1986 full size bronco 5.0litre 302 E.F.I. 4x4

Started years ago with intermittent hesitation,stuttering with load, stalling when idling. Often simply turning off then on would clear the problem for a little while, first start-up of the day almost always clear, subsequent startups more likely to run rough.
One day massive backfires blew off the muffler and catylitic converter, ever since it runs extremely rough and stalls without throttle. now it wont even start and barely even fires (but only with starter fluid)when cranked.

heres a list of action and parts used so far.
new distributor tower body, cap, rotor and TFI-IV ignition module.
new ignition coil, spark plugs and plug wires.
new air filter, pcv valve and crankase breather filter.
new coolant sensor, oxgen sensor, map sensor and EGR valve.
new fuel pumps, fuel tank, fuel filter and injectors.
new starter, starter solenoid, alternator and timing chain
fuel pump pressure and flow check out, relays click when cranking.
spark checks out bright and strong, plugs are clean.
vacumn checked out last time engine was running, slight vacumn when cranking now that it wont start.

CODE 18 loss of TACH input to ECA - SPOUT circuit grouded.
what does this code mean? what needs repairing?
any help at all would be appreciated, even any guesses let em rip, at this point there isnt anything that could possibly make it run any worse.

 

pull the dist. and check the gear i had an 85 f150 that had the same ploblem and the split pin that holds the gear to the shaft broke and it would move slightly once and awhile causing the timing to change and it ran progresively worse until it wouldn't run at all. i hope this works for you let me know if it does if it doesn't i might be able to give you some other tips.

 

about the spout it is a conector that should be around the alt. or dist. you pull it out to check the timing it is about 1/2" long and 2 wires attach to it. It just plugs in to the connector

 

That code you are getting is a serious one. The pick-up in the dist sends pulses to the computer. The computer uses these for:

verification the engine is running-so it activates the fuel pumps

Synchronization of the fuel injector pulses

Timing of the spark.

The computer takes the raw pulses and modifies them for timing purposes, and then sends them back to the TFI module on the side of the dist. This modified signal is what goes through the spout connector. You should have several wires in one plug that go to the dist module. You will also have one going to the dist that has it's own separate plug. This is the spout connector. I would check all the wiring from the dist back to the computer to see if there is a problem.

 

Worn timing chain or sprocket was a possibility I already eliminated by replacing both, in addition the entie distributor with gear and ignition module are new.
I visually checked the wires to the computer, But I suspect you are right franklin2 that I have to test all the wires between the module and computer.
I hope the wires are the problem because otherwise only thing left to replace is the computer if I can even find one.

 

 

What happened? Did it ever start again??