In a 1997 Ford Ranger :
The 2.3 liter four cylinder with Fords twin plug ignition system has ( 2 coil packs ) and ( 8 ) spark plug wires for the eight sparkplugs
The 3.0 liter and the 4.0 liter V6 engines have ( 1 coil pack ) and ( 6 ) spark plug wires for the six spark plugs
There are ( 6 ) spark plugs
Does it turn over? Does it have fuel/spark/compression?
Pull them out and replace them one at a time.
That's Fords twin plug ignition system , so your Ford Ranger 4 cylinder has ( 8 ) spark plugs and spark plug wires
The firing order should be stamped onto the engine block at some location, or on the stickers at the front of the hood.
because you did it wrong
( 8 ) sparkplugs for the 2.3 liter 4 cylinder engine in a 1997 Ford Ranger with Fords twin plug ignition system
V6 engine in Ford Ranger firewall 3 - 6 2 - 5 1 - 4 front
.044 - 2.3L .050 - 3.0L .054 - 4.0L
The 2.3 liter in the Ford Ranger from 1989 to 1997 and the 2.5 liter from 1998 to 2001 use ( 8 ) spark plugs
5/8 plug socket
P0300 means random misfire detected which probably has to do with the spark plugs or the plug wires