1987 f350 starting problem

brucef250 · Jan 5, 2010

i have a 1987 f350 with a 460...carb .. had some trouble for over a year..it would start and run fine then all at once start running bad and shut off.. it would restart but it would take a few minutes...over the last year we have replaced the fuel pump.coil.distrbutor.igniton module.fuel filter.plugs and wires.solinoied today it did it and would not restart..towed it to my mechnic.. he started checking things , we had fire and fuel..but no start..he ran a jumper wire from the hot side of the battery to the hot side of the coil and it started ..we took the wire off and it still starts...he said he has no idea whats going on . so i need help. this is my work truck and i need it to be reliable... so any help would be appericated...sorry for the long post ...thank you bruce

krafty · Jan 6, 2010

have you checked your grounds for your ignition system, have there been any other electrical gremlins that have been occurring around the same time that the engine dies? once you do get it going, try this, poke prod, grab, wiggle and gently pull wires(ie coil wires, and ground straps) and see is there is any change caused by it. (this is a real test) if you do see something happen then you can narrow it down to have wired caused the affect, then try to determine the source of the problem. if the power to the coil made it start then I would track down and inspect every part of the circuits for the coil, starting with multi meter voltage tests when it is refusing to start.

hope this helps.

lostin90s · Jan 6, 2010

krafty said:
have you checked your grounds for your ignition system, have there been any other electrical gremlins that have been occurring around the same time that the engine dies? once you do get it going, try this, poke prod, grab, wiggle and gently pull wires(ie coil wires, and ground straps) and see is there is any change caused by it. (this is a real test) if you do see something happen then you can narrow it down to have wired caused the affect, then try to determine the source of the problem. if the power to the coil made it start then I would track down and inspect every part of the circuits for the coil, starting with multi meter voltage tests when it is refusing to start.

hope this helps.

The man could be right. Start checking conections ,grounds, My newer 92 would crank no start or just be dead in water . Founf coroded harness connections cleaned them and had few issues after that.