Like I said before I am not much of a car/truck person, but I really enjoy learning from this site.

Anyway I have a 1992 Ford F-150 XLT 4x4 with a 5.8 L engine in it. Everytime I give the engine a little gas the knocking/pinging noise comes from somewhere. So I have had people tell me that all of the old fords make that noise, its just the muffler and exaust pipe they have. And another kid told me my rod bearings were going out????? So I don't know what to think.

Also the engine just seems to be lacking in power. It is pretty slow when I try to floor it for a little fun, It just makes a ton of noise and drinks a ton of gas lol. Maybe you guys could help me on this too.

Oh and one other thing, I took it up turkey hunting and there was a fairly steep hill I had to get up so I start going up and then I lose my momentum and I stop moving, the wheels aren't even spinning, even when I gas itSo I back down it slowly and get turned around and get out to start walking and there is a ton od fluid on the ground. Leading right back to my truck! It was red fluid, and I know that is tranny fluid. EVERYWHERE! So I stop it and let it cool down and it fianlly stops leaking. Then some guys on ATV's come up the road and they stopped and said that it just got to hot and overflowed???? And that I would be OK to make it back to town and buy some more fluid as long as I didnt step on the gas. I made it back ok.

Sorry for the long story.

Thanks for your input.

 

Little more info,..........How many miles on it?, first or second or third owner?.....Sounds like a TIRED old 5.8 and trans.

 

I guess that would help huh. I am the 3rd owner. The 2nd owners only put about 10k on it. It has 149600 miles.

 

The noise could be a lot of things, some bad, some nothing. A little more info on when and from exactly what area you are hearing it from will help. As for the trans leak, sure you didnt lose a trans cooler line on something you drove over?

 

I am positive that I didn't hit anything on that road, it was rough and pretty rutty, but I didn't touch bottom. As for the noise, You can hear it better when you are in the truck with the doors closed. I have noticed that there is a whole in the tail pipe right in front of the muffler. Could this be causing the noise maybe?

 

Possibly, on the noise. Have someone else hit the throttle while you listen from outside.........The trans can vent fluid after becoming very hot.

 

I've read online about the automatic transmission rear seal leaking whenever it gets too hot and then usually seals back up fine after cooling down.
For the pinging check for correct ignition timing (remember the SPOUT) and that you have good spark plugs.

 

Well I had it tuned up last fall, and I though that would cure this noise but I guess not. It has new plugs and wires, and everything else you get in a tune up.

One thing I have noticed with the noise is that it really only happens when you are driving up a hill and the engine starts to bog down before it shifts down.

Hope this helps

 

Ok like I said this truck had a tune up not too long ago. But ever since we took the truck in to get it running again(needed a new distributor apparently), every time I step on the gas going up a hill, and the engine starts to bog down the knocking gets bad. And the truck seems to hit back and forth (almost like the tranny is trying to shift, but doesn't). But then by the time it does shift down I have the pedal down and the engine is running much faster, but the hitting(or whatever you want to call it, it is hard to describe) is still there only it happens much more rapidly. This "hitting" only happens when the truck is in OD and the engine drops below 1500 RPM's, and when it shifts down into 2nd or 3rd, but I have to be on the gas hard and above 2500 RPM's.

My dad talked to a guy that says it sounds like the spark plug wires or plugs aren't any good, which is causeing the engine to miss when it is stressed. I find this interesting because they were supposed to be replaced last fall.

I don't know much about trucks, but I am learning, and this site is so cool!

Thanks

 

Anybody have any ideas???

Also another thing that is wrong with this truck, I can't shift it into 1st gear. I have tried, but I am afraid that I will break the shift lever if I pull any harder.

My truck has problems.

 

You probably need to adjust the shift linkage on your trans if you can not get into first. If all the other gears are lining up it may be the indicator on the dash isnt aligned. You only have P-R-N-(D)-2-1 if it is the E4OD with an o/d off button on the shift lever.

As for your knocking, it kind of sounds like you are discribing a ping, but I am not sure someone else may be able to know what you are talking about. I would suggest pulling the codes and see of the computer has a code stored that needs to be addressed.

If it is a miss, you can check to be sure your spark plug wires are run correctly so that spark crossing into other wires isnt causing an issue. Pretty common with the 351 and 302, it has been discussed and deliberated commonly here on the site about routing spark plug wires. Also, what spark plugs were used as replacements for the ones removed?

 

Pretty sure they used motorcraft plugs.

As for the not shifting to first deal, I can move the arrow to the 1, but it doesn't latch into 1st gear, and it says in 2nd gear. So going down hills in the snow or up in the hills sucks.

 

x2 on the crossed wires a lot of shops miss that one.
Fix the hole in the pipe, check the timing, and check for vacuum leaks.
regards
rikard

 

Check for the adjustment of your shift linkage. It may have slipped a little so that when you put the tranny in first that there isnt enough room to fully lock the column shifter.