Hi, I'm hoping someone can help me figure out this mystery. I have a 95 f150 with the 302. About 2 months ago I parked my truck after noticing the intake gasket leaking coolant. Well I finally got around to doing the gaskets last weekend and now it just won't start. It huffs and puffs a little like it's gonna fire off when I first hit the key but then nothing except for an occasional puff while cranking. Almost like a weak spark, but I've got a strong spark from the plugs, they're also slightly wet with fuel when I pull them after a bit of cranking, and my injectors are at least being told to fire (tested with a light). I also hear them clicking. I've also gone over it several times to make sure I didn't forget to plug something back in, and all my vacuum lines are attached.

Couple things that I should mention. I've double, triple, quadruple, quintuple checked that my distributor is in right. But I did forget to mark the rotor when I pulled it out, I did mark the base where it sit in the block though. I've made sure the #1 cylinder was at tdc on the compression stroke using a compression tester and a straw to make sure I was at the top since I was questioning the balancer marks, but they also line up at 0 with the piston at the top, and the rotor pointing at the #1 plug wire on the cap. As far as I know that's how it's supposed to be. I did rotate it 180 degrees just to sure I wasn't 180 out but it didn't fire at all then, so I put it back.

Another thing I thought was strange, was when I read the codes using a jumper and watching the light, it flashes a trouble code first (558 for the evr) then it flashes the 111 codes for system ok, but every video and post I see say it flashes the ok codes first, and then the trouble codes. Not sure if maybe I have a bad pcm. But the truck ran great 2 months ago when I parked it. Just was leaking coolant. Not sure if the 558 code would prevent it from starting.

I really appreciate any help I can get, I love that these forums are still going in a day where some seem to be dwindling.

 

Try a flood clear start
If it does not fire doing a flood clear start
Check the fuel pressure and check the codes
You may have left something unplugged or the inertia switch may have gotten tripped
A code test might give you some guidance if something was left unplugged
Fun stuff
Good luck

 

You pulled the distributor out to do the repair, right?
Maybe the timing is off
I'd probably pull out the #1 spark plug and rough time it once again just to be sure

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by OP

Couple things that I should mention. I've double, triple, quadruple, quintuple checked that my distributor is in right. But I did forget to mark the rotor when I pulled it out, I did mark the base where it sit in the block though. I've made sure the #1 cylinder was at tdc on the compression stroke using a compression tester and a straw to make sure I was at the top since I was questioning the balancer marks, but they also line up at 0 with the piston at the top, and the rotor pointing at the #1 plug wire on the cap. As far as I know that's how it's supposed to be. I did rotate it 180 degrees just to sure I wasn't 180 out but it didn't fire at all then, so I put it back.

Sure reads like he did that already but maybe I missed it.

 

Thanks for the reply. I'll try again because I really don't know what else to try. It will start if I hold the pedal to the floor but it takes a lot of cranking, and it runs like crap and dies as soon as I let off the gas. Also let out a ton of white smoke out the exhaust which I'm assuming is fuel from me trying to crank it.

I actually took the computer out last night to check for corrosion but it looks fine, no leaking or bulging caps either. So I put it back in and checked the codes again, and I'm still just getting the 558 code for the evr and then the 111 code.

 

Starts and runs using flood clear
You will need to keep it floored, or just about floored (to keep it running) until it warms up enough to clean off some of the spark plugs
Once that is done, the truck should start without using flood clear
If the timing, if off, will still not allow that
You can bring it back up on the #1 cylinder's compression stroke, turn the key on, set the crank at 10 degrees and rootate the distributor until it sparks
Then lock the distributor down and re try it
Try to keep it running long enough to clean out the exhaust
The belching white smoke is about normal if you get coolant into the exhaust

 

Hi, I figured I should report back. I had stuck valves I guess.. I did a compression test and only had about 50 psi in a few cylinders. So I hooked up my compressor and put air to a couple cylinders and heard air coming out of the intake pretty good. So I held the pedal to the floor and got it to start, then just maintained about 2-2.5k rpm and after a couple of minutes it cleared up and started running good. Seems fine now and no leaks so far.

The truck sat for 2 months and then sat for another week with the upper intake off of it, and then I finished it up that weekend. But there was one day it rained real good and even though I had it covered and under a canopy water was on top of the engine when I went back out there and I'm guessing got down into the cylinders, caused all that smoke and probably flash rusted my valves. Hopefully it'll be ok now after driving it a bit.