'89 F-150 question for you Ford guys.... (engine dies)

[rangerfredbob]

I know some of the F150s with California emissions had crankshaft position sensors back to early 80s on 302 engines. I thought they expanded that in the late 80s to the 300 6s. I must be mistaken. Thanks for clarifying.

Honestly I don't know a whole lot about the full size stuff, more into the Rangers but things cross over and over 20 years on Ranger forums you glean things... I could be wrong about the crank sensor thing but even in Rangers the first engine to get a crank sensor was the 2.3L in '89 but it also lost the distributor at the same time and gained a second set of spark plugs, the 4L that followed in mid '90 had one too with the coil pack instead of a distributor... The 2.3L didn't gain a cam sensor until '94 in CA models only I think similar for the 4L... I know my '00 Explorer 5L has a crank and cam sensor with coil packs instead of a distributor but that's about all I know for the V8 changes...

 

[Big'un]

I'm told it's 1989 F-150, early adoption of the fuel injection and maybe smog stuff. Has two fuel tanks, gas engine, straight 6 but I have no idea of engine size, if there were different engines.

My wife's cousin next door, bought this several years ago to be a farm truck. (go get diesel, mulch...) He had driven it a couple times and (ironically???) at the same location in town (happens to be at a stop light at the bottom of a tall hill) so at this same location, it simply died three different times. I don't know that it died anywhere else or not.

He said it's got something like 70K miles and when running, runs like a top. Interior is supposed to be in fantastic condition (for a 1989)

He's taken it to a shop, my understanding is he's replaced, distributor cap & button, fuel pump, fuel transfer pump (he listed a couple other items, I don't remember) Point being he's dumped 1-2 thousand into it to "fix" it yet, problem persists.

I asked if it dies like someone turning the key off or if it maybe sputtered a bit. He said like the key being turned off.....it shut down "right now".

So my speculation is he might have a short somewhere. NO clue if I'm even in the ballpark but dying "right now" verses sputtering suggests to me it's more electrical related than fuel delivery.

That's 99% of what I recall him telling me. Oh, he said these were "known" for having this kind of issue (if so, then I'd imagine the fix is also widely known.....but, I digress)

Any ideas of where to start looking?

Would this year even have (not sure what it's called) but a computer port for diagnostics??

I appreciate any thoughts.

The 89 Ford with dual tanks had an idiotic tank switch operated set up. When you flipped the switch on the dash you energized the pump on the other tank and also switched the fuel level gauge. The fuel pressure from the tank you switched to moved a "Shuttle Valve" to switch tanks. They are noted for getting gummed up, some particles stopping them from switching, and when the switch we opted for the next tank, it would pump fluid into the then empty tank. If you switched from a 3/4 full tank to the full next tank, you could end up having gasoline coming out of the what was 3/4 full tank. As I said, "Idiot System" that they quickly went away from.

 

[Richard]

The 89 Ford with dual tanks had an idiotic tank switch operated set up. When you flipped the switch on the dash you energized the pump on the other tank and also switched the fuel level gauge. The fuel pressure from the tank you switched to moved a "Shuttle Valve" to switch tanks. They are noted for getting gummed up, some particles stopping them from switching, and when the switch we opted for the next tank, it would pump fluid into the then empty tank. If you switched from a 3/4 full tank to the full next tank, you could end up having gasoline coming out of the what was 3/4 full tank. As I said, "Idiot System" that they quickly went away from.

First, welcome to the forum!

Second, if this turns out to be our issue, do you know of a 'fix' for it or do you live with it or just avoid the second tank?

I've not heard anything yet from wife's cousin with regard does it happen on tank one, tank two or changing between.

 

[not2old]

I have a 1989, 1990 and a 1991. The two 460's have the ignition module mounted on the fender and the 302 has it on the distributor, I think. The motor would just die for no apparent reason and start again nearly right away. This carried on until it became frequently and then I'd swap a module from one of the other trucks to check for the problem. I've replaced at least three or four in the last 35 years.