on another side note... everyone who has worked on these trucks knows those words... lol but good point

 

LOL...You know it. In fact I can toss out quite the stream of colorful language when the old truck starts fighting me. Heck, my day to day speach is a bit rougher than is needed (I'm working on that too).

Bobby

 

I've called my truck every name in the book at one time or another but that sort of garage talk doesn't belong here...

 

the trick is being able to call it all the names in the book.... at the same time..


now that takes talent

 

Maybe not all at the same time, but I can do it consecutively and all in one sentence! LOTS of practice!!!

 

i apologize for the bad language. it won't happen again. So i got the firing order right then i gapped the points to the proper specs (thanks to ya'lls help) and i tried to crank it up but the battery was dead. I hit it with a shot of either and poured a little bit of gas in the carb (keep in mind this truck hasn't started in many years). So i have the battery charging now and am gonna go try it again in the morning but i have a few more questions. Is there a choke on the carb (all the lines and stuff have been taken off before we baught it) and if so where is it and how would i apply it. Next question, where should i have the throttle ? no throttle cable attached so i have to goose it but do i put it full blast or leave it alone or what ? I own an 86 F-150 4X4 and i can work on that bumper to bumper with my eyes closed but this is way to old for my knowledge.

 

Shawn,
If its not one thing its another.
OK, the choke is a butterfly valve that is situated in the throat of the carb right at the very top. There are 2 styles of chokes, electric and manual, I'm betting that yours in manual, if so there should be a cable running from the carb to a **** on the dashboard. Typically you apply the choke when the engine is cold which restricts (chokes) the air flow and richens the mixture going into the engine. A cold engine needs more fuel and less air than a warmed up engine. When the choke is activated it usaully raises the idle slightly also. As the engine warms up ytou slowly back the choke off until the engine is warmed up.

The throttle is another butterfly valve except its mounted at the bottom of the carb. The throttle linkage should hook up to the left side (driver's side) of the carb and open the throttle plate (lower butterfly valve) when activated.

If you are careful, you can fill the bowl of the carb by dribbling gas down the vent tube and into the bowl. If you look down the throat of the carb there should be a small diameter tube (3/16 to 1/4 diameter) If you are careful you can pour a couple of ounces of fuel down this tube to fill the bowl. Now when you get the truck to fire you might be able to get a minute or two of run time before you run the carb out of gas.

Keep a fire extinguisher handy! When you are trying to start a truck thats been sitting for awhile there is a huge chance that it will fire back through the carb. Now, you've been pouring gas down the carb and will probably have some of it puddled up on the intake manifold. Well, its very easy for a backfire to light this all off and turn the old truck into a BBQ (and the garage that its sitting in) So, be carefull and be prepared.

Good luck with it. I hope you get some spark
Bobby

 

NEVER EVER look down into the carb while trying to start an engine! Men definitely look strange with no eyelashes or eyebrows (or worse!)! As Bobby says backfires thru the carb can and do happen pretty violently, you don't want your face in the way when they do. Take it easy with the ether and gas poured down the carb, never more than a couple tablespoons full and don't keep spraying the ether while the engine is cranking over. Liquid gasoline won't burn, but can hydrolock the engine or foul out the plugs. A couple wet bath towels at hand are better for putting out a carb fire than an extinguisher unless you happen to have at least a 20# Halon one. cover the top of the engine with them until you are sure the fire is out. A dry powder extinguisher is poor at putting out burning gasoline since it is burning as a gas in the air rather than a solid combustible burning, and the baking soda is a mess to clean up after. The typical 5 or even 10# dry powder household extinguisher is the biggest false sense of security there is, they can barely put out a wastebasket full of burning paper, you might as well spit at a gasoline fire as to use one.

Before trying to start it with gas and ether tho, check to see that the ignition is working. Pull a sparkplug, put the wire back on it and lay it on the engine so the metal shell is in contact with metal on the engine and you can see the electrode. Crank the engine over a few revolutions and you should see a big fat juicy blue spark when that cylinder fires. If you don't see a spark or it's a puny weak yellow one you still have ignition problems. If you get a good spark, put the plug back in the engine and try starting it after giving it a one second shot of ether and no extra gas. If it fires and dies try it again without the ether. If it starts and dies, try once more. If it doesn't start dribble a couple tablespoons of gas down the carb and try again. If it keeps only starting on the gas you are adding, you have a fuel problem to diagnose. DO NOT TRY TO KEEP IT RUNNING by pouring in more gas!!!! Let us know what happens and we'll go from there.

 

Good catch AX. I didn't mean to look down the carb while trying to crank the engine...but I wasn't very clear on that.

Great tips about the wet towels also! I know that a polyester shirt is completely useless on tryin to put out a gasoline fire thats burning away on the intake of a 390 that was installed in a 60 F-100 but I don't think we need to go into the details on that bit of stupidity at this time.

Bobby

 

Ok, so i'm gettin good fire to all the plugs. All new igniton sytem components accept plug wires. It'll sputter and try to start every now and then but that's all we can get out of it. Replaced the plugs and put a few drops of oil in each cylendar to lube the seals. Either, primin it with gas isn't doin much. WE know every cylendar is moving but not shure if there's a stuck valve or not. As soon as we can get our hands on a compression guage we'll determine that. Any new idia to get this old girl too purr ???

PS. The number 3 spark plug was rusted beyond recognition at the end. Which to the best of my knowledge leads me to determine that it got water in it but the rest of the plugs were fine. Why would it just be the one plugg ?

 

Chances are that one of the valves on that cylinder was open and that moisture found its way into the cylinder. Water is always going to flow downhill in the path of least resistance.

Make sure of your firing order and your initial timing. Even with a stuck valve you can usually get an engine to run (it will probably kick back through the carb though).

Bobby

 

OK so we've come to the conclusion that our carb is completly trashed. So that's most likly what the porb is with it not starting. But just to make shure i have the firing order on the motor right and everything here is a link to exactly how it looks if u look at the motor while standing in front of the truck. When the number 1 cylendar is at TDC the rotor button is pointing at the number 1 plug on the distributer.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...?albumid=25313

my dad said he always thaught with the number 1 piston TDC the rotor button should be pointing at the number 1 piston. well the way it's set up now it doesn't. so he thinks the distributer turned or it jumped time. let me know what u think. I really apreciate everyone's help

 

>When the number 1 cylendar is at TDC the rotor button is pointing at the number 1 plug on the distributer.


that is correct. It doesn't matter which wire in the distributor is actually number 1, as long as the two conditions are met..

1. Cylinder 1 is at TDC when the rotor is pointing at this wire
2. the remaining wires are connected to the distributor are connected in the proper firing order.

running requires 4 things

Fuel
Air
Compression
Spark

If you pour in fuel manually, then the carb is removed from the discussion, and it should run for 4-10 seconds.

Spark you say is covered by the new components.

Sounds like compression is the problem you are fighting

Sam

 

Shawn,

Which way does the distributor rotor turn? clockwise or counter-clockwise? Make sure your firing order is in the right direction.

As its been said, if you got fuel, fire, and air it should try to run. A compression test would be informative but it woud take numerous cylinders with very low compression to keep it from running at all.

Good luck
Bobby

 

Also note that the rotor should point to the #1 cylinder only IF the #1 cylinder is at TDC on the COMPRESSION stroke with both valves closed. It is on compression every other revolution. If you are trying to fire the cylinder when on exhaust stroke it will never start.