Hey all I got a question for you all about the firing order on my 1996 302 EFI - So I have been working on my truck for the past few months and and fired her up this afternoon for the first time in a few months - had the motor out to replace the oil pan and a cracked manifold and did a "few" upgrades in the process.

Anyways It stated up but was skipping really bad so I shut it down and we startd to look at things and I noticed the firing order I used and the one on the sticker on the radiator support are different - so I switched the firing order to the one on the sticker and fired it back up and she ran beautiful - so I'm thinking the one on the radiator support is the correct firing order but I checked both the Chilton and Motorcraft service manual and they are different then the sticker on the radiator support so what gives?

Here are the firing orders from both books for a 1996 5.0 Vin "N" 302:
1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8

Now here is the one from the sticker (and works):
1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8

Looking up the firing order on the sticker it's for a 5.8L 351 so says Chilton and the Motorcraft book - any ideas why the sticker on the truck and the books are different and anyone else run into this?

And the truck has a 302 and the VIN is "N".

Thanks,
Dave

 

Dont know why u have issues but at least you got it running. i dont understand how u have a 302 and w/ the incorrect firing order and it runs? what mods did u perform out of curiosity

 

Firing order is controlled by the camshaft grind.... So if engine has a different camshaft, firing order can change, also different years had different firing orders...

just depends on mfg of cam and model of cam... There are different schools of thought as to which order is best for a Windsor family engine...

 

All 302/5.0 motors built after 1994 use what is referred to as the 351/HO firing order... 13726548, and any publication that says otherwise is simply wrong.

 

Conanski - Thanks that makes sense then and matches the factory sticker on the radiator support which is what I ultimatly used. Just wish the books would note that somewhere.

Marios thanks that is the picture I was referring to and as Conanski pointed out it all makes sense now. Using the book it skipped with the 302 regular firing order. But using the firing order from the factory sticker on the radiator support it runs like it should. Never thought to see if the two matched - who would have thunk...

Thanks again.

As far as mod's just bolt on stuff - msd coil, new wires, msd cap (stock distributor), JBA shorty headers, Magnaflow y-pipe with high flow cats, and a Gibson cat back exhaust. I think that's it for engine mods.

 

sweet learned something new today

 

So, for my 93 Bronco 302 the firing order should be 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8, right? I checked and the only crossfire in this sequence could be in the 7-8 part.

 

Sound right to me

 

So on the subject of firing orders, I would like to know how a 351 swap in a pre 96 302 truck would work. They would have different firing orders. You would obviously have to put the plug wires on in the 351 firing order but how would the computer handle it?

 

With batch fired injectors the engine firing order doesn't matter.. all cylinders are covered in both cases and we know this because Ford wires the injectors the exact same way for both motors.

 

^^^ probably one of the many reasons why it is always advised to use the computer out of the donor.

 

Again I stand corrected, thank you conanski for your input. Learn somethin' new every day!

 

Conanski - any idea why they changed it?
And why the books are wrong?

 

What I have heard/read is the 351/HO firing order produces better harmonic balance. As for why the books are wrong.. who knows, most parts store don't have accurate info on these trucks either, but then Ford did make a lot of changes to many parts over the years.

 

Thanks. Just so I am clear I have an 89 F150 with the 302 and about 256,000 so the old dawg is pretty tired. As long as the plug wires are on the correct cylinders the 351 will work, right. The other question I have is if the motor I found will work. It is a 96 model 351W complete from intake to oil pan. I was just wondering if it will work with my EEC-IV computer cause it is a roller motor.