rodnocker
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2011
- Location
- Clayton NC
because if it were you, I would laugh at you!
Back story (this might get long, apologies up front)...
About a year ago I bought my first 4x4. It's a 1989 Ford Ranger extended cab. It was cheap ($400.00) and needed work. OP claimed it just needed a slave cylinder but I was suspicious of that. I know they are a pain to change out but I just had a feeling it was going to be more than that.
I towed it home and was rather happy with my new toy. My plans were to get it going well enough to play around on the farm some. Do some hunting and pull my small john boat with. Maybe one day take it to URE, but I've never been so that's more a dream of mine than a goal right now. I've always been fairly well mechanically inclined so I do my research, get a Haynes manual and tear into the truck.
Clutch, pressure plate, slave cylinder, throwout bearing, and flywheel later, and she moves under her own power. Couple of weeks later I learn how to remove the bed to replace the break line that is pouring fluid behind the gas tank. Then I learn how to replace a fuel pump that I broke while dropping the gas tank so I could get to the break line.
A few months ago I found a wrecked 1992 Ranger with a 4.0 and some body parts that i want. I pay $450.00 delivered to my house and dropped in the garage. I start stripping it down and replaced the bed, driver's door and fender on mine from the donor.
Finally able to drive it some, use it for hauling trash to the dump and playing around out in the woods. [/backstory]
So around 2 months ago, I'm coming back from the dump and about a mile from the house she starts bucking and sputtering. I pull over and it totally dies and will not crank back up. I call my wife and she brings the Xterra over. I hook up the chain and pull it home. We literally dropped it in the driveway and left for the beach (marriage retreat we had planned for that weekend and the truck was not going to get in the way of that).
Fast forward to tonight. I finally got a fuel pressure tester yesterday and made room in other side of the garage for my Ranger tonight.
No pressure at the fuel rail. I hear the relay when I turn the switch and I hear the fuel pump as well.
Remove fuel filter, no fuel at the fuel filter when pump comes on. Replace fuel filter (since I was there and it was off anyways).
Pull bed liner and bed. Pull fuel lines to fuel pump. No fuel when I hear fuel pump come on.
Bang head on side of truck.
I pull the fuel pump from my donor and install it on my Ranger, turn the switch and still no fuel.
*pause for effect*
Here is where I happen to glance down and see the fuel gauge at empty. Previously it had been at 1/4 tank but dropped to E once I had changed out the fuel pumps. I pull the fuel pump, drop a stick down into the now empty tank. I'm guessing that the float on the other fuel pump had gotten hung up or something so it was showing 1/4 tank even though it was empty.
Good news is, I get to drive my truck again
I have to laugh at myself about this though. I know in trouble shooting you start with the basics and work from cheapest to expensive. Tomorrow I will put my truck back together and get some gas for it, but hey... I got another new tool
Back story (this might get long, apologies up front)...
About a year ago I bought my first 4x4. It's a 1989 Ford Ranger extended cab. It was cheap ($400.00) and needed work. OP claimed it just needed a slave cylinder but I was suspicious of that. I know they are a pain to change out but I just had a feeling it was going to be more than that.
I towed it home and was rather happy with my new toy. My plans were to get it going well enough to play around on the farm some. Do some hunting and pull my small john boat with. Maybe one day take it to URE, but I've never been so that's more a dream of mine than a goal right now. I've always been fairly well mechanically inclined so I do my research, get a Haynes manual and tear into the truck.
Clutch, pressure plate, slave cylinder, throwout bearing, and flywheel later, and she moves under her own power. Couple of weeks later I learn how to remove the bed to replace the break line that is pouring fluid behind the gas tank. Then I learn how to replace a fuel pump that I broke while dropping the gas tank so I could get to the break line.
A few months ago I found a wrecked 1992 Ranger with a 4.0 and some body parts that i want. I pay $450.00 delivered to my house and dropped in the garage. I start stripping it down and replaced the bed, driver's door and fender on mine from the donor.
Finally able to drive it some, use it for hauling trash to the dump and playing around out in the woods. [/backstory]
So around 2 months ago, I'm coming back from the dump and about a mile from the house she starts bucking and sputtering. I pull over and it totally dies and will not crank back up. I call my wife and she brings the Xterra over. I hook up the chain and pull it home. We literally dropped it in the driveway and left for the beach (marriage retreat we had planned for that weekend and the truck was not going to get in the way of that).
Fast forward to tonight. I finally got a fuel pressure tester yesterday and made room in other side of the garage for my Ranger tonight.
No pressure at the fuel rail. I hear the relay when I turn the switch and I hear the fuel pump as well.
Remove fuel filter, no fuel at the fuel filter when pump comes on. Replace fuel filter (since I was there and it was off anyways).
Pull bed liner and bed. Pull fuel lines to fuel pump. No fuel when I hear fuel pump come on.
Bang head on side of truck.
I pull the fuel pump from my donor and install it on my Ranger, turn the switch and still no fuel.
*pause for effect*
Here is where I happen to glance down and see the fuel gauge at empty. Previously it had been at 1/4 tank but dropped to E once I had changed out the fuel pumps. I pull the fuel pump, drop a stick down into the now empty tank. I'm guessing that the float on the other fuel pump had gotten hung up or something so it was showing 1/4 tank even though it was empty.
Good news is, I get to drive my truck again
I have to laugh at myself about this though. I know in trouble shooting you start with the basics and work from cheapest to expensive. Tomorrow I will put my truck back together and get some gas for it, but hey... I got another new tool
happens to us all! Part of life, I guess. Reminded me of having to call AT&T help to install a new Modem. 30 min. to get install done, [sucks] but had no Home page. 30 min. more, with several techs, trying to figure out why I had no Home page. They gave up, said it must be my PC. Several minutes later, after hanging up, for some unknown reason, I clicked the Maximize icon. TA DA ! Will never know why screen was in Min. position! 
