I have a 85 f-150 with a 4.9L that I'm going to converting over and have a few questions about what exactly I need to buy.

I've already been reading a bunch of the older posts about this, and have seen a lot of diagrams etc but I want verify I am buying the correct parts before I order things... My primary concern is if I will have all the correct wiring and connectors to hook everything up, the other parts all seem fairly cut and dry.

Also curious what carb you would all recommend switching to, I don't have the money to change the intake currently, so either another 1 barrel or maybe a 2 barrel with a converter plate?

AutoZone.com | | Coil - Ignition | DURALAST GOLD COIL


AutoZone.com | | Distributor | SELECT DISTRIBUTOR

AutoZone.com | | Ballast Resistor | BALLAST RESISTER

AutoZone.com | Vehicle Selection | Year

AutoZone.com | Vehicle Selection | Year

AutoZone.com | Vehicle Selection | Year

 

you need a duraspark II ignition mod,a wiring harness you will have to get from a wrecker,a carb from an 82/81 for a 300I6, or get one from a wrecker and rebuild it.

 

I understand I need the ignition module, I'm 99% sure the one on one of the links I posted is the right one....

As far as the wiring harness goes are there any options for NEW wiring or am I stuck with pulling stuff out of a used truck -- I thought the 2 connectors I posted would be the wiring I'd need?


If I do pull the wiring out of another truck, what all do I need to pull out?

Just all the stuff between the coil/dist/ignition mod or other....


Either way I'd prefer new if its not astronomically expensive.

 

This is off an 1981 with a in-line 6, 4.9

 

Ask for the following items for a 1983 Ford F150. You may buy new or used:
- distributor (vacuum advance)
- ignition module (blue grommet)
- ignition coil (canister style)
- spark plug wires
- You will not need to buy a ballast resistor.

Wire harness:
From 1980 - 1983, almost all F150s used Duraspark. From 1984 - 1986, almost all of these vehicles used an engine computer and switched to the TFI-IV ignition. So Ford used the same plug-in connectors for each system. In this way, if your truck happened to have the 351 H.O. or 460 from 1984 - 1986 for example (these did not use an engine computer) Ford just plugged in the Duraspark II harness. If you had an I6, 302, or 351 engine from 1984 - 1986, Ford plugged in the TFI/EEC-IV wire harness that ran off the engine computer.

This is what you do:

Go to a junkyard, and ask for an (Duraspark) ignition wire harness for a 1980 - 1983 Ford F-Series truck. It doesn't matter if it is a I6 or V8. (Or you can use a 1980 - 1986 ignition harness if the truck has a 351 H.O. or 460) All you have to do is unplug the harness from the junkyard vehicle. It really is this easy.

This is how to remove the harness from the donor/junkyard vehicle:

You need to unplug the harness from the distributor, and the two plugs from the ignition module. Then take the horseshoe connector off of the coil. Then unplug the wires and connectors from the oil sending unit and temperature gauge sending units. Gently begin to pull the wire harness out (it will be all one piece) and you will find two more plugs that you will need to unplug toward the back of the truck that connects the wire harness to the truck. That should be it, all one piece and the exact size you need. I paid $25 for mine.

By using the factory harness,it is as simple as plugging it in! There will be NO wire cutting, splices, ballast resistors to wire in, or extra wires hanging around that you don't need. Very neat and factory correct as well. Trust me, I have done this conversion on my own 1985 F150.

As for the factory Duraspark wire harness for the 1980 - 1983 F-Series (or 1980 -1986 with 351 H.O. or 460), there are a couple very slight differences to be aware of:

If the truck has a V8 and a factory tachometer, there will be an extra connection for it included in the wire harness. This extra connection will be grouped with the ignition module plug. There will be both a green and a black wire. The green wire is to power the tach and the black wire is a ground that is needed in order for the tach to read correctly on all V8 applications.

*If there is no tach, the plug will not be there and you will have to wire it in another way yourself if you want your factory tach to work.*

**If you use this harness on an I6 engine, you will have to cut or remove the ground wire or the tachometer will read too low.**


If the truck has an I6 and a factory tachometer, there will be an extra connection for it included in the wire harness. This extra connection will be grouped with the ignition module plug. There will be a single green wire. This green wire is to power the tach.

*If there is no tach, the plug will not be there and you will have to wire it in another way yourself if you want your factory tach to work.*

**If you use this harness on a V8 engine, you will have to find a way to ground the tachometer, or else it will read too high.**

Other than the tach connections, all the harnesses should be the same. I will tell you where to connect it to your truck's existing harness and how to find the factory ballast resistor wire your truck already should have that is activated when pluged directly into the junkyard/donor Duraspark wire harness.

Further reading:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...-question.html

 

Would you want a single vacuum advance or a dual vacuum advance on the distributor? the have both types on the Napa website.

 

Single vacuum advance

 

Thanks But then what's the dual vacuum advance for???

 

Alright so I've pulled the wiring off of a junk yard truck and have everything but the carb.

The harness has one less connector than the one pictures above, but looking at it I think everything I need is there or pre-existing on my truck.

I'm going to ordering the carb in the next few days and am wondering which to get

National Carburetors - Ford Trucks

I THINK an ND 1506 would be the proper carb to just bolt directly on with no modification....

I was also possibly thinking I should go with one of the 2 barrel carbs and just using an adapter until I can afford to change the intake... which I will do at some point. Maybe one of the 2150's? If so which one would be appropriate?

If it will be a lot of trouble to convert to a 2 barrel I'll just stick with a 1 barrel.

 

I think the connector you are missing is probably the tach connection. If the junkyard truck you pulled the harness off of did not have a tach, then there would be no connection for it on the harness. If your truck does not have a factory tach either, you are good to go. If your truck does have a factory tach, you are going to have to wire it in some other way.

 

I do not have a factory tach, just an aftermarket one.

There is a wire coming off the coil connector that is even labelled tach however lol


The one I'm missing is the second plug in coming from the ignition module, the wire it was connected to on the donor truck went straight into the fire wall and into the dash, there is a plug in on my truck that looks to be identical and I'm hoping i'll just plug it in and it will work


As far as carbs go, are there any opinions because I'm ordering one today...

 

I converted my '83 351W from DS3 to DS2. The computer system is fried. I'm the 5th owner, and others have done lots of questionable work before me.

I bought a distributor for a '77 351, if I remember correctly, a DS-2 module, and made my own wiring harness between the distributor and the module using the wiring diagram for a DS-2 system, and comparing it to a DS-3 diagram.

It was a drop-in system. It's been running good for 5 years now.

 

Has anyone used the Summit 850520 Ignition Wiring Harness to convert to Duraspark???

 

I dont want to highjack this thread so one of the more knowledgeable please transfer this properly into place.
Oh god!!! yes yes yes!!!! I mean I really like pictures. I noticed something in the picture my 86 truck doesn't have. The duraspark. I also found out that the engine is a 79 and the dist is from another engine. It does not have the vacume advance on it, it has a module on the dist. I have 2 coils...One barrel coil and one that is hooked up is a square one on the fender. I have the 4.9 also. It has no power going up hills AT ALL! Drinks gas like a beast. Any suggestions?
Oh yea the more pictures for me the better. I am not anyway and shape a mechanic.

 

Is the Carb you have currently on the truck from the 1979... or is it the 1986 carb?

Does the Carb have wires, sensors hooked up to it?