3.0 crank but no start.

[84projectFORD]

ok im kinda new to these engines but my friend has a 1999 ranger reg cab short bed with the 3.0 and an auto behind it. it will not start but cranks. if you push the throttle a little it backfires through the intake. no codes present. it is getting fuel (friend decided to replace the coil, coil pack, fuel pump, all the relays, fuel filter, Idle air control and MAF sensor before he called me) but it is getting spark and has fuel pressure along with the injectors working when cranking. i tried switching the crank sensor with his buddies ranger (same as his but an 01) and still no start. Is there a camshaft sensor that may have gone bad or soemthing else?? Im stuck and need help! lol. i have a scanner and all teh tools just never seen this before and unfortunatley the scanner shuts off when i crank it so i cant watch any senors to see if they are bad

 

[Big Jim M]

The first thing I always do when confronted with somebody elses vehicle that won't start...no matter what they tell me.. Is to pour an ounce or so of pure gasoline down it's throat.. Then I turn the key and see what happens.. You'd be surprised how many attempt to fire right up before running out of that bit of fuel.
One must make sure what he is searching for before throwing parts at a nonstarter.
Big Jim

 

[84projectFORD]

i shot a hell of alot of ether down the throttle body with no start still. it acts as if teh timing is way off.

I agree thats why i wish my friend would have called me first before buyin all that stuff and not knowing if that really is the prob.

 

[Big Jim M]

Have you checked each individual wire to see if the guy put em back correctly? He may have repaired the problem and got the wiring wrong..
Big JIm

 

[84projectFORD]

i didnt know the firing order at the time but that is the first thing im checking tomorrow when i can head back out there again.

 

[93worktruck]

while your at it pull a couple of plugs to make sure they arent soaked with gas. a gas soaked plug wont fire, it shorts the spark to ground.

passenger side up front is #1, then 2 and 3 on that side, #4 is up front on the drivers side then 5 and 6. firing order is 142536 on all 3.0's but that doesnt do any good for you since you dont have a distributor to map out.
on your coil the posts are, #1 up front on the passenger side then 2 and 3 going back then on the driverside is #5 up front and 6,and 4 going back.

 

[84projectFORD]

will check. now if the timing were off what would cause that?

 

[wanebell]

If the timing is off, it most likely is caused by a failure in the cam shaft positon sensor. This should be located at the rear of the intake manifold, towards the passenger side, where the distributor would have been. It is driven by a gear on the camshaft just like a distributor would be.

 

[84projectFORD]

ok so the timing is not off. did the old put your finger over cyl 1 and crank while watching spark. all seems good. all teh plugs were full of gass so we cleaned them extensively. still no start. i did notice that the valve cover where the oil fill is was full of exhaust fumes and the oil on teh dip stick smelt like gas. is there something else i should check or is this sounding as bad as i think it is, blown motor?