[FX4 Offroad Ranger]

Hey Linda, I am sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your ranger, they are awesome trucks, so there may be some things I can help you with.
Did you ever check the ground wire from the battery to the starter? If not, check that, cause I had a problem with my 97 ranger that sounded similar to your problem. I had a bad ground from the starter to the battery, which caused my engine to crank slowly, sometimes it started and other times it won't start and I had everything tested. no one could find the problem until I found a half broken wire connection that attaches to the starter. One way to test this theory (this only works for 5 speed manual transmission) is to get someone, preferably 2 people, to push your truck for you and place the gear shifter in 2nd gear. With the key in the on position (not start position) push in the clutch. Then get the people to push your truck as fast as they can and let the clutch out. If the truck starts and runs fine, then it is the wire from the battery to the starter. if that is not the problem, then check the stator assembly underneath the rotor inside the distributor, you may have to get another distributor unit from a wrecking yard or maybe get it fixed. If both of these ideas don't work then I am sorry that I couldn't help you and I hope that you get your truck fixed. If you do get your truck fixed but it wasn't any of these ideas, please let me know so I can fix that problem if I ever get one like you had.