WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[HrdAngln]

I removed the rodent nest in the air cleaner housing, cleaned it up, replaced the paper gasket and air filter. I refurbished the coolant/washer reservoir with a thorough cleaning, new washer pump, and replaced the washer hose with holes in it. I also changed the diff oil and engine oil.

I'm having some engine misfires so I'm going after ignition by replacing plugs and wires. I'm investigating the coil and distributor as all my ignition stuff looks really old, worn and wires frayed. Any suggestions for parts replacement upgrades for 400M ignition?

THANKS

[ArdWrknTrk]

I removed the rodent nest in the air cleaner housing, cleaned it up, replaced the paper gasket and air filter. I refurbished the coolant/washer reservoir with a thorough cleaning, new washer pump, and replaced the washer hose with holes in it. I also changed the diff oil and engine oil.

I'm having some engine misfires so I'm going after ignition by replacing plugs and wires. I'm investigating the coil and distributor as all my ignition stuff looks really old, worn and wires frayed. Any suggestions for parts replacement upgrades for 400M ignition?

THANKS

Are you keeping DuraSpark II?

The 335 & 385 series engines share distributors, coils, water pumps and starters.

[HrdAngln]

Are you keeping DuraSpark II?

The 335 & 385 series engines share distributors, coils, water pumps and starters.

Regarding the Duraspark, at this point I'm leaning towards keeping things mostly stock till I have stable performance so I can more easily diagnose, but then again I also like the idea of taking advantage of upgrades that have obvious improvement. I'm completely new to the old ford stuff, however as my only prior project car was an old diesel Land Rover defender that I went over from top to bottom for about 8 years.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Regarding the Duraspark, at this point I'm leaning towards keeping things mostly stock till I have stable performance so I can more easily diagnose, but then again I also like the idea of taking advantage of upgrades that have obvious improvement. I'm completely new to the old ford stuff, however as my only prior project car was an old diesel Land Rover defender that I went over from top to bottom for about 8 years.

Well, being diesel you haven't had to deal with spark ignition, only injector timing.

I would humbly suggest that if you're keeping it under 6,000 rpm's there is no need for an 'upgrade'.

Motorcraft (OEM) parts are good. (Mostly,... some have had issue with the modules)

Personally I'm a fan of NAPA/Echlin and Standard Motor Products Blue-Streak series.

And I like NGK V-power spark plugs.

I can tell you to avoid platinum plugs from any manufacturer or anything with more than one ground electrode.

Do you want just the "tune up" or are you looking to replace the whole ignition so you have a baseline.

Let's see how others weigh in

[grumpin]

Well, being diesel you haven't had to deal with spark ignition, only injector timing.

I would humbly suggest that if you're keeping it under 6,000 rpm's there is no need for an 'upgrade'.

Motorcraft (OEM) parts are good. (Mostly,... some have had issue with the modules)

Personally I'm a fan of NAPA/Echlin and Standard Motor Products Blue-Streak series.

And I like NGK V-power spark plugs.

I can tell you to avoid platinum plugs from any manufacturer or anything with more than one ground electrode.

Do you want just the "tune up" or are you looking to replace the whole ignition so you have a baseline.

Let's see how others weigh in

^ X2

[HrdAngln]

Well, being diesel you haven't had to deal with spark ignition, only injector timing.

I would humbly suggest that if you're keeping it under 6,000 rpm's there is no need for an 'upgrade'.

Motorcraft (OEM) parts are good. (Mostly,... some have had issue with the modules)

Personally I'm a fan of NAPA/Echlin and Standard Motor Products Blue-Streak series.

And I like NGK V-power spark plugs.

I can tell you to avoid platinum plugs from any manufacturer or anything with more than one ground electrode.

Do you want just the "tune up" or are you looking to replace the whole ignition so you have a baseline.

