I posted a week or so ago about my truck running rough. Its a 2000 F-150 with a 5.4 and 124k. The last week or so it has really seemed to have lost power. When I'm driving it feels like it accelerates fine til about 1800 rpm, then it kinda falls on its face and bogs down. Once you hit 2300-2400 rpm it snaps out of it a bit and seems ok. One suggestion I got is that my cats could be clogged, thats what I'm leaning too now. Also the same day that the power loss first showed up, my exhaust leak got alot more noticable. You can really here the ticking now(I'm pretty sure I have a bolt or two broke at the manifold). I thought that if the cats were clogged, that the increased back pressure could make the leak louder(Dunno if thats exactly true, but makes sense to me). So thats what has me thinking the cats might indeed be plugged. Does anybody have any other ideas as to what the problem could be? Also, is the only way to tell if the cats are clogged is loosen the bolts at the joint above the cats? I am fixing to change the oil, fuel filter, and run some sea foam through it, so I let you know if there is any change after that.

 

I would think that if you cats were clogged then it wouldn't "snap out of it". Maybe your TPS sensor?

 

Well I have an update. I just changed the fuel filter and ran some sea from through it. That all went fine. Then I was looking around at the COP'san wiggled the one on the passenger side, second from front. It was loose! Come to find out, the metal insert that the bolt screws into has come free from the plastic. I went and got some jb weld and have that setting in there now(not sure if that will work or not, so I aslo got a small new bolt with a wing nut on the end, and a couple lock washers, so I guess I'll give that a try if the jb doesn't work). Now the question is, would that COP being loose cause a misfire? Any other thoughts?

 

New update. I thought the hole that the threaded metal insert sets into went all the way through. It doesn't. So unless I drill throuhg it or something, there is no way just to stick a regular bot through it. So I hope the JB weld will hold it.

 

I take it your talking about the red circled area in this picture?

 

No, its not that one, its the threaded bushing type insert that is set intake the intake manifold. Its what the 7mm bolt screws down into. That has pulled out. Ive got a whole gob of JB weld on now, hope that works, I'll let it dry and check it in the morning.

 

Well I'm screwed, just started it up and took it for a drive and it blew a plug. All of the coils are still setting there. 2 are loose, the one that I tried fixing(passenger side, second from front) and drivers side3rd from front. I'm not sure which one blew, don't wanna start it again to find out. How much do the inserts usualluy run when done at a ford dealership?

 

Ok, not the cylinders I mentioned above, just found the spark plug, its passenger side, 3rd from front. The plug looks fine, just the tip was bent down some. They wont just come loose will they?

 

What won't come loose? The spark plugs?