Yeah...our cat doesn't have any fuel lines either.

 

Yes I often remove the filter when having trouble starting it. Any ideas where I can get that nice big blue one that will fit it that I see in pics of others ford online sixes?

 

A stock one would have to come from the junkyard or one of the parts houses like LMC or Dennis Carpenter.

 

What you are describing sounds exactly what I was chasing for a few weeks. I thought it was a bad coil but it was actually the wire running to the coil. It's resisted, if spelled it right, and well mine was bad. I bypassed the coil wire with a relay. Perhaps...

 

Hmm many young guys don't really know how to go about starting these old classics.

For cold morning starts 2-3 pumps on the gas pedal while pulling the choke out to about 3/4 of the way out. Then leave your foot on the gas pedal pushing about 1/4-1/3 down while cranking engine. An only apply gas if needed to keep engine running.

Most chokes are setup to close all the way that cuts off all air needed to start the engine. If this is being done then the carb sucking an over amount of gas to start the engine that will easily flood the spark plugs making them to gas wet to fire.

By waiting 15-20 minutes choke off with gas pedal held to the floor will mostly get the engine to start up.

Todays gas will leave the Exh. pipe sooty inside. For an over rich engine condition look at the trucks exhaust for Black sooty looking smoke exiting the tail pipe.

Other thing that is over looks by home do it yourselfers is they never think to check the distributors vacuum advance. When these go had they suck air that causes a some what rough idle that causes the engine to run lean. And Looking at your picture I see what's looks to be the old original type. So may be have this checked and functioning correctly.

I see none of the smog stuff being used as it's left open on the rear valve cover. This may need to be filtered as not to suck dust in the engine.

Orich

 

I will definitely try using the choke next time. I used to use it every time to start it. Then I got the carb rebuilt and for some reason, using the choke in the morning (and pumping the pedal etc) stopped working as a means to start the vehicle...

Very interesting about the soot in the tailpipe and today's gas thank you.

Will have the vacuum advance checked as well. And for clarification im not trying to undergo a do it yourself approach (though I do love learning about all of this a lot and hope to gain some experience through this process!) I would gladly take it to a mechanic but every mechanic I take it to charges an arm and a leg, replaces some part, and then returns the car only to have problems a day or two later. If anyone here has any mechanic recommendations in Los Angeles please let me know. In the meantime I'm taking it back to the carb guy for adjustments and im going to do my best to check out myself all of your guys recommendations that you have been kind enough to offer to me.

 

Ok so I went to try the choke again and I had spoken too soon when I said the butterfly was going from fully open to closed. I had done that check in the past but maybe it was before carb was rebuilt a few months back. It seems the butterfly movement was very restricted. say from 100% open to 95% open. I tried to find why it wouldn't open. The best I could tell was a screw that was blocking the movement off piece of metal that moved when the choke moved. Looking into the engine the screw was on the right side of the carb. I turned this 3 full rotations counter clockwise. The obstruction became removed and the choke butterfly was able to fully open and shut. Then I was able (tho still with some difficulty, but I didn't need to jump the car) to start the car. I looked up the manual for my carb which is a carter rbs. It says the screw I adjusted is the "fast idle speed adjustment screw". This is in contrast to the "idle speed adjustment" screw on the other side of the carb. When I turned the screw to unblock the movement of the choke there was no perceivable difference in the idling of the truck other than the choke being able to move freely. When I adjust the"idle speed adjustment" screw on the other side though it does affect the speed at which the truck idles, but this was not the screw that was blocking movement.

Anyone know the function of the screw that I adjusted that freed up the choke butterfly??? Can upload pics too if that will help

 

The screw you adjusted is the "fast idle screw" just like the name implies, it increases idle speed when the choke is applied. That "piece of metal" is a cam action to the throttle butterfly's.

For your purposes, it is not needed right now. Once you get the starting/ running problem figures out, you can adjust it back properly.

Also, you do not need a choke to start the engine. My truck ran for YEARS without any kind of choke. It just makes cold starts a little more difficult.

 

so what's the difference b/w the "fast idle screw" and the "idle speed screw" that's located on the other side of the carb?

 

Ok so in terms of the gas tank that won't fill up, I check a couple of the fuel lines.
I checked the supply line to the fuel pump. This was flowing fine.

I looked with a flashlight down the tube where the gas goes when you remove the gas cap and pump it at the gas station. I didn't see any obstructions.

I couldn't remove the very large tube running from the metal tube I just mentioned and leading to the gas tank. It was quite large and I couldn't figure out how to get it loose. Here's a pic of that one with the red oval around it.


Then I checked the small tube that is coming out of the fuel tank and leading to the engine. This one was flowing freely as well. Here's a pic with a green oval on the tube I checked.

With this info, any ideas as to what could be not allowing me to pump gas without it overflowing?
Unless of course the gas tank is just full and when my truck "acts like it's out of gas" it's actually something else causing this.

Is there any way to verify the tank is full without a gas gauge?

Or maybe next time my car "acts like it's out of gas" I should check the fuel line at the gas pump to see if fuel is flowing?

 

I answered that in my last post.

I suggest you buy this book and read it. It will answer a lot of your questions and give you a basic knowledge of what you are dealing with.
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item...d=231459032876

 

Awesome! Thanks for the link. Will this guide though help me with my vehicle even though it's not a pickup truck?
It's an old postal van 1971 Ford with an inline six. Here's a pic

 

The body information will be different obviously, but the drivetrain info should be the same.

Even what isn't in the book, you will gain knowledge and understanding of basic mechanics. That you will use to inquire to and figure out other systems.

 

With gas gauge not working. I've used a both rubber hose and a stick as like in dip stick.

Did this on an old Model A Ford, I once had. and any other vehicle when gas gauge was not working yrs ago.

Orich

 

I don't know about your truck. But on a pickup, it's very easy to test the gauge. Since the tank is right behind the seat. Just ground the wire and the gauge should swing up to full.

Same thing on your truck, only you have to get to the topside of wherever the gas tank is.