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1992 F-150 Serpentine Problems

dustybumpers

don't play well w others
Check codes before just throwing parts at It

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CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
................two new tires to the back (due for it) and move the rear tires to the front disposing of the worn pair there.

Best tires always belong in front and not the back; first reason being, these are the tires that are used when steering the vehicle. Add to the list of reasons, less probability of a blowout, in particular, at speed.
 

dustybumpers

don't play well w others
And steering on wet roads at high speed etc.agreed with Billy.
Dam. We on a roll

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CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
And steering on wet roads at high speed etc.agreed with Billy.
Dam. We on a roll

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Bingo. But at the end of the day, I'd bet a C-note as to what axle wears the new shoes. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink it.
 

Kaajot

Micro Machine Manager
Bingo. But at the end of the day, I'd bet a C-note as to what axle wears the new shoes. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink it.

This is news to me, and I again leaned on the mechanic to say things accurately that the best tires always go to the back.

A google search asking where the new tires should go states they should go to the back.



Sorry, just trying to figure this out.

The back tires are practically new, they've no wear n tear at all. The only thing different really is the age of 2 years, but the truck has traveled less than 12K very easy, low speed, etc miles due to the engine since the rear tires were purchased.

Honestly, I'm more than happy to have them go on the front given the tires in the back have virtually no visible wear n tear. Will save on rotating.

Is the Google answer thinking of front-wheel driving vs rear-wheel driving?

Fixed the belt. Mechanic was kind of wrong again, but they shimmed the tensioner and it does appear to have removed the angle I was telling him about for the last 6+ weeks. However, the tensioner itself stripped out. Warrantied it, put it back on, etc and have it going again. He tried to have me put a 1/2" shorter belt on (985K6 vs 990K6) but it didn't fit. But this was before I identified the tensioner wasn't just not having enough tension, but it was broken. New tensioner with old belt again keeps an appropriate spacing on the tensioner housing.

It's worth noting the 990K6 from Rock Auto does look a little stretched, but a new 985K6 still was too small. I have a spare 990K6 that appears a smidge less stretched than the old belt. There is less pressure at the power steering.

Of course, I mentioned I wanted to look for leaks and Keith (mechanic) said the whining is indigenous of all old Fords and asked me to look for bubbles in the power steering pump, but that was 10 minutes later since I had driven it 200 feet.

Kinda picking up the BS meter. Will do the testing on my own and figure out where the air leak is. I don't think bubbles in that fluid (it's not syrup) will stay 10 minutes after shut-off, nor would there be a large quantity after driving it for 60 seconds or less.

Thanks for all the help, yeah the pulley alignments look better now. There's a chance the PSP still needs a flush, but will look for the leak first.

Best thing is I removed the broken tensioner and put a new one on and appear to have not bungled it -- a little better on pulleys than 2013's 13K lb torquing of the serpentine belt off which is probably why my tensioner mount needs a shim now.

Wratchet strap wrenching a Serpentine Belt off seems dumb now, but that's what I did in 2013. I was mostly concerned with over-torquing the tensioner pulley on (switched to the ridged pulley). Tried finding a good source online, seemed to suggest 21-38 ft lbs.
 

Kaajot

Micro Machine Manager
Check codes before just throwing parts at It

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Of course!

No check engine light now, but will jumper and look after another 20 miles to see if anything is stored. Should be cleared with the battery having been disconnected for an extended period during alternator.

Is there a way to test the IAC on a 4.9 to get any indication it's working as intended or possibly not?
 
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dustybumpers

don't play well w others
Take it off, look inside see if it's carbonated up.
Check engine light will come on within 10 minutes of running if you have a hard code
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CowboyBilly9Mile

Charter Member
7,118
442
USA
This is news to me, and I again leaned on the mechanic to say things accurately that the best tires always go to the back.

A google search asking where the new tires should go states they should go to the back.

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf...hUKEwiI1Z_S8oHoAhXZgXIEHfd-AxwQ4dUDCAg&uact=5

Sorry, just trying to figure this out.

......

^^^ With all due regards, no big surprise. Internet is saturated with "the desired answer". +, hydroplaning on the front axle, where the steering and ~80% of the braking of a vehicle are done is wayyy over rated, best to run skins up there. ;)

----

Is the Google answer thinking of front-wheel driving vs rear-wheel driving?


Understanding how things work, being able to think it through and be decisive absolves the need to go online altogether. Like it used to be before the internet came to be.
 
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Kaajot

Micro Machine Manager
Take it off, look inside see if it's carbonated up.
Check engine light will come on within 10 minutes of running if you have a hard code
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Will take it off and look at it today. Thanks!

