I have a 96 f150 4.9. I have replaced the cylinder head, head gasket, thermostat housing and thermostat, water pump, spark plugs, valve cover gasket, manifold gaskets, battery cables. Now it's all put back together and the engine runs very rough and will not keep running without hitting the gas. This was my summer project between semesters and now school is coming up and I need this truck running. Any help would be great.

 

check engine codes, even if cel light doesnt come on. one possibility-lifters may have bled down and havnt pumped back up yet

 

First I would double check to make sure your plug wires are all seated correctly and also make sure they are in the correct order since you just replaced the plugs. Does the truck fire right up or do you have to crank on it a lot to get it to fire? You may be out of time.

 

I have to crank it alot and hold down the gas to get it to start. When I take my foot off the gas it dies. The plugs are all in correct order(they weren't at first I had them 123456 from 3 oclock). Now they are at 153624 from 3 oclock.

 

what do you mean by cel light?

 

check engine light. sometimes the computer will store trouble codes without the check engine light coming on.

 

did you set the #1 cylinder at top dead center when reassembling the head?

 

have someone coming over tomorrow to run the codes. Did not set the cylinder to top dead center when reassembling. (But I don't think anything was done to move it either). Tried to start the truck with the plugs in the wrong order at first, could that have thrown the timing off?

 

Sounds like you really need to check your timing

 

Especially since you just re-arranged plug wires....

 

the check engine light is not on though. I was told as long as I didn't mess with the crank I wouldn't have to mess with TDC. Is this incorrect?

 

I will do some research on timing and adjusting it. Any tips? (I heard to check TDC take off the distributor cap and put a straw in it to tell when it is at its highest point)

 

Not 100% sure....I dont see why you would have to worry about TDC with removing a head to be honest. I still think because you put the plugs where they are supposed to be your trucks timing is wwwwaaaayyyy off.

 

you would have to set the rocker arms starting at 1st. cylinder on tdc then rotate engine to set them on next cyl..

 

I agree that my timing is way off. I will let yall know what comes up with the codes tomorrow. Thank you both.