Truck:
1985 F150 XLT Lariat
Carburated 351W
4spd manual
4x4
135xxx miles never been overhauled
spark plugs and wires replaced about 1000 miles ago
ignition coil replaced today

It all started a while ago on the highway. Someone was playing a nice little trick on me and emptied all the oil from my oil pan. Not noticing this or the big puddle on the ground i drove my truck home, while on the highway i was wondering why it was so sluggish, got it up to about 65 or so, then it started slowly decelerating while i had it floored. i took an offramp and when i layed in the clutch the RPMs went down like they normally do, but instead of idling at 600 or so, it shut off, i had no power steering and with some trouble, got it to the side of the road. I opened up the hood and saw white smoke coming from the oil filler cap on top of the right cylinder head. so i took it off and got more white smoke, it wasn't pouring out, but it was enough to concern me. After a couple of tries i got it started up again and got it home. That night i flushed all of the fluids and filled em all up. The next day the truck ran like a king, got her up to 95 without a problem in the world, acceleration was great, no white smoke. All was good. Till after school when i took it on the highway again. It ran quick again, but then on an offramp did the same thing. It started up right away, but shut off on me twice more on the way home.

after that it was doing fine on highway and regular road for a while. Then i took it offroading...

Had alot of fun, but after that, it had trouble starting up, when i did get it started up, i got it home, but it was shutting off when RPMs go down again. There was a loud clacking/slapping sound, as if a header was very loose, i loosened all the bolts on the headers and re-tightened them. the sound was still there, it was slow enough that i could immitate it with my hands by clapping, it immediately made me think that a lifter was very very loose, it sounded like it was coming from the drivers side (5-8 cylinders) so i took off the cylinder head cover, nothing looked wrong. of course without a compression test i can't know that for sure.

After that, it wouldn't start up at all, it cranked, but didn't start, i charged up the battery in case it just wasn't cranking fast enough, but cranking at full speed it wouldn't start up. A neighbor came over and we looked over all the electrical and didn't find anything wrong. We took off the cable from the distrubutor to the ignition coil and checked for a spark, we got nothing, he stuck a screw driver in it and then touched the ignition coil and it started up, but then he let it go and it died again, we couldn't get it to start up again the same way. we stuck a spark plug in the number 1 spark plug wire and i cranked it and we didn't see any spark. Today i replaced the ignition coil. but it still just cranked and didn't start, i checked, and when the gas pedal is pressed down i am getting gas, i can smell it. i tried wide open choke, partially closed, and closed, got nothing.

Now it gets me to thinking maybe it's the EEC that is making it not start up, but i don't know where that is on my truck, and i don't know what to do to test it, i have a list of the codes, but i don't know where to even start when it comes to the eec.

...help

so basically...
What is making it not start?
What's that darn clapping?
Where's my truck's EEC and how do i test it?

/rant off

 

The damage has been done, pull the engine. The lack of lubrication has galled and spun the bearings and damaged god knows what else in there. A good boneyard engine will be cheaper than a rebuild - assuming that yours can even be rebuilt.

 

agreed, that engine might be done...good luck

 

But why would it run so well the next day and for the next couple weeks until I took it offroading?

 

Pure luck.

That's death.

 

Metal shavings worked there way around and all. I had a dodge that happened to but I was able not drive it far when it lost oil pressure. Get a junkyard 351 there are thousands of good ones out there.

 

Well ****...
I'll take it to the mechanic to make sure
if you guys are right I'mma start parting it out, it's body is too rusty to put a new engine in it, and the 4x4 is worth more than what i bought it for...

7.3 turbo diesel here i come!

 

cant go wrong with the 7.3

 

hmmm, wires were open that were coming off the ignition coil, i replaced the coil itself, then found the problem, some black electrical tape fixed that up and now it starts up without a problem, runs too. Doesn't sound too healthy though.

I had a buddy come over who's a mechanic and he told me the loud clapping was from very loose lifters, he then showed me by getting some socket extensions and attaching all of them together and touching the valve cover where the individual cylinders where, number 5 noticably vibrated alot more than the others. Also, when the engine is warmed up and is revved to a high RPM oil spills out of the oil filler cap, it looks like I put way too much oil in there and it's overflowing, but i know that's not the case. he said the reason that happens is because of the loose lifter/s and the little puffs of white smoke coming from the cap when it is off is the oil burning on top or right inside the valve cover. He also said I could get new lifters and replace them myself. I know I can, but I haven't been able to contact him since then, and I have no idea what kind of lifters to get, hydraulic? roller? flat tappet? What's the difference and which ones do I most likely have?

again, 85 f150 351w

So you guys think he is right about everything?
and what kind of lifters do I need?

 

I think you are wasting your time - I still think that engine needs a complete rebuild or replacement.