OK, if not up to speed with my ongoing issues, search all posts, read, you'll get up to speed.

For those who already know, this is the latest.

I finally broke down and decided to go to the Ford Dealer here in San Jose (CA). I initally went in to get an estimate for an oil leak fix (yup, another rear main seal, #3 in 2 years)...and questioned if I'd get any type of 'guanantee', which will be 12 mo/12,000 mile, which is fine by me. $700...ouch.

So I thought about if for a few days, and of course I considered not throwing my money away because of the ongoing driveability issues that have gone unresolved. So, just to see if anything changed since my last 'parts changeout', I replaced TPS, IAC, TFI, no changes. Got real close to blowing it all off and selling, but then I figured I'd go back to the dealer and chat with the service writer and manager. I printed my list of things done so they would have as complete a history as possible.

They mulled it over, and while doing so, I had indicated that the ONLY thing I have not changed out was the engine wiring harness, because I could not find one, anywhere. (I checked a bunch of NOS, locators, etc., no luck. Pt # E7TZ 14289F and E7TZ12A581C). THe service manager said that they had 2 vehicles in for exactly my same issues over the last few years, running like crap over 65MPH, and they had done everything I had done (replaced all parts), only to find that it was a bad wiring harness.

The manager called someone (I'm assuming the person who either owned the problem truck, or the mechanic who did the work), and I heard him say, "It was the buch of wired by the ignition coil".

I am having them look for a harness, and the labor is 3 hrs. I'm very confident that it is the solutuion. Over the lase 2-3 days, I have pulled apart every connector under the hood, cleaned and verified it and put back together with di-electric grease, only to find a total of 4 wires that the insulation was either pulled back or missing where it enters the connector, to about 3/4 to 1" back away from the connector.

How or how not, why or why not, the truck is running 100% better, still get a little weird feeling at 70-75MPH, so I'm going to opt for the new harness if they can find it.

If anyone has any knowledge of where else to look for the harness (new), please pass it along.

I have already tried: (as well as I'd like to share a great source for NOS parts!!)

http://dennis-carpenter.com/
http://www.partsvoice.com/
http://www.greensalescompany.com/
Parts International [pintl@swbell.net]
N.O.S. Only (San Jose, CA) 408-227-2353

 

Well Bob, I wish you the best of luck in your search.
When it's replaced, take the old one home and do resistance tests on each wire with your OHM meter to see if you can isolate the bad wire(s) and let us know.

 

3 rear mains in two years? Seems a little out of line BobFlowers. Those things will last a real long time if they are properly installed. Not sure the dealer know this trick but you need to pack the inside lip of the seal with grease before hammering it on. Next question-is the truck worth all this effort? At least all this effort by the dealer. Sounds like you can handle wires. Why not tackle it yourself?

 

Worth the effort? Well I too thought the same thing, but I'm $11,000 into this truck. Do I walk away, dump it for say $3-4k (IF I could get it), then go out and get a new one for say $15k, or do I put another $1k into it, decisions, decisions.

The 1st butthole who did the rear main screwed me.
My mechanic in NJ, while doing a new toruqe converted, showed me the rear main seal when he pulled the tranny, and the butthole from San Jose CA who did the 1st one....well he never did it, as it has the funky blue silicone pumped around it. My NJ mechanic put a new one in, it lasted 6 months, he says they will alway leak, I don't agree.
I sure wish I took pictures of it (the blue gunk silicone) so I could drag the shop here in CA to court. What a waste, what a loser, what a story.