So here goes, I've got a 1985 Ford F150, automatic with an inline 6, that I use strictly for yard projects and more importantly, firewood. Both the intake and exhaust manifolds were cracked so last weekend I went and replaced both, overall went pretty smoothly. Until I went to start it up and it just cranks and cranks but wont fire. Now I imagine it is within the realm of possibilities that something got pulled unintentially, or something simply wasn't plugged in all the way, but currently I am at a loss. The only item that isn't plugged in is the female end of a red and green wired plug, checked the Haynes book and am told it leads to the EGR Vent Solenoid, google searched it and nothing came up directly, and when you don't know what your looking for it makes it that much harder to find. So I was hoping someone on here would know what I'm referring to, where it goes or any other suggestions that would be available.
As a side note I did notice that the EGR valve itself was wet with fuel on the underside after I tried to start it, I'm led to believe that its time for a new EGR valve but once again if its something I'm missing I'm all ears.

This truck will never see the road again, and by the time I inherited it the AIR system was gone, the components either seized or melted, and I understand many will say it'll never run right without it reinstalled or converted over to a duraspark system etc, I get it, the charcoal canister is still there as are some other miscellanous parts, but it ran last week, but not now, I can deal with it running a little rough, I just need it to run.

 

All internal combustion engines need three things: fuel/air, spark and compression.

I doubt that anything has affected the compression by replacing the manifolds.

If you did not disconnect the fuel line [opposite side of engine from the manifolds], then you will have fuel unless your tank is empty.

I suspect you are not getting proper spark. Take a sparkplug wire loose and insert a spare known good sparkplug and lay it against the bare metal of the engine. Have someone try to start the engine and watch for a blue spark. [BE CAREFUL!! Or you will get a nasty shock.] If you do not see one, the ignition is not getting power.

Try that and get back to us. Also, describe what steps you took in removing and replacing the manifolds.

By the way, welcome to the forum!

 

Well I certainly have fuel because I can smell it when I try to turn it over. However I have no spark, tried it with a line coming off the distributor and got nothing, tried it again with the single line going from the module (not sure what to call it) to the center of the distributor and still nothing. So not sure this leaves me as far as where to start, I'm gonna start double checking all the wires again make sure I haven't miss any that are frayed, cut or something else. I can't imagine the distributor sporadically went bad in the days it took to do this, but I'm open to suggestions and insight.

As far as the changing of the manifolds it was pretty textbook, I followed the Haynes book to get started and the directions with the new exhaust manifold to get it all back together. I did take the carb off for ease of access of the manifolds themselves to get them out of the truck, new O2 sensor, new studs, cleaned the surfaces, anti-seized the appropiate bolts and new gaskets all around. I had to heat up the crossover tube with a torch to get that to budge, that and aero kroil, I don't know, nothing stood out as questionable. Need to know more let me know!
Thanks

 

You have the square coil correct? I believe it has a white/blue wire? Get a testlight and probe this white/blue wire for voltage with the key in run and start.

If you have voltage on the coil white/blue, then move the testlight probe over to the other wire(darkgreen/yellow). Get someone to turn the engine over and see if the testlight blinks.

 

Well Franklin I've got the round coil with the square magnet wrapped around it, and the only wires coming out of it are, the single wire that plugs into the center of the distributor, and a plug on the drivers side with two wires coming out of it, I took some acetone to the wires to clean the grime off and ones green and the other yellow/beige.. I figured I'd try with a test light anyways and when I went to turn the key to accessory I must've turned the key to start and it fired right up. No hesitation, no attempting to turn over, just fired up and was on. As happy as I was to see it run I'm sure most could understand the frustration of having something fixed, but not know what fixed it. Maybe it was jiggling the wires on the coil when I was trying to clean them, maybe not. I will say this I brought the battery into the house last night which I haven't done since all of this started to give it a charge and since the temperature hasn't reach over 35 in a few weeks, but hey I don't know. It works now, no idea why or how, I appreciate your guys' help, thanks again.

 

Pull that plug off the coil and take a good look at it. It may be corroded or something inside. Unplugging it and plugging it back in may be all it takes to fix it for awhile. By the way you do have what I call the "square coil". You have the more modern TFI system that is computer driven.