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Remove the negative battery cable. Put the transmission in neutral. Drain the transmission. Use the floor jack to raise the vehicle high enough to work underneath. Support the truck on jack stands. Test the stability by trying to shake the vehicle. If there is any movement, re-set the stands. Release the emergency brake.

Locate the factory paint mark at the rear of the driveshaft and corresponding mark on the front of the differential. If you cannot see the marks, make your own using a scribe or some indelible method. These will help you reinstall the shaft and maintain its balance. Remove the nuts securing the rear of the shaft and slide the front spline out of the transmission. Use the plug or a rag to prevent leakage.

If you have 4WD, remove the transfer case. If you have a V-6, take out the exhaust. Disconnect the hydraulic clutch line, the speedometer cable and the electrical connectors. Label all connections for later installation. Remove the starter. Place the floor jack with a block of wood to protect the oil pan under the engine. Put a little upward pressure on the engine to provide support.

Place the transmission jack under the transmission and put a slight amount of pressure to support the unit. Disconnect the bolts from the bell housing to the engine. Remove the rear transmission mount. Remove the cross member. Simultaneously release pressure on the transmission jack as you withdraw the assembly toward the rear. Work slowly to free the transmission and gain enough clearance for the input shaft to clear the clutch pressure plate.

Step into your 2005 Ford Ranger with your two programmed keys and your blank.

Insert a programmed key into the ignition. Turn to "On" then to "Off" and then remove the key.

Insert your second key. Turn it to "On" then to "Off" and remove. This must be done within five seconds of the first key.

Insert the blank key into the ignition. Again, turn this to "On," hold for one second and then turn it to "Off." This must be done within 10 seconds of the first key. The security light will flash if the procedure has been successful.

Remove the cable from the negative battery terminal with a socket wrench to prevent the engine from starting while replacing the cylinder head gasket. Place a container under the drain cock on the bottom of the radiator, and remove the drain cock with a socket wrench. Drain the coolant from the radiator into the container, and replace the drain cock.

Disconnect the air cleaner from the intake manifold with a socket wrench, and remove the valve cover. Detach the drive belt for the air compressor if your vehicle is so equipped. Remove the mounting bolts for the air compressor, and remove the air compressor mounting bracket from the cylinder head. Push the air compressor out of the way to access the cylinder head.

Remove the intake manifold and exhaust manifold from the cylinder head with a socket wrench. Record the position of the attaching screws on the cover for the cam shaft drive belt, so you can install the screws in the correct position later. Remove the cover for the cam shaft drive belt.

Turn the tensioner for the drive belt counterclockwise with a socket wrench to relieve the tension on the drive belt. Detach the drive belt from its pulleys. Disconnect the water outlet and its hose from the cylinder head.

Remove the water outlet elbow from the cylinder head with the hose still attached. Remove the mounting bolts from the cylinder head with a socket wrench, and lift the cylinder head from the cylinder block.

Remove the gasket from the cylinder block. Clean the remaining gasket material and other debris from the cylinder head and cylinder block with a gasket scraper.

Place the new gasket onto the cylinder block, and mount the cylinder head to the cylinder block. Tighten the mounting bolts for the cylinder head to between 50 and 52 foot-pounds with a torque wrench on the first pass. Tighten the mounting bolts to between 80 and 90 foot-pounds on the second pass.

Mount the camshaft drive belt to its pulleys. Replace the cover for the camshaft drive and install the attaching bolts for the cover, using your notes from step three as a guide. Tighten the mounting bolts to between 6 and 13 foot-pounds with a torque wrench.

Install a new gasket for the water outlet and connect the outlet to the engine. Tighten the mounting bolts to between 12 and 15 foot-pounds with a torque wrench. Install the exhaust manifold and intake manifold with a socket wrench. Fasten the mounting bracket for the air compressor to the cylinder head, if your vehicle is so equipped.

Fill the vehicle with coolant, and connect the cable to the negative battery terminal with a socket wrench.

Turn the key to the "On" position without starting the vehicle. Test the power on the dome light, stereo and the headlights. If the vehicle does not have power, check the battery connections and use a voltage meter to check the battery for voltage. Use jumper cables and a second vehicle to jump start the vehicle and the battery. If the battery continues to drain, install a new battery.

Replace the alternator if the battery is in good condition but the vehicle continues to experience power failure. The bad alternator will drain the battery and prevent the vehicle from starting but it will not prevent the vehicle from running with a jump start.

Attempt to start the engine and listen carefully for a single click. The sound is indicative of a bad starter. Climb under the vehicle and locate the starter. The starter is a cylindrical object with a second smaller cylinder attached. Hit the main cylinder with a hammer and attempt to start the vehicle. Replace the starter as soon as possible.

Drive the vehicle and shift through the manual gears at different speeds. Rough shifting is indicative of a bad clutch or a bad transmission. A bad clutch will feel loose and be difficult to put in gear while a bad transmission will make a grinding noise and be very tight while attempting to find the different gears. Both require advanced mechanical knowledge and are expensive to replace.

Listen to the vehicle as you drive. Squealing sounds on turns mean the belts are loose and sputtering and backfiring are often due to fouled spark plugs and bad injectors. Vehicles that do not increase power with increased gas have bad fuel injectors.