1981 F150 Ranger(last of the full-size, 302 w/C6, 2wd, 2brrl carb).

About 5 years ago, I attempted putting a 302 engine in it that I was told came from a '96 Explorer. I swapped the intakes, distributor, timing chain cover and water pump. In the process, I found out that the firing order had changed in '96, I believe. I ended up having to leave it with a mechanic to figure out why the distributor wouldn't seat fully when I tried to land the rotor on the #1 piston. He eventually called me and told me it was ready.

Well, just in the last few weeks(Aug 2016), I began having issues. At first it acted like it was running out of gas, but there would be over 10 gallons in the tank and the inline fuel pump was doing its job and the carb was fine. I am at the point where I see that the timing chain and gears are in excellent shape and nothing being worn, or needing replaced. However, I notice that none of the plug wires are where they should be according to the NEW firing order and the rotor isn't pointing to the #1 piston, and instead pointing to the rear-passenger-side of the engine. I try to land it on #1 and it will not seat fully.
The tag above the starter reads 9D30 and the cast reads 10-F1SE-BB, so I'm getting that I have 1999(April 30th) 302. Seems the casting # is a norm for 302's and irrelevant to exactly what they went into(F1SE being very common and indicating T-birds). Reading the tags from the original brackets and intake manifold, the engine came out of an Explorer.
My real question is, I guess: Is everything from the 1981 302 compatible with this newer 302? The distributor, mainly, in this case, since it seems to be my only issue. Is there some trick to making it work like it's intended without it giving me issues later?
Thank you for any advice/help you can offer.

 

While I'm not especially keen on Ford motors, I have to ask if it's a '99 302 and other than the distributer everything else is working as advertised. Have you considered checking if the drive gears or the length of the shaft are different between 81 and 99?

Also if I remember distributors correctly as long as the plug wire the rotor is pointing at is attached to the number 1 cylinder (if it's the one at TDC) and the wires are attached in the correct firing order you should be fine. Because their all the same distance apart it doesn't matter where you start on the distributer.

Is it the stock distributor? Have you looked into an aftermarket solution?

 

You can install a distributor 180 degrees out. This may be what the mechanic did and moved the wires around to compensate for it. The oil pump has a slot that the end of the distributor fits into. Sometimes when the distributor wont' go all the way down, it's because it didn't slip into the oil pump slot. Turning the engine slowly should get it to drop into the slot.

If the engine has the ignition module mounted on the front side of the distributor, they are notorious for failing when they get too hot from the hot air coming from the radiator. I had that problem on an 86. If I got above a certain speed it would miss.

 

The shafts on the distributors are the same, yes. The distributor I'm using is for 1981 and came from the original 302, as is everything else BUT the block, heads and driver-side exhaust manifold.

I did try the turning of the crank to see if it would seat, but it never did. Back to the #1 being TDC, the valves closed, the rotor pointing at #1 and it will not seat. But, turn the rotor to the passenger-side rear of the engine and that baby drops to where it should. Seems to be the only place it will, too.

So, what y'all are saying is that the rotor doesn't have to be pointing directly AT #1... I just need to place the #1 wire(firing order being: 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8...the old 351W firing order, coincidentally) exactly where the rotor is pointing and place 3 next going counter-clockwise, and son on...?

I really appreciate the timely response from you folks! Grateful for the advice!

 

that's it exactly.
I have one question for you, I've never had a Ford distributor out. But have had several GM distributors out to rebuild, the gear on them is held on by a roll pin. I wonder if Ford is the same, could you punch the pin out and rotate it 180 degrees and reinstall it to get your rotor to point the direction you want? Maybe Roadie would know?

 

I tried removing the pin for the one with the gear-teeth to see if I could do just that. Then, I noticed it had splines as did the shaft and it did not want to slide off the shaft as freely as I would've liked, so I got skeered and replaced the pin. Didn't want to mar anything up trying to remove it. If I had another distributor for back-up, I would probably take that chance.

 

If you drop in the distributor with the rotor pointing to #1 it will engage the gear on the end of the campshaft. then turn the engine with the starter and the distributor should drop all the way in and the dist will be where it is supposed to be. turn the engine to TDC and lock the dist down at the static timing setting, 5 to 10 degrees BTDC.

 

I appreciate y'all's help. I will update when I get her back together and to the point of the timing. I still have her apart from getting the visual on the timing chain and gears to see if it had possibly jumped time.

 

When you are at TDC on #1 with both valves closed, verified by lining up the timing marks, just drop the distributor in and get it to seat, doesn't matter where the rotor is pointing. When it's verified fully seated, THEN look at where the rotor is pointing, turning the distributor body if necessary, and connect the plug wires accordingly. Then you can follow the procedure for timing it with a light, what you did should be close enough to at least get it to start.

 

Line up the timing marks on TDC with the distributor rotor pointing at #1 and drop it in to align it with the camshaft. Turn the engine until the distributor drops all the way in engaging the oil pump. then put the engine back to TDC with a few degrees of advance with the rotor pointing at #1 and lock it down to start.

 

Recap:
1981 Ford Ranger F-150 w/ 1999 Explorer 302
Engine was installed about 5 years ago and has run like a champ until about a month ago when it acted like it was completely out of gas. It still had over 10 gallons. It set about half an hour and I could get it to putter along like it was running on fumes until it would die, again, and repeat the process until I got it home. Drive it the next day and it would go great for about 5 miles and it would act the same, again. So, I imagined it to be a timing problem, since it was getting fuel... when I would check it while it wasn't in motion, or at operating temp.

Update:
Still back to where I was when the truck began acting up.

I got the firing order and timing down after:
1) opening the front of the engine to inspect the timing gears and chain(perfect condition)
2)figuring out that the balancer had to be around 8 degrees BTDC
3)replaced the fuel pump(removed the in-line electric and went back to the OE mechanical), coil, wires, cap, rotor, cleaned the plugs.

I will include, that when it first went down, a rubber plug I had on the base of the carb was dry rotted and gone. It sucks major vacuum there, so now I'm wondering if it had sucked something up in there and into the engine to cause the issues I'm having. But, I'm no educated mechanic and know all there is to know, so i could just be over paranoid and reaching... Although, it seems to be acting like a fuel and firing issue, but I've done all I'm able to with those.

Any ideas?

 

Have you checked the timing with a timing light, using the proper procedure?

 

I've never used a timing light as I don't have access to one. I didn't use one when I put the engine in, initially, either... nor the '86 engine before that, and somehow ran great for 5+ years. Would that help in fixing the issue with it running great, but then dying about 5 miles down the road?

Also, just noticed that the neutral safety switch on the side of my C6 is leaking, so wondering if that could be contributing to the problem.

 

Buy one, they aren't expensive. It's essential for distributor-equipped engines for correct ignition timing.

http://www.harborfreight.com/timing-...nce-40963.html

 

Nice. Thanks for the info!