I have an 86 2wd f150 with a EFI5.0 and a t-18 trans...After driving my truck for about an hour or so and i stop somewhere say a gas station, when i get ready to start it back up it turns over and cranks real slow and wont start...this has happened about 4 times this week. i cant figure out what the deal is. my alternator is charging correctly and my battery is sill good. my dad thinks its a starter issue. he thinks after it gets hot something doesnt work right. what do yall think?

Any suggestions/ideas are much appreciated

 

Most likely a worn starter/solenoid or ground somewhere. I hate electrical gremlins the worst, gotta get out the multimeter and start checking stuff out hahaha.

 

had that problem before you can try a heat shield between header and starter, might help,so i've heard, or prolong the agony, of replacing solenoid, starter

 

Question ...

In between the four times it acted up, were you driving, stopping and turning it off, also? And did it start correctly those times? I guess I'm trying to say.. is it an intermittant problem or all the time, after warmed up?

Have ya changed the timing at all? Too much advance could make it act that way, but I'd think it'd happen all the time.

An old trick to timing, on the road or if ya don't have a light handy. Advance until it pings under accelleration. Slowly back it off until the pinging stops. Then you'll be dang near where it should be, using a timing light.

Otherwise, I've never had that issue before, so I've never needed to add a heat shield, as mentioned above.

 

Your timing is controlled by the computer. If someone has been twisting on the distributor without using the proper procedure, then yes your timing could be the problem.

 

I found with my 460 and the 302 I used to have, that those symptoms were caused by the starter. I would drive to an auto parts store, remove it (super easy) and have them test it. Eliminates a lot of guesswork.

I have a theory with ford starters (some electrical engineer might tell me its b.s.) carbon from the brushes inside the starter builds up on the windings over time and becomes more conductive when warm, then say when you shut her off, perform an errand and go to start her up, the decreased resistance causes an increase in current being used from the battery (which is wasted in increased heat generation, warming the starter even more) and causing the starter to not want to turn fast enough to crank a motor.

The alternative is that gunk has built up on the windings in certain spots that prevents sufficient current from flowing through the starter, but then that would happen more often than when just hot.

Proper engine grounding is something to check too. there should be at least two grounds running from the engine block, one to the frame and one to the cab firewall. I once had a grounding issue in a 78 Fiesta, I had strapped the exhaust pipe up with a hanger, and the engine grounds had become loose (or something I was 17) one day when I started her up, there was a good snap crackle pop under the car and the current going thru my make shift hanger had been enough to melt it self.

 

Fordlover55- no i havent drove and at like a stoplight shut it off and tried to start it again, it happenes not everytime but 9 out of 10 times after ive drivin it for over an hour at one time. And i have not messed with the timing or anything on it

6fifty_f1fifty thats basically what my dad was saying about the starter.

Well im going to take the starter to the parts store and have them test it and ill let yall know what i find

 

If its an intermittent problem with the starter they may not be able to get it to act up while testing it.