You will usually get a fast blink or two, which was for factory and engine ID purposes but then you could start counting the continous codes. I believe they were given only once so you had to have a pencil and pad handy to copy the 3 digit codes. You weren't supposed to touch the throttle pedal until it finished giving the codes then when done it would give a single flash and then you quickly floored the throttle once and it would conduct a dynamic test where it would do all the tests automatically and when it finished it would give you the addl running codes if there were any faults. That was one of the nice features of Ford's ECA system. You could notice the engine speed change as it checked the IAC, the EGR and a few others.
Its been a while since I did those with a blinker tool.

 

My blinker tool is nothing but a flashlight. LOL.

I had to use the truck today. Took it on a 200 mile round trip. It isn't running as good as I thought after being warm. Definitely skips still at high rpms mainly. And at high rpms I am hearing a clicking sound that seems to correspond to how it is running.

Is there anything in the distributor that could be making this noise?

 

Could you by the sound determine whether the clicking could be spark jumping or a valve noise or something entirely different?

 

Ha, it was late when I posted last night. What I meant to say was that my reader is a test light, not a flashlight. LOL.

The sound I was hearing was more metallic than spark plug arcing. It makes me think it is a broken rocker arm or something l like that. Or something like a gear slipping. I would say top end noise in general, but it sounds like one singe item making the sound, not the entire top end chattering. Happens with high rpms only.

 

Do you think you could have a lifter hanging up?

 

I would say yes but I don't think I have ever had that happen.

 

I have added a quart of ATF to the oil and if it was a lifter stuck due to carbon or dirt the majority of the time it cleared it up. Once the noise went away shortly after , the oil and filter were changed.

 

Interesting... I added some Marvel Mystery Oil and it quieted that noise down... That was a couple weeks ago but it is back. I will do it again and change the oil. Thanks.

 

I added 1 quart of ATF... Noise disappeared immediately! Amazing. How long should I run it before changing the oil? Or is a quick drive good enough?

 

A quick drive ,few miles or let it run for 15-20 min. By then it should have gone through the system. Shouldn't wait too long.