New ranger owner and to the forums.

Just inherited a 1993 ranger 4.0, 4x4, 5 speed single cab that had been sitting in my uncles cow pasture untouched for 10 years.

I put in a new battery, starter, and added fresh fuel. I removed fuel line at rails and cycled key until some decent smelling gas came out. Then after cleaning all the rats nest from the intake I tried to start and no go.

I have spark, around 50 psi at fuel schrader valve. It will run if I spray gas in the throttle body. I do have 12v checked at one of the injectors red wires.

not sure what else to do and open to suggestions.

I learned to drive a manual in this truck when I was 14 about 20 years ago so I would really like to drive it again.

 

Welcome to the forum

On the dash there will be a CEL(check engine light), it should come on with key on, does it?
The CEL coming on mean computer is booting up
No CEL means no computer

If CEL comes on then it should go OFF when starter motor is active, that means computer is getting a timing pulse from the EDIS(spark module)
The timing pulse is needed so computer starts the injector pulses

Unplug the TPS(throttle position sensor), 3 wire sensor, if this sensor is shorted out the computer will not start injectors, its called "Clear Flooded Engine Routine"
TPS gets 5volts from computer, if it sends back 1volt then throttle is closed, if it sends back over 4.5volts then throttle is wide open(WOT)
0 RPMs + WOT = Shut off fuel injectors to "Clear Flooded Engine"

And injectors could all just be clogged with varnish, you can use a NOID light to see if computer is pulsing an injector when cranking, if so and still a No Start, then injectors are clogged


Just FYI, up thru 1997, Rangers used 35psi fuel injection, 1998 and up used 55psi
With no vacuum assist, pressure in the rail can be close to 43psi thats the rating of the fuel pressure regulator
Not an issue at this point just an FYI

 

Yes CEL comes on.

After work I’m renting a noid light and siphoning all the gas out and adding 5 gallons of fresh gas.

Will update this evening

Thanks for the tips

 

Noid light confirms injectors are firing. Added fresh gas, new fuel filter.

It still doesn’t want to start. Stumbles sometimes. Will start decent when added gas to intake.

Clogged injectors as mentioned?

 

Yes, and/or fuel rail

You need to pull fuel rail in any case to get injectors out

You can get injector rebuild kits or check locally for shops that do this, usually its $20-$25 per injector to clean and rebuild

Does it stay running after manually adding fuel?

 

Does not stay running after adding fuel, revs up to about 1500 rpm then slowly comes down and stumbles and dies.

I guess to pull injectors and fuel rail I need to take off the intake?

 

Just the upper intake, you can leave the lower intake and valve covers on, don't even have to drain any coolant out

But cover the holes, dropping a nut or bolt or washer down there will ruin your whole day, lol

 

Good news, kind of.

Tried one more time and got her started by pumping the throttle while turning over.

It revs up fine and smooth, but it lopes really bad at idle like it’s missing and will die if I don’t hold the throttle open a little bit.

All vacuum lines are there and look good, any idea on where I should start now?

 

Reads like clogged injectors
1993 4.0l runs Batch Fire injection, 3 injectors open at the same time on opposite RPMs
So with higher air flow(RPMs) you can get fuel into most cylinders but at lower air flow the fuel from just 1 injector on one bank of the engine isn't enough

Keep running seafoam, or similar injector cleaner, in the gas tank and drive it or at least run it a higher RPMs to try and get each injector to flow

You can unplug the 4 wires on coil pack, then crank cold engine over a few times
Then pull spark plugs
The ones with DRY tips have the clogged injectors

 

Well bad news, decided to do a compression check and it goes
cylinder 1- 155, 2- 165, 3- 165, 4- 55, 5- 100, 6- 100.

So low compression on bank 2. Found out from my uncle that the truck overheated one day, he took it to a shop they said cracked head, replaced it. Overheated again not long after, replaced another or same head, not sure and it never drove right. Said it felt like it had 20 hp so he parked it in the cow pasture for 10 yrs.

I squirted oil down cylinder 4 with little change.

I don’t know which head or heads have been replaced. I am in the process of removing bank 2 head and will update. My harbor freight t55 socket will not remove the head bolts and broke so it will be an excuse to buy a good set.

 

Bummer :(

You will need to pull both heads and then check between valve seats for a crack, thats where these heads cracked
If either "looks" OK take it to machine shop to be cleaned surfaced and pressure tested
"Big" crack looks like this: https://www.explorerforum.com/forums...ad2-jpg.70023/
Smaller can be hard to see which is why you need the pressure test
If one head seems OK, you still need a valve spring compressor to change the valve guide seals(they come with new gasket sets), or the machine shop can do that if you give them the new seals

Generally speaking once a 4.0l OHV has been overheated long enough to crack one head the other will have been weakened, so best to replace BOTH, in my opinion

The 4.0l OHV used TTY head bolts so they must be replaced, they can not be reused as they will not hold enough pressure so head gasket will blow

 

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it.

I started another thread in the 4.0 engine section since I have some 4.0 specific questions now. Maybe you could jump over there and help me out.