Hi there! First time poster here I'm working on resurrecting a '65 F-250, and need some help troubleshooting! This is my first vehicle with a carburetor, so there's plenty I know nothing about.

The truck has been sitting for about 12 years (belonged to a family member). For the first 5 or 6 years, it was started and run about once a month, but never moved. Nothing since then, so it's been 6 or 7 years since it ran. I believe it was run dry the last time.

I've got a newish battery that I pulled from another car--it worked fine there. Been keeping it on a charger so that I can keep cranking while I test.

The engine cranks readily, as best I can tell just as fast as when it was in running condition.

On the first attempt at starting (with starter fluid sprayed in the carb intake), it will fire for a second or two and then quit. Any time I try again after that, it won't fire at all, until I let it sit for a few hours. Maybe it's flooded?

Here's what I've done so far:

Rebuilt carburetor (Float valve works--bowl fills with gas. Accelerator pump seems to work, it squirts fuel into the venturis)

Replaced the plugs (one was completely fouled, and all had bigger gaps than the 0.035" I found online--closer to 0.05), and also the plug wires, distributor cap and rotor, coil and condenser.

If anyone has tips on what to try next, that would be great! Let me know if you need more information or pictures.

Thanks!

 

Wecome to FTE!

Check for a good sharp blue spark at a grounded plug or from the coil wire, it should snap in the air. If not a couple things that are likely. Put the battery on a charger overnight.

1. New condensers aren't specifically too good, I'd reinstall an original type first. A red or pink spark is no good. More bad condensers are probably sold today than ever went bad.

2. Points will get a layer of skunge on them if they sit for a long time, try dragging a crisp clean dollar bill through them several times. The new ones at sold today at AZ (or wherever) are all crap parts, from you know where.

3. Old trucks have old corroded wiring and neglected grounds. Grind down to bright shiny metal and replace cables and connections at block, frame and firewall, the SAE bullet and block wiring connectors will corrode up, these need cleaning as well. A brass bristle brush and some WD40 or your favorite concoction will work great. There aren't that many on the old school trucks.

 

First and Foremost, welcome to FTE!!

Brought my 65 with the 390 back to life after letting it set in the elements for 8 years. to include torching the engine compartment. Found frayed plug wires and fuel lines leaking can result in boosting stress level considerably.

Suggest drain and replace all fluids and filters, particularly the filter in the fuel pump. Took the filter from the fuel pump to local auto parts for comparison, such a strong odor sealed it in a bag and place in the bed of the truck.

When in doubt; I usually start by gently seating the idle mixture screws, then back them out 1 1/2 turns. A tool I found invaluable is a start button, 1 lead goes to the positive side of battery and the other lead I remove the connector from the start lead on the starter relay, with ignition off, remove #1 plug, use the start button and rotate engine until compression forces finger out of the opening, then check the location of the rotor, should be close to or on # 1 plug wire, and the timing marks should be on, or close to TDC. This is just a means of determining if ignition and timing are within limits, the fine tuning can be done once the engine is running, keeping in mind, adjustment to idle mixture requires going back and check the timing.
Anyhow, rambled on enough, again welcome to FTE, looking forward to your input, and post pic's if and when you can!!

Ford 352 360 390 406 427 428 V8 Engine Specs | Torque Specs - Cylinder Numbering - Firing Order - Distributor Rotation

 

Hey guys, thanks for the suggestions! No updates yet, but I've got all day tomorrow to try out what you've suggested

I do have a replacement fuel filter, so I'll be throwing that in. I'm a little suspicious of the gas tank--worried it's full of rust, or maybe moisture that condensed after it was empty, so I'm thinking about running a line to the fuel pump inlet from a gas can.

Didn't take any pictures of the engine compartment yet, but here's a teaser pic I had on my phone:



Thanks again, and I'll report back tomorrow!

 

Don't roast the starter... and battery... and solenoid...Trying to get it to start. A truck in good tune will light right off. A starter has a duty cycle of say 10 seconds on .. 10 minutes off. Keep the battery on a charger and charge it back up to 100%.

