My '83 F-250 is bone stock. It had been sitting for nearly a year and I went to fire it up and it was stuck. Well today I got around to messing with it and got it to turn free and it's up and running again. It's running the same as it did before I parked it so we're good now. It had water in the #3 cylinder and the rings were stuck. Good compression and leakdown, so it just may be a leak in the head gasket from the water port or just condensation.

I bought a cam/lifters/timing chain from Comp Cams. I've got an Edelbrock Performer Intake and a Holley 650 carburetor. I've also got some headers, fabricated aluminum valve covers, and a billet HEI distributor. These parts are still in the boxes, uninstalled.

I was planning to build another 351w block with some GT40P heads, but lost my job and can't afford to go that route.

I just got back from a run to the gas station and remembered how bad this engine burns oil from leaky valve covers and intake gaskets. The smog tube thing that connects the pump and the exhaust system is rotten and loose. The hoses are old and the vacuum lines are brittle.

I'd like to swap the intake/carb over for now to get rid of the VV carburetor and ditch all of the smog equipment. I'll swap the valve covers too while I'm in there. I'll do the cam and other stuff at another time, but I need to get this truck on the road because I'm stuck driving my '56 F100 everyday and the poor thing is getting worn out. I don't have time to tear into the motor right now and don't want to put these parts into an old engine anyway, but I'd like to swap the intake & carb over for now just so it will run better. It runs ok now, but the carb has PMS and has always acted up whenever it wants to.

Can I use the stock distributor with the Edelbrock Intake?

Can I just remove the smog pump or bypass/plug it?

Any info would be appreciated. I'd sure like to get this truck back on the road so I can give the '56 a rest. I'm going to get the new registration & inspection tomorrow so she'll be 100% legal again. Luckily there's no emissions testing where I live and the local inspector guy is pretty lenient.

 

You can plug the smog pump ports and take the pump off or take the belt off.

Don't touch the distributor. It doesn't have to come off when you change the intake and carb.

 

Sounds good, thanks for the info!