My 1994 Ford F-150 wouldn't start today and I know the ignition cylinder is wore out.

[scootro]

1994 Ford F-150 lightning.

My truck wouldn't start today and I know the ignition cylinder is wore out. Sometimes you can start it without the key. Today I turned the key and it wouldn't start but the fuel pump kicked on and all dash lights came on and also I have brand battery.

Would you think that's my problem???





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[scootro]

it was strange the key did everything but start my truck. i gave up and after an hour i went back to the garage an tried it again it started just fine

[scootro]

maybe even the neutral safety switch

[shumpertdavid]

It could be the electrical ignition switch, starter relay (solenoid on passenger inner fender), or the starter motor itself. It would require further testing when it doesn't start to properly diagnose.

There are other possibilities as well, but those 3 would be the more common of the problems, solenoid or starter being the more common over the ignition switch in my experience.

As far as the ignition tumbler is concerned, it takes about 10 seconds to replace one in that truck.

[Rick Modena]

In my sons 95 Ford F-150 Lightning, we changed all three of those things and in the end it turned out to be the Halls Effect Switch in the distributor, it was only a few more dollars to buy the entire dizzy than to try and replace the HES in the dizzy. You have to take it out anyway and to R&R the dizzy was quicker and it was old anyway and there are a few extra things in their that could stop working so I just replaced the entire thing.
It's a common problem on F-150's, but replacing the those three things needed to be done anyway as they were falling apart, especially the key switch and ignition switch...

[scootro]

thanks for the help!

[Rick Modena]

Also, if you do wind up getting a new dizzy, the Lightning has a specific one for it, it has to do with the roller cam in these trucks. Iirc, it has the steel gear instead of the brass gear. Though it could be reversed, but make sure you specify 351 'R' code.

[scootro]

never mind i fixed it. i was in panicked mode but i figured it out. ignition switch and lock cylinder

[svauto-erotic855]

In my sons 95 Ford F-150 Lightning, we changed all three of those things and in the end it turned out to be the Halls Effect Switch in the distributor, it was only a few more dollars to buy the entire dizzy than to try and replace the HES in the dizzy. You have to take it out anyway and to R&R the dizzy was quicker and it was old anyway and there are a few extra things in their that could stop working so I just replaced the entire thing.
It's a common problem on F-150's, but replacing the those three things needed to be done anyway as they were falling apart, especially the key switch and ignition switch...

If you have the distributor mounted TFI module replace it anytime you replace the Hall effect switch.

Thexton has a tool to pull the distributor gear that makes swapping the pickup a 35 minute job in total.

[GeorgeG.]

[QUOTE=Rick Modena;1707081]Also, if you do wind up getting a new dizzy, the Lightning has a specific one for it, it has to do with the roller cam in these trucks. Iirc, it has the steel gear instead of the brass gear. Though it could be reversed, but make sure you specify 351 'R' code.[/QUOTE

IIRC, 94's didn't have roller cams. The later blocks were roller cam ready but was still flat tappet.

[Rick Modena]

[quote=GeorgeG.;1707353]

Also, if you do wind up getting a new dizzy, the Lightning has a specific one for it, it has to do with the roller cam in these trucks. Iirc, it has the steel gear instead of the brass gear. Though it could be reversed, but make sure you specify 351 'R' code.[/QUOTE

IIRC, 94's didn't have roller cams. The later blocks were roller cam ready but was still flat tappet.

Maybe its for heavy duty use, but the Lightnings use a steel gear in their dizzys compared to regular 351's that use a brass gear...

[svauto-erotic855]

[quote=Rick Modena;1707379]

Maybe its for heavy duty use, but the Lightnings use a steel gear in their dizzys compared to regular 351's that use a brass gear...

Regular cams use an iron gear. Brass gears have an incredibly short life span and are not suitable for day-to-day use. Roller cams on the other hand have to be made out of special steel to withstand the bearing on the surface of the lobe. This special steel will eat an iron gear in a very short amount of time so you have to use a steel gear that is compatible with the material that the camshaft is made out of.

[Broncojohnny]

Brass and bronze gears will last in a sbf as long as you get oil to them correctly. But really there is no reason to use them.

[svauto-erotic855]

Brass and bronze gears will last in a sbf as long as you get oil to them correctly. But really there is no reason to use them.

You are dead wrong on the first part; try it and see.

Even with oil plumbed to spray directly onto the gear they still have a short life span. I have even tried getting the gear coated with a low friction moly coating and it still wears out. It doesn't cause much of a problem given how little a car requiring a bronze gear typically gets driven.

You are 100 percent correct on the 2nd part.

[Broncojohnny]

You are dead wrong on the first part; try it and see.

Even with oil plumbed to spray directly onto the gear they still have a short life span. I have even tried getting the gear coated with a low friction moly coating and it still wears out. It doesn't cause much of a problem given how little a car requiring a bronze gear typically gets driven.

You are 100 percent correct on the 2nd part.

Then you are doing something wrong with the install