Yes, just make yourself a positive stop out of an old spark plug shell with a rod or bolt or something put up the middle of it. With a positive stop at hand and number one spark plug removed, just follow normal cam degreeing instructions. You will, of course need a degree wheel and a dial indicator and the valve cover above number one removed as well as the number one cylinder rocker arms removed.
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Doc
ASE Master
1964 Galaxie 500 Fastback
1978 F150 Shortbed 4X4 that I bought new.
2000 F150 RC, Flareside, 4.6, 5 speed 4X4
2006 Mustang GT, 3 valve 4.6, 5 speed manual
Other vehicles of blashemous make other than Ford
it seems a lot like throwing money at a hole in the ground to solve a non-exsitant idle condition that could be anywhere from the carb to the cam. $%#$ ford 302s. i never had a problem with the 360 i built but this 302 has been down to the block 3 times now checked repaired thrown back together and still the #$!@# THING WONT STAY RUNNING ANYWHERE BELOW 1200RPM. all i have to go on is the carb wont tune in the timing, well set where it should be at 6 degrees makes the thing miss like crazy. the choke doesnt help changed the diszy the entire ignition, the timing chain, heads. the aggravating part is it ran fine for 2 days no problems the 3rd day dieseling 4th wot idle at all. its BS
It very unlikely there is anything wrong with the motor... you even said it ran fine for a couple days then went all to hell. Carbs are dumb pieces of metal, they do not react to a motor the way an EFI system would, they just dump gas into the air that passes through the venturi. A simple gasket leak a vacuum line left off will wreak havoc, a single backfire can destroy a diaphram in some of them.
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Paul O
1990 F150 4x4 XLT X-Cab 5.0, 3.55, Comp 35-349-8, Flowtech LT's to 3" single, FRPP Mass Air Conversion
Under construction: '85 351HO, Dart Iron Eagles, Roller Rockers, Typhoon intake, Crane 444232, 24lb Injectors, TweecerRT, Innovate LC-1 wideband O2
1990 Ranger 2wd, 2.3 Briggs & Stratten, 5-speed, 3.08 gears, sliding rear window.
Which carb is on the truck? If it's a stock one, have it rebuilt rather than trading it in at the auto parts store. Unless it's a feedback carb, then I'd scrap it and get one from an earlier model truck.
I went through the same thing when I brought home a Bronco that sat for 10 years. Rebuilt the carb and it ran like crap. Got a new (non feedback) carb, swapped to Duraspark II, and it still ran like crap. Then I discovered a hidden open port on the bottom of the vacuum tree. Capped the port and it was night and day.
On the pickup I had an Edelbrock that got gummed up and it wouldn't run at idle either. The idle passages were blocked, so unless the butterflies were open past the idle slots it wasn't able to draw gasoline. Rebuilt the carb and it ran like new.
FWIW, 6* static timing seems a bit low. I'd try 10-12* static and 30-34* total @3000rpm.
1964 Galaxie 500 Fastback
1978 F150 Shortbed 4X4 that I bought new.
2000 F150 RC, Flareside, 4.6, 5 speed 4X4
2006 Mustang GT, 3 valve 4.6, 5 speed manual
Other vehicles of blashemous make other than Ford
ok the plumbing under the hood cant be leaking its all new the carb is a 1.21" 2150 moco that was freshly cleaned flushed and rebuilt. theres nothing wrong with it. the last carb on this engine was a 1.08" 2150 moco it didnt run right either. ever since the first start of this pile back in 1988 it ran like ****. it wasnt run much because of it. so it might have 100,000 on it but i doubt it. internally, shes beautiful checked the bearings back in 2005 had it down to the heads in 2006, blew a gasket. tore it down 2008 burned valves, and timing slop. so just 2 days after new heads and a timing chain and swaping off the 4300 back to the 2150. the idle that was beautiful for two days turned into dieseling and then nothing but stalling anywhere below 1200. something is wrong internally. cam timing, the 1978 f150 cam and 1986 mustang gt timing chain not agreeing with each other. I dont know????
This probably has nothing to do with it, but I have one that will not run with vac advance hooked up. Tuned with it blocked as normal procedure, set timing at full advance 28-32 at 2800 rpm and let the initial fall were ever it does. Runs great, but will not drive with vac can hooked up, still working on that part.
hmm i set the timing to 6 degrees at 800 rpm as per the emission decal on the drivers side valve cover. that might solve the issue. i think your geting too much advance.
oh forgot to menchon i checked the choke today. with the choke roughly 1/4" open the idle was smooth as glass. but as soon as the choke came open any further the idle speed dropped, it supposed to. and the engine began to run rough like usual. i dropped it into gear, it stalled. so im running lean????? the idle mix screws are almost out of the carb as well. do i need bigger mains??? im running a 1.21" bore on 57 main now.
That does indeed sound like a vacuum leak. The Bronco I mentioned above ran well with the choke closed and the fast idle engaged, then idled like crap at temp.
Or...it hasn't run much since 1988 you say?
Did you drain and flush the gas tank? Replace the sending unit, fuel lines, and filters? Old, stale gas turns to varnish in a carb pretty friggin' fast. Once the idle passages are gummed/blocked it won't idle.
the motor was built roughly around 88 for a 2wd 150. 2005 it was put into the 1979 150 4x4 its in now so carb tank sending unit are gum free. its had more than 50,000 put on in the last 3 years. but i do kind of here a hissing under the hood. but have never been able to find it checked all the lines pulled them one by one capped them while engine was running. i had a edelbrok torker 2 intake and 4300 moco on it. they ran beautiful if the pcv wasnt hooked up. so i might have a pcv leak. i need to change the oil fill cap and replace the pcv grommet in the valve cover. I want to try to run a totally sealed pcv system like whats found in race cars. will this cause me any problems? factory used 1 pcv valve and a breather filter in the air cleaner. i want to replace the breather with a sealed cap with another pcv valve hooked into manifold vacuum.
The grommet on the valve cover is not going to cause it to act like a vacuum leak. Remember, a vacuum leak can manifest itself in any number of ways. There are zillions of places where it can occur. Everything from a leaking modulator in the transmission to worn throttle shafts and their bushings in the carb. Sometimes things happen like a mismatch of carb base and manifold or some problem with intake manifold sealing.
If you can get it to idle at 1200 then use an old stethoscope with the hose leading to the probe disconnected and open. Probe around everywhere with that hose to see if you can detect a hissing somewhere.
Have you put a vacuum gauge on this engine to see how much vacuum it's making.
The more you talk about your problem, the more it indicates a vacuum leak of some description.
Good luck,
__________________
Doc
ASE Master
1964 Galaxie 500 Fastback
1978 F150 Shortbed 4X4 that I bought new.
2000 F150 RC, Flareside, 4.6, 5 speed 4X4
2006 Mustang GT, 3 valve 4.6, 5 speed manual
Other vehicles of blashemous make other than Ford
check cam timing with out a tear down????
