94 ranger performance problem, PLEASE HELP

[wvxr7cougar]

I recently purchased a 1994 ranger 2wd 2.3l 5sp to replace my 1989 ranger 2wd 2.3l 5sp. My old truck runs much better than the 94 even though they have the same engine/trans combo. The 94 will not climb hills as well and I am always shifting compared to the old truck.

The 94 has a slight miss that can be felt under load, like climbing hills but idles smooth. The check engine light is not on. I did a fuel pressure test and ran the codes but nothing comes up. I also replaced the plugs even though the ones in it were recently replaced and looked new with no carbon buildup or discoloration. I am thinking it could be a egr problem, coil problem, or o2 sensor. I don't want to go out and just buy parts without any results.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
John

[somanytroubles]

just as a guess ,it sounds like it could be a plugged catalytic converter or a air supply problem [remove your air filter and try it].

[ford2go]

Don't really know, but some things that it can be
Fuel -- on FI engines you have to check the volume as well as the pressure. There are procedures for opening the line and squirting into a container for a few seconds -- calls for caution-- but you check AFTER the regulator. This could be caused by fuel filter or regulator

Injectors -- plugged injector(s) won't squirt enough fuel.I don't know if there is agood way to check them without special equipment

egr is an issue - although it's supposed to be gone after idle ( I think). Ford has a fairly complex system

Can be as simple as loose plug wires or distributor cap Pre OBDII systems don't give that many codes.

Good luck. I've had a smal amount of experience in this area, but I've read about it a lot -- calls for good detective work.

ford2go

[1994RangerMan]

I had a car once that did that, it was the cat. converter, took it off, worked like a champ, depending on where you live, you can just replace teh cat with a straight pipe, or you can put a new cat in.

[stuzman]

Originally Posted by wvxr7cougar

I recently purchased a 1994 ranger 2wd 2.3l 5sp to replace my 1989 ranger 2wd 2.3l 5sp. My old truck runs much better than the 94 even though they have the same engine/trans combo. The 94 will not climb hills as well and I am always shifting compared to the old truck.

The 94 has a slight miss that can be felt under load, like climbing hills but idles smooth. The check engine light is not on. I did a fuel pressure test and ran the codes but nothing comes up. I also replaced the plugs even though the ones in it were recently replaced and looked new with no carbon buildup or discoloration. I am thinking it could be a egr problem, coil problem, or o2 sensor. I don't want to go out and just buy parts without any results.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
John

Without some equipment (scope, etc.) for diagnosis, you would be into guessing as you say. Since you checked your fuel system and assuming that's okay, I would look into the ignition system, possibly a bad wire, ignition module or coil. You could take a look at the ignition while running at night and rev it up to see if you see any stray sparks and you could check the resistance of the wires. The coil resistance could also be checked, but that wouldn't be a guarantee that it's okay because most of them fail when the coil gets heated up. Same things holds true for the ignition module. The only way to tell for sure of what's going on with the ignition system is by using a scope. The scope could also be used to look at the injector's waveform which can confirm its operation. Even the pintle opening can be seened on the waveform to confirm if the solenoid is opening and closing.