No check engine and got about 100 miles on it and 2+ hours of idle time. NO snapping of belt anymore since the tensioner was shimmed to correct the tilt I continued to point out. PSP does look a little off (deeper than rest of pulleys), but the belt is holding.
 

Kaajot

Micro Machine Manager
^^^ With all due regards, no big surprise. Internet is saturated with "the desired answer". +, hydroplaning on the front axle, where the steering and ~80% of the braking of a vehicle are done is wayyy over rated, best to run skins up there. ;)


Understanding how things work, being able to think it through and be decisive absolves the need to go online altogether. Like it used to be before the internet came to be.

Oh yeah, I normally fact check everything that sounds suspicious. Typically am fixing misnomers such as "Flint needs clean water." Yeah, that was corrected in 2017. The issues remaining are the after-effects from the folks that drank it, the kids that were born by mothers drinking it, etc having birth defects or latent health issues arising now. Yet you have celebrities in 2018 and 2019 spouting that Flint still doesn't have clean water.

Not to make this political, just an example.

Apologies, I wasn't sure what the first half of what you said means in the above quote.

IN my line of thinking, RWD needs good grip at the rear axle tires to get traction to move forward However, your obvious statement that being able to grab up front to steer is equally important, else you'll just go sideways or wherever the front is going if they're bald/slick with the rear adding force to a spin or slide.

Since I have brakes on the front and back, unsure which would take precedence if we're looking at brake factor on a tire.

Any clarity is good, but economically I'm happy to put the new tires on the front and save $20 on the extra remounting at Mavis.
 

primetime

sawmill slave
Glad you got the belt issue solved.

I`ll throw my two cents in on the tire thing. Keep in mind it`s worth what you paid. Generally the steer axle will wear the front tires the worst because of the scrubbing that occurs as the tires turn. That`s why we rotate. The exception being a truck that is always towing or loaded heavy. My buddy that makes a living with his two one ton trucks doing exactly that is a prime example. He wears the back tires faster.

If I`m only buying two tires I will put them on the steer axle. I can add weight to the bed, or my personal favorite, put it in 4x4 since I don`t buy 2wd trucks for winter daily use in northern Michigan.

However, for me this all changes on a fwd vehicle. Here`s why. Back in the early to mid 90`s an editor at Car and Driver got to participate in a skid pad test of a front drive car that had worn tires on the back and the front tires replaced with new. Before and after tests showed that new tires on the front only upset the balance of the car and let the tail end come out easier.

A few years later at the tender age of 18 I experienced this first hand. I was dating a young lady who had a Chevy Cavalier. It was winter, and it needed tires. I could only afford two, so they went on the front. And next thing you know the ass end was trying to swap with the front when you were pulling away from a stop sign while turning.

Like I said, just my two cents.
 

Kaajot

Micro Machine Manager
Glad you got the belt issue solved.

I`ll throw my two cents in on the tire thing. Keep in mind it`s worth what you paid. Generally the steer axle will wear the front tires the worst because of the scrubbing that occurs as the tires turn. That`s why we rotate. The exception being a truck that is always towing or loaded heavy. My buddy that makes a living with his two one ton trucks doing exactly that is a prime example. He wears the back tires faster.

If I`m only buying two tires I will put them on the steer axle. I can add weight to the bed, or my personal favorite, put it in 4x4 since I don`t buy 2wd trucks for winter daily use in northern Michigan.

However, for me this all changes on a fwd vehicle. Here`s why. Back in the early to mid 90`s an editor at Car and Driver got to participate in a skid pad test of a front drive car that had worn tires on the back and the front tires replaced with new. Before and after tests showed that new tires on the front only upset the balance of the car and let the tail end come out easier.

A few years later at the tender age of 18 I experienced this first hand. I was dating a young lady who had a Chevy Cavalier. It was winter, and it needed tires. I could only afford two, so they went on the front. And next thing you know the ass end was trying to swap with the front when you were pulling away from a stop sign while turning.

Like I said, just my two cents.

Thanks! This helps explain why Google is saying one thing (and the mechanic, ironically). I do tow and load heavy, but these tires are wore out in the front so it's the front that needs love. The back really look to be in excellent condition after only 3 years.

Funny, I've done a lot of high-speed driving with 2WD in northern Michigan, but I also learned at age 16 what it feels like to spin a FWD and RWD car out in blizzards, so adjusting driving style and methods and "flying by the seat of your pants" really does work to a certain extent. Never wiped out once since then (except when I was 17 and waving to the neighbor, promptly turning the wheel right into their driveway and a 4' high powder of fluff.
 

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