74 won't start - please help
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New User
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Washington
74 won't start - please help
I've been commuting to work in my old F350 daily for the last month due to trouble with my daily driver. Everything was fine, one pump then she fired right up and ran like she's supposed to until a few days ago. On my way home the truck nearly stalled at each stop light. I increased the idle so I could get to work without it stalling at each light and it worked for a day. Then I go out after work and it won't start. Turns over OK but no indications of fire. I smelled gas so after a while I tried it without the pump with no change. Pulled the #1 plug and it had oil on it, no suprise even though they're just a couple of months old; wiped it off and couldn't see a spark when a friend turned it over. Now cap, rotor and coil; still no start. What next, I'd like to get the beast home.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2003
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From: South Dakota
When you say no spark is this by holding the plug against a good ground? When you say oil on plug how much? Really wet and fouled, sounds like new plugs are needed. You have a possiblity of not getting juice to the coil, test the leads with a multi tester. Otherwise I'm thinking fouled plugs. They can get so wet that you may not see spark or very weak spark. Also if your cylinders are wet from oil\flooding it will be hard to start. You will need to remove at least two plugs per bank and spin the motor to dry them out. It is best to remove all plugs but in a pinch you might be able to get by with just the four.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 796
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From: Anderson Northern Ca
no spark
witt,you did not say if you changed the plug wires.Same thing happened to me going over Mt. Hood one night.A new set of plug wires and I was on my way.If you can, check for the proper resistance in your wires,good luck.
"bowties in the rearview mirror"
"bowties in the rearview mirror"
New User
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: home
hey mine was doing the samething a while back thought it was carburator and then checked for spark and sometimes it sparked and sometimes no spark, now today no spark at all, changed ignition modual a few days ago (after waiting for 3 weeks for it from a company in florida) and drove it for 50 miles came back home parked it and now today it wont start no spark i think i may need to find out how to check or test the pick up coil well lets see what we can do and ask for help HELP.
75 F350 1 ton 460 (monster)
75 F350 1 ton 460 (monster)
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New User
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Washington
The ignition is points type. No I did not check the wires, because since it had ran fine up to that point I didn't think of it. I have a couple of meters and can check them out tomorrow at work.
The plugs are less than two months old; but they were wet but not covered in oil like the old ones were when I took them out.
The plugs are less than two months old; but they were wet but not covered in oil like the old ones were when I took them out.
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Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
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Have you changed the points and condenser? Are they tight and adjusted properly? I have seen them move b4. Also try putting in a new or known good condenser.
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Brett Foote
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Kemmerer, Wyoming
I agree w/ torque1st... sounds to me like the points moved, sometimes they fuse together causing them to quit completely.
Remember... adjusting your points also affects your timing... but not the other way around.
Remember... adjusting your points also affects your timing... but not the other way around.
Last edited by swann79; Mar 1, 2004 at 09:43 PM.
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Santa Clarita USA
I'm doing the same thing, been driving daily my 75 F250 360 while the 2003 is in the shop. Last two mornings she's been a real bear (actually the other B word but I'm being polite) to start. Motor cranks, but won't start. Had a buddy put a few squirts of either down the carb, just spurts, pops sometimes with a little flame. I'm thinking the timing is off. I can finally get her started, doesn't seem like it's running on all eight for a few seconds. Tonight on the drive home, it was real hard to keep from stalling out at a stop. Have'nt had time to look at it myself, I'm going to leave her overnight tomorrow at a friend's shop. He try starting her up Wed AM. I'll post what he finds. Besides he's a MUCH better mechanic than me!)
Don
Don
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New User
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From: Washington
Torque1st, you were right about the points. I took a closer look this evening after work and the points were closed. Also, I must have wiped off the lube on the distributor cam, because there was quite a bit of plastic residue from where the points plastic cam contact. So I wiped some assembly lube on the cam and opened the points. It ended up being about .019". Anyway it still didn't start, but it was dark by then and I couldn't do much more. Tomorrow I plan to check the condenser and pull the plugs and clean them. We'll see how it goes.
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2003
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From: South Dakota
Also if there is any residue on the points they won't fire. A quick test is with the cap off have someone crank the motor you should see them open and close and you should see some kind of spark. I can't count how many times I've filed points and had them not work. So I came up with a good way to clean them, I take a business card(not the shiny kind) and with the points closed insert the card between them and pull it thru. a couple of times of this and you can see the crud on the card if they were dirty. BUT if you do this sometimes a piece of paper can get lodged in the points so make sure you look and remove it.
Junior User
Joined: Feb 2004
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try checking the statter or how ever you spell it. min did that the other day it had spark as soon as you turned on teh key, lost it when you cranked, then had spark when you turned the key off. replaced that and it fired up and runs like new.
hope i could help.
hope i could help.
