Background, it dropped a valve. Pulled motor, new head and timing chains. Used otc tools to set timing. Checked and double checked I had it right. New plugs and wires. Removed injector relay and ignition fuse to crank to build oil pressure. Re installed those, cranked, missed really bad and shut off. Tried a few more times, same result. Verified fuel, stated on spark and with a tester want getting spark consistently, and sometimes not at all. Replaced crank sensor. No change, replaced plugs and wires again. No change. Replaced coil. No change. Where next. Only code it's throwing is the p0320.
2009 ranger 4.0

 

Consider having a read here https://www.obd-codes.com/p0320 for a list of suspects, what & how to check them & let us know what you find.

 

I have already gone over that document a couple times trying to diagnose this. Really am struggling. Today I went ahead and removed the valve covers to check timing to be sure I have it correct and all is good. Yesterday I did find a significant vacuum leak. corrected that and no change. The only thing I can come up with now is that I have fouled the plugs. It was a new set. I'm going to go pick up another set and see what happens.

 

Hold on, lets think about this some more before tossing more parts at the problem on a hunch. Seeing as how you don't seem to have any fuel trim codes to suggest a rich mixture, pull a easy to get at plug from each cyl bank & have a look to see if its carbon fouled before buying another set of new ones.

A significant vacuum leak won't cause spark to randomly go missing, but the trouble shooting link suspect list of damaged wiring, connector pins/sockets, faulty sensors, or lastly the ECM belong way higher up on the suspect list, especially since you say the engine has just been pulled to fix other problems???

SO, if you didn't have this problem Before pulling & reinstalling the engine, have you performed a wiring, electrical connector, or sensor inspection for damage & a wiggle test, all the way from the ECM firewall electrical connection to the crank & cam sensors & coil pack, to see if you can cause the spark to go missing????
Have you checked the 5 volt reference to the crank & cam sensors to see if its present & passes the wiggle test??? Same for the coil pack B+ voltage @ KOEO.

Intermittent problems are the most challenging to trouble shoot, so don't get discouraged & give up, just hang in there & trouble shoot wisely & you'll likely find the culprit sooner or later.
More thoughts for consideration, let us know what you find.

 

I just omed out all the connections to the crank and cam sensors and the coil pack from the firewall bulkhead connectors. Wiggling them around with no change. I know the cam and crank sensors where good as I replaced both since I started this search. As a note I'm not getting any codes over the last several days of working on things. Yesterday I pulled both valve covers and verified cam timing and all is good there. I am at a lose as where to look next. I know I'm getting fuel, when I pulled the plugs they all had fuel on them. Just doesn't seem to be getting spark.

 

Ok that's good feedback, so lets think about this some more & for now stay focused on the P0320 trouble code trouble shoot suggestions.

At KOEO, do you have the 5 volt reference to the crank sensor??? It must be there for the Cam sensor if the plugs are wet with fuel, as if the cam sensor weren't working the fuel injectors wouldn't be squirting fuel because the computer wouldn't be getting a cam timing signal to have the ECM trigger the injectors. So from that we can infer the ECM is putting out something but is it a full 5 volts???
It seems to be enough for the cam sensor to send the ECM a strong enough signal for it to operate the injectors. So question now is the 5 volt reference making it to the Crank sensor & if it is, does the Crank sensor Return signal make it back to the firewall ECM connector as the wiring harness is wiggled between the crank sensor & the firewall ECM connector???

Thus we now need to know if that 5 volt reference is reaching the Crank sensor, as it's signal to the ECM is needed for the ECM ground switching drivers to ground switch the coil pack to make spark. If the 5 volts is making it to the crank sensor, is the return lead to the ECM firewall connector having that crank sensor return signal get all the way back to the firewall ECM connector & is the 5 volt reference & return signal steady when the wiring harness is wiggled??

Same for the coil pack 12 volt B+ being at the coil pack at KOEO & the coil pack return ground switched leads continuity & connections to the firewall ECM connector being complete & steady when its wiring run is flexed.

