If it is a 2.3 it is a non interference motor. If it is running poorly my bet is that when they put it back together they did not align the timing marks properly. If it had bent valves (not always) but most of the time the engine either would not run or make a hell of a clattering noise. Take it to a different shop and get a second opinion.

 

+1 sounds like it isn't timed right. Lima 2.3 is a non-interference engine.

 

Got a call yesterday morning from my son that his '96 Ranger lost power and he was on the side of the road. Only 5 miles from home, I grabbed a chain and went and pulled him up the road to a church parking lot so we could safely diagnose it. Yes he had gas! First thing I asked. LOL. In my diagnosing of this 280K mile truck, I first thought fuel filter. Left the truck in the parking lot all day and picked up a fuel filter and some fuel treatment while 'in town', $10. Stopped at the truck on the way home to change the filter and to my surprise it had a spring style clip on one end and the simple plastic clip on the other. Headed back to the parts store, 15 miles from where we were working on it to get some fuel line release tools $10. Changed filter and it had 'muddy' looking gas coming out so thought there's my problem. Tried to start and nothing. Checked the shrader valve on top of the engine, should have done this first, and had good pressure but wouldnt start. Pulled a wire of the top of each coil and checked for spark, one was stronger than the other but firing. Pulled intake hose off throttle body and squirted a little gas into the hose and reconnected and tightened clamp then tried again, still no starting. This last test is very dangerous and you should never do this and not reconnect the intake hose as you could get burned. So I'm thinking I have gas and fire but it wont do anything. Then a light bulb goes off! The valves arent opening to let any fuel in. I pull the access plug in the front of the timing cover and reach a finger in to find a broken timing belt. Left the truck overnight and towing it in this morning on a tow dolly. Oreilly has belt for $20 and tensioner for another $28 if it needs replacement. This is a maintenance issue I should have already done but sometimes other things take precedence! Will update later!

 

I agree with maticuno-should be done around 100,000, unless you have had severe service needs of your vehicle, than sooner, like 75-80,000. The service manual doesn't even mention timing belt until 120,000, and then its only for an inspection. Not good, as it WILL leave you on the side of the road. I learned my lesson driving '80ish Escorts. Those engines must have stopped in the same position all the time. Always 4 teeth gone, and the belt where the teeth were gone was always on the bottom by the crank. Must've done at least a half dozen of them-always the same way. The strain of the crank starting those engines (1.6+1.8), must have really put those belts thru HE+double hockey sticks. You HAD TO change those at 55-60,000, or you were in for probs. Wife called at mall, car won't start-drove fine there! Numerous friends called, come help me! Do yourself a favor, don't be cheap with this part. Buy a good brand-Gates and the like. DO NOT BUY A GOODYEAR BELT-broke after only 30,00 miles-had to do over. Parts store told me they no longer dealt with them on this part, and could not help me with warranty. Live and learn. Bought a Goodyear Gatorback fan belt at the same time-no problem. 53,800+ on the fan belt -looks good so far. Good luck!

 

Got a Gates belt and tensioner. Installed everything today, thought I was on the money. Starts up and sounds good but when you put it in gear gets real shakey. Lots of pinging just trying to move 30 feet. Think Im off a tooth. Can open it back up without removing fan or radiator this time since belt is around lower pulley. Had it on once and rotated twice as instructions say and had to move it a tooth. Got it lined up I thought, but cant remember releasing tensioner back the 2nd time. Better to look at it instead of wondering. Cleaned MAF and housing while apart and replaced air filter. Got alot of blowby and it was oily. Broke the dang coolant temp sensor, could have been cracked but none the less there goes $20!

 

When I bought my 2000 Ranger it had 137,000 miles showing. First thing I had done by my favorite shop was to change the timing belt. They said it was most likely the first time it was changed.

 

Whether it is cracked or not is not a relevant way to check. There are pulleys in there that can fail at any time. If the pulleys seize, the belt, whether cracked or not, will snap in an instant. A new timing belt kit includes new pulleys.

Just because you have a non-interference engine does not mean the valves can't be hit and bent. It just means that if the motor is static, you can turn it over by hand without hitting any halves with a broken belt. When parts are in actual motion, you can have a piston come up and hit a valve when that valve is fully open.

 

Well, Khan, I have to disagree. My timing belt came with a cardboard box. No new pulleys or sprockets. The old belt was over 20 years, as I recall, and I figured it was time to change it. Came out in perfect condition.
A non-interference engine is just that. The valves cannot hit the pistons, sitting still, rotating with a wrench on the nose of the crank, or going down the highway at 65. They will not hit. Ever. The valves only open so much, and the pistons can come close, but not hit. Unless, and this is very 'maybe', there are carbon deposits on the piston that may close the gap. I don't think they'll bend a valve, but I have been wrong before.
It seems very easy to get the ignition timing off, or the cam off a tooth or two, so double checking the work after assembly may be a time saver. I failed to set my distributor timing properly, and the engine was gutless until about 3k. Finally figured the timing was not as static as the book said for the first few minutes after startup. You have to remove the shorting plug to get the computer out of the picture on distributor models.
tom

 

I agree they should not hit, but I have seen non-interference engines hit valves. In theory they aren't supposed to, but in practice, sometimes things happen and valves can be hit.

I would agree, if the motor was not reassembled correctly and the timing is off, it won't run right.

I have never bought a timing belt kit that did not include new tensioner pulleys. I always change them, now. I once changed a timing belt on a '96 Geo Prism 1.6L and didn't change the pulley. Only a couple hundred miles later the belt broke, and the car had to be towed. A pulley seized and broke the belt. The pulley seemed fine when I did the work, though I did not check it that closely. Since then, I just alway plan on replacing them.