98 ford ranger 4wd manual transmission will onl start when i pop start in 2nd gear

well it is a manual transmission GEN 10 F150
M50D; M5R2; (both used)
4wd?
gee check gear lube levels first or drain and fill it with correct lub.
this is top of box shifter directly to shift rails , good that.
how many speeds is he box? 3,4,5? seems is 4 speed.
the clutch actuation parts (pedal to MC to slave is top failure
so first gear and reverse can not be selected
25 years of shifting can be $1 part on tip of shift lever making the H pattern dead or random and a huge pain.
i have repaired cars with manual boxes , all clutch parts and rebuilt the box every ,all bearings new and synchro, and bad forks..
wish I could watch you but
key off can you get all gears in the H pattern parked?
or is shifter acting crazy loose.?
can you start the engine in 1st gear now or put in to first gear ,key off then in first gear for sure key off start the engine.? and not have car lurch forward. (yes clutch held down)
sorry all I have are questions transmissions have lots of fail paths.
even M/T boxes do but last way longer. I went 300k miles on mine
and only 1 slave cylinder failure and 250kh on 2more cars.
is the MC (clutch only) full of fluid in its Reservoir. if low drops fast
the MC or Slave is bad and leaking fluid.
fix this first if is true MC fluid loss week by weak ,day by day loss
no complaints starting the engine in 1s gear or any gear.
non, and is A#1 TOP IMPORTANT FACT
OR CAN NOT SHIFT TO 1ST PARKED KEY OFF.
THE STARTER IS DEAD CLUTCH NOT DEPRESSES SO TESTS AR LIMITED.
BUT GEE , KEY OFF AND PICK 1ST GEAR , BRAKES OFF
AND HAND PUSH CAR TO SEE GEE 1ST IS WORKING,
BUT SURE WE WILL NOT BE SURE 1ST IS PICKED, IF THE LEVER TIP IS BAD.

NOW THE HORROR, ALL 3 ENGINES USE AN M/T BOX
THE SLAVE CYLINDER CAN NOT BE SEEN
IT IS A COAX SLAVE DEEP INSIDE, (i HATE THEM)
LAST ONE I DID 4WD WAS 10 HARD HOURS LABOR TO REPLACE.
IF THE SLAVE IS ON THE BELL HOUSING SIDE BE HAPPY.
IF You run the box dry of LUBE the shift fork (1 of many) welds and fuses to the gear and cannot ever be shifted again,and yes I have cured those too.
the shift lever bushing is due.
true name
Trans. code M50D; M5R1/M5R2 Manual Transmission, Plastic shifter bushing
this $2 part does not last long, 100k miles or so
and gets beat to deathh in city traffic.
Part D seen here. at the tip of the shifter stick bottom end
it just dies. and shifter H pattern is loose and RANDOM>

see the video fix this cheap bad part., see blue part
https://youtu.be/c82sTBMzito?t=769

if scared of grease use silicon grease as we use on O-rings.
100% safe that is. grease.
now the shifter works like it did in 1997 ,tight
if still scan no get 1st gear for sure idling Neutro
try reverse too. if reverse grinds or balks the slave is leaking
making the clutch dead and engaged full time.

i assume this is a manual transmission , sounds like the clutch may have broken up , causing the flywheel not to turn when the starter is operated , will need to be seen by a mechanic

Could be a faulty clutch, or hydraulic component. Is the clutch master cylinder full of fluid ?

maybe your forks and or linkage is bad or not right for your ranger depending on what kind of kit you got hope this helps

Pull the trans,disassemble,and check shift forks for wear,replace the synchro rings,
and any other snap rings if necessary, so that it is set up correctly

i think the clutches are starting to burn out of your tranny. this was regrettably a common problem with rangers

You could have a problem with the clutch actuation system. It could be the master or the slave cylinder. Does the clutch pedal feel funny? Look under the steering column and locate the pushrod at the top of the clutch pedal. If it is wet where it goes through the firewall, then the master cylinder needs to be repaired/replaced. Raise the hood and check the fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir and refill if necessary. Look under the truck and locate the slave cylinder on the side of the transmission. If it looks wet (oily), replace it. Bleed the system of air bubbles.

It is possible to drive the truck without a clutch. You have to start it in 1st gear. Accelerate gently, then take your foot off the gas and gently pull the gear shift into 2nd. When the engine rpm drops to match the transmission input speed, 2nd gear will engage. Repeat the process with 3rd through 5th. It will take a little practice to do this well, but you can do it.

Sounds like the clutch is going or the slave or master cylinder is failing. You could have some bad gear synchronizers.

Transmission is not powering the transfer case

try bleeding your clutch