86 f150 wants to die

its my dads work truck he drives it everywhere and all the time. it has a 302 with 150,000 miles on it. just last week (wednesday i think) he was driving home and it was wanting to die on him. 2 weeks before that i pulled the plugs cleaned them and changed the cap and rotor. friday it died on him. he told me that when he tried to start it it did nothing. his friend put a charger on it waited a few min tried to start it and it cranked but did not start after a few more trys it finally started. when he got home i tested the battery and it read good/charged. i looked at the cap and rotor it had the normal wear on it so its not that. i havent looked at the plugs yet but i plan on doing that either today or tomorrow. he seems to think that its his ac pump dying and putting "drag" on the motor as he says. i told him maybe but unlikely if it was dying it would just rob power from the motor and not cause it to die correct? unless its locking up some how. only a few things come to mind that would cause his truck from wanting to die...

1. spark plugs
2. solenoid
3. plug wires
4. alternator
5. battery

any other ideas???


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If the battery went dead for no reason then I would check the alternator, it maybe on it`s way out, and anytime in a computerized vehicle, if it don`t get all the voltage it requires it won`t run right.

check the timing chain,put the pulley on tdc and see where the distributor rotor is,but be aware,it will be on tdc twice on each rotation

Doc here,

Sounds to me like the Didja Spark (Dura Spark) module is heating up and failing..test or replace..

Check the magnetic or optic pickup sensor also , it may be on it's way out or have intermittent connections..

Not a Ford guy..but that's my nickels worth.

Doc

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Possible fuel pump failure as well.

Sometimes they will fail and once they set for a few they will work again.

Ayuh,.........

How long has it been since the Fuel Filter has been changed,..??......

ok im not a ford guy at all. would i find all of what your talking about in the hayenes repair manual??? i need to get one anyway ive torn off the top end with out it 2 times already i think its time for me to buy it lol



we just had the fuel pumps changed not long ago i dont know if they did the fuel filters ill ask my dad.

Doc here,

It'll be in Chilton's or Haynes...

Looks like this:



Wires about like this:



The Mag or optic sensor is inside the Distributor.

Doc

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I think that should be an EECIV system. Best thing is to start with a self test
http://fordfuelinjection.com/?p=13
Do some looking around that site,lots of good info there.

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im gonna look over everything that i can and that i understand. i think could it be a short in the wiring cause this problem??? i ask this because for a few months now the windows work intermittently. my dad messed with them for a bit the day it died on him on top of my cleaning the cap and rotor along with testing the alt and battery. it runs perfect now no problem. so could it by any chance be caused by a wire short for the power windows causing a power drain???