well i have been beating myself up with a couple of 4.2l fords at my deployed location and i figured this would be a good spot to go for help. SORRY IT SO LENGTHY

heres how my last two weeks have gone,
FIRST 4.2 IS A 97 WITH 60k (IN MILITARY TERMS IS LIKE 250K WITH THE WAY THEY ARE BEAT ON) IT HAD A ROUGH IDLE STUMBLED WHITH ACCEL ---ENDED UP BEING DIRTY INJECTORS EASY ENOUGH ONE DOWN ONE MORE TO GO
PULL IN THE NEXT 4.2 ANOTHER 97
ITS A LITTLE MORE EXCESSIVE.
SO BEFORE JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS AND CLEANING THE INJECTORS I GO THROUGH MY CHECKS AND FIND MULTIPLE PROBLEMS
LOW FUEL PRESSURE
WET (IM MEAN DRIPPING WITH FUEL) PLUGS ETC

HERES WHAT BEEN REPLACED ON THIS BAD BOY

FUEL PUMP
INJECTORS
MAF
IAC
FUEL FILTER
AIR FILTER
OIL CHANGE
SPARK PLUGS
SPARK PLUG WIRES
EGR
EGR EVERYTHING TUBES ELECRONIC CONTROLS YOU NAME ITS BEEN REPLACED
AFTER ALL OF THIS WAS REPLACED
I GET A POORLY IDLING VEHICLE WHICH STUMBLES ON FAST ACCEL OR STALLS BUT IF YOU TAKE YOUR TIME WITH THE GAS PEDAL IT WILL SLOWLY GET UP WITH NO PROBLEM.

MOVED ON TO TIMING
FOUND THE TIMING SPOUT CONNECTOR(THATS WHAT MITCHELL CALLS IT)
DISCONECT IT AND CHECK TIMING ITS ALL SCREWED UP
MY SUPERVISOR PISSED OFF AT THE FACT THIS TRUCK WONT LEAVE OUR SHOP GIVESME A NEW 4.2 LONG BLOCK HE FOUND IN A STORAGE TENT?!
GREAT NOW I HAVE TO SWITCH EVRYTHING OVER TO THIS NEW BLOCK NO BIG DEAL
AFTER TWO DAYS OF FIGHTING THE SWAP IM DONE
I START IT AND GET ..........THE SAME DANG THING

MAYBE IT WAS THE COMPUTER ALL ALONG MY BOSS SAYS AND THROWS ME A NEWLY FLASHED ECU
NO THAT WASNT IT!!
I TRIED SETTING THE CAM TIMING 6 TIMES AND WHAT NOT.

HERES HOW I WAS TOLD TO DO IT BY MITCHELL ON DEMAND

PISTON No1 AT TDC- PULL CAM SYNCRO OUT AND USE THE FORD TOOL (WICH I HAVE) AND BUT IT BACK I AT 54 DEGREES. DONE DONE AND DOUBLE DONE.
STILL NOTHING I EVEN LOSSENED IT AND TURNED IT WHILE IT RAN TO CHECK THE ADJUST TIMING AND NOTHING

AM I TIMING IT WRONG PLEASE SOMEONE HELP

 

Oh man, sounds like you have a serious mess.

I'm gonna' shoot straight here, I haven't got a clue what's wrong.


But let's start and see if we can make any head way or maybe somebody will come along that knows what's wrong.

A couple of questions:
You say you have set the timing several times, but "nothing". Do you mean the timing still shows off, OR the problem with poor idle/accel is still present?

Do you still have plugs soaked with fuel?

Do you get any OBD II codes?

So much seems out of whack here......

Any chance there is a vacuum leak?

I remember some guys here long ago having a problem with a key being worn that keeps a gear locked to a shaft.
I can't remember if it was the harmonic balancer or the cam shaft. I just remember it being a problem for a few guys some time in the past. Does that sound like something you have seen or know what I'm talking about?

When you baby the gas and get the engine up to speed, does it run fine then?

Any chance it is a clogged catalytic converter or some other exhaust restriction?

If the problem is just when idling or accelerating, I'm guessing vacuum related, MAF related or exhaust related.

The thing that has me confused is the timing being off yet it will get going OK if you baby the gas.

Welcome to FTE! Glad you found us and I hope we can help you.

Keep us posted - I want to know what's wrong!

Thanks!


Edit to add: THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE!! regardless of where you are and your specialty, Thanks!!

 

Fuel pressure regulator?
Wiring harness?

I admit to knowing nothing about these engines but do appreciate what you and everyone else is doing there. Thanks also.

 

I'll vote for fuel pressure regulator too....I didn't see that as one of the replaced parts, and if the diaphram ruptures, it will pour gas into the intake.

 

Sounds like a cracked coil pack to me. If they get a crack in them, the engine will jump and stutter like a 16 year old boy going on his first date. And if your not getting fire, the plugs will get soaked.

 

I vote FPR!!!!