Is it possible that the noise and poor running are separate problems? Do they always/only happen at the same time?

When it makes this nocking noise are you in 4 wheel drive or 2 wheel? If the clunking noise happens in 4 wheel drive with the light going on and off I will bet you have a vacuum operated front axle and that is your noise.

Since you have the wires go ahead and replace them but here is a check for bad wires. With the truck running at night in a very dark place pop the hood. Look at the spark plug wires to check for arcing. Misting the area around the wires slightly with a spray bottle filled with water will accentuate the arcing if needed.

 

crazzywolfie<----Cool man I'll rip that box outta there and put some new wires and plugs in. I sure hope that's all it is. I pulled a plug out (the #3) and it didn't look terrible like some of the pics in the back of the haynes manuals, but they need replacing. Also the wires don't seem obviously bad from looking at them and I didn't notice any sparking or anything in the dark but they do feel kinda flimsy compared to my new ones. By the way the day it finally quit starting my dad said he let it warm up for like 20 minutes and when he gave it some gas it shut off on him....the worst part about all this is he lives about 20 minutes away and we have conflicting work schedules so it's killing me to not be able to do all this maintanence it needs right now

 

SEAL<---The noise happens always from the minute I start it, I guess I don't know if I should call it poor running I just say that cos of the noise, and I can kinda feel it on the floor. I haven't really used the 4X4 since we got it running so I'm not sure about that part, but what I can tell you is that before it died the noise was happening while in park, in regular drive, and in 4X4. Since it's been running after that, I'm hearing it mostly while idling and it kinda gets drowned out when driving. I guess the reason I heard it driving in 4X4 when it died was cos I was going slow, like 15mph maybe. Oh and I'll give the wires another check before I replace them with the misting. Furthermore, I'm gonna see what I can do about recording the noise and try to post a link on here or something for it.

 

Is it physically possible to push a new rotor down too far? Or will it only go down so much no matter what unless you broke something. I had to use a bit of force to get the new one on, I guess I'm paranoid now that I shoved it down so far that it's not touching the button on the cap.

 

a rotor only goes down so far. i think it is hard to break one. if you broke it you would be able to see it

 

My rotor has always been a b-itch to get on and off. I always thought it was just the way my truck is because most rotors in most engines aren't that hard. I actually broke a cap and rotor the first time I changed mine because I never had to force a rotor on before and I didn't get it down far enough. Does everyone have this problem or is it just certain years on the 318? My dad had an earlier 318 and it wasn't like this.

You got me on the noise though. I can't think of anything that sounds like a sneaker in a dryer at idle and in park that wouldn't get worse with increased RPMs. I will be very interested to know if or when you figure it out.

Mine started that kind of noise with the 4x4 light flashing off and on about 2 weeks ago while plowing snow up one of our many hills under heavy load. I immediately suspected the vacuum motor which after testing held vacuum. I then ran a new vacuum line from the manifold vacuum tree to the engagement side of the vacuum motor. The problem went away and has stayed away. Since then I have tested the vacuum lines and the transfer case vacuum switch and all is well with them. What ever the part inside the transfer case is that actuates the vacuum switch, it is not doing its job. I have rerouted the vacuum lines form the vacuum motor and a vacuum line from the engine into the cab so that I can now engage/disengage the front axle by plugging in the proper vacuum motor line as a temporary fix until I can solve this problem permanently.

 

Yea my rotor was definitely a pain to get on and off. Odd thing is is that the old rotor we just replaced was easy to take on and off. Then the new one had to be shoved on there. I actually ended up replacing the hall effect after the new rotor was put on and I had to crack it with a hammer in order to remove it. Also We put the new wires and plugs in. The car still misses, you can feel it in the steering wheel and the seat. The noise seems to be a little bit more quiet, but still there lighter. However the noise definitely goes away when I'm driving for sure. I think I only heard it in 4X4 the time it broke down cos it was significantly louder and I was going way slow. I'm glad that you know first had what happens to me with the 4X4 engaged light (not glad that it's happening, haha). I'm a rookie still when it comes to working on trucks but do I have this vacuum motor stuff for my 4X4 too, and how can I tell? And what can I do as a permanent fix? One last thing: We put it in 4X4 earlier today to tear around through the field behind his house and noticed a burning smell (like a crayon or plastic) that we only smelled when In 4X4. Does this sound like something to do with that vacuum stuff with the pulsing light? He had smelled it before and when the headlight switch got replaced the wires in some part of that were melted which we assumed was the smell. The headlight switch still acts up with the buzzer going on and off so now I don't know if the smell has to do with 4X4 being engaged or more problems with the light switch. But like I said we only smelled it in 4X4 so We'll have to check the switch out too. By the way do you have any pictures of what you did with your vacuum lines? It sounds kinda complicated to me, I don't know much vacuum hoses and stuff, just that they make my car run like crap if disconnected.

 

I took a look at the VIN number and the year number denotes an 88 (which it's supposed to be) but the engine number says it has the EFI 318 V8, but the Only EFI 318 indicated in the haynes manual says that that engine was started in the 89's. What's up with that? Could it have been built late in the year and they started putting the EFI in the 'later' 88's? The VIN on the door and dash are the same. I havent looked at the number on the engine.

 

TBI is the specific type of EFI and was used from 1988-1992. 1992-1993 the MPFI was used on 1st GENs. (1992 was the transition year where both were used)

Sorry no pictures on the vacuum problem. Look in your Hayne's manual driveline section for an exploded view of a 44-8fd front axle. This is the one with the shift motor and the only axle to have vacuum lines that go to it. On the truck if you have it the shift motor should be on top of the axle tube down at the drivers feet. If you have it let me know and I can teach you how to trouble shoot it as I have not found any written trouble shooting info out there for it.

 

Cool I should know by thursday night if not sooner