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Havn't been here in a while and since the warm weather is around the corner i gotta get busy on my baby
first question - I heard or read about a kerosene engine flush, i forgot what the combination of oil and kerosene it was but it sounded like a cheap way to flush my motor
Second - I installed a MSD 6A ignition before winter and i was wondering, should i gap my spark plugs bigger?? should i replace my stock Dist.?
Even better than kerosene or ATF... SeaFoam. Dump a can in the oil about 30 miles before the change. Watch out tho'. It'll really knock the crud loose.
plug gap would depend on type of cap (wide spacing), coil (high output) and wires (very important).
If the stock distributor is electronic and in good shape you should be fine. If it's worn out, repair or replace. If it's points go to electronic.
Just my 2¢
Greg
Well if I were you I would replace the MSD with a Motorcraft DSII unit and mount it 1/4" off the fender. That way I can get replacement parts in the middle of nowhere. Depending on the state of your engine you can keep or replace the dist.
Greg's answer to your distributor and plug gap questions is right on. If the rest of your ignition is up to snuff, then by all means widen the gap out a bit. Experement around to see what you like best.
p.s. Whatever you do, don't ditch the MSD for Duraspark!! My truck always has two spare DSII boxes strapped under the hood for one reason. They get used.
Fordman, I agree with Beartracks, you can go to about .48-.50" on the gap. This assumes you have an MSD high voltage coil. The spec on the stock DuraSpark coil is .44" gap. Remember that as sparkplugs wear, the gaps widen, so gap them accordingly.
Mechanics of yesteryear did engine flushes with 1 quart kerosene as replacement for a quart of oil. Then they idled the engine until it warmed up (maybe 5 minutes), then changed the oil and filter. They didn't drive the vehicle with the kerosene inside.
Personally, I don't like engine flushes unless an engine has sticking lifters or is really gunked up. All modern motor oils have a detergent additive package that keeps the engine clean, if the oil and filter are changed regularly.
I like Marvel Mystery Oil if you really need to flush an engine. Wait till 50 miles before an oild change and ad a quart of it if there is room. Don't rawhide it till you change the oil and be sure to change the filter. You could do this a couple of times with inexpensive oil at short intervals till it seems clean. I would never fill an engine with kerosine etc. and run it.
Originally posted by Torque1st Well if I were you I would replace the MSD with a Motorcraft DSII unit and mount it 1/4" off the fender. That way I can get replacement parts in the middle of nowhere. Depending on the state of your engine you can keep or replace the dist.
Eric,
Isn't the Moto DSII the stock replacement? Why would it be mounted 1/4" off the fender? I thought the contact with the fender helped dissipate heat away from the unit by using the fender like a giant heat sink?
Yes it is the OEM replacement, just don't use an aftermarket brand.
Ford had a TSB that listed mounting the unit 1/4" off the fender to allow cooling air to circulate. The fender does not give any heat sink capacity.
The 1/4" space has worked for me. I haven't had a failure since, but then all of my boxes are now Motorcraft. I pick them up in the junkyard and have them tested at the local parts store. -Actually the store near me just lets me use the tester...
Ron, the only way the fender could act as a heat sink would be if there was a thermal path between the DSII and the fender. Normal mounting doesn't give that due to the gap between the circuit board and fender.
Originally posted by macguyver Ron, the only way the fender could act as a heat sink would be if there was a thermal path between the DSII and the fender. Normal mounting doesn't give that due to the gap between the circuit board and fender.
Thanks for the answers, guys. I've run my BorgWarner replacement module for over a year now bolted directly to the fender and haven't had it overheat in the hot Oklahoma temps.(knock on wood).
Oh by the way, technically the outer metal housing of these modules does act as the thermal path between the DSII and fender. That's why I thought it was strange that there be a 1/4" recommended mounting space. I cut my old one open to see what was inside. (I'm one of those people that has to see what's inside of something to see how it works.) The circuit board contained lots of big resistors, diodes, rectifiers and silica epoxy, all mounted towards the metal casing to help transfer heat. The casing is also not painted to help dissipate/transfer the heat away.
I don't want to take this too far off topic from the original poster. My advice would be to definitely add some quality plug wires(don't waste yer money on Taylor wires) and some Bosch Platinum Plugs!
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