What's Going On With My Bii?

jrgiles3 · May 8, 2004

I have a BII. It runs great, but after it's been running for a few minutes, when I come to a stop, the oil pressure drops, it sputters and I have to tap the gas to bring it back up. Does anyone have an idea what might be the problem?

BLADE262US · May 8, 2004

LOL yeah it needs a V8

Stephen Hawk · May 9, 2004

jrgiles3,
To answer your question we'd need to know a few other things first like how many miles are on it, has it ever been run low on oil or has it ever been overheated? If its fairly low miles and the answere to the other questions is no then you probably just need a new oil pump. If its high miles or you answer yes to either other questions then it may be as bad as your cam bearings being wore out from lack of lube at some point or overheating which would cause a drop in oil pressure at low rpm and lowered compression from worn or cracked piston rings causing the stuttering. The stuttering part of problem is most likely not related if you have the 2.9L engine though. The idle air control valve on the 2.9 had a tendency to stick and can cause that sputtering when you stop at a light or stop sign.
Hope this helped a little.

jrgiles3 · May 10, 2004

It has 156,000 miles, and I bought it used so don't know if it has ever been overheated. However, the guy I bought it from (2d owner) owned it for about a year and changed the oil every 3K (showed me proof) and it has no leaks.

monty06 · Oct 13, 2004

well hello there fellow horse rider

as to your question i would start out with flushing the radiator first checking hoses
making sure there are no cracks or if they are worn out replace them also check your temp gauge before going into engine wise

check your fan clutch and fan if you have cracks on your fan replace it
or soon you will hear some nasty noises coming from your truck
some people say electric fan some say flex-a-lite fan with spacer
i have flex-a-lite fan with spacer with a small 9in fan in front of rad.
cooling is a major issue with b2's a direct bolt-on is getting a 4.0 explorer rad and putting it on your b2 for better cooling .

now onto engine check you oil and filter i would use high mileage oil on your b2 since you have 156,000 miles on it i use 20w-50 might to two thick if your up north you know with winter time and all. check you rockers adjust them if needed
change your plugs i have bosch platinum4 plugs has done wonders for my truck
check your heads also check out the freeze plugs on the heads to see if you find any rust or small holes on them check were they meet with the block to see if you can find any discoloring like rust color for example signs of steam etc..

start from there then if that doesn't help then into the engine you go
cams,pistons, etc...
hope some of this info helps you out

BigNasty · Oct 14, 2004

A few questions..
What engine do you have?
What year?
Is it a carbed or fuel injected engine?
Does the oil pressure drop first then the engine die or does it all happen at once?
Also, what is your oil pressure? (assuming you have an actual guage)

I would actually start with something a lot simpler, say a full tune-up, including carb adjustments as needed.
See how it performs from there and decide if further action may be required or not.

I just wouldn't go into ripping apart the engine in search of something it isn't first.

Now, as for the overheating question..
Does it overheat or get what you would consider too warm? (190f +)
Even with no visible leaks, do you have to top off the overflow or radiator often, such as every few days?

If no to those, then a flush may not be needed, but certainly won't hurt but may not have anything at all to do with the stumbling. Unless you have oil in your water and vice versa. Then it would be time for an overhaul or a new engine.

All in all, it really sounds like a simple issue that can be corrected easiy with a good complete tune-up including fuel filters and a fuel pressure test.