When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
i am am new to the forum and wanted to say hello! Just before Christmas I got a 1977 F150 that will need quite a bit of work and I thought I’ll see how many are active in the area! I am super excited about starting to fix this truck up and can’t wait for the weather to get better and get going!
Today i started to replace the spark plugs and the dist cap + rotor. On the driver side i got all plugs out and one of the plugs was actually broken - so it was running on 7 cylinders .... On the passenger side there is sooo much less space to work and i am not sure whether i need to get the AC assembly out of the way first... cylinder 4 seems unreachable... see pictures. Do you think i need to take that unit off?
Hello and welcome to the Carolina Chapter. We have quite a few active members around the Raleigh area. Also we have a get together in a couple of weeks over in Smithfield, if you can make it.
I agree with Mako, that is pretty tight for a 70's era truck. Take the air intake off and see if that give more room to work, and universal joints are your friend on this type of thing.
I approved your request to join the chapter and sent you a PM. Don't forget to sign the roster. With spark plugs I like to take my time. There is nothing like snapping one off, and turning a very simple and easy maintenance chore into a painful top end rebuild. Which engine is that. I'm thinking it's a 360 FE, but the shot wasn't really that good. Is that insulation on that spark plug wire damaged? And that coil looks like it's got some age to it as well. If i was doing a tune up, I'd probably go ahead and throw a set of motorcraft wires on as well as a coil. Did you pull the dizzy cap and see what the contacts are looking like under there? Even if you take a piece of sand paper and just score them up a little bit, it might help in getting a better spark.
But before I keep spewing out suggestions, perhaps I should ask what your experience is with turning wrenches, after all if you are a master tech, then, perhaps these are all things you learned years ago!
Your suggestions are more than appreciated - certainly no master tech here. I am a materials engineer by training but have not wrenched on cars before and my knowledge is very thin. As a teenager I fixed up two stroke engines of dirt bikes but these trucks are a completely different animal... I am doing this because I love these trucks and want to get to know them better. Also, once the truck is in better shape I want to drive it on the beach ��
i couldnt try again today to get that last plug out but did take the intake off. I do have new wires and distributor cap with rotor that I am replacing as well. The rotor and cap looked actually pretty good - they must have been replaced at least once...
That coil does look really old and I def should get a new one too!
Once I am done with the wires, I think the next job should be to check for vacuum leaks... The idle is pretty high and also the engine still runs pretty rough... (let’s see how it’ll be with new plugs etc...)
Anyways, thanks for all the comments - I really appreciate it
I'm going to need a picture of the truck... for reference. But it's possible it could be an ignition issue with it running rough, though, without knowing anything about your setup, I'd like to know what carb is on there and how old it is. A pack of vacuum caps in the glove box has never done me wrong on anything I've owned.
I should have known what DD stands for ... Ug - I am curious about your truck - do you have a picture?
It has the original Motorcraft carb, I will need to snap a picture of the exact number and also get some better shots of the engine bay... maybe I can do that tonight if it isn't dark already...
Vacuum caps - i should add that to my list! I need to find all the vacuum lines first though
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
.... On the passenger side there is sooo much less space to work and i am not sure whether i need to get the AC assembly out of the way first... cylinder 4 seems unreachable... see pictures. Do you think i need to take that unit off?
I am doing this because I love these trucks and want to get to know them better. Also, once the truck is in better shape I want to drive it on the beach ��
But it's possible it could be an ignition issue with it running rough, though, without knowing anything about your setup, I'd like to know what carb is on there and how old it is. A pack of vacuum caps in the glove box has never done me wrong on anything I've owned.
... Ug - I am curious about your truck - do you have a picture?
