I have a 94 b2300. Replaced pretty much everything on this motor so far.
So I was driving home after work and I had no problems, truck runs great. Woke up the next morning to go to work and the truck wont start. Figured a dead battery since it did nothing. Put some cables on it and got it to charge a little bit, it will turn over but not fire. Went through everything. I hear the fuel pump so its working, went through all the fuses nothing burnt. Took out a spark plug hooked it up and tryed to crank it. For some reason i dont have spark anymore. I just replaced the icm, coil packs, plugs and wires a few months ago. But to be safe I used my warranty on the icm and coil packs and replaced them. Still nothing. The only thing i havent replaced was the crank sensor. So I replaced that and still nothing. Still dont have spark. I can't think of anything else that would cause no spark, unless its the computer but whats the chance of it working until I turned the truck off...
Any help is appreciated

 

Only way to test spark on Ford's Coil Pack system is to spray fuel into the engine and try to start it

50/50 test
You can use gasoline in a spray bottle or Quick Start(ether)

If engine starts and dies then spark is OK, you have a fuel delivery problem
If it doesn't start then you have a spark, or compression, problem

And a heads up on the 1989-1994 2.3l
There is a spark inhibitor circuit on start up, the intake side coil has no spark when cranking over the engine
Only the exhaust side has spark for startup

The intake side spark starts when RPMs are above 400


Ford's coil packs spark TWO spark plugs at the same time, so these two spark plugs are wired in series, if you pull the wire from one spark plug to test it then no spark on either because there is no circuit for spark to travel on

 

I have tryed spraying starter fluid in tye intake but no results. I knew that only the exhaust side sparks when starting thats but tryed both when testing.
They way i did my test has worked for me before on this motor, just simply watching the spark plug while its out of the head and plugged into the wire while I start it.
Ive seen it spark while doing tests but this time I have nothing. I can try gasoline but I'm sure it will be the same result.
Im just hopeing its something simple ive overlooked. From the amount ive already replaced it has to be something dumb thats laughing in my face.

 

Ether(starting fluid) is better

Spark system is pretty simple on these years

Crank sensor is a Hall Effect type sensor, it is sent 12volts and Ground, as the wheel inside it spins it sends out 12 volt or 0 volt on its signal wire to the ICM Module, with engine running the 12v/0v averages 7volts, unless you use an oscilloscope
Crank sensor is the only "sensor" that can cause a "no start", any other sensor can fail and engine would still run, poorly maybe but it would start and run

You can test the crank sensor output on the ICM Module with a volt meter to make sure you see the 12v/0v when you manually rotate the engine, or use starter motor
I think its the Dark Blue wire on the ICM connected to pin 4

The ICM is a self contain spark system, it doesn't need the computer to make spark, computer needs the signal from the crank sensor, to time injectors and send spark advance/retard "suggestions" to the ICM, but even with computer unplugged the ICM would make spark

ICM is connected to, and times the spark for the coil packs, the grounding and ungrounding of each coil in the 2 coil packs

The ICM needs a GOOD ground to make spark, thats how spark is made, by grounding and ungrounding an ignition coil, I know there were more than a few posts over the years about the ground on these ICMs

 

So I got a wild hair and decided to test the fuel system. Unplugged a spark plug and cycled the key a few times and I didnt smell gas. Sprayed some starter fluid in one cylinder and it acted like it wants to start. I also tested the spark again and since it was night time i was able to see spark very clearly. I'm going to attempt to change the fuel filter (since i can get one for free) and see if it works. I have yet to replace the fuel filter. I hear the pump so that works. It could also be the fuel filter attached to the pump as well right?
Again I appreciate your help. Your the only one who has ever respond to any of my posts. Thank you

 

Yes there is a filter in the gas tank, its called "the sock", its attached to the bottom of the fuel pump and lays flat on the bottom of the tank, you need to get alot of age on the gas tank to get a clogged sock filter, it can happen but you would have had to get alot of crude pumped in from gas stations

 

Put the new filter on and still doesnt start. Still has the symptoms of fuel starvation. Doesnt make sense it was running fine until I cut it off then its completely dead

 

I dont own a fuel pressure tester so I'm unable to get a proper reading on it but I turned the key and took a screw drive to the fuel rail and judging by the amount and how quickly it came put I'm sure fuel pressure is not the problem. Could it be the injectors not firing? Seems unlikely that all of them went put over night. It may not even be a fuel problem. Since I'm getting fuel all the way up to that point it could be something else but I dont know what it could be.

 

Crank the engine and pull out 1 spark plug, see if it has a WET tip, and smell it to make sure is gasoline

 

What else could cause it to not start if you have fuel, spark, and air. Please keep in mind the only "sensors" I havent replaced on this motor are the oil pressure sensor and one on the right side of the head towards the back under the intake ( cant remember the name off the top of my head) it has a ground wire attached to it. I just checked the timing it has skipped.
There is one thing I have no idea what it is. It sits where the distributor would go if it was that set up. Ive never seen it before. It almost looks like a distributor with no top portion. Could this be the culprit?

