How to Install a Ford 4.9 Distributor
by Ashton DaigleThe Ford 4.9-liter engine was a six-cylinder engine first manufactured in 1966 for the F series of Ford pickup trucks. It was used in Ford trucks until 1996, when it was eventually phased out and replaced by a different size engine. The distributor on your 4.9-liter Ford engine is used direct a high-voltage electrical pulse from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the proper firing sequence.
Step 1
Open the hood of your Ford pickup and unbolt your negative battery cable's bolt with your socket set, then slip the cable off the negative post.
Step 2
Mark the spark plug wires (1 through 6, as the 4.9-liter engine was a "straight 6" style engine) in the order they run from the engine block to your distributor.
Step 3
Unplug the spark plug wires from your Ford's distributor. Also mark the position of the number one spark plug wire so that it matches up to the new rotor on your new distributor.
Step 4
Loosen the two screws that hold the old distributor in place on your engine. Pull the old distributor out. Set the new distributor into place, making sure to line up the number one plug wire to the marking you made earlier.
Step 5
Replace your spark plug wires, plugging them back into your distributor in the order you marked them in earlier. Also replace your engine's negative battery cable.
References
- "Ford Pickups and Bronco, 1973-1979 (Haynes Manuals)"; John Haynes; 1988
Things You'll Need
- Socket set
- Crayon or chalk
Writer Bio
Ashton Daigle, a New Orleans native, graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in 1998 and went straight to work as a journalist. In 2005 he tackled the biggest news story of his life - Hurricane Katrina. Daigle is writing a collection of essays: What It Means to be a Saints Fan.
