Hey guys....

Since hunting season on the way back home my baby 1986 Ford Ranger 2.9L has this fascinating sensation I've never felt in ANY vehicle before. While driving, it almost feels like a FAT SUMO wrestler is in front of your truck slowing you down.. I can try to best describe it as the previous thing I mentioned and perhaps a hesitation like your engine stumbles, runs out of gas or something like that...

similar to what this dude describes..
https://www.ranger-forums.com/2-9l-3...-158453/page2/

My inline fuel filter is only about 2 years old LOW MILES on it.... I went ahead and installed a New fuel pump a week ago...(funny the new pump is loud I always hear it the original one was silent yay) my exhaust system was destroyed... tail pipe missing muffler sounded like it was full of marbles and replaced this too (easy job except "adjusting" everything so the pipe isnt in the fender) ....these things definitely helped but the problem still persists.. but inconsistant... if you rest the truck for a day it takes longer for it to start this problem but always seems to return. A man at my brothers work said to replace some sort of spring widget under the distributor cap and rotor ( I have a new cap and rotor also but dont know anything about the parts under it)

I also did a new o2 sensor last summer (just months ago) it screwed into the pipe in front of the catalytic converter passenger side ... I'm told there are more then one of these o2 sensors of many trucks? Is this true? I can't seem to find out how many o2 sensors I have... if I have another one where is it at? I would like to replace this as it could be the problem? Inside my tank was super clean and beautiful.

On another note I accidentally finally found out about my strange options. My truck apparently was a Government truck with special order options... I have an '86 2.9l long bed 2wd but it has 2 fuel tanks. The Ford dealer called it a Monday truck because it had options its not suppose to have in this year but found the strange Governement owned sticker!! Mystery solved there. Any help with this bizarre sensation would be great... I'll start with figuring out how many o2 sensors I have. NOTE I have new map sensor and computers every sensor i know of has been replaced besides a potential amount of mystery o2 sensors...

Thanks so much! RonD and ALL you boys have helped keep my baby on the road. I'm going stir crazy having done no driving outside town since august except for a 2 days hunting season... i feel trapped!! Thanks for the help

 

Does anyone at least know a way I can find out how many o2 sensors my truck has? I cannot seem to find the specifics of this..

1986 Ford Ranger 2wd single cab long bed 2.9L

I've been told some trucks have up to 3 and I've only found 1 and replaced it. Thanks!

 

not sure but I think there are 3. 1 on each side just below the exhaust manifold and before the cat. last one is on the bottom behind the last large cat.

 

I keep hearing differet numbers but I have been under that truck so many times, to this day I see only 1.

 

there should be one on each side a little below the exhaust manifold. the passenger side is easy to get to from the wheel well, drivers side you might have to do from under the truck.

 

I've never had a dirty throttle body but my diesel mechanic buddy Dawson said replaced the idle air control valve and check the throttle body, said it should look like clean metal... took it off and it looked like this, cleaned it for perfect running. I then discovered this broken red hard air line broken, it wasn't broken before but I think it must have been cracked on the bottom and I didn't see or hear anything. These two things fixed the problem.. i still have a little issue on hills but thats because of my air in tank fuel line issue between tanks. Thanks guys, wanted to post this for someones future reference.