Worked On The Ranger Today

[psyshack]

I put some bold moves on it today!

It was nice for a winter day. Sun out, no wind, temps in the mid 30's, snow on the ground. Looked like a good time to tear into the Ranger.

This on going horrible MPG has to stop! The truck was throwing no codes according to the SG and no CEL light on in the dash.

Initial inspection showed no loose, unhooked or broken vacume lines or fittings. I did find the PCV valve in a bit of distress. It had a slight separation between the upper and lower half. I went ahead and took it apart to check that it was clean and otherwise in good shape. Put it back together and re crimped the seam. All is fine concerning the part now.

I ran all the emission sensors today. Basically it went like this. I targeted a part like a O2 sensor. I would do a key on test. No CEL. Then start,, no CEL. Then shut the truck off and unhook the device. Create a CEL then hook device up and clear CEL. Then move on to the next. I would also check the cold verse's warm resistance on devices also. I also pulled a vacume on devices that had a diaphragm like the purge valve, fuel rail surg, EGR, EVG and such. To make sure the diaphragms were not leaking and that they were indeed opening and closing said switch or valve. My last sensor was the cam timing unit thats down by the crank. It appeared ok.

Well grud. This has gotten me nowhere. Ive done all of this before. The Ranger has a new fuel filter, new plugs, wires, battery. Air filter is clean. What next.

Ive checked the MAF so lets clean it. Its clean now. Not that it was dirty. I dubble check all the connections, clean them, reseat them with a fresh coat of silicone grease.

I take the truck for a test drive after turning the heat shield of the cone style air filter backwards to try and recover some under hood engine heat.

No good. Its the same. I have to put the ubber xcel moves on the truck to get 30 MPG out of it on a mixed city highway run of 10 miles on a fully warmed engine.

To say I was unhappy would have been a huge under statement at this point. I decided it was time to take the front of the engine off along with the top half. I have been concerned that maybe the cam timing has changed.

So out comes the antifreeze, radiator, Then the crank pulley and other odds and ends. Im now looking at the timing belt, timing marks, water pump, tensioner and so on. The timing marks are spot on. Yep I knew I put that darn timing belt on right. Off comes the belt to check and see if something is wrong with the cam pulley. Its nice and snug on the cam shaft no play and key is tight. So at best the cam timing is at factory spec since it is keyed to the shaft. Rats I wanted to advance it one or two degrees.

So off comes the upper half of the intake manifold and valve cover. Maybe I have a worn cam lobe or two. Nope, all is fine in there. RATZ!!!!

At my wits end I'm ready to take the 44 mag to it. The wife begs for mercy and promises the truck will do better. And reminds me we need it to haul the new furniture home. RATZ!!! again. grrrr.

So I put the horrible hunk of junk back together. The whole time thinking. The heck with the wife. I will park the truck in front of the local Ford dealer. Put a brick on the throttle and let her toast its self. Then go buy a used f-150 or Tundra and be done with this awful part of my automotive life.

The trucks back together Ive found and tested a suitable cinder block for the roasting of the 2.5L I4. All thats needed now is a suitable death drudge of a tune to be blasting on the stereo. I secure that make sure the burned CD plays in the Ranger. I am all set with a sinister grin.

With the engine all nice and warm I back out of the driveway. Start down the street. Wait it didn't labor knock off idle. Hum,,, ok we can check this at the stop sign. It must know its going to die a horrible death. Nope didn't knock off idle at the next two stop signs. OK I look at the SG going down the road in 5th gear at 30 mph. Hold on its showing 32 MPG real time loafing down the road. Its never done this. HUMMM driving on by the left turn that needs to be made for the Ford dealer,,, I drive on. I come to a slight downhill section, ease out of the throttle ever so slightly, real time MPG shoots up to 65 MPG .

Could it be its fixed? After 6 plus years of disappointment,,, naw,, all this truck knows is heart break. I continue on. The real time MPG numbers are looking near Accordian like. I pull out on the highway and head north as if I were on my way to Tulsa. Thats it lull it into a false since of security. Its bound to start messing up anytime. I execute a short FAS like I always do on one stretch of the road. I dont want it to think anythings up yeah know. I ease on down the road running 5 mph under the speed limit. I come to a light. Stop and let it idle. WOW its showing .1 gph on the SG. The best I have ever seen is .2 gph at idle. So I shoot off away from the light. Get into 5th gear and let the speed climb to 55 mph. Once steady I start watching the current MPG . 22, 22.3, 22.6, 23, 23.5,,, it keeps going up. Before I'm at the city limit and after Ive pulled a small hill. Its at 26 MPG . This has never happened. Its a fluke! Its not real! Bang SG around. WOW 27 MPG . OK its time to do a Ferrari tune up. Make a U turn in the proper place and smash the gas to it. Cant be holding up on coming traffic yeah know. I give her hell. No rev limiter to be found. Let it pull until it cant pull anymore than grab the next gear. Did this thru third gear. Dropped it into 5th and looked at the SG. 22 MPG after that on slot of rpm madness. Not bad! I continue on down the highway at 55 mph. Lookie there, the MPG is coming back up. Within two miles its back up to 27 MPG . I throw a few FAS at it and its bumping up close to 30 MPG . With 42 degree intake air temps. I end back in the driveway at 29.2 MPG . Thats 2 MPG better than EPA highway!

The very best the truck would have ever done in the past at any temp on a run and romp like this,,, would have been 20 to 22 MPG . I set in the driveway dumb founded. And there it was idling at .1 gph. Not its normal .2/.3 gph. I'm not convinced that its fixed. But it wasn't tortured to death today either. I'm going to take it back out and make a run in it from stone cold later tonight and see what it does.

Wish it luck

psy