[Jbrew011]

Today I bought a new set of Autolite Copper Plugs and went to change the spark plugs. When I was pulling the plugs with a boot puller the boots were coming out in pieces. They appeared to have been burnt pretty bad. All but one of them came apart in pieces on the passenger side except one. Also when I pulled the spark plugs on that side one of them was cracked at the white tip. The others were burnt and smelled strong of fuel. They had alot of carbon build up as well. The drivers side bank spark plug boots were fine and two out of the 4 were built up with carbon and one of them cracked in half. Now I've installed a new set and put on a set of Accel Preminum spark plug wires. I tested it out this afternoon and now I have no pickup at all. Push it to the floor and nothing for a long while. Ive already changed the TPS and IAC along with a few others before and I'm throwing no codes from the code reader. Anyone have any ideas of whats going on. Ive got a 1988 302 5.0L

 

[magnumpi]

Did you double check the plug wires....are they on the cap in the correct place? Sometimes someone will install the distributor off several teeth and change the firing order to match.

How are you pulling codes?
Try counting the check engine light flashes using the method on fordfuelinjection.com. Do the KOER and KOEO tests

 

[Jbrew011]

I've got a ford OBD1 code reader that I use to pull codes with and I'm wondering if the timing is off. Its always had problems but not this bad. My dad was helping me and said that he though the distrubitor itself moved in his hand back and forth but when we went to check it after testing it out it was tight. I've got plenty of take off power in reverse but in drive I've got barely anything. I'm going to check into the plug wires again tommorow. I've got an MSD Cap and Rotor on it right now. I think I've got the order right after checking the manual and following each wire but maybe not. Anyone have a diagram of an MSD cap order handy or know where I can get one. Would that cause a complete loss of takeoff power with the plug wires messed up.

 

[wyoranch]

The brand of cap doesn't matter, wires are all gonna be in the same order. Did you replace them one at a time or all at once? Just had the same exact problem on my 79. Po had pit the dizzy in wrong and just moved wires until it was in time

 

[Jbrew011]

We did them one at a time but there wasn't any boot to put back on to keep them in order after they fell apart. I'm wondering if the PO did something with the distributor or something.

 

[snookgetter]

Google the firing order for your truck. Make sure the wires from the correct cylinder go to the right pin on the cap.

 

[wyoranch]

If they're in the right place and it still won't start, especially if all it does is pop and backfire, dizzy may be in wrong. If that's the case it's easy to fix. Just have to get #1 cylinder at top dead center on compression stroke and pull dizzy and reinstall with rotor pointing at #1 spark plug wire on the cap. If you have a Haynes or chiltons it'll have step by step instructions. May be a little intimidating but very easy. Just clean around the base of the dizzy really well before pulling it

 

[Kingfish999]

i would check the timing since he thought the dizzy moved. make sure you use dielectric greese on the boots. are there any missfires or backfires? did you gap the plugs correctly? maby the coil needs to be replaced soon? did replace the cap and rotor while u had the wires off? did u do the Tp and IAC before the first test or after? msot of what i htink of would be more noticable before, not after doing plugs and wires. did you calibrate the TP and test the old one? how old were the previous plugs? make sure the boots are all on good and not jsut barley on. were those wires ones you have to build yourself?

 

[mkt2488]

check the timing with a timing light. spout out!... that's the first thing... once you've established that your timing is set at 10* BTDC, start troubleshooting from the output of your coil to the gap of every spark plug. if you're looking at the engine from the front--your firing order is 1234 (left bank front to back), and 5678 (right bank front to back). make sure the gap is set to stock.

 

[DNBELOWBRONCO]

Good job using Autolite plugs, you did check the gap, right? Yes, the firing order could make the plugs smell gassy and the truck lack power, just went through it myself. I know Steve (Steve83) has the firing order posted for 94 and up 5.0/5.8 with the "on cap" wire position and which wires should not touch because of spark jump possibilities, so he probably has your year too. Also check with (Miesk5) because I think Al probably lists the order too!

Make sure you pull the #1 cylinder spark plug, put a 15/16ths socket w/an extension & a breaker bar on the crank bolt, stick a pencil in the plug hole, and have someone spin the bolt by hand till you feel the pencil come out of the hole & have them stop just as the pencil feels like it's about to start going back in (Piston is at the top). Put the plug in, turn the bolt again till the timing pointer is pointing right at the TDC mark on the edge of the harmonic balancer. Then all you have to do is look at where the #1 plug wire attaches to the dist cap & make a little mark with a black marker on the edge of the dist body right there. Then, remove the dist bolt and lift the dist up till you feel the teeth of the gears disengage. Turn the rotor by hand till it looks like it is a little before the black marker spot on the body (about an inch). That way when you push the dist back down as it spins, clockwise, it will end up pointing at the #1 spot on the cap (black marker spot on body). This may take 2-3 tries, just lift the dist & turn the rotor counter clockwise, & push it back down till it spins and points damn close to the marker spot. Then just put the bolt back in, tighten it up, and fire her up....make sure to time it after it warms up! :thumbup -Kevin-

Oh, as far as the eaten up boots. They may have just been old, got real hot because of the timing being off, and just deteriorated from the heat. Do you have headers? If so, try some slip on heat shielding over the boots/plugs. I just put new wires on mine because I just put some shorties on and my boot on #4 started to smoke!! I'm getting some for mine to be safe. Can't see them getting hot enough to crack the porcelain on the ones, but who knows?

