Tune Ups?

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Apr 14, 2004 | 12:41 PM

Junkfood

Thread Starter

5th Wheeling

Joined: Mar 2004

Posts: 40

Likes: 3

From: Pacific Northwest

Tune Ups?

My '81 F-150 Custom 4x4 with the 300cid "Big Six" is a great truck and I love it. But! My problem is that whenever I need to renew the registration they mess with the timing or the idle or both and the thing runs like crap afterwards but it will pass the smog test. What I would like to find is a good mechanic who knows how an engine works and can make all the proper adjustments without needing to plug into an onboard computer to give him all the answers. I'm not very good at doing this kind of work myself and must get by on the technical ability of others to get a good tune up. Does anybody out there know of a good Ford mechanic, in the Orange county area, who still knows how to work on engines the old fashioned way?

Apr 14, 2004 | 01:18 PM

ScottInTexas

Give me coffee - Or beer!

Joined: Aug 2003

Posts: 746

Likes: 7

From: Who cares?

You may want to call the California (Orange County?) DOT or whoever is in control of emissions testing about the program the mechanics are using. If it runs like crap after they mess with it and they are using the computer to set everything up, then I would question the parameters the computer is giving them. In the mean time can't you take the truck back to them and make them tune it right? After all, they messed it up!

I'm sorry I can't tell you where you can go, but your question brought up the ******* in me. My last inspection was great, less then half the allowed emissions and no CO! But if they get to the same point as Ca. I may be running into trouble next year. Just don't know, but I can't stand the thought of some unknown mechanic messing with my truck.
Especially the timing.

Good Luck!