One problem related to engine clicking and tapping noises has been reported for the 1997 Ford Ranger. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
1997 Ford Ranger truck-shortly after leaving my home, within 10 minutes, I noticed a clicking noise. I thought it was the car next to me, I looked at my gauges and noticed nothing unusual. Within approximately 1 minute the car lost power. I immediately pulled to the shoulder and turned the car off. Just before turning off the ignition the temperature gauge spiked to hot. Upon examination it was determined that without any warning the engine got hot enough to crack all four valves in the engine head. Basically a new engine in a car with 84,000 miles on it. It is my understanding that this engine is rated to last 200,000 miles.