Iam in Hot Springs Ar......with a a badly missing 460....My scanner shows nothing .....Iam looking for recommendations for a shop to scan my engine beside Riser ford....I cannot leave my MH a few days while they mess with it....ANYBODY...?

Before you spend money getting scans, maybe a bit of old-fashioned trouble shooting would help. The 460 is notorious for high under-hood temperatures which fry the plug wires. New plug wires would be my first recommendation, along with a replacement distributor cap and rotor arm. Maybe new spark plugs would also help. I've heard tales from friends at Ford that the exhaust manifolds can glow bright red (around 1800 degrees F) when climbing grades at low speeds on wide throttle openings.I had an '85 Class C with that POS engine, with enough smog gear to run a cruise ship. It's best used as a boat anchor! I was never so happy to sell a vehicle as that one, despite taking a major bath. We could get temps on the passenger side of the insulated doghouse high enough to melt DW's tennis shoe soles.I can't believe Ford got away with selling such a dangerous vehicle.

What year is your Ford?Have you checked it with a scanner? Many auto parts stores have a a scanner, and will allow you to use it in the parking lot for free..If the anti-ping sensor is not working correctly, it can cause the engine to retard timing, making it a lame engine. Can you smell the exhaust? You should not be smelling any unburned gasoline in it. (don't suck up to much exhaust). If it smells basically clean, you can say it is. Does the engine consume oil between changes? How many miles between adding a quart of oil? My 75 F-350 with 460 engine used a quart about every 1,000 miles. Once I rebuilt it, it used a little less. My 97 F-53 with 460" engine used less than 1 quart on a 5,500 mile trip around the country.After rebuilding my 460 in the 75 truck, I replaced the distributor and it made a LOT more power. Like night and day, it would spin the tires with the camper on board.Newer models have electronic controls that control the ignition timing, and have a anti-ping control, that will retard timing and enrichen the fuel mixture if it detects pinging from low quality fuels and low octane fuel. This leads to both poor mileage and reducedpower. Try a 1/2 tank of 92 octane fuel in the RV(it will only cost about $2 more than regular gas) and might improve things if you have fuel injection. With a carburator (87 and earlier) you might not see a change at all.If one cylinder is not getting spark, or is mis-firing, you can improve this by replacing the rotor, cap, and spark plug wires. It will only cost about $30 or less. If your O2 sensor is more than 10 years old, replace that too. It is about $75, but can cause a engine to not work properly. Fred.

Popeye, If we're having to guess, start by putting a fuel pressure gauge on the fuel rail. The pressures should be about 38# at idle and 42-44# at idle with the vacuum hose removed from the fuel pressure regulator. If that proves positive, then a pressure test while driving at wide open throttle is in order. That should be no less than 38#. I think you should be able to buy a fuel pressure tester for about 50 bucks at an auto parts store. If low fuel pressure then you could have a restricted fuel filter or a bad fuel pump. If the fuel pressures are ok, I suggest you test each plug wire for continuity. Approximately 1000 ohms per foot is normal. What you don't want is a plug wire that shows NO continuity. Beyond those tests, you will probably want to leave it to the professionals.The plug wires on my 95 Bounder 460 lasted 18 years and 120,000 miles, so I suspect we are not victims of excessive under the dog house temperatures.Richard

Thank you guys....I have driven 650 miles......ran perfect/solid...first tank 200 miles, was solid 7 MPG....after that missing started...IT was HOT and under hood temps were astronomical...in the last 6 months I have had a new ford improved pump installed , filter....I built a dual exhaust system,new ford 02 sensor, cap,rotor ford coil, ford racing 8MM wires, exhaust manifolds correct plugs,belts, fluids etc.....my scanner shows nothing, no lights, starts good runs good till hot....Has a MAJOR primary miss like a bad switch or major wire short....super surging...checked battery seen nothing...cleaned grounds.... Iam going to get tomorrow fuel pressure gage, another coil, and fuel pressure regulator. I cannot leave this MH at a dealer overnight ....its all we have lol and will not stay in a motel. thanks for all suggestions.

lame 460 /F53 | Good Sam Community

95 Replies

popeye766
Explorer
Sep 28, 2013
OK cdl2..follow along....maybe be will get this thing fixed.....
cdl2
Explorer
Sep 28, 2013
I know nothing about the 460, & I have one.
So I'm following this thread.
Good luck Popeye!!!!
popeye766
Explorer
Sep 28, 2013
Can anyone tell me where the TFI is located on F53/460....It is not on the distributer....I cannot find anything that looks like a normal TFI anywhere....
popeye766
Explorer
Sep 28, 2013
Hello Terry...Yes I checked pressure....30 at idle 40 with vac line pulled....I replaced the fuel pressure reg.....I assumed the coolant sensor would do both ....I can replace the items you mentioned...you are very informed...thank you...
spcorvette
Explorer
Sep 28, 2013
Your temp gauge is totally separate from the EFI system. EFI reads the temp to the PCM from the ECT sensor. Dash reads it from the Temperature Sender. When your dash gauge acts up, have you checked to see what the actual temp is?

I am still betting on the TFI module. This controls your entire ignition system. If the TFI is deteriorated internally, it will act up when it gets warm.
The only other part in the system is the pickup coil in the distributor. This sends the signal to the PCM to control the fuel injectors and the TFI. All of the ignition inputs from the distributor go through the TFI. The older EFI systems are very simple compared to the new systems.
Contaminated fuel would act up all the time. Unless you are loosing fuel pressure when it gets warm, I doubt it is fuel. These old systems will run at 32 psi. If you pull the vacuum line off the regulator, it should go up to 40psi.

Terry
popeye766
Explorer
Sep 28, 2013
yes Bob...I ran the onan all the way.......Iam now convinced it is a sensor in the efi system.....my scanner didn't pick any thing up...I need an EXPERIENCED EFI tech with a good scanner....I think there is an association with my problem of severe miss and my erratic temp gage operation......maybe a CTS short /failure........problem is Iam not sure I can get into hot springs, and if the Gov shuts down we all have to move...
Went to a shop today that told me no problem.... to take a look .... they can fix it...Hell Ive never seen a shop in such a mess or 'Mechanics' look more worthless in my life. Ill never let those clowns touch my RV.
anyway that's where Iam at now......still in limbo.
BobR
Explorer
Sep 27, 2013
Have you run the generator? If you ran the genny for 1/2 hour and it is OK that would eliminate fuel contamination as a possible cause.
spcorvette
Explorer
Sep 27, 2013
Have you put a TFI module on it?
They are known for breaking down under heat. I would change it.

Terry
popeye766
Explorer
Sep 27, 2013
filter yes 650 miles ago but still could be. kinda like water in fuel.....
2bzy2c
Explorer II
Sep 26, 2013
Sounds like a fuel filter to me. Did you change that? Cheap fix.

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lame 460 /F53

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