First the background. This truck has started and ran fine all it's time in my family ... my parents, then me recently after my dad died. About 3 years in all. It could sit for 6 months, and still fire up at 30 below. The plugs, wires, cap, rotor, and all that hadn't been changed in those 3 years. The carb wasn't adjusted right either and the choke liked to stick every now and then. But it would still fire up EVERY time ... even if I had to poke the choke open with a screwdriver when it stuck.

Last week I had it to the shop for a tune up and safety inspection. Put in new Bosch Platinum plugs, new wires, new dist. cap, new rotor, set the carb, and the timing. This was Monday. That night it decided it wouldn't start. The next morning it still wouldn't start. Called the mechanic over after work Tuesday and he basically LOOKED at it and it started. Ran fine for the rest of the night ... then Wednesday morning ... won't start. Called him back over, he poked at the base of the distributor where the wiring clips in and the clip on the harness was broken off causing it to wiggle loose or some such. He jiggled it and it started. He took it straight to the shop from there and finished the work he started Monday. Got it back Thursday morning and it ran good. Ran fine on Friday too ... put about 250 miles on it Friday. Started and ran fine on Saturday too ... 210/250 miles from home visiting my mother. Sunday I go to start it and load up for the trip back home and once again, there is NO FIRE. It cranks and cranks and cranks to no end, occasionally there is a SLIGHT hint that it's going to start, then it cranks some more. The wiring harness that we thought was the problem before was replaced, so that isn't it. The coil and the Duraspark (I think that's the one on there - it's an 84) unit on the base of the distributor was replaced too. I gave up and drove my "toy" home after a 5 minute driveway tuneup.

I'm stumped. The only thing left that I can think of that would cause this sort of erratic starts/won't start without pattern condition is moisture in the distributor cap. My thinking is the cap was nice and warm when they put it on in the shop which was notably a bit humid from snow/slush melting from vehicles and such ... then when it got outside into the sub-freezing temperatures it condensed and got trapped in there. What do you think?

HELP!!! I want my truck back!! I don't want to put more miles than I have to on my original low mileage (just broke 37300 coming home this weekend) toy!


Chris in Canada
74 Gran Torino Brougham ... the toy ... a hair over 37300 miles
84 F150 2WD ... the truck ... over 99K miles and runs great when it will start. *sigh*

 

A few ideas....

Check the wires on the coil for corrosion (you said it sat a long time) and give them a slight tug. At times they corrode to the point where they will just break away. Clean those connections.

The choke flap and rod should be removed and polished with very fine sandpaper. The shaft will bind from corrosion. Lightly oil and re-assemble.

Check your choke wire and connection.

Check (I should say change) the fuel filter. They are very small and clog very fast from old gas and corrosion too.

Ford distibutor caps are very (VERY) poor at shedding moisture even though they are vented. Allot of people who have moisure problems drill an additional 1/8" hole in the cap to vent moisture.

Basically sitting around will cause corrosion to accumulate, check all of your ignition harness too.

 

>Check the wires on the coil
>for corrosion (you said it
>sat a long time)

It had at one point, but has been a daily driver for months now. Plus the coil, all wires, cap, rotor, plugs are all only DAYS out of the package.

>The choke flap and rod should
>be removed and polished with
>very fine sandpaper. The
>shaft will bind from corrosion.
> Lightly oil and re-assemble.

Turned out the choke problem was an auto choke set much too rich and not wanting to open. Adjusting it helped.

>Ford distibutor caps are very (VERY)
>poor at shedding moisture even
>though they are vented.

This is why I'm suspecting it could be moisture.

>Allot of people who have
>moisure problems drill an additional
>1/8" hole in the cap
>to vent moisture.

Hadn't thought of that. Thanks!

>Basically sitting around will cause corrosion
>to accumulate, check all of
>your ignition harness too.

Changed them all ... we thought of that idea.

Chris in Canada

74 Gran Torino Brougham ... the toy ... older and wiser
84 F150 2WD ... the truck ... wife says "never trust a teenager." :P