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Hello folks. My first post of many questions to come. I tried to spend a good 12 hours searching for answers first. I bought a 1982 F100 with an inline six and was excited by the fact that the price was right and the inspection sticker was current. The previous owner started her up for me and the idle was racing which he said was unusual and we figured the throttle was sticking a bit. I had a two hour drive home up the Garden State Parkway and made it to my exit when some smoke started peeking out of the hood. Pulled over, popped the hood, and flames were on the passenger side of the engine under the carb. After putting them out with my shirt and lung power it looks like they melted some vacuum lines among
other things. I want to start breaking it down to rebuild the carb and replace all the rubber hoses, gaskets and such but this is my first time trying such a project. I want to dive in and figure out what happened but without the right schematics to replace all the little hoses running everywhere I'm weary. I haven't seen any positive reviews saying that the usual manuals (Chilton, Haynes, etc.) will help with the vacuum tubes. Thanks in advance!
fire spread from exhaust manifold up between carb and valve cover
Bummer! My guess is that you fuel line or filter sprang a leak, because that carb rarely leaks. However, it can overflow if dirt in the gas causes the needle to leak.
In any event, you should have a vacuum routing sticker on the panel ahead of the radiator. And there's a decoder ring for it in the stickies. As for manuals, I have some Clymers and Chiltons, but highly prefer the factory manuals which are available on eBay.
It looks like you caught it before lots of damage was done; I am gonna suspect the fuel filter, just because of its proximity to the exhaust manifold (where you think the fire began). I have heard others warn against installing those type of fuel filters in locations like that, I guess this helps prove their point.
Yes, the factory shop manuals rock and are a far better investment than anything aftermarket.
Yeah I caught it pretty quick. The rubber fuel hoses all look pretty bad too. My intention was to just get it home and then replace all the rubber and major tune up. At least my AAA was a free tow since I got off the parkway!
When everyone says shop manual would that be made by Ford themselves or someone like the Mitchell books? Thanks,
What's weird is I wrote 1982 in the first post but it totally is a '81. I don't even know why I wrote that. Thanks so much Gary. This site and you guys behind it are an invaluable resource!
Well, you did say '82 and I missed it. Sorry. As you can see from my sig I have two '81's and if I remember correctly Chris/ctubutis's truck is an '81. Anyway, I got lucky.
My advice would be to move that fuel filter to a position *before* the fuel pump, so that it is not directly above the manifolds. Like this, on my truck:
Where are you? I'm in South Orange. You'll love the truck, but get the manuals. Also, I bought them on a CD, and put the PDF's on my tablet. It sucks. Paper is much better. Now I have the paper ones.
Funny you should say that FilmCarp. I love digital media but I agree that there is nothing like a book for this purpose. I'm in Long Branch about an hour south of you. My tablet doesn't need to be refreshed by my greasy hands in the elements!
07-14-2015, 10:48 PM
