88 Ford Ranger with a 2.9,,,CAN'T GET ENGINE TO TURN COMPLETELY OVER...HELP

[Lindacars]

A few months ago I purchased a 1988 Ford Ranger with a 2.9 engine, it’s a 4 wheel drive king cab sort bed and is a 5 gear manual and everything was working just fine and I was really starting to enjoy having this truck...UNTILL.
One day after work it started to turn over slowly and after a few tries or sometimes an hour or so later, it finally would turn over and I could proceed to where I was trying to go. Then not long after this started happening, I tried cranking it after work one day and the engine just would not turn over all the way so I had to call AAA and had it towed home.
I then decided that maybe I should put a new set of spark plugs, rotor, distributor cap and upon removing the old ones I noticed that who ever owned the truck before must not of replaced these parts in several years. After replacing these parts I drove for a few days and the same problem returned and it died right in the middle of the parking lot and I had to push it back into it’s parking space by myself, I am a small female and this truck weighs a lot.
I then check out the starter relay and it was good and coil was also good but I had no spark. I talked to a few mechanics and it was said that the ignition modular must be bad and I just replaced that last night and with no luck the truck still will not crank over all the way.
When I crank the engine now everything sounds as if it is ready to turn over BUT it just won’t turn over all the way...HELP...I NEED SOME EXPERTISE...
I’ve checked everything out like the coil, battery, starter, alternator, distributor cap, plugs, wires, relays, gas, fluid, BUT I NEED YOUR HELP...YOUR THOUGHTS???
Thanks for any advise you can give me... I live in North Dakota and I got to get this truck going as it is getting much to cold to walk everyday... I don’t have the funds to take this to a shop and get it repaired so I must rely on knowledge and books and all of you to help me through repairing my truck as this is my only means and I know no one here that knows a thing about repairing anything...
Thanks.
Linda
[email protected]

[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.