hello everyone
my buddy, a 78 f150 4wd inline 6 shortbed, and i do our best to stay fit
i'm 70 and do my exercises every morning and he still jumps to life every day at 42
it is my only vehicle but has not had much attention under the hood in awhile
i just changed the valve cover gasket and want to work my way down
spark plugs, wires, distributor, rotor
then suspension and brakes
the truck and i are both still working men, not restoration projects
i want solid practical dependable parts, not the cheapest, not the showcase
i have an auto zone, a napa and the internet to choose from and i'm clueless about the best tune up parts
i thank you for any suggestions

jim in nc

 

My vote would be to go to NAPA over auto zone.

My $.02

 

i one time returned an electrical part three times to an auto zone before buying it at napa
and it still working 15 years later
but i guess i'm wondering if there are things i should be looking for in tune up parts
maybe specific plugs or wires to buy
napa has as many choices as the internet or auto zone
and thanks for writing back

 

I have seen a lot of good reviews for the Belden 8MM plug wires that NAPA has. Everyone says they are a good long lasting wire set.

 

i always try to get the cap and rotor with brass not the aluminum looking contact points

like this one. look at both sides all brass or copper looking.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...120925&jsn=445


Rotor
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...120925&jsn=452

 

this is just the kind of information i am looking for
though i have a bunch of chores left for this morning i checked out both of your suggestions
the wires at napa and the brass distributor cap
the cap online (twenty bucks . . . about what they go for at the discount auto stores)
thank you both

 

Motorcraft or Wix oil filters are head and shoulders better than generic/Fram, don't be tempted by a few bucks off.
An oil change with Rotella (high detergent diesel oil) will clean crap out of the engine far more gently and with less risk of chunks plugging crucial ports than using a harsh engine flush.
Don't get suckered into unobtanium-tipped plugs, the 300 was designed with copper-core plugs in mind and they cost a fraction as much - one of the few things where cheaper is better.
If you haven't changed your anti-freeze in a few years, good time to do it. Probably good to grab a grease gun and hit ALL the zerks and lube points, too.
Often over-looked - grab another geriatric friend and flush your brake fluid (basically bleed till the fluid comes out clear.) Might also think about your flexible brake lines at the wheels... if they
are 42, too, you're playing Molly Hatchett's "Flirtin' With Disaster".
Also might think of replacing any hoses and belts you can't remember replacing in the last several years.
Take a few minutes and take a picture of every readable label on the truck... never know when info like that might help you determine something like which vacuum diagram is right for your truck.

 

Il ike using "E" 3 plugs. More expensive but less likely to foul or misfire and they seem to last forever.

I'm older too,. The youth shall inherit the earth, but not till I'm damn well done with it.

 

this was what i was hoping for: practical, specific advice
i will go ahead with your advice for the tune up stuff
i'm going to want to talk to you again, houstondave, when i get down to the suspension and brakes
a little challenging for me with four wheel drive
i've fussed with these very bearings and tie rods and brakes before
but decrepitude . . . mine, not the truck's, has hidden the details of all that somewhere fa fa away

 

X2 on the Belden wires from Napa. They are custom fit and and fit great. Motorcraft plugs. I use Rock Auto for most everything else. Do you have power steering? If so, you might take your old belt to Napa to match it up, alternator belts too. The ones we got from RA didn't fit. Luckily it was only like 8 bucks for the 3 of them. Come to think of it the air filter was the wrong one too. Luckily it fit one of my father-in laws tractors.

 

I'd recommend NGK sparkplugs. They've always worked well for me and nothing else (Champion, Autolite etc) seem to be as good or last as long. Anecdotally, I have a family friend who runs a dyno. He says the first thing he does is replace the sparkplugs with NGK as most other brands give him trouble in one way or another.

If you are not already running electronic ignition I would highly recommend it. It'll make a big difference to cold starts and throttle responsiveness. Even the relatively inexpensive GM-style HEI units are quite good nowdays, the only safeguard I'd recommend is to carry a spare ignition module for them. They are about the size of a Zippo lighter with four terminals, and often fail because they were poorly heatsinked. If you get some "Deepcool Z5 thermal paste" off the internet (should only be $10 per small tube) you will have enough for over a dozen installations. If you get a HEI distributor, even new, I would take it apart and re-paste it with the Z5.

Cheers!

 

I would not go for the fancy longer lasting plugs as the IGN system was not made for them and some just don't run right with them.
Dave ----

 

Not to start an argument but the E3 plugs don't need any special ignition system, they jsut have more ground electrode to spread the spark and make sure it strikes. If you don't have a lot of miles, blowby or high performance options etc they might not be worth it.

 

If you have high miles I don't see the need to run a different plug. I have a motor with 240K on it, dose not burn oil and runs the stock factory plugs.
Now if it has blow by (burning oil?) then run a hotter plug to burn the crap off the plugs.
I have also run the copper plugs in my race cars with out any issues but did need to adjust the gap and heat range as needed.

Its not my dime but I could think of other things I would spend that money on like a cold one
Dave ----

 

i love all the advice. i don't have a problem with too much information.
my brain can pick if it has options.
and i love the pictures
it is exactly like my engine compartment except for all the new paint and the little air filter on the breather cap
i was cleaning my air filter cover the other day and wondering if it was black all the way to metal
i may never know . . . but
the truck starts every single time and has the twenty or so years i've owned it
and in those 20 years it is the only vehicle i've owned
but at 43 miles an hour, down a country road, it makes the sweetest music i've ever heard, pretty much
sometimes i think it would be nice to be able to go over 65 mph , , , , i have a granny gear . . . but then that's what route 301 is for.

thank again everyone

jim in nc