Hello. Just joined the site.
Recently bought a 78 F150 4x4 (my first)😃 Now about the truck
78 f150 4x4

351w motor ( obviously someone has swapped it)

So the truck runs and drives( not good). I did a full tune up and i noticed the firing order was... 1 6 5 4 7 2 3 8...? So i switched to the 351w order and nothing. So i then tried the 302 order and nothing. Switch it back to the 1 6 5 4 7 2 3 8 and fires up and runs just not good. Vary rich and a slight miss as its ideling. So i decided to just time it correctly but no dice..still cant get the distributor out. So does anyone have any idea what is going on with this firing order? Any help would be greatly appreciate. Im just trying to figure out my first good step but with all this im thinking pulling it and rebuilding it would be the best....advice?

 

Are you sure that the distributor is not 180* out?

 

Im sure it might be but ive been unable to do to the distributor being stuck. I was just wondering where and how the original owner got that firing order from?

 

Before all this when i had the #1 cylinder at TDC the rotor was pointing toward the front of the truck so thats why i wanted to pull it and found the battle im in trying to get the distributor out.

 

is that the firing order cast into the intake manifold or that is just based on how the wires were routed?

 

Welcome to FTE!

Are you trying both 13726548 (351w) and 15426378 (302)? As well as going counter clockwise? From pictures it looks like number 1 is about where 1 o'clock is. Yours may vary. Just remember TDC will be twice for every turn of the cam/distributor.


Not my picture, just off of the internet.

 

Find your timing mark on the balancer, assuming it hasn't slipped. Take a compression gauge and put it in cyl. 1. Bump the starter until the gauge starts to read. Remove the gauge and rotate the engine until the timing mark shows 0* TDC. Look at your rotor to see where it is pointing and set the firing order from that point as #1 regardless of what the cap or pictures say. If your distributor is stuck the easiest way to remove it is with a slide hammer and a wide fork to grip the wide part of the casting.

 

dlburch, that is the firing order that was on the truck when i got it and the only one the truck will run off

Justin Jones, thanks! Yes i know its counter clock wise and yes I've tried both of those orders and she doesnt like it.

54Hydro, I pulled the oil pan to replace main seals and inspected the timing chain and it has quite a bit of play so im sure it has slipped and i know i need to replace it and get that distributor out and timmed. I was always told the cam dictates firing order and with that it should be one of 2 Fords order? So how can it be like that? Should i bother fighting distributor and timming or just pull it and take it apart? Thats what im trying to decide since i have no clue what cam is in the block ing...thanks for everything guys

 

Find cyl 1 TDC compression and set the firing order from there, then see how it runs before you do anything drastic. Start simple. People always jump to conclusions when the problem is something small.

 

Yes, I was taking a risk in saying that, hopefully you didn't take it the wrong way. I know I've been fooled before and I have to look up a picture to remember


Yes the cam determines the firing order. The only other possibility that I can think of like Hydro said, No. 1 may not be where No. 1 normally is. That may due to so much slack in the chain.

 

No worries buddy. I did not takenit the wrong way. Hell it be asinine to ask for advice and then take offense to the advice given. Thanks for looking out.

Now and i apologize for this stupid question, would it be wise to put a new timming gear on BEFORE I try Hydro suggestion? (Thinking with a slack chain cyl1 could still slip?)

 

try what hydro said. If it fixes the problem you just saved time and $

 

Yes a distributor with carbed motor doesn't care where no. 1 is honestly. So it's position relative to the cap only matters to get enough advance, being able to turn the distributor, so it doesn't interfere with the water neck.

 

Please don't take this the wrong way BUT. Take a close look at Justin's picture showing cylinder numbering. Numbers 1 through 4 ares on the passenger side from front to rear and numbers 5 through 8 are on the drivers side front to rear. If you are used to Chevys their numbering is radically different starting with #1 on the front of the drivers side then #2 at the front on the passengers side and so on. That could explain the weird firing order you describe.