What dist cap did you put on there?? Wasn't from autozone by any chance was it? (Theirs suck.....)

 

No, I think it was Oreilly's. I seldom walk into an Autozone any more, won't buy anything from them except cleaning supplies and oil when it's on sale. I can try a cap and rotor from NAPA though.

Here's what I found from the ignition control section of the FSM:

OPERATION - V-6/V-8
The ignition system is controlled by the Powertrain
Control Module (PCM) on all engines.
The ignition system consists of:
- Spark Plugs
- Ignition Coil
- Secondary Ignition Cables
- Distributor (contains rotor and camshaft position
sensor)
- Powertrain Control Module (PCM)
- Also to be considered part of the ignition system
are certain inputs from the Crankshaft Position,
Camshaft Position, Throttle Position and MAP Sensors

Guess I should start by diagnosing these parts first.

 

HeyYou, you might have hit on something with the cap and rotor.

Looking at the cylinders that were misfiring above, that seems to be in a general semicircle firing order on the far back side of the cap. It's possible the cap is slightly warped or the rotor is malformed to be slightly offcenter, causing wonky firing at times.

I'll start there.

 

Going to let the engine cool and replace the cap and rotor. I'll check the distributor shaft too and see of it has any play in it. That might cause a loss of spark.

 

How hot is Texas today aim? It's about 90º here and that's enough to make me not want to work on a vehicle.
I wonder what the condition of your camshaft position sensor is and if it can be tested. Mine threw a code when it went bad but I've heard that they can go bad without throwing a code. The truck acted completely retarded when it went bad with dieing, bucking and acting like it was losing spark intermittently.
I guess I should have said that I wonder if you may have pinched the wire for that sensor.

 

Dang aim, you never cease to amaze me. Your always on top of it. Anyways, back to the topic at hand...

 

first things first - not a single part will last forever - so at some point something goes -
how do you use her? work or fun? 108k on a '01 after 10 yrs - this is not a work vehicle but transportation is my guess
can you drop the $ to keep her for a lot less than buying new or newer used ...? usually always the case...
seems pretty simple... but at some point used cars become headaches - welcome for some not so with those that "I have no patience for that kind of work, nor the time right now" - which is your stated disposition.

guessing pig is reference to hog - as in gas hog..
or_"dump this pig." - not the mechanical analysis
12- 18 mpg for this is by no means great but how much more can you drive before you pay off the new ticket? (break even point - or just 'dump this pig." - bc you care about saving gas and do not care about pay back period...)
if you need a truck - rebuilt it a nd keep her for the haul use - but then by a new or newer used that is not "a pig"

good luck..

 

The pig is paid for and will be driven until:

A) gas gets to $8 per gallon, which is the break even point on it's gas consumption vs. a new car payment on a vehicle that gets around 30-35 mpgs.

B) it breaks mechanically enough to cost the down payment of a new vehicle.

C) it gets totaled.

D) I get pissed enough at it to drive it into a lake.

 

Is it time for the sequel, Aim?

"The Dodge Strikes Back?"... lemme get my popcorn..

 

somewhat seriously....

you had the issue, you swapped the coil and the issue went away..

it returned..

are you certain the two issues are related? They may both be centric to fire, but since you eliminated the MSD all together, and still have a cylinder misfire happening, are you absolutely positive it is ignition related?

from silly to uh-oh:

plugs?
wires?
cap/rotor button?
relays/fuses?

plugs?
grounds?
corrosion/breaks/shorts?

dizzy tolerances?
CPS?
CKPS?

and there is always the maybe of fuel delivery not allowing the cylinders to fire..

pressure?
fouled pump?
injector harness?

and then to the almighty Uh-Oh-
PCM?


you've got a grip on the workings of these trucks MUCH better than I do.. I guess what I'm trying to do here is list out how I would go about t/s'n it, and to see if I'm of course in the case that I would encounter it.. I'm attempting to hone my t/s'n skills here in other words..

so, me being selfish and exploiting your troubles as I am- is this something like what you would do to narrow it down?