sdmartin65

Thread Op your 96 model year truck is like a unicorn in the obs Ford trucks. The obd2 system it has is desired by all of us that have the obd1 and also different in many ways. The crankshaft position sensor does help to control ignition timing and fuel settings. A bad one would explain the fireball. If it's gone bad you will need a new one for the truck to run properly and I know it's not expensive. A decent scanner might allow you to view it operating in real time.

sdmartin65

Rock Auto has Motorcraft for $32 or Standard for $18.

SavaG35

There is a lot of information here and I will gladly take it all into consideration but at this point I am not trying to be a perfect formatted forum poster or a diagnostic shop tech, I will start with the p0320 code, that is the one I would like to chase. I can look around for an exhaust to pull off a parts truck but I don't want to clog it up with this rich condition. Surely its obvious I am not a shop tech, I don't have tests to run to see what failed and if the new part fails the same test, that is why I am on an internet thread. The code said p0320: Ignition/Distributor Engine Speed Input Circuit which many other sites claim leads to the PIP so I replaced it with a motorcraft from ford. I did not test anything, I do not know what to test or how thats why I am here. The code came back after replacing the PIP, so I want to know what else to check, what tests to do I am aware of the misfire sensor which I thought was a CKP sensor too at first but I got the impression that didn't affect a 320. So I assume that means I should try and follow the ignition diagnostic procedure you have linked. I also want to know if I need to look at the timing chain position or harmonic balancer position, I have heard these shift but I don't know how to determine if one has. Side question, I did the whole pulling plug 1, finding compression stroke and TDC with a straw in the hole (the piston was at the top when the balancer read 10 atdc) then set the balancer to 10btdc when I stabbed the distributor, is that the correct number or should I stab at TDC?


EDIT: PIP signal to ICM was between 5-7v at idle.

Steve83

There is no CPS, and the misfire sensor has NOTHING to do with fuel or ignition.Then be prepared for US not to give perfect posts, either.Then why are you trying to technically diagnose your truck's problems? If you don't want to be a tech, find one & pay him to fix your truck.Running rich doesn't clog up the cats - it burns them out.Then don't replace anything. If you're going to guess, you might as well guess that the whole truck has failed, and replace it with a new one from Ford.If you read my first reply, you'd know what test & how.Obviously - that's why I posted it.It's all covered in that diagnostic procedure & the rest of that caption.Then it has slipped.0° (TDC)


(phone app link)

sdmartin65

Try a google search of "Ford po320" , the result from troublecodes.net is helpful. Also remember the po320 code is also used for 97 and up fords many of which have no distributor. The 96 is rare in that it has a distributor and crank sensor, 95 and older trucks function very differently.
Good luck.

SavaG35

I don't have any of the tools that are mentioned or understanding of what things are in that page that steve83 has linked so unless anybody wants to take the time to write it out in home mechanic terms Ill have to take the truck somewhere to get the p0320 fixed. Thanks for all the help guys, just running out of time.

Steve83

I already did.Exhaust putty is cheap, and doesn't require any special tools or skills. Just read the package.

SavaG35

By home mechanic terms I mean I don't know what "J22" means or any of the letters and numbers that are in that format, I don't know what an "e-core" is, I don't know what "diagnostic harness TFI module tee" is, I don't know what a breakout box is, nor do I own one. I do not know what "dwell" is. I am working on reading about these to understand but I do not have much free time. Thank you, you have provided the full technical info, the issues lies in that I do not have the full technical knowledge. I am not expecting you to teach me these things, I only mean if someone had the time to explain them I would use that to read about instead of googling.
Its basically you know what you are doing, I don't. If this forum was not meant for beginners then excuse my presence.
Also there are no mufflers, it is literally 2 pipes from the manifolds to the tips, the leak is just a hole where the 2 were connected back by the transfer case.
This was straight forward, I have access to the information, the problem only lies with my lack of understanding.

Steve83

Haynes explains a LOT of what you need to know. I knew NOTHING, and had no Google, discussion forums, or internet; and I learned how to rebuild my first car's engine & keep it running just from the Haynes manual. Same when I rewired my Bronco for EFI (which all the pros I asked said was impossible) - just Haynes.Without more context, I can only guess that it's a reference to a terminal location on the breakout box.A method of constructing an ignition coil in which sheet steel pieces shaped like "E" are layered & interleaved to create the Iron core for the copper windings.They're special diagnostic wiring harnesses built to make circuit testing easier for dealership technicians. The breakout box plugs in between the EEC & the truck harness to "break out" a bunch of test terminals on the face of a box for probing with a meter. But all those tests can be done directly (carefully) on the truck's harness.The time (or crank/cam/distributor angle) that the ignition coil has current passing through it, building up the magnetic field which will eventually collapse & generate the high voltage for the spark.Beginners are its only real purpose. And it's rare for pros to participate in forums like this, but I'm NOT the only one.That's important info that should be in your signature. I haven't read back to put everything else you've said into that context, but I suspect it has a LOT to do with your truck's symptoms & fault codes. This diagram explains how the exhaust system (forward of the muffler) is designed to work:


(phone app link)

SavaG35

Steve, I did some more digging, and had a shop with the computer check the ignition system over, they told me they had it narrowed down to ICM or my distributor shaft has too much play, they suggested changing the distributor either way due to how bad it was and if that does not fix then do the ICM. I read your link and the ICM I will need is the CCD one, the motorcraft part number listed for that is DY679 or according to rockauto the equivalent is DY1077, only when I search for parts on Ford or amazon and those sites are claiming that is not a fit for my truck. Even rockauto does not show that DY679 would fit. The part number Ford and rockauto give me is DY1075. Can you clarify this?