Hello fellow ford friends, my 16 year old boy, has a 64 F100, 292 motor, 4 on the floor, 12 volt-generator. I put new intake gaskets on it due to a bad vacuum leak, we put a new intake gasket set on, dry no gasket sealer, started it up, it was running ruff, we herd a loud squealing noise coming from under the intake, we retightened the intake bolts, and it went away, and started running nice and smooth. We gave each other a high five and then jumped in the truck to test drive it. We started off in 2nd gear, at the top of 2nd gear the truck started to buck and jerk, almost like it was not getting enough gas. geared into 3rd, same thing worse. Put it in neutral
revved it....no miss...fine? Put her back in gear, started jerking and bucking...1/2 way around the block, it stopped doing it, running good, then started doing it again? After getting home i checked the gas flow coming up from the fuel pump it was good, I have (semi-new plug wires) on it, about 3 months old...checked all the coil wires, they were tight. Put new carb gaskets on it. The motor runs great at an idle. I need some advice badly. Could it be the coil? I do not know how to test that? One thing I have not replaced since we bought the truck is the points, cap and condenser. Just weird that it is doing this since we changed the intake gaskets. He just got his license and the kid is chopping at the bite to go and drive somewhere! Thanks any and all advice welcome.

 

Mine acted the same when my condenser was failing. May want to check the points as well. A carb. rebuild would be a good thing as well. Pretty easy to do and about $30 for parts at NAPA.

 

Lean condition?

 

Mine does that too (1963 223) but warms up and is fine. I will be watching this thread to see what is offered!

 

Would be a good idea to reset idle, and idle mixture screws especially after cleaning up any vacuum leaks. Best check would be see how many inches vacuum is being pulled with gauge. Set idle mixture for max vacuum, and use it for setting ignition timing too. Best cheap diagnostic tool ever.

 

Don't really think it's necessary to call us names, either btw.

 

Hi guys thanks for the tips, I did everything you said and a little more and now she runs down the road nice and smooth and starts real nice
! I'm still not sure what it was but i replaced the points, condenser, cap, and a new coil....i also put a ballast resistor in line between the ignition and the positive side of the coil since the new coil I got had a warning sticker on the side to run a exterior ballast resister. Setting the points was a (pain in rear) since the distributor is in the very back of the motor, dropped the screws half a dozen times but i finally got it. My kid was very excited, drove the old truck to a party, turned it off, got back in later, turned the key to start it and the whole key switch fell out and apart all over the floorboard, springs, backing plate, and all! Never seen that one! I had to tow it home, I put a new key switch in and she is running good again....I told him, thats an old car for ya kid, get used to it!
Thanks guys for your advice.
Steve

 

Hey Steve, how about some pictures of the truck? We like pictures. hint hint

 

Glad to hear you got her running good again. Your ignition wire "should" have a resistor integrated in the wire already unless someone traded it out for standard wire. You may want to check your current voltage to the coil to verify. I believe that it should be in the 6-9 volt range after start up.

 

My 66 300 straight 6 did same exact thing (bucking, jerking and dying). I posted here and got a bunch of ideas. Did all of them (carb, fuel pump, points, plugs etc.,) and then did the one thing (and cheapest) that wasn't mentioned until this thread. Bad condenser. Fixed it immediately!

 

Well I got the 64 to stop bucking and jerking, new points, condenser, coil, cap, intake gaskets, new ballast resister,....but now the dam thing is very hard to start if at all? It was running great, but lately sometimes it starts right up, and other times nothing? Last time it would not start i checked the points and no spark...I reset them and wham started right up? my kid drove the truck for a day...all was good, goes to start it this morning...nothing? I added a new ballast resistor between the ignition and plus side of the coil, I am wondering if the points do not have enough spark now? Hmmmm back to the drawing board. Any advice from you Ford boys would be appreciated!
Thanks Steve

 

The wiring harness already has a resistance wire, unless it has been removed there's no need for a ballast. May want to think about a Pertronix unit to replace the points and condenser if kids are involved.

 

Once you put a Pertronix kit in you'll be surprised at the ease of start up. It will give a little more H.P. but not sure on how much or if you'll even notice.
I put a pertronix in my 64 with a 292 I still have the original coil and my truck starts up every time. I don't worry about the points and condenser anymore.

 

Find out what the problem is and fix it before you throw other parts at it which may introduce other problems.

Difficulty starting can be a number of things, bad battery, incorrectly adjusted carburetor, vacuum leaks, incorrect initial timing, worn out distributor, 2 ballast resistors and incorrect or bad wiring, etc. You just need to go through all of that until you find the problem.

 

Thanks guys for the help you're right, i am slowly going through it. I just put in a new coil-points-condensor-cap-rotor-ballest resistor-intake manifold gasket-carb gaskets-wires and plugs and a new battery. It runs awesome when its warm outside, starts right up and runs great all day. Its in the early morning when its cold, takes forever to start. Really bugging me, it has a manuel choke, so its not a choke problem. I am thinking maybe its the spark to the plugs/points? Or maybe its getting too much gas, and fouling the plugs on start up?
Hmmm you said the truck did not need a ballast resister? That makes sense as it did not have one on it when I git the truck and it always started right up good when I got the truck. Maybe that's the problem, not enough spark to the system when starting due the B/R i only put in it there because the new coil states on the side of it to run an external one. I will try that when I get home from work today. Some of you mentioned a (Pertronix)? I am assuming this is an electronic ignition? Where would I get that and how much would that be? Also is it easy to install?
Thanks Steve