Electrical issue or Something Else?

[Slartibartfast]

Gearing would throw off the speed sensor reading the same as tire size would--it's all changing the final drive ratio. And for all we know, somebody might've replaced the sensor in one truck or the other with the wrong one. Again, if your speedo was accurate before, I'd replace with the same as what you took out.

 

If you plug in your spare cluster, and that clock doesn't work either, there may be a power feed to the cluster that's gone out. I haven't looked at the cluster wiring in the manual, but AFAIK the clock is the only thing in the cluster that receives power with the key off, so I would expect it to have its own power feed. Unless you hit a dead end with diagnosing the other issues, or have the dash torn open anyway, I'd ignore it until the major issues are cleared up.

Hopefully it's just the dizzy. My only reservation there is that this isn't how they usually go--from what I've read they usually work when they're cold, then crap out as they warm up. It doesn't explain the bogging, either.

[Macrow]

Gearing would throw off the speed sensor reading the same as tire size would--it's all changing the final drive ratio. And for all we know, somebody might've replaced the sensor in one truck or the other with the wrong one. Again, if your speedo was accurate before, I'd replace with the same as what you took out.

 

That makes sense for sure & I ended up changing the VSS out with the extra one I had once I realized that the gears were interchangeable on them which I didn't know since this was first time I have had to do one. They are quite the pain to get back in though or at least mine was anyway.

 

If you plug in your spare cluster, and that clock doesn't work either, there may be a power feed to the cluster that's gone out. I haven't looked at the cluster wiring in the manual, but AFAIK the clock is the only thing in the cluster that receives power with the key off, so I would expect it to have its own power feed. Unless you hit a dead end with diagnosing the other issues, or have the dash torn open anyway, I'd ignore it until the major issues are cleared up.

 

I haven't checked the spare cluster yet to see but will get to that today or tomorrow.

 

Hopefully it's just the dizzy. My only reservation there is that this isn't how they usually go--from what I've read they usually work when they're cold, then crap out as they warm up. It doesn't explain the bogging, either.

 

[Macrow]

So update on some things with my 95 as I was going through my wiring I did find another wire melted so that is fixed also my connectors for tps, maf & engine coolant temp sensor were looking rather rough so bought new connectors for them as well just need to install them. The one major thing I noticed was I decided to check on timing belt & everything again so did tear down the truck a good amount. Which is when I noticed my timing had jumped by a large amount which isn't good & I am not sure how it even jumped that much to be honest my tooth count was at 32 from cam to cam & appeared to be off on the passanger side cam but drivers side was in its right location. I have heard of therm jumping a tooth before but never this much at all. Which has me a bit worried how that could have happened.

 

Also I am trying to find out if anyone knows what the gauge sizes are for the fusible links coming off of the positive side of the battery as well as the other fusible link on passanger side right near the battery. Mine were not looking so hot & looks like the PO tried to change them before & did a horrible job of doing so. Which I am thinking could also be a cause of some of what is going on as well.

Edited January 26, 2017 by Macrow

[adamzan]

The only reason the timing belt would jump is if the belt is old, and teeth are breaking off. Or the tension was not set properly.

[Slartibartfast]

From what I've read, normally it's the crank sprocket that jumps or strips, likely because it's got the fewest teeth in contact with the belt at any given time. It's odd that the cam sprocket jumped. +1 on the tensioner, but I imagine it would have to be pretty obviously bad before it would allow that kind of slippage. I remember someone on here--Devonianwalk?--got a bunch of mud in his timing cover and when it started to dry, the engine skipped a couple of teeth. If there's something bouncing around loose behind your timing cover, that could've gone in between the belt and the sprocket and caused it to jump. I remember putting a nail or something between a couple teeth on one of mine and turning the engine over to jump it a tooth when I realized I'd put the belt on a tooth out and didn't want to pull it all the way off to fix it. I'm not sure how something would end up way up in the cam sprocket, though.

 

I wouldn't try to run it until you have the timing reset. The rule of thumb I've read is that it runs like crap one tooth off, doesn't run at two, and eats valves at three. I assume that's at the crank. Crank to cam is 2:1 so that's six teeth before valve contact, and you're at eight.

[Macrow]

So I went ahead & changed out a few more things on her beings I already had everything tore back down so I could get the timing readjusted back to where it should be at. Figured I had 1-2 back up parts on a lot of different parts for whenever I go wheeling in case anything were to break or die out on me this way I can fix on spot. Since I was already going to be setting the timing back right again decided to put new belt on there as well even though this one still has over half it's life left on it still. When doing this I did find that the tension pulley for timing belt was no longer good & had a rattle sound coming from it so changed that out as well. Along with water pump again all new seals & gaskets, Cap & Rotor, Distributor, new belts, MAF & MAF connector, TPS & TPS connector, Inhibitor Switch. Certainly didn't need to do all this I am sure but like I said was already all tore down & I have the extra parts so adding more time to having to get back in there again to do any of it. Hoping to get it all squared back up after work today but for sure this weekend & see if the rest of my issues have been resolved on her will update once I get to that point this weekend with conclusion on if she back up & running again for me.

[Slartibartfast]

Hopefully she fires up again--and hopefully your new tensioner lasts longer than the old one!