Q–How many miles do you think I can get on my car? I am the only driver and I take very good care of it. I presently have 110,000 miles. Do you think that I can get 300,000 miles? I try to do a lot of freeway driving, and I really open her up.M.L., Lompoc, Calif.
A–If you take as good care as you say, your car may very well make it to 300,000 miles. But we have a hunch the engine may get a bit worn during that time. Gaskets can begin to fail. Seals may harden and leak. Other parts and components will wear, too. But if it is a good car, and you like it, you can give it a new lease on life later by having your engine rebuilt. It is much less expensive than a new car. If, on the other hand, you are driving an entry-level “econobox,” we would suggest replacing it before it wears out.
Q–I came home from work to find that my wife tried to change the spark plugs in my ’75 Ford truck with a 390-cubic inch engine. She did well with spark plugs, but I no longer have the firing order. I would be thankful if you could tell me this as I need to move my truck.T.S., Chicago
A–There was a time when we remembered all the V-8 firing orders–mainly because all GM and Chrysler vehicles used the same order, while all Fords used another. That has changed. Now, we rely on finding the firing order on the engine. The firing order for your Ford, for instance, is cast into the intake manifold. We think it is 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8.
It is also important to know which terminal on the distributor cap is No. 1, as well as the rotation of the distributor. Again, we think that the cap terminal is the one pointing toward the rear of the engine and that the rotation is counter-clockwise.
Q–After reading your column about starting problems (Motormouth, Sept. 21), I was reminded of a personal incident. After spending an hour with cables, a charger and some friendly help, I learned that the gearshift lever was in reverse. The engine starts only in park.E.E., Elmhurst
A–Your experience certainly validates our motto: “Save the simple stuff for first.” Whenever the engine fails to crank, especially if you hear nothing, check the transmission selector. Besides starting in park, it should start in neutral, in case your engine stalls, allowing you to coast until you get the engine going again. If the engine won’t start in park or neutral, the neutral safety switch may be bad. By the way, some vehicles with manual transmissions have a safety switch on the clutch, which must be fully depressed when turning the key.
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Bob Weber is an ASE-certified Master Automobile Technician, having recertified every five years since 1978. Address your technical questions about cars and trucks to him in care of Motormouth, 17717 Silcott Springs Rd., Purcellville, Va., 20132. Send e-mail, including name and town, to MotormouthTribune@netscape.net. Answers will be supplied only through the newspaper.
