Ambient air temp. 97 degrees.

 

Maybe we're barking up the wrong tree.

What does the PCM say the timing is? And have you pulled the crank or cam position sensor(s) to see if it's got crud on it?

 

Wouldn't be the first time someone's sensor wheel got screwy because the harmonic balancer came loose.

 

My scanner doesnt have a timing PID. Ive looked...three times. Ill go look again. Sensor wheel coming loose? Like, the one behind the crank pulley?!?!

 

Yeah, at this point, I'm just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks.

Someone here had the damper come lose, the sensor wheel got worn to hell, and it started to move around.

 

My bloody forehead is sticking to the wall. And I'm not talking in the British sense.

 

I went back over the PIDs in my scanner. I went as far as to write them down. I doo remember finding a Ford-specific PID pdf somewhere. In THAT list was a SPKADV (demanded and delivered). No where in my engine PID list, or Air and Fuel PID list, did i see anything even remotely looking like timing. My scan tool tells me the unit of measure in parenthises, and degrees F i saw many times. Thats why I say its not there. Now, weather its my scanner cant read THOSE PIDs, or are they not in the PCM for my scanner to read. That ONE number would be SO useful right now. I do have a funtioning timing gun, but its a plug-wire-clamp-on style.

As for the crank and cam sensors, i know i can find the crank sensor, but where would the cam,sensor(s) be? Front or back of heads?

 

Cam sensor is in the timing cover, I think on the left side of the engine.

 

So, my $40 scanner I got from WalMart actually pulls up the SPARKADV PID. At idle, 20 degrees, give or take a few. Other interesting thing. SHRTFT 1 and 2 both go from 30's, to negative 20's as the engine tries to stall out. If I shut it down (key), it fires right back up and purrs like nothing was wrong, but the timing is still in the 20's. The bosses deemed it a time-sensitive issue, so it's going into the shop.

 

Well....FINALLY got her sorted out. Well, I didn't. Ended up taking her to an outside shop. Twice. First time, they replaced the MAF sensor and said it was fixed. Nope...still pinging. Took it back. We got another E450 bus (also with the v10) from another orchard, and it was running perfect. I hooked up my Bluetooth OBD and fired up Torque and wrote down all the pertinent info and gave that to the shop (they were banging their heads as well). Come to find out, both buses were pretty close to each other. The shop decided to disconnect the fuel tank and run a can of fresh fuel...RAN LIKE AN EFFING TOP.

Got her back to the shop and started siphoning out the tank...strange. The fuel had a slight PINK tint to it. Only thing we could think of was that someone topped the tank off with off-road diesel.
Why? I have NO idea. Yes, some of our buses ARE diesel, but we fill them at a station...with ON-ROAD diesel...AFAIK, we NEVER fill vehicles (except unleaded) in the orchards. Whatever. She runs.

Now I have 40 gallons of diesel-contaminated unleaded. Think I'll mix it 50/50 with clean gas and run it in my mower, pressure washer, ect.

Thanks for ALL the help guys, I REALLY appreciate it.

Now, on to the 6.uh-oh bus.

PS:
For the record, contrary to what EVERYTHING (EVEN the outside mechanics) we have seen, the fuel pressure in BOTH buses sits right at 65psi...idle or at speed.

 

Well, sometimes it's the simple things... something to remember for next time.

Weird that it pinged with diesel in it though.

thank you for reporting back!