Long time listener, first time caller.

My son's 1990 Ranger 2.3 was running poorly and dripping coolant from the exhaust with lots of white smoke.

I replaced the head gasket, timing belt, 2 injectors, plugs and plug wires. Cranked it up, it ran very rough, wouldn't idle, backfires and then dies.

The head gasket is sealing properly and compression is correct in each cylinder.

Double checked my wiring and fuel connections everything seems in order.


Figuring I must be off a tooth on the timing belt so I removed the fan and crankshaft pulleys to see.

On a whim I cranked it up with the fanbelt off, it ran great.

Put the fanbelt back on, it returned to running rough, backfiring, and stalled.

Sooooo, I put the fanbelt back on and unplugged the alternator, it ran great. While it was idling I plugged the alternator back in, it immediately started missing, backfiring and died.

WTF??? I haven't decided if it's an alternator prob or something else is going on.

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this.....

Thanks.

 

it is a alternator problem

something inside it has shorted out , time for a new alternator

 

I would take the alt. and take it to a parts store and let them test it, to make sure. I sounds like a bad alt.

 

Lol.... I wish it was that simple. :) .. Took the alt to two parts stores and had it tested, tested good at both.

I still wasn't sure so a friend at AutoZone sold me a new one with the agreement he'd let me return it if it didn't fix the prob.

So, back to the house with a new alternator strapped to my motorcycle , hooked it up, cranked the motor, same result.

Spitting, backfiring, won't rev or idle, then dies. Unplug the new alternator, bam, she runs great.

I'm a pretty good wrench for a non-professional and I'm old enough to have worked on a lot of weird problems but this one is freakin' me out, man!

 

then check the power charge + cable between the alternator and the battery , it may shorting out to the ground

i advise to run a new cable to the battery but along the top of the engine across the firewall and down along the inner fender to the battery ( a lot safer and less exhaust heat to damage it )

 

Ok, that borders on brilliant, gracias. I'll implement immediately and post the results.

 

Sigh .... no change, no love ...

Hmmmmm, but a thought has struck -doesn't often happen :).

The plug on the alternator is really more from the regulator inside the alternator. It's that plug I've been connecting/disconnecting that makes the engine run bad/good.

I'll start looking more at the circuits connected to the regulator than the battery output side.

 

remove some of the electrical tape from that particular connection and wiring

it may have the insulation rubbed off under the tape , or the connector has melted and allowing the + and - to contact each other

 

Went all thru the harness and it looks good ---- but I'm gonna back up a few steps ----- I found water in the oil again so I've pulled the head again

When I pulled the head the first time the gasket was obviously blown so I didn't bother taking the head to a machine shop, just hoped I'd get lucky and the head would be good. Not looking like a good move.

So I'll get the head in the shop tomorrow and come back to this next week :(

 

ok, the machine shop called, the head das kaput. So, now I need a replacement for a 1990 2.3 dual plug head. Any suggestions:) ?

 

Sweet - question answered by RonD in Technical Forum ... he let me know 89-2001 2.3 or 2.5 dual plug heads will work. Thanks RonD

 

Sweet - question answered by RonD in Technical Forum ... he let me know 89-2001 2.3 or 2.5 dual plug heads will work. Thanks RonD