Good Evening to all.. I am new to the forum as I just bought my 1st F150 and its a 93, F150 Bimini Blue Flareside with 5.8 E4OD Tranny with dual fuel tanks. Very cool truck I have always loved the 90's F150 boxy trucks. I found this truck sitting in a field where its been sitting for 14 months. I told the owner he needs to sell it so someone can enjoy it. So he said if I cleaned it up he would sell it. It was covered in mold but a new battery and fresh gas and I was amazed it fired right up! Drove it to the house and started cleaning and once I got it clean, I ask him to let me buy it since I cleaned it up he made me an offer I could refuse. I'll add a pict soon. So as I have been just driving it and its amazingly smooth and shifts like a new tranny but its got 190k miles on it. Still got Original glass around it as well. Every switch in the cab works great!! Every light works on the exterior as well.

My only issue I'd like some long time FORD guys take on as I have not worked on a truck this old in a long time... need to buy a new Timing light as I sold mine for $5 3 years ago. I have put around 500 miles on her so far and last week, it just plain lost all fire going down the road at 45MPH. Got on the side of the road and it cranks but no fire? I ran across the road to an old body shop and asked for a rubber mallet and I whacked the aft gas tank and it fired up! Dover back to the house and all was well. Next day drove a 20 mile round trip and all was well. 3rd day, drove 10 miles to the muffler shop when the truck died again? I whacked the aft tank & it started. Seems something in that aft tank will not let either pump work? Today, drove a 10 miles trip & back to the house, she is dead now and cranks over but no start? I can hear both tank pumps prime as KOEO but it will not fire?
I'm thinking its now ignition but as I think about the 14 months setting in a field, maybe the tanks are all full of mold and trash too? I have a tank selector switch coming in tomorrow. I had receipts of a new pump installed on the fwd tank in 2014 with 188k miles on it. So again, if one tank pump goes out will not the other tank pump work as long as the fuel pump relay is working?

I have receipts for a ignition tune up from 2014 as well. So, I need to make sure spark is going to the plugs and not sure what's the best way to do that now? Pull a plug out of the motor and ground it while cranking use to work. AS for fuel, if I put a gage in the fuel system and its 40psi at the motor, its got to be ignition as I have got a clean air intake to the throttle body for sure.

Sorry this was too long but I appreciate any help out there to keep this old truck rolling for another 20 years I hope!!

 

Ignition module is a common failure item on these. You need one of these to check for spark, don't ground a plug wire:


Parts stores may have them for sale, rent, or loan.

 

Ok, I got one just gotta find it! Thanks for the help, I'll post what happens next. I just looked up the Ignition module as I saw the same on another thread.

 

welcome to the site, The first thing to do is to look up how to read the codes on the OBD-1 system, and start troubleshooting the trouble codes, if you have problems, the check engine light will be on unless it has the bulb blown. don't start trying to fix problems by just changing parts until you find the problem. code, when you find problems post them here and someone will try to help you. good luck.

 

Yes, I have good bulbs in all my dash lights for CEL. They all work believe it or not. I have a scanner with an OBD 1 adapter and there is no code. Had an O2 sensor code which had to have a muffler shop torch it out and add a new bug for the new sensor. No CEL light for now. I'll check spark this afternoon when I find my light adapter. Thanks

 

Had appointment all day today but just went out and she started up just fine! Hence the intermittent starting issue. Think my next step will be to wait on the no start condition and use the spark plug wire light. I found it next to the lawnmower. I feel like I want to pull the bed up and start looking at the tanks. I cant get over the 14 month sitting and never started once. But I can hear the pump do initial press with KOEO in both tanks so I don't think its the pump. But I need to add a fuel press gage somewhere to check the pressure at the injectors. Attachment is what I see from the Ford manual on pressure limits.

 

There should be a Schrader valve on the fuel rail for testing pressure. Gauges can be "borrowed" from parts stores.

 

Yes, I saw it once I got on my step stool to see it. Not use use to such big engine bays! I started the truck 5X in the past 5 hours and drove it once for about 10 miles and back with no issue? So, I'll have fuel gage ready for the next fail to start. The very 1st time this occurred I was driving down the highway and it just lost all ignition or fuel quit? I thought it was fuel but yesterday when it would not fire up, I could directly hear the pumps power up. If I have the proper fuel pressure when it fails again, its got to be ignition Id think.

Appreciate the input glc

 

Ok, got my plug wire light installed and I will use a couple of zip ties to hold it in place and drive it like that. Does anyone thinks that's not a good idea? Light is working well and truck is starting great this morning. Digging up the fuel gage kit today and should be ready to verify spark and fuel pressure on next fail to start.

 

Ok, after 35 miles on a few short drives and multiple successful starts, I finally got a turn over with no start today. Fuel pressure was 35 & 38, but I had no spark to the plug wire I had the spark light connected to during start. No spark leads me to the ICM as I read on other threads. However, I am not sure how to T/S the ICM? Any tips how I can by sure its the ICM or that its not even getting spark to the ICM? IF the ICM is good, then its on back to the Coil right? I see in the manual the heat sync the ICM is connected to is suppose to be covered in dielectric grease when installed. As I look at mine, it seems very dry to me? I have not removed it yet. Could the ICM be good and just not getting a good ground at times which is causing the intermittent starts? Or could ICM's be intermittent also?

Any tips appreciated.

 

Ok, got my Motorcraft ICM today, thankfully it was 90+ heat today and I watched a great video by Eric The Car Guy on a 96 ICM with Scannerdanner and I took their info and when I got the truck to crank but no start, I had 9VDC at the top pin on the connector to the ICM as it was cranked meaning the volts was coming from the Distributer I think..... I immediately grabbed my new ICM and just plugged it in, truck cranked & Started immediately. So, I got this old aftermarket ICM out and the new one in and the truck has started about 6X in 94 degree heat this afternoon. I feel confident it was the ICM getting warm as morning starts were 98% successful... afternoon 2nd & 3rd starts were about 25% successful. ICM was my fix as someone suggested earlier GLC I think.... Now, a standby ICM will be ordered soon for a spare as this seems to be a continual problem with my model.

 

Are you sure the manual says dielectric grease, or does it say thermal heatsink compound? We use the latter in computers between the heatsink and CPU, and you don't need much at all. You want heat transfer, and grease doesn't conduct heat anywhere near as well as compound. The compound is only used to fill in air gaps between the item and the heatsink so you spread it out very thin.

 

You read my mind.... I saw some heat sink compound and I ordered it. Be here tomorrow but here is what I see in the Ford Manual for my truck. See attachment

I would rather use a compound deigned for heat sinks vs elect grease. Am I reading this wrong?

This should be better than dielect grease I would think?

S~


Thanks

 

Would this not be a better or more suitable compound for the heatsink?

 

That is EXACTLY what you want. It's thermally conductive. I'd also clean out the fins on that heatsink thoroughly. Also clean the mating area on the heatsink thoroughly with alcohol, if it's not completely smooth hit it with some fine sandpaper. Make sure the mating surface on the ICM is clean and smooth.

I don't think I'd put it on as thick as the manual says, it only has to fill in air gaps and imperfections. Best heat transfer is actual metal to metal. If any squeezes out when you attach the ICM, clean it up.

Do NOT use that compound on the electrical plug or socket, use regular non-conductive dielectric grease for that if you want.