds 10-15psi of pressure, depending on existing pressure in the line.
So cycling the key on and off 2 times could get 30psi which would be enough to start engine, and when above 400rpm pump comes on full time.


If you don't smell gas anywhere(leaking fuel line) and your MPG hasn't dropped(leaking injector) then yes most likely the check valve in the fuel pump is leaking or there is a leak in the fuel line IN the gas tank.

Check Valve is part of the fuel pump so not a separate part that can be changed

 

Well I just purchased the truck a 9 days ago so I can't really comment on MPGs as of right now. So far I have 155ish miles on this tank and just a tiny bit over 1/2 tank.

This check valve you speak of, if I'm understanding you correct it not IN the pump itself, but ON fuel hat assembly. I have changed any pumps on other vehicles and noticed a redish colored rubber "tip" on the return line. Is this what your referring to as the check valve? I could be wrong but have never heard of it being called a check valve ever before not have I heard that it's designed to hold 50ish pounds of fuel pressure.

Is this what your referring to as a check valve? Picture is for illustration purposes only.

Wayne

 

Found this video.
Go to 3 and 6:15 minute places, but it's interesting to watch the whole thing.

 

Very interesting!!

So what I was assuming y'all were referring to as a check valve is not what the actual check valve is. I will get a manual FP gauge to check the fuel pressure. On previous vehicles to install a fuel pressure gauge I would remove the shredder valve from the port on the fuel rail and then install the gauge. Would this truck be the same way?

Wayne

 

So another question...

While search a little more I read about the fuel pressure pulse damper. With that being said when taking down vacuum leaks I removed the vacuum line off the intake that goes to the pulse damper and sucked on it to see if there was a leaking line. It didn't have a leak but I noticed a slight taste of fuel when I sucked in it. Can't say for sure if it was actual gas or carb cleaner residue from when I was spraying around to find leaks. But I'm wondering now if that could cause this issue as well.

Wayne

 

I use a small inexpensive hand held vacuum pump to test for vacuum leaks. I initially bought it to bleed brakes, but it has come in handy for many other things.
You should get your self one, I tested my pressure pulse damper and it held vacuum. ( I was testing for vacuum leaks too)
When it comes to something like this I don't think one can tell by sucking on it if it's faulty.
If you think about though, if there was a leak in the diaphragm, there would be fuel over the place _ surely the fuel pressure would fill up the vacuum lines or simply blow the line off.
I'm not sure how the dampener works if the pressure of the fuel is directly on the underside of the diaphragm.

 

I too have a small vacuum pump used to bleed brakes and that started to use to find vacuum leaks but it seams as if it's leaking by internally so it wasn't something I could use. When I said looking for leaks basically I would suck on it to see if it held vacuum. If it held it for a min or so I called it good, the 3 leaks I did find I couldn't even build a vacuum in them.

As far a vacuum leaks go I think I have finally found them all and idle is as smooth as it can be. It also no longer jumps idle nearly as much as it did when the A/C compressor was kicking on and off.

So with that being said I think I have fixed all of the other dozen or so issues other than the slight knocking noise which I never heard once since leaving work today and the slight cranking issue. For only having the truck 9 days and only about $200 spent in parts i think I'm doing good.

With that being said what would one expect to pay for a 01 XL StepSide 2.5L 2WD with 85K that's been involved in a "minor" wreck?

Wayne

 

Hard to say, anything is worth more in parts.
A minor wreck with no bent frame with the cab and box in tact may be restorable... ???

Maybe 2 grand and if something is seriously wrong _ a thousand...

If it's a private sale and the guys wife is nagging him to get it the hell out of the drive way _ 500 bucks.

Lots of variable involved, I could be way off or really close.