The other moring I left work and got into my 1986 2.9l 4x2 XLT Ranger and
the
thing wouldn't start, it turned over, and when it would start, it would run
like it was being choked or restricted in some way or the other, and it
would
eventually die out amidst coughing, choking, and sputtering. I eventually
got
it to run long enough, and without a clue as to what was wrong, I got under
the hood, and out of pure desperation I removed the red 90 degree vacum plug

that was attached to the front upper part of the intake plenum on the
passanger side(1 other vacum fitting on this tree for your Ref.), the car
picked up revs cleanly, smoothed out, and ran fine, if with some reduction
in
ability to accelerate? Bieng extremely low on gas I drove to the gas station

and filled it up, and decided to plug vac. line in to see if it would
continue running fine, low and behold it did, so I drove home without
further
incident. That eve. I got up early to see if truck would start, and it
didn't, tried the little vac. line trick with no avail, it exhibited all the

signs it was that moring. I noticed a strong odor of rotten eggs emitting
from tailpipe when I could get the truck to stay running long enough(It
would
usually cough, choke, and sputter), then it would die. Well I figured it was

a clog cat, plus entire exh. sys. was rotted out any way, so I cut
everything
out but the cat, banged on cat with sledge hammer(Although it didn't seem
clogged), and tried to start it, again with NO luck. The rotten egg smell
seemd to finish, but I then noticed a strong odor of fuel. After thinking
and
talking to dad(Mechanic), he thought it might have jumped time, or broke a
belt/chain. To check this I removed dist. cap and turned motor over to see
if
rotor was moving, it was.(this is when I noticed the bad cap, rotor and
wires) Next I turned the motor over to get the rotor to the #1 position on
cap (Thought #1 position was directly horizontal to brake booster found this

to be wrong later), I then removed what I thought was the #1 spark plug (1st

one on drivers side,which I now no is wrong), to see if #1 piston was at or
about at TDC, it was. But after finding out firing order info, all this
checking was for not as I actually had rotor on the #2 cyl. pos., and I was
measuring for TDC on the #4 slug Ugh. well after I replaced cap, rotor and
wires, it seemed like it wanted to fire (At least more so than it did prior
to there instillation), but it still wont start? Will my above method of
checking for rotor position and corresponding TDC of piston allow me to
determine if I jumped time? With the #1 piston at or near TDC, the rotor
should be at, or 180 degrees from the #1 position on the cap right? Hope you

can help.