TECH TIP FOR MARCH, 1995

A FORD TECH BULLETIN DATED APRIL, 1994 INDICATES THAT ON BRONCO,E150 250, & F150 - 250, ENGINE MISS, SPARK KNOCK, SURGE ANDOTHER DRIVEABILITY COMPLAINTS CAN BE CAUSED BY INDUCTION CROSSFIRE. THIS CAN BE CAUSED BY IMPROPERLY ROUTED SPARK PLUG WIRES.

APPARENTLY IF SPARK PLUG &/OR WIRE REPLACEMENT IS PREFORMED, THEPROPER FIRING ORDER & PLUG WIRE ROUTING IS ESSENTIAL TO PREVENTTHE POSSIBILITY OF INDUCTION CROSSFIRE BETWEEN CYLINDERS. REFER TO THE FOLLOWING FOR PROPER FIRING ORDER & PARK PLUG WIRE ROUTING.

THE FIRING ORDER FOR 1987 - 93 VEHICLES IS 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8. IF #7& 8, OR # 2 & 4 PLUG WIRE ARE NEXT TO EACH OTHER AT THE SEPARATION BRACKET, AN INDUCTION CROSSFIRE CAN OCCUR.

THE FIRING ORDER FOR 1994 VEHICLES IS 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8. ON THESE VEHICLES WIRES # 1 & 3, OR 5 & 6 MUST BE SEPARATE TO PREVENT CROSSFIRE.

1987 - 1993 VEHICLES ROUTE THE SPARK PLUG WIRES AS SHOWN IN FIGURES 1 & 2.

1994 BRONCO & F SERIES REFER TO FIGURES 3 & 4.

1994 E SERIES ROUTING MUST BE AS SHOWN IN FIGURES 5 & 6.

EVER FIND THAT THE COMMON LEFT TURNING SPIRAL EASY-OUTS DON'T WORK WELL IN ALL INSTANCES, BECAUSE THEY EXPAND THE FASTENER BEFORE IT CAN TURN OUT? I THINK I'VE FOUND A GOOD ANSWER. GO TO ANY WHERE THAT SELLS CHEAP TOOLS AND BUY VARIOUS SIZES OF REPLACEMENT "TORX" BITS. DRILL AN APPROPRIATE SIZE HOLE IN THE FASTENER THE LENGTH OF THE FLUTED PORTION OF A BIT, AND TAP A BIT INTO THE HOLE. HEAT THE WORK AND USE A 1/4" DRIVE RATCHET & SOCKET OR WRENCH TO TURN THE FASTENER BACK & FORTH UNTIL IT COMES OUT. THE "TORX" BIT SEEMS TO CUT SLOTS FOR ITSELF WITHOUT EXPANDING THE FASTENER.

IN 1991 FORD INTRODUCED WHAT IS CALLED A "PMGR" ( PERMANENT MAGNET GEAR REDUCTION) STARTER. THESE STARTERS ARE SMALLER & LIGHTER BUT SEEM EVER BIT AS POWERFUL AS THE LARGER FIELD COIL VERSIONS. THERE HAS BEEN AN ON GOING PROBLEM OF NO STARTS WHERE REPLACING THE STARTER WILL CORRECT THE PROBLEM FOR A PERIOD OF TIME & THEN IT WILL RETURN. REBUILDERS ALL OVER & OF ALL SIZES HAVE TRIED (WITHOUT MUCH SUCCESS) TO FIND A CURE, BUT NOW FORD IN AN AUGUST 1994 TECH BULLETIN SAYS THAT THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY A CORRODED CONNECTOR AT THE AT THE SWITCH TERMINAL OF THE SOLENOID. MOVING THE WIRE WHILE CHANGING THE STARTER WILL MAKE THE PROBLEM GO AWAY FOR A WHILE, BUT IT WILL RETURN. THEY SUGGEST THAT THE CONNECTOR BE REPLACED WITH PART # F4VV-14A411-A, WITH AN APPLICATION OF DIELECTRIC GEL BEFORE INSTALLATION.

AN AUGUST 1993 CHEVROLET/GEO DEALER SERVICE BULLETIN INDICATES THAT ON 1993 CORSICA/BERETTA WITH A 3.1L ENGINE, A COMPLAINT OF GROWL/MOAN WITH THE A/C ON. OR A SQUEALING NOISE WITH THE A/C ON AND THE WHEELS AT FULL LOCK CAN BE CAUSED BY A "KELVAR" DRIVE DRIVE BELT. THESE BELTS WERE FACTORY INSTALLED FROM BUILD DATE PY149363 TO PY172538, AND COULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AS A SERVICE ITEM AFTERWARDS. THE KELVAR BELTS ARE SUBJECT TO LOAD RELATED RESONANCE, WHICH COULD BE THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE. REPLACE THE BELT WITH ITS POLYESTER REPLACEMENT (PART # 10492204) AND APPARENTLY A REVISED SPLASH SHIELD (PART # 22587195) SHOULD BE INSTALLED AT THE SAME TIME.