No power

[birddog321]

I just got the cleanest B2 I've ever seen. It's an '89 2WD automatic.
Stole it for $300 and a shotty. That's the good. The bad is it has no power until it gets out of third gear. Then it's all good. I know it has the 4R44E tranny. Any hints on this issue would be great.

 

[adsm08]

How swapped up is this thing that is has a 4R44E? Those weren't even released until the late 90s. That might be part of your problem.

 

[birddog321]

I looked in the teck liabrary and it matches up. What's my best option to get this thing up to snuff

 

[adsm08]

Ok, I'm going to have to correct a few of your misunderstandings about your own vehicle now.

You have neither a 2.8L nor a 4R44E.

What you have is a 2.9L and an A4LD. I'm guessing that you looked at the pans in the pic, saw that your pan and the 4R44 have the sump and the pictured A4LD out of a turbo coupe has a flat pan and jumped to the conclusion that you have a 4R. The Ranger version of the A4LD uses a pan that looks much more like the pictured 4R44 pan.

You will have to look at the passenger side of the tranny to confirm its identity. The A4LD will have the dipstick tube, two piston bores, and a vacuum modulator. The 4R44E will only have the tube and two pistons.

If you genuinely have a 4R44 you probably have no power because it's defaulted to 3rd gear.

 

[birddog321]

I did not edit all of my info on this new B2. It does have the 2.9. Here is a pic of the trans pan. In my opinion it looks very similar to the 4R44E. Ease correct me if I am wrong. But the default to 3rd would explain the loss of power.

 

[Twister]

I think thats an a4ld, according to te tech library the 4r44e has a smaller hump next to the bigger one.

4r44e

Also, why doesn't the tech library have photos of an RBV a4ld?

 

[adsm08]

I did not edit all of my info on this new B2. It does have the 2.9. Here is a pic of the trans pan. In my opinion it looks very similar to the 4R44E. Ease correct me if I am wrong. But the default to 3rd would explain the loss of power.

That is an A4LD. I can tell by the shifter cable.


Here is a pic of an A4LD Ranger pan (from the inside):

The reason the two pans look so similar is because they are essentially the same transmission, one of hydraulically controlled with an electronic overdrive and converter lockup, the other is fully electronic.

 

[jimbII]

a4ld pan

looks like my pan... a4ld

 

[birddog321]

Update. Just changed the plugs, wires, and coil due to the engine skipping Checked the timing, and any movement of the distibuter just made it worse. It's alittle better, but it is seems like it is skipping. There is no power when it is under a load, i.e. going up hill. Down hill it's sluggish but doesn't seem to be as bad.

 

[birddog321]

.

 

[adsm08]

When you checked the timing, did you remove the spout connector first?

 

[birddog321]

Yes I did.

 

[adsm08]

I'm starting to wonder if the cam isn't off a tooth.

 

[birddog321]

The engine skips at low RPM but not when the throttle is opened up alittle there just isn't any power going to the wheels. I have found a few "Vacum Bypasses" from previous owners and a few electrical rig jobs.

 

[adsm08]

What do you mean by "skips".

 

[birddog321]

Acts like it is not firing on all cylinders , I was looking and could not find the High pressure fuel pump. PO said he checked the Fuel pressure and it is around 36 PSI. Starting to think bad injecters or ICU. I would say clogged exhaust but I put sea foam in it today and it smoked out the whole neighborhood

 

[adsm08]

36 PSI is actually a hair low. It's speced to run at 35, but I have found that KOEO it should get to at least 50 and KOER the it should sit near 40.

The HP pump on yours will be really hard to find if you are thinking in gen 1 mode. In 89 they ditched the dual-pump system, you should only have the in-tank unit.

Clogged injectors is possible, the 2.9 fuel rails can get a little nasty inside and plug up injectors. If you are particularly concerned about that take them out and leave them sit in some BG 44K for a weekend.

 

[birddog321]

I just got some video of the truck running. Maybe the audio of the engine can help. Just waiting on Photo bucket

 

[birddog321]

Phot bucket will not work. Noticed that it smells like Gas when I turn the ignition off.

 

[shane96ranger]

Did he get the reading of 36 psi with or without the vacuum line?