2.5l 98 ranger issues

fixing a 98 ranger for a friend, 2.5l 5 speed manual thats been sitting for 7 years.

Work done:
new fuel pump, new fuel filter, fuel tank removed and cleaned
injectors cleaned
new plugs (8) new wire set (8) new ignition coils (2)
new O2 sensors both upstream and downstream, new muffler
new upper intake manifold gasket, new EGR gasket, new exhaust manifold gasket.
new main seal and transmission rear shaft seal

new clutch cylinder both master and slave.

radiator flush and fill, oil change (0w20 at his request, will be changed to 5w30 after its finally running properly) new oil filter.

new stainless brake lines all 4 sides and down the frame

issue: after the radiator flush, oil change, new pump and filter, new plugs wires and coils the motor was tested, started and ran without majors issues except a small headgasket leak on the left rear side.

i was unable to engage the clutch and on inspection the slave was wet and the master was leaking fluid when the pedal was depressed.

transmission removed, slave replaced and transmission reinstalled (truck jacked up and set on ramps and jackstands, me on a tarp on my back under the truck wresting the thing out and back in. clutch alignment tool used to align the clutch plate when reinstalling after changing the main seal.

i am still unable to fully bleed the clutch and remove all the air via bench bleeding the master before installing it, going to attempt to vacuum bleed it next.

as far as i can tell the slave cylinder will move the required distance to engage the clutch but the pedal is very soft.

major issue:

after reinstalling the transmission the engine will crank and start but its loping and running very rough, engine surges and stalls before dying.

when starting the engine will twist violently in its mounts and shake roughly.

fuel filter was installed in reverse by accident, filter removed and installed properly after the transmission was reinstalled but before starting the engine the second time.

i believed it was an O2 sensor as when i was installing the transmission the upstream connector for the sensor was accidentally pinched between the block and bellhousing and ended up getting crushed ( the sensors connector, not the plugin connector)

after changing both upstream and downstream O2 sensors the issue remains.

i own a 81 b2000 pushing 1.8 million miles now which the ranger is loosely based off of so its is similar enough for me to do most of the work and a chiltons guide got me the rest.


work still to be performed: clean MAF and IAC.

where did i go wrong on here, it has to be something during the transmission reinstall.

possibly transmission grabbing when attempting to start but i am unable to tell.

i can get a video of it tomorrow so you can see exactly when its doing if needed and add it to this post.

after the engine dies theres a sound almost like draining water up front, not at the radiator but somewhere in the engine, possibly the waterpump.

Not sure about the clutch but it almost sounds like the DPFE feed lines are off. That is or should be the little box that sits next to the passenger rear side of the engine. It has two hoses and an electrical connector attached and if one of the hoses is off it will sound like a drag racer or a somewhat of a head gasket leak and it will not run properly.

If that is the symptoms then check to make sure both hoses are connected to the little box that hangs on the exhaust manifold near the valve cover at the passenger side rear. If one of those hoses are off...believe me...it sounds like it is about to explode all over your driveway...

i did have to remove the DPFE to remove the manifold, you may be right that that us whats causing it as i may have not reattached the lines when i bolted the manifold back in.

First time I had a line come off that I thought I cracked the head or something worse. It came off a few times but the first time I couldn't believe how much noise it made and wouldn't stay running.

Hopefully that's all it is...sure makes your day when it's something simple...

You removed the intake manifold, so I guess you left the throttle body bolted on and simply disconnected everything, right? If so, start by using electrical contact cleaner on the TPS connector, then plug and unplug several times, and finish by applying dielectric grease in the connector and firmly plug it back properly. You'd be amazed at all the mischief that stupid connector can do; believe me, I know. It took me months before figuring it out. My truck would sometimes accelerate on its own. rev by itself to 2 grand on stop signs, but could also idle roughly, almost die when holdind the clutch coasting to a stop, and on some occasions, just stalling and be a pain to fire back up. Also checking the TPS specs and adjustments might not be a bad move either.

But also fix that leaky headgasket soon... If you loose coolant, it means air will get in, and the temp sensor is on the thermostat housing instead of on the block, so almost at the highest point, which is where the air will go, and in turn give the computer a cold reading, making it run as rich as a cold start on a winter morning pretty much.

sorry, i ment valve cover, not head gasket.

prior to removing the transmission i had no issues with the engine, ran nice and smooth.

would improper torque on the flywheel or clutch plate cause this?

also, i had to bench press the transmission back into place by hand to get it in, even had to jack the motor up slightly to get clearance for the bell housing.

could a misalignment on install cause this or is there something i could have hit or hung up on while muscling the transmission back in that could cause the engine to now run so poorly?

i really dont want to have to take this thing halfway apart again just because i overshot torque on the flywheel or some other issue.

i was finally able to get a video of it trying to run, i hope this helps diagnose the problem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KP0aUb8Tx8

Is it me, or do I hear a hissing sound in the video? Or is it the camera's fault? I also have a 1998 2.5 and it doesn't sound like that... Did you check for vacuum leaks? Somewhat off topic but back in the day I had an '89 Suzuki Swift GTi, and one time the intake pipe came off just after the airflow meter and sucked in unmetered air. Ran just like in your video; wants to start but stalls immediatly, runs rough, the only way to keep it running was to give it some throttle. Because appart from that, your motor sounds pretty healthy to me at least; no clatter like mine hahaha!!!