We just got my brothers engine replaced in his 88 ford ranger 4 by 4. His old engine threw a rod. Now with this other engine it sounds like it is straining to run. It also barely moves. No matter what you do to get it moving it dosnt work. It runs like crap. I fixed one hole in the fuel line but it is leaking from somewhere else. I did not know if this would be a cause of it not working right. I would like some help with this problem.

 

How did you fix the fuel line hole? Did you check the fuel filter? Check fuel pressure (gas engines don't run without gas).

 

Ford used to run a canister fuel filter when they went to the fuel injection in 1986 on the Rangers/Brono II. Then they phased out the cannister filter in 1987 and went with the inline filter under the drivers seat on the frame rail. They left the canister housing in-place as the Ranger?Bronco IIused a dual circulating fuel return with a low pressure pump in the tank that fed the cannister housing and a high pressure pump on the frame rail that was fed from the cannister housing. However, some of the 1988's had both. My 1988 Ranger S/C XLT 4X4 2.9 5sp. had both. This drove me bonkers for a while with a drivability issue (sputtering, not running for crap). Pulled the cannister filter out of the cannister and ran the inline filter only with no problems since. This could be your problem, or it could be the low pressure pump not working causing fuel starvation. Good luck. Let us know what you find.

 

Also go back to basics and double check compression, timing, good plugs/wires/coil and so on. Is it a 2.3 or 2.9 and also is it a 5 speed or auto? All this info helps.If an auto tranny, was the torque converter seated all the way into the tranny before being mated and bolted to the engine? If not, this can cause problems also. Again...Good luck. Let us know what you find.

 

Is the other engine used or new? How many miles are on the current one?