2.5L ('98-'01) Hard start and high rpm metallic? Tick.

[Chase715]

Bought a 98 ranger splash 2wd manual 2.5 the other day for $1000. The guy said it was off time (I already expected the engine to be toasted but I can get one dirt cheap so don’t care) I got it timed correctly and double checked everything, filled with coolant and made sure everything looked good. I also pulled #1 spark plug because why not and it looked PERFECT.
I go to start it with jumper cables on it and it doesn’t fire off so I try again with my foot to the floor and it shakes the entire truck and the shifter starts slapping side to side aggressively. I keep my foot to the floor (starter is no longer engaged at this point) and it’s acting like it’s misfiring but witching 30-50 seconds it finally picks up rpm and high idles at 2k for a few seconds but then tries to die so I proceed to rev it around 3500 for a few minutes (don’t care if I blow it up) and it starts running better but struggles to rev up like it has a bog and at high rpm it makes a tapping noise (video link posted) it still won’t idle and if I try to start it it does the same long start thing.
Any ideas as to what I could start checking for before I just pull the motor and put a different one in????

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[scotts90ranger]

If it starts I'm pretty sure you have the cam gear lined up, but double check that the aux pulley is lined up too (the lower one that looks like the cam pulley), one is lined up to the diamond and the other to the triangle, I helped with a 2.5L timing belt a few weeks ago and there's a matching mark on the engine side... Apparently Ford's really rely on the cam sensor..., my 5.0L explorer didn't run good at all when the fuse that powered the cam sensor went out...

That said I know someone else that got a 2.5L powered Ranger for cheap because a valve spring was broken... it's not common but hey...

 

[Chase715]

If it starts I'm pretty sure you have the cam gear lined up, but double check that the aux pulley is lined up too (the lower one that looks like the cam pulley), one is lined up to the diamond and the other to the triangle, I helped with a 2.5L timing belt a few weeks ago and there's a matching mark on the engine side... Apparently Ford's really rely on the cam sensor..., my 5.0L explorer didn't run good at all when the fuse that powered the cam sensor went out...

That said I know someone else that got a 2.5L powered Ranger for cheap because a valve spring was broken... it's not common but hey...

As for the noise in the video, any thoughts on if it sounds like something in the rotating assembly?

 

[Chase715]

Also I did make sure that the other pulley was lined up on the diamond as stated in multiple forum threads and YouTube videos.