Hello new on here kinda. I have a 2000 3.0 ranger xlt supercab 4x4.Needing some help. To start my 2000 ranger xlt 3.0 is like my teenager I love it to no end but I'd like to punch it in the face but I can't cause I love it. Anyways I was coming home from texas to indiana. I made it to missouri and as I am coming into my next exit. I noticed my truck isn't pulling any longer and just is doing nothing besides reving up like it was in nuetral. It didn't die but at this point i was doing 70 but my speed was starting to decrease. I coast to the red light. At tne light I put 8lit in park and then back to drive but still does the same thimg just reves up. So I try to do a kinda reset. I put it in park turn the key off. Turn key back to on position but no start just makes a spinning type of sound. So i try again only in neutral again no start just makes the same spinning sound. At this point I have traffic backing up behind me so I get out and luckily I was at top of the hill and I push the truck while I have it in neutral and coast the truck to the side of the road just to get it out of traffic. Nothing has changed except i had to have it towed back to Indiana. I'm not getting rid of my kid so please help a parent out so I can drive my truck again.

 

Welcome to the forum

Your Flex Plate has broken, for sure

The flex plate is bolted to the engines crank shaft
The flex plate also has the Ring Gear that the starter motor turns to start engine

The flex plate is also bolted to the torque converter, which powers the transmission

Here is a flex plate staring to break: https://www.explorerforum.com/forums...425-jpg.15727/

Here is a broken one: https://www.explorerforum.com/forums...037-jpg.10875/

New one here: https://atpautomotive.com/media/cata.../-/Z-230_1.JPG

Transmission needs to come out, or moved back quite a ways, to install new flex plate

Starter motor is turning the flex plate, that's what you hear, but its no longer connected to crank shaft so engine doesn't turn
You lost power on the highway because engine was no longer connected to transmission

This can "just happen", although its not very common at all on the 3.0l Vulcan's with 4R44E transmissions
The late 1990-1996 4.0ls did have an issue with this happening, Ford switched to an 8 bolt crank and problem went away for the most part

Was the engine or transmission out in the last year or so?
Because this can be caused by a misalignment issue on reassembly
And I might replace torque converter with flex plate, just on speculation, as unbalanced torque converter can cause this