A little while ago my 84 f-150, with a 4 speed, broke down and needed a new distributor core. For about a week now the truck has been stuttering and sputtering in 4th gear from about 35mph to about 45mph. It seems that once it's in the higher rpms it seems to run fine. So yesterday i got back home and decided to pop the hood and look at ****. There is a sensor or something on the drivers side of the distributor with an electrical plug it in. Well both the plug and the sensor were loose so i tighted the 2 screws on the sensor and pushed the plug in tighter and tried to start it up. It didn't start while it was warm and it didn't start later that night when it cooled off a little bit. The next morning i pulled that plug out of the sensor and it had a bunch of chalky, sticky white stuff on it so i cleaned out the plug as best as i could and tried to take the sensor off. I got frustrated and said **** it and put everything back together and she fired up on the first try. I let her run a little bit then decided to take her for a spin. She was still a little cold when i got her in 4th and she was sputtering even harder than the day before. I couldn't get her above 65 even with the pedal to the floor. On the trip back home she warmed up a little bit more and she was starting to smooth out a little bit in the lower rpm's of 4th but then when i was cruising back she died suddenly. I tried popping the clutch and the only response was a little popping/****ty sounding noise when i gave her some gas. When i got her back to the car i pulled the dist. cap and couldn't move the rotor by hand, then i checked for spark from plug wire and nothing then i checked for spark from the coil pack on the side of the engine by the dist and nothing from it. So i got a new coil pack and she still won't start and there still isn't anything coming from the new coil pack. I don't know what else it can be and i won't be able to get to her till next monday becuz i will be in wisconsin for a school camping trip. Any info will be helpful and extremely apprieciated.

 

That sensor you are describing sounds like it's the ignition module. Bolted onto the distributor right?

I bet the ignition module is bad, I'd have it tested in anycase, if possible.

 

well will autozone test that module? other than that nothing makes sense to me...no spark from the coil pack...a brand new coil pack should make spark but it doesn't...i'll try to check that sensor but i'm not going to be able to get to it till next monday...any more advice will be appriecated

 

I'm not sure if they can test that type of ignition module or not. It wouldn't hurt to ask them though. Never had them test this type of module so I don't know.

What you are describing as your problems, I'd almost bet the ignition module is your problem. They are nortorius for failing like this because of heat. The heat causes intermittent failure and once they fail completely, you will not have spark as you describe.

 

Put a new ignition module into it today and still no spark. It's getting fuel and air but no spark from the distributor or the coil pack (which is brand new too). I am completely lost on this one.....

 

Working backwards from the module, check the connections.

If you drive this truck a lot and are in remote areas, a backup TFI module might not be a bad item to carry, along with the little wrench used to change it.

Usually, TFI's give out when crossing rr tracks, merging on the freeway, on the way to the ER with a snake bite, or other more stressing situations. Count yourself lucky.

 

Check your wiring, make sure you have 12 volts coming in AND out of the coil. Check for power to the distributor, you can have the module tested at autozone, advance auto, napa. I had similar problems with my 84 even with all new components... still no spark, turned out to be a broken connection in the harness plug that goes into the coil. BTW have the voltage regulator tested while your at it. Hope this helps!

 

finally caved in and took it in to get it fixed...it turned out to be the pick-up coil inside the distributor...thanks for helping me long the trouble shooting procedure...