Ok, this begs the question, is there any significant advantage to going either way with the Duraspark or points/condensor?

This truck sat for a while, but runs pretty well right now. I plan to go over it and make sure that everything works (I know the brakes need work).

If this were your engine, and you planned to eventually drive it daily, where would you start?

Thanks!

 

It's electronic, it's easier, and it retards when starting which helps the engines used then. Other than that...I don't know.

To drive it daily? First I would start with safety...then, mechanical. Lastly comestics.

 

No points in that engine. In the 2nd pic down you can see Three wires coming out of the distubtor.
It is a electronic duraspark ignition.

 

All right. I'm still confused. Exactly what are you seeing that makes you say it has points ignition? Please be detailed with the description.

 

Thank goodness I wasn't the only one who was confused by that series of posts. Figured it was just my lack of familiarity with the truck, but I couldn't make heads or tails of if/why someone would think it didn't have the Duraspark the truck came with originally...

 

Honestly, I would clean it first (inside and out, first thing I do to my vehicles). Spray down the engine, then spray some simple green on (while it's all still wet), let it sit for 10 minutes, and hose it off. Should get most the dirt off.

I would then make a list of broken parts and stuff that does not work, and put prices on that list. Do a quick oil change and radiator flush (replace thermostat of course), and start fixing stuff, starting with the ones that are the biggest PITA (power steering and brakes for example). Then do the ones that are most annoying (maybe it has belt squeal, or some random noise, or the power sucks, or the gauges don't work, etc.). Then just tackle the rest of that list and enjoy the truck.

 

It's a 390 the easiest way to tell does to look at the thermostat housing it's a thermostat housing is straight up it's a 460 if it's on an angle with your pictures look like it is it's a 390

 

I think he may have figured it out after 11years... that or sold it lol

 

If the engine runs fine, I would leave things alone until nature takes it's course when the ignition system finally vegges out......When that time comes, I would either replace that ignition system with a "much higher quality custom" electronic system of choice or drop a point distributor in it and convert it to a Pertronix kit with a matching coil (more on that later on this post).....

I immediately determined the engine is an FE by the pictures when I seen the exhaust manifold and the valve covers.....

When I first obtained my Ford FE engine powerplant (upon my first 70 F-250 in 1996), after checking all the date casting codes on the block (0E25), manifold (0F14) and heads (0F3 and 7) which were very consistent close dates as a potential original engine anyway (within three weeks apart on all the dates) just to make triple sure I measured the stroke with a thin aluminum welding rod that was straight and confirmed it was a 3.78 inch stroke.....

The gas mileage itself also confirmed it was definitely NOT a 360, and once I tore down the engine in 2006 and rebuilt it - the crank 2U code was as plain as day and ordered a .030 bore and .010 under 390 Ford master rebuild kit from PAW out of Chatsworth CA at the time.....

I gotten a little flack before mentioning this on a previous post reference to the stock Duraspark Ford Electronic Ignition systems that a handful of members absolutely adore however I will disclose my recommendation on what I did to eliminate that problem for good.....

When I obtained my first vehicle with a stock Duraspark Ford Electronic Ignition system in 1999 (a 1976 Lincoln Mark IV with 64000 original miles on the 460), I was forewarned by other Ford gurus to carry a spare box at all times and sure as a sure bet upon 350 miles away the engine would just crank and crank and swapped a brand new box out and started and ran immediately and installed a premium large ground wire on the housing for piece of mind.....about 8 months later THAT box vegged out and swapped another brand new box once again (this one was a Motorcraft brand), then three years later the sensor pickup on the distributor intermittently goes out every 15 minutes of running it on the highway and waiting an hour to cool down before it fires up again for a 8 to 15 minute running window before the engine dies out scenario reappears, so I got the idea of eliminating that crappy Duraspark stock ignition system for good by swapping in a point distributor in the Lincoln, yanking the points out, and installing a Pertronix I at the time in 2004 (now upgraded to Pertronix II in 2010 with a 0.6 ohm hot coil) and still have the Pertronix I pickup and coil in the trunk as a backup just in case.....

NO brain box malfunctions to worry about anymore, NO distributor worn or un-functional pickup sensor to worry about anymore, NO dwell angle to worry about anymore, NO fussing on readjusting or replacing worn ignition points on an consistent basis anymore, going on 15 years now with the Lincoln Mark IV without any ignition related problem !!!!!!! - best $170 investment I made for a new distributor, Pertronix kit and hot coil and bypassing the resistor wire to function directly 14 volts to the coil.....

All my other vehicles ranging from 1970 to 1976 I converted to Pertronix since 2004 with absolutely no ignition related problems other than a worn out weak distributor (60,000 plus miles on an FE distributor and over 100,000 plus miles on a 429/460 distributor) !!!!!!!

Upon obtaining my 75 F-250 460 Ranger XLT Camper Special in 2013 in which a 3 to 6 revolution crank started and ran OK type of condition, I ran the stock Duraspark Ignition until the typical common problems started with the module box quit in early 2016 on a cold winter commute and swapped out a new module I carried onhand and started and ran immediately, then harder starting problem developed a short time later when engine was hot, then the sensor pickup started its 5 to 15 minute intermittent problem - then I could not get the distributor out due to it being sooooo frozen and ended up breaking part of it on the top half even being careful after trying to heat it up prior to removal which didn't happen (first time I had this problem on an old Ford engine), however THANK GOD for all you gurus on this forum when someone mentioned using Freeze-off spray upon a frozen distributor problem topic I read up on, which was the only thing that worked upon removal of that crap electronic distributor and installed a new point distributor with a Pertronix kit and 0.6 ohm coil in it during -15 F below temps working on my truck outside in the cold !!!!!!! - For the last 3 years and counting it's as soon as you turn the key it immediately runs everytime - starts better then it ever did without equipped electronic this and that.

To the OP - I wish you the best of luck on your new truck !!!!!!!

Here are the four Ford Trucks I own in my fleet :

 

Just realized the original topic was an old post on the dates after my post when I responded upon current posts revived it - duh.....

However one other note I noticed on one of the pictures is the battery itself of an older AC Delco brand.....which is also the same exact casing of a CATERPILLAR battery 3T 5757 or 3T 5857 which the lead plates are silver cadmium coated and are the only batteries I RUN in all my rigs....

How much ya wanna bet after 11 years that battery is STILL functioning.....

The longer duration CAT batteries I owned so far lasted between 9 and 19 years of lifespan - and the 9 year one was overcranked once due to a weak distributor when hot (FE syndrome) on year 8 and lost it's load power a year later but still had adequate voltage over 12.5 while parked.

 

Hate to break it to ya but someone revived a zombie thread. Its 11yrs old