ok, so I have a 89 ranger, 2.3L.. I recently replaced the timing belt, tensioner, and crankshaft sensor. The problem I have, is its running really rough when I have the alternator belt tight, but runs fine when the belt is off or if its loose (but then it squeaks like hell). Which seems really strange to me. Could it be that the alternator is just bad? I think thats the only thing i havent replaced on it. lol... i'm not sure if this matters, but I had to replace 1 of the bolts on the harmonic balancer, i didnt know if it has to be balanced or if it makes any difference.. also, it is kinda ticking a little bit when it runs (with out the belt on), sounds like its from the upper end (maybe cam).
Is the alternator spinning ok , or are the bearings knackered , causing it to jam up when the load of belt applied ? Is it a hydraulic lifter tap you are getting ? If so an oil and filter change might help if not been done for a while . You can also get an additive like Wynn's Hydraulic Valve Lifter Treatment if you want to try that . Some people swear by it . others disagree .
ok, so i've found some new info.. the alternator itself isnt bad, or atleast it wasnt the whole problem. but I believe the wiring might be, when I disconnect the top plug it runs fine. The alternator I bought came with a new plug for it, and before I crimped it on i decided just to shove the wires in and see if it worked, and it didnt, but 1 of the wires (orange/blue) came loose, and it started running fine.. how would i fix this? I see that it goes to a fuse, but the fuse looks fine. now that i've replaced the alternator, it seems to be running a little better (its not stalling anymore), its still missing quite a bit unless i unhook the plug. this really was a great running truck, before i replaced the timing belt and started having all these issues.
so, i just found somethin out, which might be the solution.. i think the battery is bad, would this cause this problem? i know weird things can happen when the battery is bad, so i thought i'd ask..
If the battery has any weak / dud cells the alternator will be battering it's brains in trying to maintain voltage as the different components / engine draw power . A simple load test will tell if battery knackered or not .
ok, so i bought a new battery, and its still doing this.. i found that the wire that came unhooked went to a fuse, so i tried unplugging it and it ran fine for a few minutes then started running rough again. I am really confused, it seems like if i messed up the timing and it was out of time or if there was something serious wrong internally it would be running like this all the time but its not. what else could I try to do to figure out what is wrong short of paying a shop $60/hr to look at it?
ok thanks. i will do that tomorrow and post the results.. i heard that sometimes the regulators are faulty even when they're new? so i'll go have it tested. now when i had the old 1 tested they told me that sometimes even if they test fine they could still be bad? is this true?
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