Hey all.
So for the past couple weeks or so my Ranger has been making a clicking noise when I'm putting along in low RPMs (driving off of torque), climbing a hill, or pulling a trailer (sometimes all three :P). Some might describe it as a knocking...it sounds horrible and I was use the word "chortling." But it isn't good. I started troubleshooting with my Hayne's guide, just started going through everything and finally after nothing was wrong I reached the part where it suggested I check my EGR valve and referred me to my emissions section. Not really liking catalytic converters and never really having done much with them I was kind of putting this off.
I found the EGR Valve pretty easily on my little 4-banger (It was behind the clamshell right up against the back of the overhead cam) and it came off with two bolts. I checked the seal, was fine. Then I looked inside. It was completely filled up with carbon...I set it with the plunger facing up and filled it up with Knock 'er Loose. It sat for about five minutes and didn't go down. It was really plugged. So I put a punch in there and tapped it with my mallet and it broke free. I then spent about two hours cleaning the inside out with a screwdriver and checking to ensure it pumps air when depressed. To check if it was good or not you push down the plunger then blow into the outtake valve. If it stays up, it's a good valve. If not, you can get one out of a junkyard for $5 (They're around $110 new :\)
Popped it back on, drove 100 miles and under and overreved it in all gears. My truck was able to bury the needle for the first time in two years when it started to get a little top speed loss and power loss on hills. It hasn't knocked or pinged. If it does I'll update this post, but it's always good to have your valves cleaned!

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'91 Ranger, 2.3L 4-Banger knocking out 140 HP. Plopped the head out of '94 and an RV cam in it. 2WD, zero options. But, I love her to death.
Avatar is when I drove up the Bohemia mining saddle in Oregon, a fairly well-known 4WD trail around here.

Where is the seal on that you said you had checked able to actually see the carbon. Mine looks fine, but I suspect its what's causing me trouble at the moment with rough idleing. When unhooking the vacuum feed to it the rpms go to normal without knocking.

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2003 Ford Ranger Regular Cab 2WD
Modified Air Intake , 17 Inch Wheels , Custom Interior, Custom Ford Emblems, Black Headlight Covers, Tinted Euro Tailights, Tinted Third Brake Light, Purple Underglow, Engine Dress Up (In progress), Air Box Mod Sony XPLod Subs/Amps, Aux Lights, Hand Made Grille Inserts, Playing Card Vinyl, LineX Bed Liner, Some undercoating (in progress), Dual Exhaust

When I said seal, I meant the silver, high-temperature seal that goes where the two bolts bolt back on. There's one side with a little outlet that requires a vacuum hose. Then there's an intake and an out-take. The out-take has a metal pipe. What was clogged for me was the intake. It was so carboned up I had to spray knock 'er loose in there and jam into it with a screwdriver for about five minutes before it finally broke.
The seal can be seen separate from the unit here: http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/de...QMICX1421.html

Just out of curiosity, have you checked the sensor? It has that whole computer component I don't really understand, but that could be causing problems, no?

You say you unplug the hose and it runs better...I wonder if it's just a bad valve... if you can find one at a junk yard you can usually talk a guy down to around $5 or $10. They don't know what they are half the time. All the rangers I checked for the valve were missing them all this last run of the yards in my town...

Everything my Hayne's and Chilton's books say is that rough idle or poor acceleration is related to this. I noticed my truck's a lot peppier in general after cleaning it out...but then the knocking came back about a day later. I'm still troubleshooting... I believe my Ranger may have a bad valve seal and may be leaking oil into my spark plugs. It's eating oil somewhere, but it isn't leaking out, I park it on cardboard and check it every night.
According to my Hayne's book, the way my spark plugs look the last time I cleaned and gapped them says that they're getting oil into the combustion chamber and it's causing ash deposits on the plugs...

I'm sort-of back in your boat, fighting with this thing. But we'll get it, man. They're Fords. They're build to be fixed. At least the old ones.

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'91 Ranger, 2.3L 4-Banger knocking out 140 HP. Plopped the head out of '94 and an RV cam in it. 2WD, zero options. But, I love her to death.
Avatar is when I drove up the Bohemia mining saddle in Oregon, a fairly well-known 4WD trail around here.

Mines an 03 XD

Problem is, I don't know WHAT the part is called now. Somethings up here I'm missing. :[

It's not the PCV, the one I saw online and at the auto store does NOT match. They item I'm referring to is behind near the firewall connected to the Intake Manifold. The guy at the store couldn't see it to tell what it was, and I have no clue at this point.


I wish my manual had some pictures relating to this. Can you tell me the location to the part you're referring to? I've gotten super mixed up here lol.


