I' was doing a tune up on my 1958 ford f100 and while I was replacing the spark plug wires, my wires got crossed up, I replaced my distriptuor cap as well . My truck won't start and it sounds like it's back firing on me please help. Does anyone have a diagram of were my wires go on to the cap, thanks

 

Welcome to the forum!

What engine are you working on?

 

272 yblock

 

Here ya go. I suggest you get a shop manual. I got mine on Ebay. If you don't know where # 1 is on the distributor, put the #1 cylinder in top dead center with both valves closed (compression stroke) and the rotor will be pointing at the #1 location on the cap.

 

It won't fire up anymore ? Do you have any tips or ideas that I'm missing?

 

The engine is just making s clicking noise?

 

So the engine no longer turns over? It may be as simple as a run down battery. Classics often don't get driven much. Or the terminals are corroded.

Not trying to beat up on you - but it's generally good practice to replace spark plug wires one at a time. Now you know why! Another issue that will complicate things, the poor SOB that did the job 30 years ago may have been a mite bewildered hisself - so there's no guarantee that they were installed correctly then either. That is, while the correct firing order is 1-5-4-8-6-3-7-2 the distributor itself doesn't care what terminal is designated #1, so long as the firing order is maintained.

So here you come along and yank all the wires, reinstall them by the book, and now it won't work.

Start from scratch, take your time (heh) and it will start right up. First we have to mechanically get the engine innards lined up correctly. Bring the #1 cylinder piston to exact TDC on the compression stroke. Then observe where the rotor points. It "should" be at the back of the engine, a little catawampus off from pointing at the firewall. You can see where the "1" is embossed on the distributor cap. That's the factory OEM position, the rotor will be a little shy of this. The rotor turns counter-clockwise.

Anyway so let us know where the rotor points at #1 piston at TDC, on the compression stroke if you run into trouble.

 

This is starting to smell like a troll...

 

Thank u thank u thank u , I switched the wires on the cap, put #1 on the 12 o'clock position and it cranked right up. Yea I know about doing the wires one at a time but when I was redoing the wires , I was also replacing the distribution cap and it turned on me and I was still plugging in wires, thanks for the help. I did buy the58 shop book but it told me to buy the 57 book for spark plugs .

 

I just wanted to say thanks for the help

 

I'm restoring my 1958 f100 and recently redid the entire brake system , from replacing the lines , drums, wheel cylinders , shoes ,springs, brake booster, .i can't get the brakes to give me any compression when I press the brakes down, I'm new to the mechanic stuff and kind of you tube or something similar? Can someone help me identify the problem, I never bled the brake booster, didn't know how and now read that it needs to be bled , please help my ford wise ones!!!! Thanks in advance

 

Look on YouTube, there are dozens of video's to show you how to bleed the master cylinder and the entire system..

 

Are you calling the master cylinder a brake booster or do you have power brakes on that thing?

 

Yes I believe so ,I don't have power brakes so I'm probally talking about the master cylinder,sorry but I'm a beginner mechanic and learning the part names as I go ,