Sputtering and no power like it's missing

[dispatchrobb]

'89 Bronco II with 2.9. Starts after a few cranks, rpms run about 1500 for a few seconds and then down to about 1100. Sounds like it's missing and rough. Certainly not much power when driving, and if I let it idle while moving in 1st or 2nd it surges up and down. After it's warm and been driven for a while it sputters and tries to fire like it's flooded, lots of white smoke out the pipe, but after sputtering it does start. Timing is 10 degs btdc. All plugs have spark and wires are in their proper place. Fuel injectors are new. Fuel pump runs normally when first started, but appears to run continuously when it's hot, not shutting off. No fuel in the line to the fuel regulator. Sounds like one cylinder ticks really loud. If I remove the plug wire from that cylinder when engine runs, nothing happens, but plug has good spark. Oil is clean, coolant is clean, no white foam on the oil cap thinking a bad head gasket. Is something probably broke, or is this just tfi or eec issue?

 

[Brandon Nootenboom]

I'm guessing bad head gasket, usually a lot of white smoke means it's tryin' to burn water, oil and coolant may not get mixed and cause the foam depending where the leak is and how bad it is. That would definitely make it run as you describe it and cause it to need a few cranks to start. It's exactly what my friends 92 Explorer with a 4.0L V6 did and it was the drivers head gasket leaking on one cylinder.