5.4 Liter Ford Coil Over Plug(s) installation

The 5.4 Triton V8 Delimma

I recently encountered a problem with my 2000 Ford Expedition running sluggish and misfiring. I tried the typical troubleshooting techniques:

1. Installed Sea Foam into gas tank.
2. Replaced Mass Air Flow Sensor.
3. Replaced PCV valve.
4. Checked for leaks in rubber hoses and rubber elbows.
5. Spark plugs had been replaced 12 months ago.
6. Idle Air Control Valve replaced 7 months ago (failed).
7. Be sure to purge gas line pressure and disconnect the battery.

After trying all these fixes, the problem remained. Then I found a forum where they talked about the coil over plugs and there seemed to be people experiencing the same conditions. I looked at auto zone for pricing on these coils and the cost was about $45 per coil. Having to replace all 8 coils would have been an expensive endeavor, especially if that did not cure my problem.

So I went to Rock Auto website, I found the same part for about $28 per coil, but again I am on a tight budget since I had already spent a few hundred already and had no real resolve with the problem.

Last resort, I went to ebay and found a dealer by the name of onlinewholesaleparts and found a complete set of coils for the low price of $79.50 with free shipping. I ordered the parts with the hopes that these would be a quality part (or at least fair quality). When the box arrived a few days later, each coil was boxed (sets of 2) and bubble wrap on them (maybe not the best for electro-static purposes). I decided it was now or never and went ahead with the removal and install.

After about 2-hours, the job was completed. Now for the final test... I started the engine and oops, when I reinstalled the fuel rail I didn't notice the rubber O-ring for the fuel injector had fallen off. Needless to say the engine did not run.

After fixing the O-ring, I fired up the engine and to my suprise the engine purred just like a kitten, in-fact it ran better than when I had bought it 6 years ealier.

I used the Ford F150 Lincoln Ford Grand Marquis Coil part number DG508. 

Tools used:
Step Ladder (2000 Ford Expedition)
7, 8, 9, and10 millimeter sockets (from memory)
1/4" or 1/2 Ratchet and extension
Careful precision as to not drop the coil screws into the valley pan area

No, I do not receive any commission or reinbursment for the referral but perhaps you can fix your problem while saving some bucks. When you find something that works and is cheap, I feel a civic duty to pass along the information.



You can find the seller here:
http://stores.ebay.com/onlinewholesaleparts

LG 900G phone review

LG 900G Phone Review

Pros:


The phone has many features for the price. I enjoy using the MP3 player and FM radio function. A pair of ear buds (not supplied) acts as the FM reception antenna when plugged into the earphone jack. Yes, this phone uses the 1/8” jack for the earphones.

The menu is easy to navigate and apps were available for download for this model. The phone does have a facebook application built-in although I do not make use of this feature.

Cons:

The phone's internal memory is not large enough to support or open major internet sites (i.e. You Tube), and videos can become out of sync and choppy. However, adding an SD micro memory card (supports up to 4GB) should be enough to support your music and picture files.

The ringtones were not that appealing but the end-user does have the capability to download personalized ringtones. I also wished the internet browser button wasn’t as easy to hit when unlocking the phone.

Conclusion:

I have been a NET 10 user since December of 2009 and texts are only 0.25 minutes per sent and received message.

Overall for the price this phone is loaded with features and I am well pleased with my purchase. Sure it isn’t the latest and greatest smart phone but has enough bang-for-the-buck to put a smile on your face while keeping the budget intact.

Price: $29.99 (typical)



Rating 3.8 of 5 Stars



Specifications:

Cellular

• Technology GSM

• Phone Design Candy bar

• Vibrating Alert Yes

• Polyphonic Ringer Yes

• Call Timer Yes

• Conference Call Capability Yes

• Voice Recorder Yes

• Speakerphone Yes

• Wireless Interface Bluetooth

• Additional Features World clock, Multitasking

• Phonebook Up to 1,000 entries



Messaging & Data Services

• GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Yes

• EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates For Global Evolution) Yes

• Internet Browser

• 1GB built-in memory For storing photos, songs and more. Media slot supports Secure Digital cards up to 4GB.

• Customizable polyphonic ringtones Allow you to personalize the sound of your phone.

Digital Camera

• Camera highlights With a resolution of 2 megapixels, this model will give you higher quality pictures than other phones.

• Sensor Resolution 2 megapixels

• Features Video recording



Organizer

• Alarm Clock Yes

• Calendar Yes

• Reminder Yes

• Conversion Currency, Metric

• Additional Timer Functions Stopwatch


Display

• Type LCD display

• Color Support Color

• Multi-language Menu Yes

• Display Languages English, Spanish

Digital Player (Recorder)

• Supported Digital Audio Standards MP3

• FM Radio


Connections

• Connector Type 1 x USB


Power

• Type Power adapter


Battery

• Standby Time Up to 16 days

• Talk Time Up to 6 hours

• Battery Type Lithium-ion

Para Dynamics PDC 550 SWR Watt Meter

The original Para Dynamics company from Scottsdale Arizona designed a small three window RF power meter back in the 1970's named the PDC 550. This meter was much smaller than the PDC 600 meter and utilized smaller meter movements. The Power was limited to 1000 Watts at 27 MHz and had three selectable ranges; 10,100, and 1000 Watts. What was unique about the Para Dynamics lineup was the ability to measure and view SWR, Wattmeter, and Modulation simultaneously.

The frequency range was limited to the 11 meter (27 MHz) CB band. It could be possible to utilize this unit for the Amateur Radio 10 Meter band, but due to the design of the coupler the insertion loss fell off below the 27 MHz range, although I have heard of successful users in the 12 and 15 meter bands. According to the PDC 550/600 manual it states that this unit is capable of usage up to 220MHz. I have not verified this claim, and I have not measured the insertion loss at this frequency; however, the original PDC from Scottsdale Arizona states it is capable.

See PDC 550 manual Click here:


For information on the Valor PDC 600 Click here:

Para Dynamics PDC 30 CB Antenna Matcher

The PDC 30 was assembled in the USA by Para Dynamics. The Tuner used compression style capacitors and had aluminum knobs. The Aluminum knobs made it a choir to tune due to the added capacitance of your fingers. None the less the tuner worked well to bring down the SWR to acceptable levels..

You could mount the tuner either mobile or in the shack with the four screw holes. Black powder coat finish with a silk screened label front. You could reverse the connections to obtain a better SWR reading. The power rating was 250 watts and the frequency range was 25-30MHz.

Para Dynamics PDC 5 Antenna Matcher

PDC 5 Matcher

The Para Dynamics PDC 5 was basically a tuner and SWR and wattmeter. The Tuner section consisted of a tune and load capacitor (mylar). There was a switch to take the tuner out of the circuit. Power rating was 100 watts PEP. Three wattage settings of 1,10,100. SWR had a slider to set the full scale (bottom knob).

The unit seemed to be capable of tuning a load of 3:1 down to a respectable SWR of 1.5 or less. The 100 watt rating was PEP and I would not run more than that due to the small compression style capacitors and the possibility of arcing. 

I assembled an insertion loss chart below. The PDC 5 was calibrated for 27MHz and the range could be set for 14-28MHz with low insertion loss but it would have to be calibrated for that frequency to be accurate due to the omission of a directional coupler.

Insertion Loss Chart

Frequency in MHz	Loss in -dB
1.8	-.15
3.5	-.10
7.1	-.06
14.3	-.02
21.0	-.01
24.0	-.02
28.0	-.05
30.0	-.05
54.0	-.13
146.0	-.64
225.0	-1.2