Greetings from north of the border my friends! I am new to this site and this is my first post so hopefully I get it right.

So I bought my 1987 F150 XLT 4X4 (4spd) about two weeks ago and haven't had any issues with it so far... until now. As soon as I got it I did a full tune up. Changed plugs, cap, rotor, fuel filter, new battery, sea foamed it, fuel filter, ran a bottle of fuel stabilizer through it, new pvc valve, cleaned the throttle body, oil change, ect, ( all the usual things).

Was running fine up until two days ago when I was driving down the highway doing about 90km/hr in 4th when the truck suddenly lost power, sputtered and died. Tried to start it again and it will turn over but not start.

So I get a nice expensive tow home and start to diagnose the problem. It is not a fuel issue. I can hear the pumps coming on, and fuel is coming out of the fuel filter so I cross that off the list.

Next I check for spark. No spark at all. So I run some tests. Battery is putting out 12V, about 10 when cranking. The solenoid is getting power and putting out power. No visible damage to any of the wiring, and all the grounds look good.

Next I just went ahead and swapped out the coil thinkin that could be the issue. Didn't work. So I preform some more tests on the old and new coils. Both are grounded and having voltage pass through them. Next I take the TFI module off the distributor and check for resistance. Everything still checks out fine. Now I am thinking that the only thing left could be the PIP in the distributor. So instead of taking the dist apart and screwing around I go ahead a get a brand new dist and throw it in.

Now im stoked and thinkin that I finally fixed my truck and go to start it up and.... no spark %$#@%. It still turns over but no start.

Sorry for the long post but im trying to provide every bit of detail that I can. When I say I tested all the components I mean I REALLY tested them. I did both tests from the Haynes manual and from various sources off this site.

Anyone got any suggestions? I am almost at the point of getting it towed to the shop and throwing money at them which I really do not want to do.

One thing that may help is that a day before this happened I degreased the engine and VERY carefully sprayed it off with water. In the process im thinking I may have damaged something?

 

Yes this happens most of the time when someone cleans the engine.

Unplug the computer and see if spark returns. I think it will but it will not start because the injectors will not be firing.
If spark returns replace the computer as you burned it up with the water.

When you replace the computer use dielectric grease in the plug as the old grease has dried up and let water in.

 

Thanks for the reply! Ill try unpluggin the computer tom morn. Ill let u know how it goes. Any chance you know where i can find a computer diagram? Thanks

 

This one should be close to what you have.
Link:
http://binary.uta.edu/EEC/images/EEC_schematic.jpg

Vew:


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Tried unplugging the computer. Didn't seem to be any moisture anywhere. Still no spark with it unplugged/plugged back in. Tested everything again and same results.
I have heard that maybe it could be the fuel pump inertia switch? I tried resetting mine as per the Haynes manual and still no luck. Any other ideas would be appreciated. Thanks. I even had a mechanic bud come over yesterday and take a look and he is just as stumped as I am. We tried pulling codes from the comp but no luck.

 

Get a test light, the kind with a bulb in it and not an LED so you can put a load on the circuits.

Clip the test light to a good ground.
Turn on the key.
Put the point of the test light on each wire going into the Ignition coil it should light.
Crank the engine and one side of the coil should flash.

If the test light does not light up cranking or on the you have no power from the ignition switch.

If it lights but does not flash then the ICM is not grounding the ignition coil.

If it lights on one side of the coil but not the other then the plug for the ignition coil is bad or the coil is open. Also check for the wire on the ICM side to see if it is grounded.

Leave the computer unplugged during all of the tests so the injectors do not fire and flood the engine with fuel.



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I have done extensive testing on both the ICm and the coil and everything has power and is grounded... Mabye a fried computer? Can a comp just die like that when driving? Any other suggestions?

 

It can but the computer can not stop the spark if it is unplugged.
If you do not have spark with the computer unplugged it is not the computer stopping the spark.



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Ya i didnt really think it was the comp? Have you ever heard of the fuel pump inertia reset switch to the left of the brake pedal? Ive heard that it can shut down the truck completly if tripped. Ive tried resetting it as per a Haynes manual and still no luck. Im out of ideas here and as much as i hate to do so im going to get it towed to a shop in a few days i i cant figure this out.

 

The fuel pump inertia reset switch to the left of the brake pedal has nothing to do with spark.
It only shuts the power off to the fuel pumps if you get in a wreck or hit a big shuck hole or someone kicks it.

I do like or use Haynes manuals.



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Well that rules the switch out. You dont like or use Haynes? What would you recomend?

 

I use the FORD Shop Manuals.

 

Just a quick follow-up for my problem. It turned out to be a broken timing gear. The crank gear {the sh$#@tty composite one} had about a third of its teeth broken off. Put on a new gear and my trruck started right up. I dont know how i missed the fact that the distributor was not spinning. Thanks for all the help guys.

 

Congratulations on solving the issue. At least you have a lot of new parts and will keep you running for some time to come.

I enjoy reading these threads/posts as I always seem to learn something and I have saved quite a few and they end up on an external hard-drive backup.

Mark

 

Yah your right I do have a bunch of new parts now. I agree with ya boonslick I enjoy reading the resovled problems as well {that is if people follow up with their threads} always nice to know what worked for them and keep it in the ol memory bank in case it happens to yourself.