 

Here's a good plan of attack on an engine that won't start:

http://www.aa1car.com/library/us1296.htm

 

Hey guys, good news! She lives!

I was definitely going about things backwards, and should have started with troubleshooting the spark. Pulled a plug and grounded it with a jumper cable, and had no spark. Cleaned up the old condenser and reinstalled, and got a spark, and the engine even tried to start with the plug out, firing on the other cylinders.

After reinstalling the plug, it started incredibly easily, and ran smooth. Slight rocker arm tick


As an addendum/added confuser about what may have really been the problem, I also replaced the fuel filter, and siphoned the gas out of the carb, and ran a line into the fuel pump from a gas can, to make sure I wasn't getting any of the crap or moisture that may be in the tank. The truck had a historic problem of a clogged fuel line, we think from a rusty tank. Planning on replacing the tank and cleaning or replacing the line, unless anyone has experience with that problem and has a better idea.

Thanks for the help!

 

Good deal, tho you did all the work!

 

I wouldn't replace the tank without first trying to save it. It isn't too tough to remove.

Remove the flex line under the cab. Drain the tank of residual fuel into container(s).

Remove the fuel gauge sending unit & float arm assembly and pickup tube.
Remove tank from cab.
Temporarily seal off the sending unit opening.

Toss six (6) 1" long 1/4" bolts & nuts into the tank and a gallon of diesel fuel into the fuel fill opening and then seal off the opening.

Now it may be necessary to get a helper, maybe not. Begin turning and turning the tank, sloshing the bolts/nuts and diesel fuel around inside the tank. This will dislodge & breakup most major rust scale and sludge. Do this for about 10 minutes.

Uncork the fuel fill opening and dump out the diesel fuel and bolts & nuts into another 5-gallon pail.

Once you have gotten all the bolts/nuts out (count them to be sure) dump in a second gallon of diesel fuel. Cove the fuel fill opening and slosh it around ('rinse cycle') and dump it out into the bucket with the first wash. Do one more 'rinse cycle' but use gasoline for the 'final rinse'. Dump it out too.

Tip the tank to drain out for 10 minutes. Then tip it to bring the fuel fill opening up and place it in the sunshine to warm and dry out. After about an hour of sunshine, it should be ready to go back in the truck.

BarnieTrk

 

I heard the same deal, though the feller used short lengths of chain instead of rocks or bolts, and strapped it to a cement mixer for automagic rotation!

 

Congrats on getting her going.
A crutch for the gas tank: Use compressed air to burst or blow off the sock the in-tank pickup, put a transparent filter - not one of those cheap glass ones - in the rubber line before the pump, and do like you said with the canister filter. Then fix the problem as you plan to. I think it is very fine rust in the tank.

 

Thanks for the detailed instructions, BarnieTrk! I think I'll try that out. What do you know about those liquid gas tank sealers? Are they any good?

6s6merc, good idea about the in-line filter, I could definitely throw one of those in to keep an eye on things and keep the crap out of the fuel pump.

When I replaced the fuel filter, it was covered in brown sludge—definitely very fine rust, like you said.

 

Thanks for all the help everyone! Sorry for the radio silence, I've been out of the country on work/vacation for a bit

Before I left, I got everything working (for now!). Running, moving, and even stopping (I had to replace all four brake wheel cylinders, they were rusted through). Registered and insured and drove around the block. Couldn't have gotten there without the help and encouragement you guys gave me when I was getting started

As one last tidbit, anyone know where I can get a master cylinder fill-cap gasket? I found this (Ford Pickup Truck Master Cylinder Filler Cap), but wish I could find just the gasket to save a few bucks =p

 

I can't say that I've used any. Kinda like putting coatings inside an engine, I would be afraid of the fuel tank coating becoming loose and detached and plugging up the lines/carb.

I have found good, used, replacement tanks cheap & easy enough to locate and use.

BarnieTrk