3.0 v6 with miss Help!

[Fordsandguns]

Ok, I have a 99 ranger sport with the 3.0 flex fuel v6 5spd in it that is my daily driver.
The truck in my sig isn't ready to be inspected so it isn't legal to drive so the ranger is my only wheels.

I was pulling an empty 5x10 trailer on the interstate at 65-70. When going up a slight but long hill it started losing speed so I dropped it into fourth.
Still losing speed so I know there is something wrong and I am looking for a place to exit. When I hit 50 mph I dropped to third and give pedal, it starts to pick up a little but then clatters loudly so I immediately let off the pedal. The cel flashed a few times but didn't stay on. About this time I see a flat spot in the grass and cross to the service road. It never got hot or lost oil pressure.

I limped it into town to my friends store and looked it over and other than having a miss it seemed normal.
Heading back home the cel came on and stayed on. Had the codes read and the only one is misfire on cylinder #2.
New plugs and wires and no change. Coil pack tested ok. Injector is firing.
So I bought a compression tester.
#2 has only 75 lbs of compression while the others are 120-125.

So. my question is, is it a valve or piston/rings?
There is no coolant loss or anything associated with a blown head gasket.
It runs fine aside from the miss. Starts as good as ever.
I know it probably isn't good to do so but I have driven it because it is my only wheels.
That is why I haven't already pulled the head off.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[k_williams1982]

Not sure on what is causing your low compression, but the misfire may be the coil pack. Is it the 6 in 1 pack or the 3 seperate coils with 2 plugs on each pack?

 

[Fordsandguns]

Well it's definitely not the coil pack because my dad was certain that was the problem and bought a new one for me.
It is the six in one.

 

[joe_diesel]

#2 has only 75 lbs of compression while the others are 120-125.

eek! Not sure where but that is out of wack. Have you tried the "listen" to the exhaust on the compression stroke? I'm not really sure it matters if you're going to pull the head.

 

[Fordsandguns]

eek! Not sure where but that is out of wack. Have you tried the "listen" to the exhaust on the compression stroke? I'm not really sure it matters if you're going to pull the head.

Joe, we did the oil in the cylinder test on it. Went from 70 psi this time to over 130, so I'm pretty sure that it is the rings. Funny thing is, it doesn't smoke. Well, it did for a while after the test but other wise no smoke.
I think the easiest way to fix it is to get a long block and swap it in.
Sure wish I could afford to find a 4bt to put in it.
Or maybe a 5.0. Oh well, the 3.0 isn't bad, it just could do with a little more torque.

 

[k_williams1982]

Joe, we did the oil in the cylinder test on it. Went from 70 psi this time to over 130, so I'm pretty sure that it is the rings. Funny thing is, it doesn't smoke. Well, it did for a while after the test but other wise no smoke.
I think the easiest way to fix it is to get a long block and swap it in.
Sure wish I could afford to find a 4bt to put in it.
Or maybe a 5.0. Oh well, the 3.0 isn't bad, it just could do with a little more torque.

I just got rid of a 3.0L V6 about a week ago for free. The problem with the 3.0L is that it won't bolt up to many transmissions without modification. I was told that the 3.0L engine was a "******* child" and that it will only bolt up to a 3.0L transmission. A 4.0L can bolt up to a 2.3L, 2.8L, 2.9L and vise versa. The 3.0L is in a ballpark of it's own. I tried to bolt a 3.0L up to my 4.0L transmission and the block is 1/2" narrower than the 4.0L transmission. If you have the manual transmission, you may be able to unbolt the bellhousing from the transmission and get a modified bellhousing to bolt the 5.0 in it though.

 

[Fordsandguns]

I'm not sure that the 3.0 trans would handle a 5.0. I would rather have a T5 behind it.

 

[k_williams1982]

I'm not sure that the 3.0 trans would handle a 5.0. I would rather have a T5 behind it.

Sure it could... As long as you don't drive it like you stole it!

 

[Fordsandguns]

I don't drive like that very often any more but it would be my luck it would crater the one time I really needed it!

 

[NJKen]

Joe, we did the oil in the cylinder test on it. Went from 70 psi this time to over 130, so I'm pretty sure that it is the rings. Funny thing is, it doesn't smoke. Well, it did for a while after the test but other wise no smoke.
I think the easiest way to fix it is to get a long block and swap it in.
Sure wish I could afford to find a 4bt to put in it.
Or maybe a 5.0. Oh well, the 3.0 isn't bad, it just could do with a little more torque.

This is a total longshot but its worth it before you pull the head.
I had one come in my shop once with the same identical problem and I thought it needed an engine. I had the valve cover off and just happened to notice that 1 valve spring broke and colapsed onto itself! This reduced the tension and madeit run like hell. 1 new valve spring adn it was good as new.
BTW, it had similar compression readings. I doubt that is your problem but every time I learn something like that I never forget it. You never know what youl find
Ken

 

[Fordsandguns]

This is a total longshot but its worth it before you pull the head.
I had one come in my shop once with the same identical problem and I thought it needed an engine. I had the valve cover off and just happened to notice that 1 valve spring broke and colapsed onto itself! This reduced the tension and madeit run like hell. 1 new valve spring adn it was good as new.
BTW, it had similar compression readings. I doubt that is your problem but every time I learn something like that I never forget it. You never know what youl find
Ken

Ken,
I've had the valve cover off and I didn't see any broken springs like you describe. I wish I had found something like that, it's a lot better diagnosis than the compression rings being gone!
It would be nice to just pull the head and have the valves fixed.

As of right now I'm still driving it because I don't have much choice.
What I don't get is the number of knowledgeable car guys that I've talked to that tell me to just run it till it quits.
I know that the rangers aren't worth much on resale or whatnot but I just don't understand that attitude. I would rather have the piece of mind knowing that it was fixed right rather than worry if I have drive more than ten miles from home.
I guess it is just part of our society now. Just throw it away and get another one, it's too much trouble to fix it.