1997 Mountaineer 5.0 for Coil-near-plug swap
Posted: 2023 Feb 26, 22:19
About 3 years ago on my way to the big city to run errands, I suddenly noticed the check engine light blinking steadily. Then the truck just shut down. At first, I thought it was the electric fuel pump had failed. After towing it to the house and began to diagnose the problem, I determined it wasn't the fuel pump, but one of the two wasted spark coils had burnt up. On the bottom it had a crack across one of the two pair coils. I drove to the shop and picked up a pair that I had that was bolted to an 8 plug 1993 2300 4-cylinder engine. The coils have the same part numbers. I changed the plug wires to the new ones that had been needing to be changed. So far, each old plug was used up to the point that they measured about .140. I put in the 2nd new fuse that has to do with the PCM fuel pump etc. It started up and ran for about 20 seconds then I heard a loud pop. It burnt up a second coil and then a 3rd. As I was changing the rest of the spark plugs, I broke one of in the head. Including the hex part that the socket was on. After a failed attempt to remove I towed the Mountaineer to my shop where the real tools are. To make a long story short, between heating the area of the head around the spark plug hole and pounding a long 1/4" extension down into the spark plug, I put a ratchet on the extension and backed the rest of the plug out. I checked the new plugs and wires with my ohm meter, and they all checked out good. I installed another coil and within a few seconds, burnt it up. I rounded up two more, burnt them up and then ordered two cheapies, burnt them up too. I burnt up seven good coils. After much internet searching and not finding anyone who ever had been through the same thing that I had, I figured that I either had a burnt-up coil driver in the PCM or a PCM harness issue. I am still not sure. I don't have the PCM harness all the way removed yet, but I haven't found a visible problem with it. It sat in the penalty box for two years until last February before I decided to convert it to coil-near-plug using the Holley Terminator X system. Now I have shifted away from the Holley plan and use a 1999 to 2004 Crown Vic Harness and the 2003-2004 PCM per recommendation From Michael P.
One thing that always has bugged me about this truck is an FL1A filter will not fit it, and it had a pass thru cooler thing that I wanted to remove. So, I purchased a block/filter adaptor, 3/4-16 I think, that fits an FL1A filter. I also bought an oil filter relocation kit.
More pictures later when I find them...
Greg in north Alabama
I originally purchased some Holley Smart coil brackets for a Chevy and I had planned to flip the over to work better with FoMoCo's angled plugs. I will sell these and have me some brackets made for some 7.3 Ford coils. Thanks, Stephen, for the info.
Knowing that I would need some extra space between the Upper intake plenum and the valve covers for the coils, I purchased a 1" spacer made out of Delrin. I have only used phenolic in the past so this will be an experimental piece. Aluminum would be great and I'm pretty sure ones are being made from aluminum but I'm going to give this a try. It came with the necessary longer bolts and gaskets.
I have bought several maintenance parts to replace while I'm doing the conversion. New water pump, timing chain and gears. Fel-Pro gaskets etc.One thing that always has bugged me about this truck is an FL1A filter will not fit it, and it had a pass thru cooler thing that I wanted to remove. So, I purchased a block/filter adaptor, 3/4-16 I think, that fits an FL1A filter. I also bought an oil filter relocation kit.
More pictures later when I find them...
Greg in north Alabama