I got a new (to me) 2004 Ford Ranger 4.0 with a few issues. I was told it has a misfire on cylinder 5, so the first thing I did when I got it was started.

It started up and ran (like it had a misfire) so I decided to change the spark plugs. It already had new wires and a coil pack. After I changed them out, it cranked and cranked, but didnt start. It also made a sort of blowing sound with the cranking. I kept trying until it started smoking (which didnt take long).

Any advice? Did I screw something up somehow?

 

Welcome to the forum

Look at the coil pack wiring, Ford uses Waste spark so spark plugs are wired in PAIRS
3 4
2 6
1 5

These are the PAIRS, the 5 6 4 side often gets mis-wired, at the coil or at the cylinder

Spark plugs on the 4.0l SOHC engine need a pretty big Gap, .054, skip the .044 if you every saw it anywhere, it was misprinted everywhere, even on Ford Labels

If any gasoline engine doesn't start after 3 tries, lawnmower or 8.4l V10 Viper, spray fuel into the intake and try again
If it starts and dies then you have fuel delivery issue
If it doesn't start then it is a spark issue, could be compression but long shot if it started prior to working on it
Its called the 50/50 test, and gives instant results

Quick Start(ether in a spray can) is a good thing to have around and use for this test
But gasoline in a spray bottle is also fine to use
You can pull off the Power Brake Booster Vacuum hose and spray fuel in there then put hose back on, when cranking it will pull that fuel in

If engine doesn't start after 5 or 6 tries, leave it alone, let battery and starter motor cool down, and look for the problem, after 3 or 4 tries it should be obvious it isn't going to start "as is"

Look for wires that got pulled off
There are very few wires that can disable an engine, coil pack wires can, Crank sensor can
People sometimes pull fuses before working on an engine, like fuel pump fuse and then forget they did it..............................................

Fuel injected engines do not have "gas pedals" they have "air pedals", pumping the "gas pedal" doesn't add more gas, it adds more AIR
Never crank engine with foot on the "gas pedal", that turns fuel injectors OFF.
Computer knows how to start a cold engine, let it, turn the key to START that's your ONLY job, keep your feet to yourself, lol.

 

Thanks for the reply. I figured out why it wouldn't start, I cross-threaded the first plug. I got it in correctly with a tap, and tried cranking it over, and it started. There's a whole other slew of issues with it, but at least it starts.