F7TZ-12K073-B. It's in a plastic bag, and this gray one's been in my glove box for at least a couple of years. We all should be carrying one of these (or its equivalent) around with us. It's one of the first things I was told when joining this forum twelve-plus years ago.

Last summer we made two long-distance trips in the truck. One to Minnesota in September for about 5000 miles, and one to St. Louis a month later for another 4000-or-so. On the return from Minnesota, I started getting a VERY-occasional sputtering or even the engine quitting (on an even-more INfrequent basis). Hardly happened at all on the Missouri trip.

Each time it gave me that no-tach indication that the brains had lost count of those little windows in that big gear in the front of the motor. I knew I should just climb under and spend the five minutes to replace that little unreliable SoB. At MY convenience. But did I? Nooooooooooo!

The passing years have had a tendency to increase my level of procrastination, so for the last seven months or so, I've always just re-started the thing and pressed on with life.

So this afternoon, just before rush-hour in Southern California traffic, I find myself in the fast lane of a three-lane (each direction) street. I'm stopped at a light behind another car when the engine just dies. I know what to do! Key off, key out, key in and restart. WRONG! Five times I went through the previously-reliable re-start ritual, but to no avail.

Whoooo-boy, THIS is not the place, but at least traffic isn't heavy yet. Turn on the four-way flashers, and open the hood to let everybody know to go around.

Did I mention that I had forgotten my cell phone at home? Well, I had.

Get out the deep 10mm socket and 1/4-inch ratchet and crawl underneath the front. At this point I realize that one good rear-ender from an inattentive driver will extinguish ME, but I gotta get this done 'cause I can't even call the Auto Club!

I've just put a gash in my forearm on a fan blade when a pickup pulls up along side in the second lane. On the side it says "Park Ranger".

The guy with the badge says "You OK?" (Hey, I'm laying on the roadway under a truck!)

I quickly jump up and explain that a sensor has killed my engine and I have one in the glove box to fix it.

He asks "How long's this gonna' take ya'?"

"No more than five minutes" is my answer. He KNOWs that he can't get a wrecker out there that fast, so he tells me that he's going to back up and get behind me with his reds and blues on.

I am dripping blood down my arm, but the CPS got changed in (for me) record time. I throw the old one and the sockets into the back seat and start the engine. Vroooom! I quickly walk back to thank him for his assistance and understanding.

He says something like "Ford diesel, huh? Cam Position Sensor?"

I tell him "Yea", and turn and run back to the truck.

In a couple of blocks we've both made the same turn and I roll up next to him in traffic at a stop light. My curiosity has got me. I roll down my window and ask the obvious question:

"How'd you know it was the cam sensor?"

He asks "What year is that?"

I tell him "It's a 2000."

He smiles and answers, "We've got one in our fleet and it happens to us once in a while, too!" A big grin, and he drives off.

Moral of the story: Oh, hell, you already KNOW that.............

Pop

 

Thanks Pop for sharing, and you left me laughing too.....

Sometimes I think knowing our trucks so well makes us a little complacent. If someone who didn't know what was wrong had an engine keep cutting out they would get it fixed asap...........

 

Stewart

 

Well done! Excellent job!

 

It happened to me on the side of the Jersey turnpike years ago, and thanks to this forum I was back on my way as well. However, I had never actually changed a CPS before, took me longer to find it than to change it.

Stew... Is it Caturday already?

 

Does this ever throw a code or you just know to do it after your truck starts to shut down?

 

Bad Pop. Bad.

Thanks for sharing that, others will learn from it. I procrastinated my slide pins until the surge started, so I'm not in a position to chastise, but I can cheer.

 

i have had my truck for 7 years now, and still do not even know what a CPS looks like, let alone know where it goes!!!

i guess i got one of the good ones, my truck has 189,000 miles on it.

 

Great story Pop

 

I have one and the necessary tools in my glove box as well. I try to do mine in my barn though... As soon as I feel any kind of hiccup I just replace the damn thing. Probably because I've done too many of them on the road! I also keep a belt and a tensioner pulley with me too... been there done that too many times too!

 

Good story.
I have two spares now. One I replaced because I hoped it was the problem (not).
One in the glove box and another in the shed.

 

Tom,
This may be just the motivation you need to get one and figure out where it goes.

I had a friend who worked on helicopters and his line was "it's not if they are going to quit and have to land it's WHEN". To many moving parts.

Pretty sure if you drive a 7.3 powered vehicle it's not IF but just WHEN.

 

Thanks Pop, that reminded me that I took the socket out of my Excursion to use on my bike, and hadn't put it back. I'm glad Mr. Murphy was elsewhere last week!

 

I shot that dude. Just to watch him die.

 

Stealth passage to Reno and return?

Pop