I just changed the valve cover gaskets, was having oil on plugs too but that doesn't appear to be a problem anymore, so maybe that's worth taking a look at for ya?

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2003 Ford Ranger Regular Cab 2WD
Modified Air Intake , 17 Inch Wheels , Custom Interior, Custom Ford Emblems, Black Headlight Covers, Tinted Euro Tailights, Tinted Third Brake Light, Purple Underglow, Engine Dress Up (In progress), Air Box Mod Sony XPLod Subs/Amps, Aux Lights, Hand Made Grille Inserts, Playing Card Vinyl, LineX Bed Liner, Some undercoating (in progress), Dual Exhaust

My apologies, I should have read your signature or profile, I suppose. As far as I know they still make EGR Valves for newer Rangers.
It should look like one of these guys: http://www.autopartsdeal.com/catalog...dard+EGR+Valve

It's also my understanding that it should be near to the same place as mine. It mounts to the intake manifold, right above the rear of the Overhead Cam on mine. It's right in the middle, almost equidistant from each side under the hood. It's hard to explain...my father was trying to describe it to me over the phone before I ended up just taking it over there and having him point it out to me.

Basically if you find your clamshell (intake manifold) and then look behind it, it should be right above the block, bolted to the clamshell, between the clamshell and the firewall.

Also, I've never changed Valve cover gaskets. Was that difficult/expensive and how long did it take? I'd like to do it. But I need my truck 7 days a week. (5 days to take me to and from school and 2 days to take my girlfriend to and from work). So I've been afraid to attempt that and have it be more complicated than I think it would be, or take longer, or be missing some weird tool or part...or mess something up. :\

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'91 Ranger, 2.3L 4-Banger knocking out 140 HP. Plopped the head out of '94 and an RV cam in it. 2WD, zero options. But, I love her to death.
Avatar is when I drove up the Bohemia mining saddle in Oregon, a fairly well-known 4WD trail around here.

Definately not it, appears to be IMRC :/

By the location, it should be it, but by looks, definately not :/ It actually moves the butterflies in the intake manifold.

It wasnt difficult to change, but if you CAN put it off, then I dont think itd be bad if its a small leak. Mine was leaking BAD. If you have a manual, and maybe a buddy that's dfone it before it'll be a quick day job.

I'm not sure on your model, but with mine the Intake Manifold (Left together as one piece, didnt take it all apart frolm the manifold.) The intake, throttle cable has to be moved, and then the coil pack and spark plug wires. Then just remove the valve cover. I would recommend getting a torque wrench as well for putting it all back together. I'm sure someone heer can give a better explanation than I, seeing as I've only done it a few times (though all in the past week lol!)

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2003 Ford Ranger Regular Cab 2WD
Modified Air Intake , 17 Inch Wheels , Custom Interior, Custom Ford Emblems, Black Headlight Covers, Tinted Euro Tailights, Tinted Third Brake Light, Purple Underglow, Engine Dress Up (In progress), Air Box Mod Sony XPLod Subs/Amps, Aux Lights, Hand Made Grille Inserts, Playing Card Vinyl, LineX Bed Liner, Some undercoating (in progress), Dual Exhaust

Well, I'm sorry, man. I'm flying blind trying to help you. Only Rangers I've had were an '84 V6 and this '91 I4. I don't know anything about the newer ones. I can imagine things are quite a bit different, even just from technological improvements.

Does anyone know if this knocking and banging noise causes any harm? I want to go hunting next week, but I don't want to destroy my truck or have a breakdown.



-Thanks!

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'91 Ranger, 2.3L 4-Banger knocking out 140 HP. Plopped the head out of '94 and an RV cam in it. 2WD, zero options. But, I love her to death.
Avatar is when I drove up the Bohemia mining saddle in Oregon, a fairly well-known 4WD trail around here.

So...months later. Still dealing with this problem. It's gotten pretty bad, and my truck just doesn't like to go up hills or past 60. I did a compression check, #4 is 145, #3 is 150, #2 is 160 and #1 is 170. I think I either have a bad head gasket, a bad valve seal, or bent valves...or some combination of the three.
Unfortunately, my Jeep has been so beyond dead, I spent about 70 hours all told last week just trying to get it up and running.
Valves terrify me when you have an overhead cam, so I think I'm going to take it in to a shop.

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'91 Ranger, 2.3L 4-Banger knocking out 140 HP. Plopped the head out of '94 and an RV cam in it. 2WD, zero options. But, I love her to death.
Avatar is when I drove up the Bohemia mining saddle in Oregon, a fairly well-known 4WD trail around here.