I have a 1976 F100 4WD, manual 4 speed, 390. Orange, if you must know.

Last weekend I was mid way through a right hand turn on a slightly banked road when I turned left to exit. I was going maybe 20 MPH. As I entered the new road I felt a bit of a drop off between the road surfaces, nothing substantial, but I felt a big CLUNK from the front right end. I stopped and looked underneath but nothing was obviously broken.

As soon as I pulled back out I immediately felt something amiss. The right side felt soft, there is a slight pull to the right, and (maybe unrelated) the right exhaust manifold seemed a bit louder than usual. I thought I smelled something burning but my buddy who was with me said I was imagining it.

Overall the rig is running like crap now, rough and unresponsive. I feel loads of lag as I gas it and there is no power boost. After few seconds of flooring it the motor will suddenly start raging and off I go. Roaring exhaust from the right side. Sputter sputter.

Interestingly, it sits and idles perfectly, but still sounds loud near the right exhaust manifold.

Poking around in greater detail I found this at the right front spring:



There is fresh and shiny metal where something was sheared off or severely gouged. I not sure what would have done the damage. Maybe the bottom spring mount? Whatever cause it, there is nothing there except sheared metal and freshly ripped rubber at the block on the right. I contrasted that with the left side but can't seem to guess at what may be now missing.

Any ideas/tips/suggestions?

Does anyone have a pic of their right front spring tower so I can see what I may be missing?

 

I've got a 2wd but i'd say from what I can kinda sorta tell it looks to be an exhaust hanger or a bump stop type thing. I'm probably wrong but thats what it looks like to me. Hope this helps some..

--Sayer

 

That may be the right track. What I've discovered this afternoon is that the right side exhaust manifold is loose, the heat shield rusted through, and possibly cracked. A few nuts were loose and nearly falling out. One is broken off.

Ugh.

 

u might want to take it to a exhaust shop or something an just see what they say it might be.