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1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Early Eighties Bullnose Ford Truck

Help!! No spark.........

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Old Sep 21, 2009 | 08:14 PM
  #1  
Spennyman84's Avatar
Spennyman84
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From: Over Your Shoulder.......
Help!! No spark.........

Hey everyone,
This evening I go out to go somewhere in the Ford and bang won't start. It cranks and cranks and nothing. I took off the air cleaner and poured a small portion of gas down the carb. I cranked and nothing....WTF? The truck is my 84 F150 300 6. New plugs,wires,cap and rotor button. Could it be the coil? Do these go out very often? Can I test it? Where should I look? I have power in the cab and battery is fine. At first I thought it may have flooded but all I did was jump in and crank as I always do. Only this time nothing.........please help.
 
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Old Sep 21, 2009 | 08:31 PM
  #2  
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ctubutis
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Pull one of the spark plug wires off a plug; insert a screwdriver fully into the boot; hold the
wire & screwdriver near a ground as somebody tries to start the engine; if there is spark,
you'll see it.

Got that screwdriver idea from Diesel_Brad; the way I had learned to do it as a kid was to
merely hold the boot near a ground, maybe pull the boot up the wire some so the conductor
is closer to the exposed elements but that requires wires & boots that move like that.

All this does is verify if you have spark or not; figuring out WHY there isn't any spark is a
different problem....
 
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Old Sep 21, 2009 | 08:41 PM
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From: Over Your Shoulder.......
Thanks man....I'll try it. I couldn't remember the technique. I didn't want to shock the **** out of myself.
 
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Old Sep 21, 2009 | 09:00 PM
  #4  
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Spennyman84
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From: Over Your Shoulder.......
Just walked outside and it started. It sputtered but it finally started. I'm still leaning toward flooded. I swear I think it's a reincarnated Christine. Mind of its own.....
 
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Old Sep 21, 2009 | 09:05 PM
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From: tulsa
Glad you got it started. I had the same problem years ago and it ended up beeing the timing belt. Dodged a bullet on that one.
 
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Old Sep 21, 2009 | 09:48 PM
  #6  
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From: NoGa.
Originally Posted by Spennyman84
Thanks man....I'll try it. I couldn't remember the technique. I didn't want to shock the **** out of myself.

If you try to do this test ... especially on an MGB ... with a WET fender (!!!) ...


DO NOT LEAN ON THE CAR!!!!!

Use a rubber fender cover ... something that will NOT conduct electrickery!


You'll do more than just shock the **** outta yerself!

Ask me how I know!
 
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Old Sep 21, 2009 | 10:22 PM
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From: tulsa
Originally Posted by oddshot
Ask me how I know!
How do you know?
 
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Old Sep 22, 2009 | 06:10 PM
  #8  
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Spennyman84
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From: Over Your Shoulder.......
Ok, It wouldn't start again. So I stuck a screwdriver in the number one spark plug boot and had my wife crank it. No spark. So I jiggled some wires and bang it knocked the **** out of me. Turns out the little ground wire on the neg. battery terminal had came off. Now starts fine. Thanks for the help guys.
 
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Old Sep 22, 2009 | 08:13 PM
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Glad to hear it was not too labor intensive, too bad for the jolt!
 
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Old Sep 22, 2009 | 09:07 PM
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I too have experienced the jolt - being the wuss I am in regards to self inflicted pain - I now just use my timing light.... no pain is good!
 
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