How to Connect the Distributor Cap on a Ford F-150

When replacing spark plugs, wires or the cap and rotor on a Ford F-150, always label the wires and mark the cap so you know how to connect the cap. If you connect the wires in the wrong order the vehicle may run rough, but in most cases, it won't start at all. Many times, if you purchased a used vehicle, there is a good probability that the previous owner or his mechanic may have changed the firing order to make the vehicle run. In cases such as this, it is imperative that you mark the plug wires and cap or remove the wires one by one when working with the ignition system. In 2000, Ford made only two vehicles that were not distributor-less, according to AutoZone.

Instructions

1

Note that the Ford 5.8-liter engine plugs are numbered from one through eight, starting on the passenger side. The passenger side is numbered "1-2-3-4" and the driver side numbering starts at the front of the engine: "5-6-7-8".

2

Press the wire on the first plug on the passenger side, which is the Number One plug. The Number One terminal on the distributor cap is at the one o'clock position on the cap. Press the wire onto the Number One terminal.

3

Work your way up the passenger bank, the next plug is Number Two, then Number Three. Press the wires onto all the plugs. Locate the next wire in the firing order, the Number Three wire, which is the third wire toward the rear of the engine on the passenger side. Press that wire onto the Number Three terminal, which is, working counterclockwise on the distributor cap, next to the Number One terminal, at the 12 o'clock position.

4

Continue working with the wires in the correct firing order and in a counterclockwise direction on the cap. The firing order is "1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8". The third plug wire is the Number Seven wire, which is the third wire from the front on the driver side. The second wire is the second one back from the front on the passenger side. Continue snapping the plug wires onto the distributor cap following the firing order and spark plug numbering conventions.