I have a 79 150 4x4 400m 4 speed that I can not keep running. It will run all day in the driveway. Once I take it out on the road it sputters and dies. I know what your thinkn- determine if it is fuel or spark and go from there. I am working alone and do not have a remote start. Is there anything common I can start with? Since I have been having this problem- I swaped some good parts off the shelf to see if I could isolate the issue. Replaced the coil and condenser, swapped the holley carb, replaced the fuel pump and fuel tank sender. The ground staps all all there and in good shape. I have a glass fuel filter on it- when it quits it really feels like it is starved for fuel- I know that the filter does not need to be completely full to run, but it seems to be struggling to get fuel. When it quits if I let it cool off it always starts back up. Could the issue be in the distributor? Could it be in the carb-like stuck float or accelorator pump? Could it be the control module? Can someone point me in the right direction?
A remote start is very simple to make for these especially with the fender well solenoid.
Could be the float level in the carb, crap blocking the needle and seat, a weak fuel pump. Put an inline pressure gauge in the fuel line and see what your getting for pressure.
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_____79 F-250 429 36" Cepeks____79 Bronco 400 35" Cepeks_____
____________79 F-250 4x4 Crewcab, under the knife____________
_______2009 FTE poll, place your vote_______ http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/90...nal-round.html
Sounds like fuel starvation to me, too. Was there alot of rust in the tank? If it sat up for any amount of time, that's what I'd check for. I ran into the same problem a couple times. Luckily, new gas tanks are cheap!
The truck has duel tanks- I took both down expecting to see rust- Rear was rust free, front had some- I replaced the front sender and pickup. the rear was un obstructed. It had plastic fuel line back to the tanks and I replaced the rubber which ran the last few inches. If I put an inline pressure gauge in- what should it be running at with a factory mechanical pump? Is it possible to have a crappy pump out of the box- will the gauge tell me if it is bad? I have never had a Holley carb appart- how hard is it to verify the bowl is junk free. The first time this happened- I switched the carb off another of my trucks I had recently sold- but now that I think of it- it also un explainably would quit. Should I have this carb rebuilt. What do you think about the module- do they ever quit and work again or are they just dead?
I have had this truck for about a year and never on the road- bought as junk, but had a lot of potential- so it most likely sat for awhile. Under the hood the wiring is in good shape, I can see the voltage reg, coil, distributor and control module have been replaced in the recent past. Over the past couple of months I have been replacing the metal so, it just has been from the barn to the driveway. Has a newer Holley 600 CFM on it. Always starts right up and idles good- which is a first for me- all my other trucks were cold blooded- would not run until they were warm. So- it can idle for 30 minutes and can even rev in neutral without breaking up in the driveway. When I put in on the road- almost all the time in 4th gear- it starts to cut out- like running out of fuel- not like electrical (just shutting off)- then it quits. I could open the hood and see the glass fuel filter as I tried to start- it was sputtering fuel-then it would fill- I checked the weep hole for the fuel bowl- and no fuel- I was thinking stuck float. Towed it back, replaced some things with stuff off the garage shelf, coil, condenser, carb, bought a new fuel pump and cleaned the ground straps. Thought I had it licked, about the same distance on the road- couple miles- same issue- 4th gear, starts to sputter- dies. I let it sit a couple of minutes and get it started- drives a couple of miles- quits. Same thing let it sit- observed the fuel bowl and seems to be struggling to fill- but starts- kind of chugged- had to rev it, but it evened out- kept in in low gear and it made it home. Now the part that I really did not think about was that the carb (newer Holley 600) came off a 79 camper special that I had- that had the same issue and I finally sold the truck because I was tired of getting it towed. Could both of the carbs have the same simple problem- dirt? I am getting some dirt in the filter. I went through the same steps with the other truck- could I be getting a junk fuel pump out of the box- I am starting to head down the same path- if it wont run- its gotta go. Can you guys walk me through this- before I shoot this thing full of holes?
