Hey everyone! A few months ago I bought a manual ‘91 Ranger XLT in California and drove it back to where I stay in the southeastern US. It survived that 2000+ mile journey with flying colors, and was fine for a couple of months more until it recently threw the serpentine belt and overheated. I’d love to explain the context a little more for some help diagnosing what might have gone wrong.


This is she: https://imgur.com/a/HWKSDqN I got it for a pretty good price ~2500, with a supposedly recently (January 2025) rebuilt engine, with everything working well, cool AC. Miles are unknown, it just rolled over again, so at least 100k of course, but I’d assume 200k at LEAST


Mechanically it could definitely use new shocks, some Freon, and there is a metal rattling/clanging sound coming from somewhere underneath when I shift up too early, until it gets into the middle range of the gear, but normal shifting is great.


The notable electrical gremlins are the headlights flickering, once in a blue moon flickering completely on and completely off, and towards the end, the stereo (aftermarket) would shut off and reboot if it idled for too long without revving the engine.


During the last month or so, it started to occasionally not crank. Clutch down, key turn, nothing, just battery accessories would come on. I’d say it was a pretty linear decline - in the beginning, a second try would yield a crank and a start. By the end of that month it would take between 5 and 10 tries sometimes.


Finally one day, after parking at a gas station (no sign of anything bad before I parked it), it wouldn’t crank at all after countless tries. My friends helped me bump start it, which worked, but there was no power steering, and it threatened to choke out if I didn’t keep the engine revved above idle. Alas we were 1 mile away from our destination so I pushed it. When we parked, the coolant was boiling up, almost all of it leaked out.


We left it, and my friend, the son of two mechanics, came back with me to try to diagnose the next day. Yep, the serpentine belt had been thrown off at some point (maybe during the bump start?), so no water pump, power steering, etc and it had been cooking on that final 3 minute drive, which boiled up the coolant etc.


We looped the serp belt back onto everything and tried starting it, but it wouldnt stay on. Applying gas kept it up but it was “backfiring into the intake.” My friend’s running thought is that the timing chain may have skipped a tooth.


So in order to know which timing chain kit to get, I scoured the engine and found a sticker with a number and date (and comparing photos) that would lead me to believe it’s a ‘95 4.0 v6 OHV. After some research, I’m reading a lot that while the 4.0 v6 SOHC is notorious for timing chain issue, the 4.0 v6 OHV almost never does. It also really wasn’t running rough or idling rough until that final mile, which is supposedly a telltale sign.


Given everything I’ve mentioned, is there anything that might tell of a different issue than a skipped tooth? I’m glad it’s the OHV if it is that, but I also don’t want to have to dig in the there if it’s going to end up being something else, especially if the recent rebuild has everything tip top in there.

Anything else I should try in order to diagnose further before just going for it? I’m also wondering how the no-crank issue is related, or maybe it’s not?

I’ve replaced brakes, alternator, ac compressor on my Corolla before, admittedly no expert, but I love learning repair work and also love not spending a fortune for a shop to do it, so am willing to try whatever.

Engine photo: https://imgur.com/a/QFQxQ0N

Photo of water pump with date: https://imgur.com/a/uNxi0eZ

 

Bad cranking points to loose or dirty connections. This includes grounds.
Always remember that OLD cables can have serious corrosion within the swags.
I wouldn't bet the ranch on that engine having been rebuilt.
If you can get it started, see what the vacuum is. Out of time = lower vacuum.

Also, remove the plugs and set the timing marks to #1 TDC. Using a dowel through the spark plug hole, see if it actually is at its highest when it's at TDC.

 

Hey, thanks for the reply! New developments, two owners ago finally got back to me - word on the street is 3rd owner back replaced the engine with a “low miles” explorer engine. Since, roughly 100k were put on it, so I’d estimate it on the 200k/300k range now. Still waiting on records of repair from the person I bought it from as to whether THEY actually had a rebuild happen.

My friend and I are currently on the assumption that the rough bump start may have caused the tooth skip and serpentine belt throw. If I’d just tried to fix those connections first, maybe I wouldn’t have bump started and caused the other issue. We’re going to open it up later this week, and I’ll see about trying that dowel thing.

Also, will look up which connections to check.
Will report back this week.

 

"Also, will look up which connections to check."
Battery ground cable at both ends (chassis point and clamp at battery)
Red battery cable at clamp and at alternator.

How rough a push start was it?