If temp gauge goes up and down randomly then heater core is partially blocked
Easy to change on 1994 and earlier Rangers
And to purge all air from a cooling system, disconnect either heater hose at the firewall, and fill system until coolant comes out hose and core, all air is out, put hose back on
1990-2000 4.0l was notorious for cracked heads
This would cause AIR to be pumped into cooling system, so adds air and causes overheating, and can cause temp gauge to go up and down, but mostly up the more you drive it, and the overflow tank can "overflow", lol
So if you purge air using heater hose and still have the overheating issue then its a blocked heater core or cracked head
You can do Glove Test to check for cracked head, simple easy test