Okay, first off i have a '98 f150 xlt 4x4, triton 4.6, reg. cab short bed with apprrox 160,000 mi. I bought the truck in fall of '08 it was lopey, no power. I replaced the plugs / wires, seemed really help. In the spring it was back to running lopey. I then replaced the wires with a better set, again it helped. Then No power, hesistation,jerking while driving, pinging, began within a few months. I cleaned the maf sensor, really helped the take off. Truck still seemed sluggish, so we had the fuel pump replaced and new fuel filter installed about the fall of last year. Still missing while driving and seemed to cut out and jerk . At one point after going up a hill truck stalled, and no power. Would start then immediatly turn off, wouldnt stay running even if you pushed on the gas pedal. We replaced the fuel pressure regulator, and found a vacuum hose comming off it was split, and replaced that as well. At this time we also thought the cats were plugged, and did some "custom " exhaust work and deleted the cats. I also changed the the #3, #7, #8 plugs cause they were fowled out. Around the #7 plug (i have always had a misfire on this clyinder) i noticed alot of antifreeze around the boot of this plug. So we have determined that i have a leaking or seeping head gasket. I am going to try bars leak, cylinder head gasket repair. I got reading about the cam sensor and iac valve, could these also be bad? i am aslo getting the codes for system too lean in bank 1 and 2, misfiring on cyl #7, #8, and recirclutating exhaust (i know that one is from deleting the cats). Then 2 days ago, i had the oil changed and drove home and was jerking and cuting out again, made it home turned it off, and maybe like 30 min later tried starting it and would start then immediatly turn back off tried starting about 20 min later and started fine. I know there is alot here, and probably several things to check, any help would be great!!!.

 

After reading about your 'mess', it's hard to comment without possibly insulting you.
Aside from the head gasket leak, why did you not consider changing the coil paks after all you have been through?
Most likely additional issues on top of each other causing confusion.
Have to work issues out one at a time and replace the missing exhaust parts to restore the motor to stock running conditions or you will continue to go round and round until you get fed up and get rid of the truck that has been poorly treated.
No cats results in at least 2 codes and poor fueling of the motor.
If the Ox sensors are disconnected/missing, the fuel goes rich by design.
You just can't go about it like you have and expect a good result.
Good luck.

 

+100

seriously, if the plugs went bad and plug wires, the the coils are most likely bad.

do NOT use that liquid head gasket fix crap. it dosent work and f***s up your thermostat and water pump. just fix the head gasket.

replace the exhaust system. your polluting and wasting gas. your truck wont run right.

please tell me you left the o2 sensors in?

 

Wouldnt the whole coil pak be bad? or would the particular coil feeding that cylinder be bad? As for the o2 sensors im not sure, one cat was cleared out and the wadding is somewhere in the muffler.