For over a year, the truck took 5-6 seconds of cranking to start, but always started. This morning it started, but shakes, coughs, and vibrates like hell. It revs up but still sounds like its hitting only on a few. replaced ciols many times over the years, but this sounds different. Please help, Im broke like most.

 

Start by checking fuel pressure at the rail port.
Should be within 35 to 38 psi.
The white smoke may be a sign of coolant leak into a cylinder so look at that possibility. Plug has moisture on it etc. causing missfires.
Acode may be set for a cylinder that is missfiring as another lead.
Find the cause before you spend money on parts.
Good luck.

 

Thanks. Turns out it was a crack in the plastic manifold. Yea, plastic... Thanks ford, the triton motor is a pos.

The part alone is 350 bucks, labor another 350.

It sucks air through the holes in the plastic, not the air filter, it runs but like a rumbling heart attack.

 

Now now, this motor is was quite advanced when introduce back in 1991.
You have just not developed enough love for it after all this time.
Yes it tough, they found out trying to increase profits that way cause a PR hassle and changed back to metal.
Likely leaking coolant as well into the intake that causes the white smoke.
Good luck. At least you found the problem.

 

Bluegrass, I have a buddy mechanic trying to fix the truck. But I really wish he would not! He says the broken plastic we see is a heat shield. He want to replace the maf sensor. But when you spray cleaning fluid down the hole by the broken "heat shield" the engine revs/dies so it must have hole sucking vacuum... Right? Please advise.

 

I understand you don't like top go aganist a friend but you will have to take a stand especially when there is reaction to the spray in the area of the break.
At this point, you now have a lead that has to be delt with if you want the truck to run right again.
I see to many times people try to blame the Mass Air sensor for lean codes before looking for air leaks in other places.
The MA sensor is pretty hardy and seldom ever gets that bad unless the air cleaner has been neglected or some aftermarket one is used that requires oil coating and is over done.
Tell him you don't want to replace th MA just yet until the reaction leak is solved.
The MA is a bridge circuit that has three fixed resistances and on it's legs. The forth leg has a 'hot' wire' .
This hot wire is cooled by the amount of air passing and changes it's resistance as a indication to the computer of how much air is passing.
The intake air sensor provides some correction to the total signals the computer gets for final fuel injection levels.
Good luck with it.

 

im having him take the manifold off to check for a bad gasket or to find hole or crack, definately that is the problem, ford knew about this and there was a lawsuit, naturally im not cover nor are many due to legal bs.