Gentlemen,
I have a very perplexing problem. I have a 1994 F-150 with a 5.0. The truck was running really nice until I shut the engine off one night, the next morning when I started it, it did not run very well at all. The engine cranked fast like it had lost all compression, one cylinder would fire then the second and the third kind a like an old farm tractor. At idol it ran really rough but when you put it in gear it felt like it had two or more spark plugs fouled out. Of course it had no power. It couldn't spend the wheels in the dirt.
I am confused, could it be a fuel problem similar to old carbureted engines when you ran out of fuel. Of course the truck is fuel injected and I can hear both fuel pumps (dual tanks) prime the fuel rail. I have changed the fuel filter. Or could it be electrical such as the coil? Maybe smog related, the EGR/EVT system.
Any thoughts would be appreciated, thank you.

 

Timing?

 

The thought crossed my mind. Do you think the timing chain could of jumped? How would I check without pulling apart the front of the engine?
Might be fun though.

 

Something you might try.
Mark the distributor housing just below the cap where the #1 park plug wire is located. Remove the fuel pump fuse, then remove the dist cap so you can get the rotor lined up with that mark on the dist. You can probably have someone bump the key to crank the engine over to get the rotor there. Once you get the rotor lined up where the #1 plug wire is located , look at the crank pulley and see where the pointer is pointing on that pulley.It should be very close to the "0" or TDC mark on the pulley. If not ,let us know where it is pointing on that pulley.

 

you could also have the firing order off a bit. that was the first year they had the roller motors and the firing orders were changed. if you decide to pull the front of the engine off you might as well put in a new chain. just remember don't pull out out the dist. that part should be in the correct position.