Hey guys. Im having a very frustrating problem with my IDI. When I bought it, it ran fine. Started a bit hard after sitting for longer than a few days. Itd kinda choke and sputter, then catch up and run like a top. Now its to the point where if it sits for longer than a few hours it will crank, spit and sputter, die, crank, crank, crank, crank, crank, spit, sputter, sputter, sputter, die again, crank, crank, crank, spit, sputter, sputter, sputtttter then finally catch up and run. Not to mention that super attractive HUGE cloud of smoke. Hope you follow my description lol. And this seemed to happen within a weeks time and it just seems to get worse. This seems worse than a fuel return line but I could be wrong

 

I'd start by replacing the fuel return lines and o-rings. Sounds like air incursion so you gotta start there.

 

I think Iv found the majority of the problem! I had the hood poped the other day and noticed my fuel/water separator/filter was leaking at a rate of a drop every 4 seconds or so. Today, I decided its time to look into it (after filling up @ 11.5 mpgs to boot). I wiped everything down and looked to see exactly where it was coming from. Turns out a sensor on top of the filter base was leaking a good bit. So I tired to get it out nicely but it wasn't having it. I ended up chewing it up... I figured this sensor wasn't too important so I used a 3/4" freeze plug and some JB Weld and closed it up tight. I believe the sensor was a "Water in Fuel" sensor. Anyways, cleaned out the filter, put it all back together, fired it up, after spitting and spuddering from having some air in the lines, it took off. I took it down the road and HOLY COW! It felt like I had just put a programmer on this thing! It HAULS! (I may be exaggerating but its definitely got gobs more power)

Needless to say, Im a very happy man!!!

 

The water-in-fuel sensor is on the bottom of the filter. Up on top is the fuel heater, which is prone to leak via the o-rings:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ns-w-pics.html

However that doesn't usually leak so bad as to affect performance.

 

That's the one! It was leaking pretty good. I tried taking it out in one piece buuuut...

How important is it?

 

unless you live in alaska or siberia, leave it out.
the fuel heater has been disconnected on my 88 since it burned out back in 91 or 92.
i never had any problems without it, even at temps below -10 degrees.

 

I live in Texas so I replaced mine with a 1/2" brass pipe plug.