Hello
I have a 1983 F250 with 460/auto. Awhile ago the truck would not restart after being shut off with the key. If you let it sit for 2 hours it would start like nothing was wrong. My son had the truck at this time. I have brought it home to work on. On the way home it died after 1 hour and 20 minutes. So i left it. The next morning it started right up and ran for 22 minutes and died. 3 hours later it started up and died 14 minutes later on the interstate at our exit. Towed it home. I replaced the Stator assy/pick up coil and every thing was fine for a couple of days. Then a miss started like a totally fouled plug but when i changed the plugs they were just very sooted up. I expected to find a soaked plug/wet. This didnt do a thing to get rid of the miss. The next morning on the way to work it died on the interstate. I had just set the cruise and all was well when it surged and then backfired and was dead. I had it towed later that day and after work i replaced the Stator assy again! I started the truck before i changed out the stator and the miss was very bad. Put the new stator in and it fired up and ran smooth! This lasted for 3 days of flawless operation! Then i stopped to eat and when i came back out to start the truck it wouldn`t start. after trying a ignition module it still wouldn`t start. I then put a ignition coil on and it fired rite up and has run smooth for a week. Now i am getting the miss back and it is getting worse! Is it possible that i can have a 3rd Stator assy that is bad or is there something else that i am missing? I`m stumped! What can be causing the stator to be going bad?
Thanks
Gene

 

The truck has a duraspark 2 system
Thanks
Gene

 

I once had a similar problem with an old Ford van, it kept burning up points and coils and would often quit when hot. I found that a previous owner had bypassed the ignition resistance wire in the harness with a plain copper wire so the coil and points were drawing way too much current in "Run". With your battery ground disconnected, use an ohmmeter to check from the positive battery terminal to the "Batt" terminal on coil (red/light green wire). With switch in "Run" the resistance should be 1.1 Ohms +/- about 0.1 Ohms. Note: With your meter set to the lowest Ohms scale short the test leads together and note the reading. Subtract this reading from the ignition wire test reading to get the true value. Coils and other ignition components don't like too much current and heat.

 

had a similar problem with '85 351, turned out to be what they called a "secondary coil" or "pickup coil" that is contained within the distributor. Not sure how you would test, my mechanic found by noticing carbon tracking within the distrubutor caused by the pickup coil shorting out.

 

I think i have solved my problem!
First off i had a bad stator assy/pick up coil which was replaced with a new one that died in a couple of days. The replacement stator is working ! The next problem with the coil turned out to be rusty contacts on the coil itself (aftermarket). I was stumped with trucks running so badly and getting stranded that i made a appt at the FORD garage. They worked on the truck from wednesday thru Monday at a cost of 211.82 and we had a hard time getting it started. They replaced the spark plugs and wanted to replace the wires also but didn`t have any in stock. I told the service manager that i felt that they were good as it would run fine when it would run correctly but he said that for them they would replace the wires. Plus they cleaned and adjusted the choke and replaced 2 vac caps! I have messed with the truck for a couple of more days and put another set of plugs (3 sets)in because it would barely pull its own weight. The plugs were very sooted up. I was thinking that this was a result of the cold and the choke. The truck was running not too good yesterday on the way home (normal lately) and was really starting to get bad and i figured here we go time to be stranded again! But i noticed it was running very rich and i had been running for atleast 20 minutes. Plus the fuel gauge confirmed this. Yes much more than normal for a 460! So i changed the rear fuel bowl float valve and cleaned/ replaced the plugs that were toally black with ones that weren`t so sooty and it runs very decent now! If this lasts for a couple of days i will put another set of plugs in. My oil is very black and has only about 400 miles so that will be changed also! So maybe this will help someone else out!
Later
Gene