If all that checks out, then its time to put the ECM ground switching drivers on the suspect list, so call around to your favorite auto-parts stores to see if they can bench test the ECM. Or maybe see if a friend with a like vehicle, or say a friendly salvage yard has a ECM you could try.
If no substitute can be found, then disconnect the coil pack electrical connector & check the connector harness ground / Return leads to see if the ECM is switching them when the engine is cranked.

If the coil pack return leads aren't being ground switched by the ECM as the engine is cranked, the 12volt LED test light, connected between the coil pack electrical connector B+ pin & each ground / return lead won't blink when the engine is cranked, so you can then move the ECM up to the top spot on your suspect list.

More drill down trouble shooting thoughts for consideration, let us know what you find.

 

Maybe I'm not doing this right, but I'm getting no voltage(well actually a little less than half a volt) to the cam sensor and 1.5 volts to the crank sensor. I did the test light on the coil leads and it does flash on each of the three ground wires.

 

Little more testing. The computer is putting out 5 volts for the cam sensor and 1.5 for the crank sensor.

 

Looks like there is a connection issue with the bookkeeper connector at the firewall. Wire tests fine. Just can't get a connection. Looks ok. Been messing with it for a while now. Would like to take the connector apart but can't figure it out. Can get the inner sleeve out but can't get the pin released. Any tips?

 

this is the connector.

This pin

 

Ok. I'm not clear on how you got the 1.5 volt Crank sensor voltage reading. Did you back probe the wire at KOEO, with the connector plugged in????

Is this circled connector pin the crank sensor ECM 5 volt feed, or the Return signal lead from the crank sensor back to the computer????

Is that pin/socket firmly locked into place, such that its not being pushed back when the socket is plugged in???

 

best I can tell it is in the proper place. When assembled it looks exactly the same as the rest and i couldn't move it when I had it apart.

 

Ok that's good feedback, so lets think about this some more. Seeing as how it seems there is a contact problem around this firewall connector to the ECM, have you gone to the Cam & Crank sensors connector & Disconnected them & measured for the 5 volts there, this could confirm the wiring suppling the reference 5 volt feed to both those sensors is ok.

While the ECM firewall connector is off, test both the 5 volt feed & return wires for a short to ground, so you know a wiring run short between the connector & sensors isn't pulling the 5 volts down when the connector is in place.

Then plug the cam & crank sensors in one at a time, measure the 5 volts again at the sensors to make sure the sensors aren't shorted internally, or that the return lead isn't shorted to ground.

If the problem seems to be in the ECM side connector, disconnect the Battery B- cable, drop the clove box door down, remove the glove box lining so you can get at the ECM mounting fasteners & remove the ECM.
Open it up & check those pins that make with the suspect plug connection. Check for a cracked pin, or cold solder connection to the circuit board.

Keep looking, it sounds like you've found a good suspect area for trouble shooting.

 

Can't seem to figure out how to get the connector apart to see what the problem is with it.
Is there a source for a new harness, or do I have to repair this one?

 

Yes you need to find out why your only getting 1.5 volts At the crank sensor. If you have 5 volts coming out of the ECM, but only 1.5 volts at the sensor, something is wrong with a electrical connection, or maybe broken wire strands under the insulation, or maybe the wiring run is being pinched just enough somewhere along the way to not cause a direct short to ground, but just enough electrical leakage/contact to drop the voltage. So disconnect the crank sensor at its connector & set up your volt meter at the crank sensor electrical connector 5 volt contact & flex, pinch, push, pull that lead or wiring harness all the way from the firewall connector along the wiring run where you can get to it to the crank sensor electrical connector to see if you can find the trouble spot, then unwrap, or otherwise access the wiring run around that area to see if you can find some insulation damage, like signs of the wire being pinched, mashed, insulation damage scuffs, cuts, or signs of insulation overheating/melting. Inspect closely areas close to heat or vibration sources, or where the wiring harness makes a sharp bend, or any area you had problems with during engine removal & re-installation.