I am a little stumped on this one .
I have a 97 4.2 148000
I just bought it after I totaled My Bronco
Has the usual tick but seamed to run fine .

Here is the series of events.
This guy that I bought it from was a hack .
The radio had been pulled out and all the wire just dangling. when I moved the wires to install a new stereo the warning chimes started and the windshield wipers turned on . I installed a new radio and terminated all the ends correctly
That seamed to stop that problem . I was going down the road and the charging meter dropped to 0 I thought that it was just a bad connection to the battery . Like I said he was a hack He had a side post battery from a chevy . I came home replace the battery with the one from the bronco .
Still no go . then I found that the interior fuse box was just hanging .
He had it propped up when I looked at it I it was one of the only things I didn't check out on the van .

I told you all that to get to my problem .

Driving home on the highway all of a sudden the engine dies.
I am in the middle lane so I had to maneuver through Boston traffic while coasting. As I am coasting a huge backfire . enough to rip a hole in the muffler . as I am stopping again another huge backfire .
I got it towed home and I thought I blew the engine the backfires were so load . When I got it home it started right up.

I replaced the muffler and secured the internal fuse box .

It ran fine for an hour . Then another backfire . This time the engine did not shut down .

Here is the best part NO CODES

I am not sure if it is just loosing ignition , or it is missing and it has excess fuel in one cylinder . Or Another thing he did was take out the cats .
But again I am getting no codes

Thanks for letting me rant any suggestions would be appreciated