 

I tryed pulling out a spark plug ( not #1) and cycled the key. I thought I smelled gas for a split second but the smell quickly went away. I have tomorrow off so I'm going to make sure i have injector pulse.
Ive sprayed starter fluid and it acts like it wants to start ( engine starts rotating faster for a split second) but doesnt not fully start

 

Need 3 things for a gasoline engine to start
Fuel, with alot of air
Spark, at the right time
Compression, above 120psi, gasoline or any fuel can't be ignited without being heated, thats what compression is for, heats it up to a vapor
2.3l Lima should have 150-165 psi compression

Thats how a diesel engine works without spark plugs, diesel engines run 250+psi compression, it heats the fuel up so much it self ignites

So if your timing belt slipped a notch or two then you don't have enough compression to start
Compression gauge

 

So i did a compression test. I have low compression on cylinder 1&2 ( below 90lbs). 3 is at 140 and 4 is 110. I know this is all wrong. I just did the head gasket less than 5k ago. I looked at the valves and there was normal carbon build up so I cleaned it up as good as i can. How could i just loose compression? Especially when it ran perfectly fine before it was turned off. Of course I will have to take the head off again and see what went wrong. But if you have any other suggestions on what went wrong I'm all ears

 

Timing belt, check the timing marks FIRST, before pulling the head

 

I already checked that. 3 times just to make sure and reset it to make sure it wasnt 180 off but no luck. Ive already taken the head off no signs of head gasket failure but i read a leak wont always be seen. I seen no sign of leaks at the valves or piston rings so hopefully its just the gasket. I got the head back on about to torque it down and we will see

 

Head gasket issue wouldn't show compression that low, only slipped or out of time valves would do that, especially if it effected all 4 cylinders
To have a head gasket failure in all 4 cylinders would be pretty much unheard of

Maybe crank gear woodruff key got sheared
Never heard of Cam gear doing that but I guess it could happen

 

I got it all back together and still nothing which i assumed after reading your message. I wanted to fix somethings I didnt whem first rebuilding it.
So i did another compression test I'm getting around 60 psi on cylinders 1 and 2. 150 on cylinder 3. Relatively close to what it was before I took the head off. I just inspected the valves for any signs of leaks. I didnt not see any but i did not test them. But the likely hood of my valves to start leaking enough to not let it start over night would not be plausible.
Of course nothing will tell it to have compression. It still wants to start sometimes but never fully. Its hard to know where to look. It seems like its a "motor" issue with no compression but it working fine and the not sounds like a electrical problem

 

Engine can't start with under 120psi compression

"Trying to start" might be the one cylinder with higher compression

Still read like cam timing issue, triangle to triangle on cam gear
BOTH the cam gear and AUX gear(oil pump) have a triangle and a diamond mark on them, they are interchangeable, a diamond can get worn off enough to look like a triangle so................

 

when i had the head off i set #1 to Tec and the cam on the notch where its suppose to be. Ive timed this plenty of times and I'm sure its not out of time. The aux pulley does have a time mark but nothing around it to show its position. I just set that straight up the last time i did the piston rings and it ran fine.
Its a confusing problem

 

Is there a way to test the valves without taking the head off again? Ive done that 4 times kinda dont want to do it again lol
But most likely I will end up taking it apart again to do a valve job.
Have you heard of anything like that ever happening?

 

Did you check the key ways on cam gear and crank gear, take the bolt off the cam gear, key way should be at 12:00 when timing mark is at 4:00 and lined up with the gear

Same for crank gear, the woodruf keys can get sheared off so gear shifts position on the shaft making timing marks moot

You could have burnt 4 exhaust valves but certainly would have noticed very rough running for days and days before all 4 were burnt and engine shut down

To effect all 4 cylinders it has to be cam/crank timing
Since valve cover is off you should be able to see the valve timing
Timing marks show #1 at TDC Compression stroke, so both valves should be close, and cam lobe for each should be opposite its valve
As you rotate the engine, #1 will go to BDC after 180deg of rotation and then the exhaust valve should start to open as the piston goes up, at next TDC 360deg, exhast valve should be almost closed and intake valve will start to open as piston goes down, until at 180deg intake closes and compression stroke starts, with both valve closed tight, until TDC again, which is where we started


Yes, you can put compressed air into a cylinder when its at TDC compression stroke and then listen for air to escape out a leaking valve
Its called a leak down test
Listen at the exhaust tail pipe, intake valves are less likely to leak, can leak, just less likely

 

I really hope you are using a brand new head gasket each time you take the head off.

 

I figured i would have noticed something before I turned it off if it was the valves.

Of course I use a new gasket everytime I take it off. Id never reuse parts like that

 

If the keys were sheared off wouldnt the gear just rotate and pistons/ cam not move? Or would it move the gear and grab causeing it to be out of allignment?
With the valve cover off it seems like everything is working like it's suppose to (according to your description)

 

No the gear can shift and stay in one place,basically it does spin but once it cools down its "welded" to the shaft at that spot, luck of the draw on where it stops

Put #1 at TDC compression stroke and send in some air, listen at the exhaust to hear if air is leaking

Can you tell if the valves are up all the way when rotating the cam, height wise compare #3 to the rest when its valves are closed, #3 has highest compression