Problems after timing cover gasket repair

[goose_78g]

My '99 3.0 had the common timing cover gasket leak at 113k. Replaced it, and while i was at it replaced the chain and gears, water pump, fan clutch, thermostat, crank shaft position sensor and radiator. Changed the oil, replaced the coolant. Made sure to make sure that the key holes were lined up on the chain/gears. It started right up, and idled fine for 10 minutes. I drove it around the the block, it felt great, better then ever. I decided to take it down the road and it completely died about 2 miles from my house. Truck was running previously. Any ideas? Battery, alternator and belt are less then a year old.

 

[RonD]

Does the starter motor work, can you crank the engine over?
If so then battery is fine
If not then yes could be electrical issue, check battery with volt meter, 12.3-12.8 volts is expected

Any time you have a crank but No Start(on any gasoline engine) you should do the 50/50 test FIRST
Then there is no "guessing" as to where to look first

Pull off the large air tube from intake, screwdriver, spray gasoline or ether(quick start) into the engine
Make sure fan won't hit air tube
Try to start engine
If it starts and then dies, spark is working, so you have a fuel delivery problem
If it doesn't start then you have a spark problem
50/50 instant results

If an engine just dies it can be fuel pump dying, thats what happens, it just dies
You should HEAR the fuel pump in the gas tank run for 2 seconds each time key is turned on, its not quiet, a HUMMMM from just behind the cab, for 2 seconds
Repeat key off and on as much as needed, doesn't hurt anything

 

[goose_78g]

I can hear the fuel pump, and it didn't start with starter fluid.

 

[RonD]

So the CEL(check engine light) comes on with the key
It should then go OFF when starter motor is turning over the engine, that means crank sensor is working

Does CEL go OFF when cranking?

 

[goose_78g]

It does not. I plugged in my cheap amazon code reader and got pending code P0340 camshaft position sensor. could this be my issue? Could I have potentially messed up the timing when I changed the chains? However if the timing was off, the truck would not have run at all, correct?

 

[Shran]

You said you replaced the crank position sensor... Can you reinstall your old one and see if it runs? Perhaps a wiring issue? I've seen a couple with very crusty crank sensor plugs... they seem to crack down by the connector and the wires short out.

 

[goose_78g]

I snapped the old one in half, my whole reason for replacing it.

 

[Shran]

Gotcha.

Ford Ranger P0340 Code: Diagnosis, Causes, How to Fix | Drivetrain Resource

One of the more common engine management trouble codes that can occur in the Ford Ranger is P0340. It's a generic code, which means it has the same definition for every car or truck made after 1996. P0340 is related to the camshaft position sensor and points to an issue with the wiring harness...

www.700r4transmissionhq.com

Maybe that will give you a little more insight... that code indicates that your ECM sees that something is missing, as opposed to seeing a sensor present but reporting out of spec.

It sounds like you didn't mess with the cam position sensor right? So we'll assume that it's OK, although the 3.0 is known for failures there that cause a no start. I'd be checking over your crank position sensor wiring with a fine tooth comb.

My 95 Ranger throws a constant P0340 code but seems to run fine - haven't figured it out yet but other resources have indicated that it could be feedback from a bad alternator causing it. Probably not your problem but there are a variety of reasons that code can pop up.