 

[Jbrew011]

Thanks Guy's. Sure enough it was the timing being way off. Finally found the markings and set the timing. Runs like a dream now.

 

[bheathain]

Good job using Autolite plugs, you did check the gap, right? Yes, the firing order could make the plugs smell gassy and the truck lack power, just went through it myself. I know Steve (Steve83) has the firing order posted for 94 and up 5.0/5.8 with the "on cap" wire position and which wires should not touch because of spark jump possibilities, so he probably has your year too. Also check with (Miesk5) because I think Al probably lists the order too!

Make sure you pull the #1 cylinder spark plug, put a 15/16ths socket w/an extension & a breaker bar on the crank bolt, stick a pencil in the plug hole, and have someone spin the bolt by hand till you feel the pencil come out of the hole & have them stop just as the pencil feels like it's about to start going back in (Piston is at the top). Put the plug in, turn the bolt again till the timing pointer is pointing right at the TDC mark on the edge of the harmonic balancer. Then all you have to do is look at where the #1 plug wire attaches to the dist cap & make a little mark with a black marker on the edge of the dist body right there. Then, remove the dist bolt and lift the dist up till you feel the teeth of the gears disengage. Turn the rotor by hand till it looks like it is a little before the black marker spot on the body (about an inch). That way when you push the dist back down as it spins, clockwise, it will end up pointing at the #1 spot on the cap (black marker spot on body). This may take 2-3 tries, just lift the dist & turn the rotor counter clockwise, & push it back down till it spins and points damn close to the marker spot. Then just put the bolt back in, tighten it up, and fire her up....make sure to time it after it warms up! :thumbup -Kevin-

Oh, as far as the eaten up boots. They may have just been old, got real hot because of the timing being off, and just deteriorated from the heat. Do you have headers? If so, try some slip on heat shielding over the boots/plugs. I just put new wires on mine because I just put some shorties on and my boot on #4 started to smoke!! I'm getting some for mine to be safe. Can't see them getting hot enough to crack the porcelain on the ones, but who knows?

Hey man. That's the best explanation I've seen to get it to TDC. I was needing that. Thanks.


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

 

[Kingfish999]

Make sure you pull the #1 cylinder spark plug, put a 15/16ths socket w/an extension & a breaker bar on the crank bolt, stick a pencil in the plug hole, and have someone spin the bolt by hand till you feel the pencil come out of the hole & have them stop just as the pencil feels like it's about to start going back in (Piston is at the top). Put the plug in, turn the bolt again till the timing pointer is pointing right at the TDC mark on the edge of the harmonic balancer. Then all you have to do is look at where the #1 plug wire attaches to the dist cap & make a little mark with a black marker on the edge of the dist body right there. Then, remove the dist bolt and lift the dist up till you feel the teeth of the gears disengage. Turn the rotor by hand till it looks like it is a little before the black marker spot on the body (about an inch). That way when you push the dist back down as it spins, clockwise, it will end up pointing at the #1 spot on the cap (black marker spot on body). This may take 2-3 tries, just lift the dist & turn the rotor counter clockwise, & push it back down till it spins and points damn close to the marker spot. Then just put the bolt back in, tighten it up, and fire her up....make sure to time it after it warms up! :thumbup -Kevin-

wouldnt you have the harmonic balancer set to 10* BTDC instead of TDC?

 

[Mikey350]

Originally Posted by DNBELOWBRONCO
Make sure you pull the #1 cylinder spark plug, put a 15/16ths socket w/an extension & a breaker bar on the crank bolt, stick a pencil in the plug hole, and have someone spin the bolt by hand till you feel the pencil come out of the hole & have them stop just as the pencil feels like it's about to start going back in (Piston is at the top). Put the plug in, turn the bolt again till the timing pointer is pointing right at the TDC mark on the edge of the harmonic balancer. Then all you have to do is look at where the #1 plug wire attaches to the dist cap & make a little mark with a black marker on the edge of the dist body right there. Then, remove the dist bolt and lift the dist up till you feel the teeth of the gears disengage. Turn the rotor by hand till it looks like it is a little before the black marker spot on the body (about an inch). That way when you push the dist back down as it spins, clockwise, it will end up pointing at the #1 spot on the cap (black marker spot on body). This may take 2-3 tries, just lift the dist & turn the rotor counter clockwise, & push it back down till it spins and points damn close to the marker spot. Then just put the bolt back in, tighten it up, and fire her up....make sure to time it after it warms up! -Kevin-

Y'all do realize that the piston goes through Top Dead Center twice, once on the compression stroke, and again at the end of the exhaust stroke. Make sure it's on the compression stroke, you can tell by putting a finger (or something) over the plug hole and feel the compression. Otherwise you have a 50/50 chance that it'll be 180* out of time.

 

[Kingfish999]

Y'all do realize that the piston goes through Top Dead Center twice, once on the compression stroke, and again at the end of the exhaust stroke. Make sure it's on the compression stroke, you can tell by putting a finger (or something) over the plug hole and feel the compression. Otherwise you have a 50/50 chance that it'll be 180* out of time.

:doh0715: omg wow you just made me remeber the 1 step i forogt to do when i was put my dizzy in today for my 88. i was thinking i flooded it when i had the timing way off then the battery died shortly after. i bet i got it going at the wrong stroke which is exactly what i didthe first time i did my motor swap. you jsut made my night reminding me of the simple step