I recently bought a truck off of a dealer in nh a 1990 f150 xlt lariat 4x4 with 122xxx and the guy said it came from alaska, now since i bought it it has been running lousy sputtering and it has a slight hesitant when at idle i was wondering if the timing would be different since it was a higher elevation or the idle. Any one have any ideas? Also if anyone know how to turn up the idle on it?

 

Just becuase ti came from AK doesn't mean it was timed any differnt. 90% of AK sits right next to the ocean and at sea level. Besides i dont think that timing for the sake of a truck is changed for the normal guy. IF your racing it maybe then ou might see a differance. But just driving.

I have driven in the same day from under sealevel to sealevel to 8000 ft above and not seen a differance in my truck.

Thats IMO

 

Have you tried giving it a tuneup yet?

 

Yea, i put plugs,rotor,cap,new fuel lines,fuel filter,engine oil change,tranny flush. The only thing i haven't put into it yet would be spark plug wires because i ran out of money but i will be putting them in Thursday hopefully.

 

Plug wires are an important part. That could be cuasing all of this. Try that and let us know.

A bad plug wire would cuase a misfire robbing you of power nad making the engine unbalenced. That would give it a sputter.

 

Should i get the oem plug wires or the performance one's, or is there a difference? There relatively cheap but buying the truck and all it added up quick. The performance ones are $39.99 and the oem ones are $29.99.

 

have you replaced the coil?

This is a 5.0 right?

 

OEM should be good enough. Make sure you use dielectric grease.

 

X2 but i would do the coil also. I doubt it needs it but at least it would e on teh same page as teh rest of the truck and i dont think there that much $. Again thats IMO.

I just check napaonline.com and there $23. Just one more thing to the list. I would do it if it were me.

ITs probally not a major problem but you might see power/ MPG's gains fomr a better spark produced by the coil.

 

Could be the air bypass valve, may need to be clean or replaced. Do you know if your truck is a speed density one, meaning no air mass meter ??