Howdy, I recently got a '79 F250 4WD. It has the 300 IL6 and a 4 speed. I will fix it up for my daily driver and a hauler for my little sawmill. I am sick and tired of trucks that have so many electronic do dads that I can't work on them.
There's lost of stuff to do on this old truck but the most immediate problem has me a bit stymied. The truck will not start if it has set more than 12 hours. When I start it in the morning it acts like it's not getting gas. If I give it a little starting fluid it starts right up and runs all day. No matter how many times I start it all day it starts right up. It still has the old Carter single barrel. I'm thinkin' accelerator pump or fuel pump?. Anybody got an idea? Thanks!

 

Sounds like a choke issue.

.... have ya tried adjusting the choke function?? That would be my first step.... not throwing parts at it.

 

Could be many things, could be the fuel draining back away from the carb. Accelerator pump, choke, carb leaking fuel out if the bowl Etc I personally like a small clear fuel filter inline for the carb to see the flow. How many times do you pump it?

 

I'm with HIO Silver, and Fordmotorsport1.
It sounds like it's a carb/fuel issue. I'd spend the $20 or so and completely rebuild the carb, and then get the choke set right. Also check for badly cracked fuel lines.

 

x2 on the fuel lines. pull the fuel supply line off at the pump and see if fuel is there when it wont start. The clear fuel filter helps to diag the issue as well!

 

I had this problem a few months back. My mechanical fuel pump wasn't holding pressure. a good way to check if it's getting gas is remove the fuel line coming to the carb, then turn the engine over, no fuel coming out = no gas getting to the carb. Fuel pumps are cheap and I think they are pretty easy to replace on that engine.

also, go easy on the starter fluid, it's bad for your engine

 

^^^^^Agree 200% on the starting fluid.