MY RANGER ENGINE PROBLEM 1998

Greetings everyone...
I just moved to a new city... here there are many hilly streets, some quite steep... the thing is, my 1998 Ford Ranger, American model, 2.5L, 4-cylinder, manual transmission, started acting up while going up a fairly steep hill. I was just a few meters from the top when the engine lost power and started shaking like crazy. I accelerated more and the shaking got worse, like it was going to stall. I pressed the clutch and brake, and the engine returned to normal. I accelerated again to finish the climb and it did the same thing again, and I started to smell burnt oil. I had to drive down to the flat part of the hill, tried again, and it did the same thing. Could you help me figure out what it could be?
Note: on flat streets, the truck runs like a dream.

Marintenso, I always recommend two things for cases like yours. First, do a basic tune-up, which means changing the spark plugs, air filter, and fuel filter, to rule out a problem with poor combustion. But from what you've said and the information you've provided, the problem you have is the clutch disc, and the smell you noticed might not have been oil, but the disc burning. When this component starts to fail, you'll feel it when you demand power, and it's not noticeable on flat ground or gentler inclines. But if you don't replace it, you'll start to feel it and cause problems. Do you feel like when you put it in fifth gear and accelerate, it seems to accelerate but you don't actually feel it?

If it's a gasoline-powered Ranger with a carburetor, the carburetor float might be running low (which is unusual).
Most likely, it's what kikemec mentioned: a clutch problem. It's slipping when it needs to work harder. The shaking is also a symptom of clutch slippage. Try putting it in a high gear (4th), accelerating hard, and checking the RPMs. If they spike and the vehicle doesn't increase speed, it's a sign of clutch slippage.
Good luck, let us know how it goes!
Cheers.