Help with my ranger

[fork5o]

I have a 92 ranger with the 2.9 v6 in it. It has over 170k but until recently its been running strong. I had this happen twice over the summer, the first spark plug get all gunked up and then the truck will miss and hesitate. It's only the first plug, all the other are burning just fine. Also, it's a stick, when I'm stopped on any kind of a slope and I go to pull away theres a big puff of white smoke coming out of the exhaust, but it really doesnt smoke any other time (at least that noticable) What could this be? seal, injector?

[chugger95]

I don't know much about the hesitating, or any thing like that but I do know that the 2.9s had problems with the heads cracking on them.

[Stangman701]

I don't know much about the hesitating, or any thing like that but I do know that the 2.9s had problems with the heads cracking on them.

+1 I replaced a set of heads on my dad's 88 ranger a long time ago. 2.9's are definitely prone to cracking for some reason.

[Steve-0]

+1 I replaced a set of heads on my dad's 88 ranger a long time ago. 2.9's are definitely prone to cracking for some reason.

And warping. They were decent motors though for what they are.

[lib88stang]

Had similar problems witha 2.9, so I sold it..

[87notch]

Had similar problems witha 2.9, so I sold it..

I had problems with every 2.9 I owned.

[Viper_ed]

I would guess bad Valve Seal or Ring