You're gonna have to get into the gas tanks. Is the problem isolated to either tank? I've seen a shop rag floating around in a tank do the exact same thing. Rust as well. Normally if trash in the carb is an issue, it'll get stuck between the needle & seat, causing gas to overflow through the bowl vent. There is a possibility of it getting to the jets, but it wouldn't miraculously start running better after it sat. How is your tank selector hooked up? Do you have vented gas caps? When it stalled, have you gotten out & pulled the gas cap off? For some reason, you're not getting fuel to the pump. If the tanks are clean & the lines are clear, I'd say vacuum lock. The tank selector valve could be malfunctioning. If you suspect this, take it out of the picture. Straight-line from each tank & see what happens. You said it has "plastic" fuel line. It doesn't have crimps or kinks, does it? It hasn't been melted half-shut by the exhaust, has it? If it idles for 10 days with no problem, the carb should not be an issue. You can try to disconnect the fuel lines & blow through them w/ compressed air. You can also run a test line from a gas can, in the back of the truck, directly to the fuel pump. You might need to carry some fire extinguishers with you, at least until you get it fixed.
Yup- had both tanks down, but before that I suspected that the pickups might be pluged so I disconnected the fuel line before the pump and blew compressed air back thru. The rear tank was unobstructed, but the front would not budge. So i replaced the sender and it flows. I did not check the integrety of the line, but will do that tonight. The problem is always at speed- I cant get it to quit in the driveway. I have switched tanks in the driveway and no change, but you are right- I can run a seperate line from one tank or the other and start finding out what is NOT causing it. You mentioned vaccum lock- what would cause this? Are you sure this still might not be electric- control module maybe?
You said the carb is empty when it quits. I would have to assume it's fuel related. When it stalls, spray carb cleaner or have a little gas in a soda bottle to pour in the carb to see if it starts right back up. If you suspect the module, make sure you have good grounds. I see alot of problems come from a just a bad ground. You can't have too many grounds on it. Have one from the battery to the engine block, battery to body, engine to body & even engine to frame if you want! Make sure they're good connections, too. Maybe add some grease.
I guess, I went a little to fast on replacing things and did not isolate the issue. I replaced the grounds the first time it quit since they were corroded, at the same time I replaced the coil, condenser, carb, fuel pump and dropped the tanks to check for rust, replaced the sending unit, because it was bad anyway and knew the pickup screen could be an issue. So it still quits. I think I am assuming fuel, but is hard to tell since I am in 4th gear when it quits. For some reason the in line fuel filter (about 12 inches from the carb) is almost
completely drained when I lift the hood, and then seems to struggle to fill back up. When it starts it is a constant half full without all that bubbling. You know- I have had about 5 of these trucks over the years and they all seem to have the same issue- mysteriously shuts off. I am getting pretty fustrated, but understand that I can not even have it towed to a shop because no one wants to tie their bays up trying to figure it out. You guys have been my best resource, but at this point I not sure what to do, besides continue to replace things. I was going to trace the fuel line and maybe run rubber line to one or the other to see if I can isolate it+ rebuild the carb, both are the same Holleys that I have been switching, but have sat for awhile, next would be replace the control modual since they are cheap. From there I am at a complete loss??
Fits: 1967/72 F100/350's with the mid-ship fuel tank // 1973/79 F100/350's with mid-ship & aft axle fuel tanks / 1965/79 Passenger Cars.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ COAZ9202B .. Fuel Sending Unit Float / Available from Ford.
MSRP: $13.17 // Y2KFORDPARTS.COM price: $9.48.
Fits all 1957/79: F100/1100's, Passenger Cars, Bronco's and Econolines.
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The three step scenario of a failing DuraSpark Ignition Module:
1) Module overheats, engine dies. Module cools down, engine re-starts almost at once.
2) Module overheats, engine dies. Module cools down, engine re-starts in an hour...or so.
3) Module overheats, burns out. Now the engine will not re-start.
Engine heat is the MORTAL ENEMY of these modules, which are mounted on the left fender inner apron...just across from the red hot left exhaust manifold (V8's).
When replacing the module, use some washers to space it further away from the apron. The more airflow around the little darlin' the better.
Inside the dizzy is the magnetic stator aka pickup coil. When it begins to fail...the symptoms can be similar to a failing ignition module.
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There are TWO different types of fuel caps used on these trucks.
If the truck has the Evaporative Emission System, the caps are non-vented.
Evap Emission: There is a charcoal cannister mounted to the right of and below the alternator.
There are fuel vapor valves mounted into the fuel tanks, visible on the top of the tanks.
__________________ Bill / Retired Ford Partsman (1962/97) / SoCal Chapter Member.
Part Number Research: Trucks: 1928/2000 // Cars: 1928/79.
1934 Packard V12 Convertible Victoria // 2008 Fusion S // 2008 Edge SEL.
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