Ok, I've been building engines for a long time and this has me baffled.

Bought a little 97 F150 cheap with a blown 4.2(yup lower intake gasket and water in the cylinders). At teardown found #1 and #4 rods bent and piston skirts cracked. After looking at options decided it was cheaper to buy a shortblock than to rebuild the bottom end. Now I have the engine installed and no joy on getting the thing to bust off. I'm sure it's timing related, can't get my hands on one of Fords nifty little cam position sensor alignment tools but figure I had to have gotten it close eyeballing it. I see they are very adamant that the sensor be at the 54degs from centerline front, but it seems to me that you should still be able to adjust the thing a bit just like a distributor. After my last go round of pulling the upper intake and removing and adjusting the stupid thing it actually tried to start the first time I spun it over, since then nothing at all, doesn't even sound like it tries to hit. I've got spark, I've got fuel, and I've got air...is there something stupid I'm overlooking here on these "new and improved" electronically controlled Fords? I'm to the point now I refuse to put more money into the thing(even though it is a very very clean truck) and can't decide whether to spend more time jacking with it or drag it into the pasture and use it for target practice...or a bonfire...or maybe both. This is the first engine I've built(and I've even build quite a few electronically controlled FI engines) that refused to start...I should have kept my perfectly reliable old truck.


Kevin

 

your local napa store can get you the tool Ford number T96T-12200-A Napa's number
otc-6469


Hope this helps.

good luck.

Ed

 

Well this is a head scratcher...walked away from the truck after the last attempt to get it ti fire off. Figured walking away was cheaper than what I was beginning to think of doing to it, although bar-b-que ford was sounding pretty good at the time. Went out this morning, checked things over again, decided to hit the key one more time...stupid thing started immediately...hasn't missed a lick since. I don't know...maybe it knew I was planning to have it crushed next week if it didn't start. Oh well, anyway, it runs great, drives like new...I guess I'll keep it.

 

glad it worked out for you.

Ed