Let's see how others weigh in

Thanks. I'll take upgrade not needed advice. I'm doing a tune up (rotor, distributor, plug and wires) + replacing the old Coil, cracked coil socket, and the ignition control unit which is heavily corroded.

I've got the plugs in but just saw the note about "not platinum". The plugs I just put in are Bosch platinum. How big of a deal is that? I'd prefer not to pull them as a few were a pain to get in. And they likely won't take them back and they cost a few bucks. So will platinum cause serious issues?

[HrdAngln]

Thanks. I'll take upgrade not needed advice. I'm doing a tune up (rotor, distributor, plug and wires) + replacing the old Coil, cracked coil socket, and the ignition control unit which is heavily corroded.

I've got the plugs in but just saw the note about "not platinum". The plugs I just put in are Bosch platinum. How big of a deal is that? I'd prefer not to pull them as a few were a pain to get in. And they likely won't take them back and they cost a few bucks. So will platinum cause serious issues?

my bad they are not platinum but iridium.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Thanks. I'll take upgrade not needed advice. I'm doing a tune up (rotor, distributor, plug and wires) + replacing the old Coil, cracked coil socket, and the ignition control unit which is heavily corroded.

I've got the plugs in but just saw the note about "not platinum". The plugs I just put in are Bosch platinum. How big of a deal is that? I'd prefer not to pull them as a few were a pain to get in. And they likely won't take them back and they cost a few bucks. So will platinum cause serious issues?

I'm using the SMP #FD-476 ignition coil and the Echlin TP-40 module.

They have been working fine for me for almost a decade.

NAPA/Belden cap, rotor and their Premium Plus plug wires.

I don't think it is the plating, I think it is the tiny electrode of the platinum group plugs that doesn't seem to work well in these engines.

Member Bill Vose ran a tune-up shop and has better insight than me.

Others here and on FTE will say the same about the -Bosch platinum- especially.

But I don't know. I stick with what works best for me.

And so far that is NGK V-power (UR-4, in my 460)

[ArdWrknTrk]

Thanks. I'll take upgrade not needed advice. I'm doing a tune up (rotor, distributor, plug and wires) + replacing the old Coil, cracked coil socket, and the ignition control unit which is heavily corroded.

You're replacing the distributor, or just the cap?

If you're going there, I'd say you have an entirely new ignition (as you've changed out the ignition pickup in doing so)

[Frank Wyatt]

Thanks. I'll take upgrade not needed advice. I'm doing a tune up (rotor, distributor, plug and wires) + replacing the old Coil, cracked coil socket, and the ignition control unit which is heavily corroded.

You're replacing the distributor, or just the cap?

If you're going there, I'd say you have an entirely new ignition (as you've changed out the ignition pickup in doing so)

My only deviation from stock, and in a way it still is stock, is running plugs for the '96 4.9, BSF44c Motorcraft plugs in my 1981 F150 300/4.9 ci engine. I know mine is a different engine but my point is in running the stock type plugs for your engine. What I run was stock for the last year my engine was offered by Ford and must have been an improvement in the eyes of the engineers at Ford, and I would trust Ford over the after market advertising. I tried the fine wire Bosch platinum back in 1996 in a 1979 Couger XR7 with a 302. The manager at Autozone talked me in to trying them and I agreed as long as I could return them if I wasn't satisfied with their performance. After I put them in, it had a misfire at idle that was not there previously and although I could not feel it going down the road, it just did not seem to run as well as it did before. I put the old plugs back in, which turned out to be in very good condition, and my smooth idle returned as well as better on road driveability. I then returned them to the parts store and they reurned my money. Your engine may re-act differently but I won't run the fine wire platinum. Now my 5.0 in my 1990 Lincoln I am running the Motorcraft platinum due to the longer use-ability that platinum plugs deliver because of the passenger side plugs being so difficult to replace for me. The Motorcraft's seem to perform pretty well in that engine, which it is the TFI ignition so it's not really an apples to apples comparison though.