The Beast

I got this '87 4x4 ranger w/140k miles from my mother-in-law. She was the
only one to drive it, and seems to be a fairly good truck except....
It has the 2.9 V6 EFI, which does not seem to be able to get out of its
own way. In 4wd,both high and low, it seems to do a very good job with lots
of torque and I haven't gotten stuck yet The problem is 2wd, it is
painfully slow in winding out the gears and it has NO pickup after about
2500 rpm's. I've changed the spark plugs and wires, rotor cap and button,
coil, had the injectors cleaned, installed a new radiator and hoses, and a
new fan clutch, all to no avail in the power department...
Maybe there is something (probably obvious) that I'm missing? It leaks some
oil around the V.C. gaskets and the oil pan but it does not smoke...
My monster, er, mother-in-law changed the oil in the thing religiously as do
I. As a result there has never been "dirty oil" in the engine. Any
suggestions? Is this engine normally this lame?
--

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is
proof against all
arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance--that
principle is contempt prior to investigation."
--Herbert Spencer
theelectricguns.com

JimV

The Beast wrote:
> I got this '87 4x4 ranger w/140k miles from my mother-in-law. She was the
> only one to drive it, and seems to be a fairly good truck except....
> It has the 2.9 V6 EFI, which does not seem to be able to get out of its
> own way. In 4wd,both high and low, it seems to do a very good job with lots
> of torque and I haven't gotten stuck yet The problem is 2wd, it is
> painfully slow in winding out the gears and it has NO pickup after about
> 2500 rpm's. I've changed the spark plugs and wires, rotor cap and button,
> coil, had the injectors cleaned, installed a new radiator and hoses, and a
> new fan clutch, all to no avail in the power department...
> Maybe there is something (probably obvious) that I'm missing? It leaks some
> oil around the V.C. gaskets and the oil pan but it does not smoke...
> My monster, er, mother-in-law changed the oil in the thing religiously as do
> I. As a result there has never been "dirty oil" in the engine. Any
> suggestions? Is this engine normally this lame?

COuld be a lot of things, but on a truck that old with those miles I'd
be wondering if the cat was plugged.

patcheswho@cfl.rr.com via CarKB.com

The Beast wrote:
>I got this '87 4x4 ranger w/140k miles from my mother-in-law. She was the
>only one to drive it, and seems to be a fairly good truck except....
> It has the 2.9 V6 EFI, which does not seem to be able to get out of its
>own way. In 4wd,both high and low, it seems to do a very good job with lots
>of torque and I haven't gotten stuck yet The problem is 2wd, it is
>painfully slow in winding out the gears and it has NO pickup after about
>2500 rpm's. I've changed the spark plugs and wires, rotor cap and button,
>coil, had the injectors cleaned, installed a new radiator and hoses, and a
>new fan clutch, all to no avail in the power department...
>Maybe there is something (probably obvious) that I'm missing? It leaks some
>oil around the V.C. gaskets and the oil pan but it does not smoke...
>My monster, er, mother-in-law changed the oil in the thing religiously as do
>I. As a result there has never been "dirty oil" in the engine. Any
>suggestions? Is this engine normally this lame?

--
check your fuel pressure should be 30-40 psi. verry verry verry common for
the regulator on the fuel rail to go bad and cause lack of power


Message posted via CarKB.com
http://www.carkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...truck/200506/1

The Beast

"patcheswho@cfl.rr.com via CarKB.com" <forum@CarKB.com> wrote in message
news:50027AE4FF0A0@CarKB.com...
> The Beast wrote:
> >I got this '87 4x4 ranger w/140k miles from my mother-in-law. She was the
> >only one to drive it, and seems to be a fairly good truck except....
> > It has the 2.9 V6 EFI, which does not seem to be able to get out of
its
> >own way. In 4wd,both high and low, it seems to do a very good job with
lots
> >of torque and I haven't gotten stuck yet The problem is 2wd, it is
> >painfully slow in winding out the gears and it has NO pickup after about
> >2500 rpm's. I've changed the spark plugs and wires, rotor cap and button,
> >coil, had the injectors cleaned, installed a new radiator and hoses, and
a
> >new fan clutch, all to no avail in the power department...
> >Maybe there is something (probably obvious) that I'm missing? It leaks
some
> >oil around the V.C. gaskets and the oil pan but it does not smoke...
> >My monster, er, mother-in-law changed the oil in the thing religiously as
do
> >I. As a result there has never been "dirty oil" in the engine. Any
> >suggestions? Is this engine normally this lame?
>
> --
> check your fuel pressure should be 30-40 psi. verry verry verry common for
> the regulator on the fuel rail to go bad and cause lack of power
>
>
> Message posted via CarKB.com
> http://www.carkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx...truck/200506/1
Thank you very much for your response.
I will check that immediately.
--

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is
proof against all
arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance--that
principle is contempt prior to investigation."
--Herbert Spencer
theelectricguns.com

TranSurgeon

my experience is that the 2.9 will go like the proverbial bat outa hell

check for bad cat converter, also check fuel pressure, I think the 87 still
used the two-pump system with a low-pressure pump in the tank and a
hi-pressure unit on the frame rail under the driver's seat

also the pressure regulator (rear of fuel rail on driver's side) goes bad,
also check the vacuum line from regulator to manifold for gas


"JimV" <jv9999@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:ra2dncm8Ne3V5S7fRVn-jQ@comcast.com...
> The Beast wrote:
> > I got this '87 4x4 ranger w/140k miles from my mother-in-law. She was
the
> > only one to drive it, and seems to be a fairly good truck except....
> > It has the 2.9 V6 EFI, which does not seem to be able to get out of
its
> > own way. In 4wd,both high and low, it seems to do a very good job with
lots
> > of torque and I haven't gotten stuck yet The problem is 2wd, it is
> > painfully slow in winding out the gears and it has NO pickup after about
> > 2500 rpm's. I've changed the spark plugs and wires, rotor cap and
button,
> > coil, had the injectors cleaned, installed a new radiator and hoses, and
a
> > new fan clutch, all to no avail in the power department...
> > Maybe there is something (probably obvious) that I'm missing? It leaks
some
> > oil around the V.C. gaskets and the oil pan but it does not smoke...
> > My monster, er, mother-in-law changed the oil in the thing religiously
as do
> > I. As a result there has never been "dirty oil" in the engine. Any
> > suggestions? Is this engine normally this lame?
>
> COuld be a lot of things, but on a truck that old with those miles I'd
> be wondering if the cat was plugged.
>