Last October I was driving the truck, was making a long sweeping left-hand corner through a parking lot at an angle, and the truck died mid-turn. Has not started since. The fuel pump wouldn't kick on, and it has no spark now.

I checked the fuel pump safety switch on the floorboard. It's in proper position. I switched out the ECM. Same result. I later found out it was two corroded wires on the fuel pump relay which separated. Replaced those and the fuel pump now cycles when the key is switched to run.

I'm still stuck with no spark.

I have hot power on the coil and tach wires when the ignition is on. I'm in the process of replacing the ignition module on the distributor (can't get the bolt back in -- it's been cross-threaded). I'm told by a Ford guy I may need to also change the stator assembly. The costs are adding up.

How hard is it to take off the electronic components and put a carb on there, with a distributor with points and a condenser? I never had any problem fixing those in the past. This electronic stuff is a headache, and comparatively very costly.

Thank you for any advice.

Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin

 

It's not that it can't be done,,,,,but after you change the dist, install an intake manifold with a carb and associated linkage and get the engine running after you redo the fuel supply system because the fuel pressure would be too high for a carb system then you can concentrate on the transmission which most likely will have to be changed also since the computer controlled the fuel system and shift points. Still want to do it? It's a challenge and I'm sure some folks probably have done it , the question is would they do it again, Don't know.

It just might be cheaper and easier to get a book brush up a little on how it works then determine what is defective and just fix it. What do you think?

 

It has a manual 5-spd, so I'm not sure if the computer is involved there.

My goals are thinking long-term. Ease of maintenance and repair is of high value to me as I'm getting older (45 now). I'd really like to switch it over. It might be better to get it running, sell it, and buy an older truck and go that route. But, with this truck I know what I've got otherwise. It's been a good truck. Just needs a little TLC being 25 years old.

For now my goals are to get it running. If I had an extra I6 lying around, I'd go ahead and rebuild it, put the carb on it, and have it bench ready for a Saturday swap. I wonder if there's one at my local salvage yard. I hear they get picked up pretty quick when they come in.

Would be nice to have a simple truck again ... one I could diagnose and repair everything pretty easily.

Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin

 

The manual trans gets rid of a major problem. There is nothing wrong with growing intellectually and learning something new. Lots of us have done it and so can you. Sooner or later parts for older vehicles will become more difficult to locate and we are in that unfortunate/fortunate position of working with some newer stuff , a lot of us, whether we like it or not.
If you could diagnose a fuel and ign system of an older vehicle you can easily handle your 90 vintage vehicle with a little effort. They usually don't require as much repair work as an older vehicle. Some parts are just a little more challenging and once you gain a little info on the later stuff you will find it is not that bad at all.

 

"There is nothing wrong with growing intellectually and learning something new."

When you make a statement like this, it's as though you're asserting I'm opposed to the idea of growing intellectually and learning something new. This places me in the position of now having to either let such a false statement stand on its own, or defend myself against something that was invented by you here in the reply (based on a premise which does not exist and is nothing more than a false assumption (or purposeful statement -- I hope not)). I believe it's called a "non sequitur."


Regardless, it's not an issue of learning. There are several factors. A few are the cost of long-term maintenance, spending the time diagnosing components which are often not diagnosable apart from specialized tools, or in making assumptions and then buying parts (throwing money at the problem) in an attempt to fix it.

I'm also facing the reality that those high up in the auto industry have gone out of their way to design things purposefully to make it more difficult for "home mechanics" to work on. And with that reality is the originating spiritual component, the actual force behind that decision (tied to a primary pursuit of money instead of the goal of helping to benefit people, but more directly, not only being tied to money but also to moving people toward being dependent upon the system they've established), and that aspect is solidly contrary to anything which is right or true toward helping people, and is the single greatest hurdle I face on this issue.

For me, facing those kinds of battles (money, time, spiritual -- though arguably in this order: spiritual, time, money), it's just not worth it to gain a little (emphasis: little) more maintenance-free use over time, a little greater performance, a little greater economy ... or whatever.

The older technologies empowered people to be self-sufficient, needing only to buy parts. After that they could conduct the labor themselves, and with reasonable ease. It gave them the ability to be "masters of their domain," giving people a sense of pride and accomplishment which came from diagnosing and completing maintenance task on their vehicle without resorting to expensive, specialized, single-purpose tools, or (in most cases) guesswork. Today's vehicles require a pretty steep (and difficult to come by) learning curve, a high investment in proper documentation and specialized tools, without which we are left impotent and in the hands of others. It's like everything else in this world ... owners reduced to renters.

"And sooner or later, parts for older vehicles will become more difficult to locate..."

Sounds like a business opportunity. Custom replacement parts. Send us the broken original, and we'll manufacture a suitable replacement. What a fun job of continuous discovery and helping people that would be. Over time, a small inventory of common parts could also be created.

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Regarding my research effort, I've ordered a replacement distributor. After buying a $35 ignition module, a $50 stator assembly, and when using a small puller to remove the distributor gear chipping some teeth because it was so tight, I found a replacement online for $60. It should be here this week. I'll see if it works.

Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin

 

Your reply speaks for itself and now I know you can do it if you so choose.
I agree today's vehicles do require much more in equipment and knowledge investment, but yours is among the very basic and you certainly have the smarts to repair it , again if you choose to do so. By the time you get around to reading this you will probably have already fixed it. I did enjoy reading your reply.

 

Got the distributor in the mail today. Put it in... same thing (no spark). Looking like it's the coil. Got a new coil at O'Reilly's, but when I got it home I saw where it was broken. Took it back, but they didn't have another in stock. So, it will be tomorrow at least.

Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin

 

The new coil fixed it. However, I am now having an issue which is far more pronounced than it was before the shutdown last October. It has always been missing on the #3 cylinder. It would start up fine, hitting on all six. Then, as it warmed up it would begin to miss a little, and then more and more, to eventually it would drop the #3 cylinder at idle. Getting it above about 1200 rpm and it would start to come back, then above 1800 rpm and it would come back completely. Also, if I gave it some pedal for acceleration it would come back.

Now, it is almost always dropped, except for intermittent firing between 2,000 and 3,000 rpm.

At first I thought it was the new distributor, but as I was pulling the #3 wire off the distributor, it gave me quite a jolt. :-) So I know it's making it through the distributor, and the problem is in the head.

I found a rebuilt motor with 60K on it for $350. Strong. No smoke. I'm going to pick that up tonight and swap motors sometime in the coming days. I'll then tear mine down and see what's up with the head. It's been suggested it's a chipped valve, or a valve that's not seating properly. I haven't compression-checked it yet, but will do that when it's out of the truck and on the engine stand.

Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin

 

Got the engine yesterday. Looks good. Will put it up on the bench and start going over it. Am tempted to put a carburetor on it. We'll see. :-) Truck's barely drivable as is. It drives better when I take the #3 spark plug wire completely off.

Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin

 

Have the engine down to valve cover, oil pan, coil and distributor, and power steering pump. Am going to switch it over to carb.

Will a mid-80s intake manifold from a 4.9L inline-6 bolt up?

Best regards,
Rick C. Hodgin