85 ranger cranks but no start.

[xlt88ranger]

I have a 1985 Ford ranger. Truck had a crack cylinder head which i replaced. I have rebuilt the entire top end of the motor. I have replaced distributor cap, rot, spark plugs, spark plug wire, ignition coil, tfi module, ignition switch, ignition lock cylinder, fuel pump, and rebuilt the carb. Timing is perfect, I have spark, fuel, and compression at cylinders. Truck will turn over and act like it is trying to start but won't. If it helps and the truck is an automatic. I am clueless at the this point. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

 

[RonD]

"Timing is perfect"

If only using TDC mark on crank to set distributor timing you can be 180deg off
Crank rotates two full turns for each one turn of distributor.
For the TDC mark to work it must be the TDC mark of the compression stroke of #1 cylinder, not the exhaust stroke of #1, crank is at TDC for both


Try putting a jumper wire from Battery + to Coil +
Then see if it will start.

It is very common for there to be a separate power path for spark system when starter motor is active.
So with key on(RUN) there will be 12volts at the coil, when key is turned to START that 12volts is cut off, and ignition switch sends power to spark system on another wire.
Using the jumper wire will tell you if that is happening.

In the old days this was done to make coils last longer, a running engine doesn't need the full 14volts an alternator makes, so coils would burnout faster.
A resistor was added so coil only gets 8 volts while engine is running.
When starting a cold engine it is good to have full voltage, so when key is turned to start the resistor was bypassed, a different power path, this was the reason for the "I" post on the 4 post starter relays, "I" for ignition, a wire from there ran to Coil + post.
"I" post only had power when starter relay was closed, starter motor active.

This was kept on later models as a safety feature, if transmission isn't in Park/Neutral or Clutch pedal isn't down all the way then spark system gets no power.
No "I" post, these used a Clutch switch or NSS(automatics), so engine wouldn't start if in gear

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Rotate the plug wires 180 degrees on the distributor and see it it starts? If it works you can leave it that way or turn the rotor 180 degrees by lifting the distributor.

 

[patrick84]

I have a similar problem on my son's '84 truck. I believe my coil is dead, trying a known good used one in the morning.

 

[GKM007]

Took me a few tries to get my timing right after my Duraspark swap. I was only a few teeth off, but it made all the difference.

My sign that I was off was when I rotated the all the way towards the front of Bronco I could get closer to a start. Once I lifted it up and moved it a few teeth forward, boom, started on first crank. I ended up being off by one spark position in the cap.

If you are actually cranking with the key the NSS is working. My NSS died on me, so I jumpered it, been working ever since. If your NSS fails you will have a dead key when trying to turn over.

Sounds like timing to me.