No spark??????
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Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,735
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From: TX
No spark??????
Ok Im havin some difficulties. Today on the way home I go to take off from a stop light and my truck starts to act like it has no fuel. It jerked a few times and started goin agian. It seemed like everytime I gave it half throttle it died (around 2000 rpm's is when it starts to do it). It seems to do fine if I slowely give it gas and keep it below 2 grand. So Im thinkin fuel pump or lines or somethin. Well then it jerks a few times and backfires, about 30 secs later did it agian. So that means that its gettin air and fuel but the spark is cutting out somewhere right? Any ideas on what it could be??????
Almost forgot. When I got home I put it in park and it would rev up just fine with no problems, same as in with neutral, it also starts up just fine. It only seems to do it when the engine is under load.
Almost forgot. When I got home I put it in park and it would rev up just fine with no problems, same as in with neutral, it also starts up just fine. It only seems to do it when the engine is under load.
Last edited by wezol5484; May 18, 2004 at 07:26 PM.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,735
Likes: 0
From: TX
I let my engine cool off for a few hours, and replaced the cap rotor and wires. I started it up and it ran good so I thought that did it. Well when it warmed up it started doing it agian, and then it did one big back fire(or what sounded like one), and it went bad from there. The engine ran REALLY rough. It would barely take off from a stop sign, so I put it in first to see if that would help, well I have no first any more. WHAT IS GOING ON. It revd freely while in first, and it acted like it was taking off in 3rd gear (automatic). Well when I got back on my street I put in in first agian and revd it up and at about 1500 rpms it seems like it caught and the truck moved, not fast but it moved, maybe 5 mph. But even in first it runs REALLY rough. ANYONE have any ideas as what could be going on, this is (was) my daily driver. 
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
Likes: 37
Check the distributor pickup module. You may have a broken wire or other thermal problem. Take it and the ignition module to a parts store for testing.
The backfiring may have blown your carb power valve if you have one also.
The backfiring may have blown your carb power valve if you have one also.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 339
Likes: 0
From: St.Paul, MN
sounds kinda like one i had, check the obvious, like firing order and timing. module like was mentioned. but also, i had a bad coil once that started acting like it was dying then just quit. msd are real good for it. ran ok then it got hot, then i towed it home and started pulling the valve cover and dist when my brother in law checked it for spark. i had another one i never did figure out what was wrong with it, but i think it skipped a tooth on something. i changed cams and lifters and intakes and carbs and ignitions and finally found the pan was full of sludge. and i know another guy who had some weak valve springs that gave him that effect. i doubt thats your case or at least i pray for you to not have it be something besides the obvious...lol. check for sparky and fuel pressure and vacuum. then move to a compression test. sounds like its flooding itself out or not burning it by not sparking.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,735
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From: TX
I replaced the pickup in the dist. about a year ago along with the ign. module, but Ill check them for safe measure. The firing order is correct, got it from this site just to make sure I had the right info. Could it be that the timing chain skipped a tooth? And I dont know if this makes a difference but last week I switched to strait 40 oil. When I drained it there wasnt any sludge that I could tell but I didnt take the oil pan off. I forgot to mention that the #1 and #8 cyl. are runnin on low compression (around 30 psi) but its been runnin like that for about a year, I never was able to get the money to get the heads done, do you think that finally caught up to me?
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Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,735
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From: TX
If the guy who sold it to us didnt lie, then its got 104,000 miles and it was overhauled at 60,000 (supposedly). The guy who owned it got it from his dad who only used it as a farm truck. Dad got to old to farm and his son got the truck and then sold it to my dad. I didnt think he would lie since they work together. It was supposedly overhauled at 60k. Are there any vacuum lines I could check also?
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Addison,Texas
Straight 40 weight isn't a problem as long as the temperature doesn't fall below 50. (I don't know what part of TX you're in.)
With the vaccum, you should check for open ports/missing caps and hissing/cracked lines.
I'd agree with gears and chain, tho. Crank the engine around until the mark is at your specified timing, mark where plug number #1 connects to the cap, and pull the cap off. If the rotor is point somewhere else, there is definately something wrong there.
When it runs rough you're not blowing any crap out the exhaust, right?
ash
['Smoke and stuff...']
With the vaccum, you should check for open ports/missing caps and hissing/cracked lines.
I'd agree with gears and chain, tho. Crank the engine around until the mark is at your specified timing, mark where plug number #1 connects to the cap, and pull the cap off. If the rotor is point somewhere else, there is definately something wrong there.
When it runs rough you're not blowing any crap out the exhaust, right?
ash
['Smoke and stuff...']
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Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: TX
Well.....I got home yesterday and took a look under the hood, and one of the wires on the dist. cap had popped off! So I was runnin on 5 cylinders (2 have no copression already). Man was I happy. But Im still having the original problem of it loosing spark. It only does it when Im in gear and seems to do it more when its warmed up. Im think ign. module?
No Im not blowing anything out the exhaust as far as I know.
No Im not blowing anything out the exhaust as far as I know.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,735
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From: TX
Yeap, I went up to an autoparts store and had my ign. module tested and it was fine, so the only thing left I could think of would be the coil, bought it while I was there and replaced it, that was the problem. I had heard that when a coil fails, it is all or none, that it wont just kinda work. It will either work or it wont, that didnt really sound right to me. But whatever the case it seems to have been the problem. Thanks everyone.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,398
Likes: 17
From: Hesperia, CA
I wish I had seen this post earlier, I could have saved you a lot of work. I went thru the same experience about four years age. I went nuts checking everything and it was the coil. The voltage breaks down and you just don't have enuf spark to make it fire at higher RPM's. This is a lesson that you never forget.
More Turbo
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 705
Likes: 2
From: Halifax, NS
yes.. the ign coils are filled with oil for cooling... it often happens that as a coil gets older, the oil finds a way to leak out. Once this happens, the coil will work fine until it gets hot, and then it fails... once you let it cool, you can drive again for a bit.. and on and on.. heheh... that one had me stumped for a bit once..
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