Hello again,
I recently got my ranger back from the shop where they fixed some things. One of the issues was that the truck would crank, but not start. When I got it back, they said that it was not starting because the crank pulley had some metal connectors on the inside that were misaligned and badly damaged. They said they had somehow fixed it and it worked now. Which it did, and it ran and drove for about 2 days and 30 miles or so. Then tonight it just wouldn't start up again, it cranks strongly but won't fire up. Could it be that the crank sensors have become fouled up again so soon? Or is there some other stuff I should check? Any help is appreciated!

 

Assume its a 1995 to 2001 2.3l or 2.5l Lima engine?

These years did use a crank pulley with Tone Ring on the back
Image here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Crankshaft-...-/282175048561

Tone ring "looks" like gear, but isn't, each tooth is 10deg apart, so 36 teeth to make 360deg circle, but one tooth is missing, this gap tells computer when #1 is at Top Dead Center, you can see the "gap" in the picture.

There is one Crank Sensor, it is located above the tone ring and reads each tooth as it passes by, it generates a Pulse in the sensor, and so also "sees" the gap, missing pulse.
Crank sensor pulses set the base Spark timing and base fuel injector timing

Computer is not connected to starter motor so doesn't know you even want to start the engine until it "sees" Crank sensor pulses, so very important sensor.

There is also a Cam sensor, but it just fine tunes timing, it can not cause a no start.

From your description of what shop said the woodruff key got sheared off, so crank pulley/tone ring was no longer "in time" with the crank, #1 at TDC
In the picture you can see the slot in the center of the pulley, there is a slot of the same size on the crank shaft.
A Woodruff key is a metal bar that slides in to the slots to align the two slots so the crank shaft and pulley stay "in time".
If the woodruff key should shear off then timing is lost, so no start

Very unusual occurrence, not unheard of, but rare.

What can also happen, which is just as rare, is the tone ring is not secured to the crank pulley, it is a "press fit" no key or other devices to keep it aligned with crank pulley.
So it can "slip", but again, very very rare.


Unrelated, the Lima engines use a timing belt, and these will break without warning, and of course cause a no start.
There is a metal cover over the timing belt but you can often see the CAM gear at the top spinning when cranking the engine, may sure it is turning when cranking, if not then timing belt is broken.

Second, spray gasoline or Starting Fluid(ether) in to the intake and crank the engine.
If it starts and then dies, crank sensors is OK, Belt is OK, fuel pump is most likely dead

 

Well, it turns out that the issue is that I am an idiot! When I was disassembling the engine to replace the timing belt, i broke the clips holding the distributor connector on the exhaust side. Plugged it back in, and it fired right up! A little bit of superglue on the plug to replace the clips and we are all good :) Thanks for the help!

 

Thanks for the update

I assume you mean the clips on the 3 wire connector on the exhaust side coil pack