66 f-250 w/352 will start only with choke full out and idle only, step on gas and she dies. Ran out of gas and it has been a problem since last night. any ideas iam thinking fuel filter clogged or junk in lines somewhere.??? Just bought the truck and still learning about it.

 

Take the fuel line loose after the pump....point it into a coffee can or something to catch fuel.....then have someone crank the engine while you watch the flow of fuel coming out of the line.

That'll tell you if you're pumping fuel.

Give that a try, then let us know.

 

Great idea Don thank you. I will try it out and see what happens and let you know.Mike

 

Might have alot of crap in the carb too if its been sitting for any length of time. Also along the lines of the fuel flow test, if its bad you may have a bad fuel pump, need a new filter, have crap in the fuel line or tank, or any combo of the last 4 things.

 

thank you guys, fuel is pumping and I got her to run awhile. Now Iam thinking a good tune up will help clear up the miss firing. I have not had to work on cars for a long while so trying to remember the anwsers sort of comes back as you work on the truck. Thanks again. Mike

 

Mike....now that you know the fuel is pumping, take a look at a few things.

As was mentioned above, the carburetor may have crud in it. That's as simple as pulling the top/side (depending on what carb you have) off and cleaning things out really good.

Also, check for any vacuum leaks. When I ressurect an old vehicle, I immediately start replacing hoses and belts. Old rubber hoses will eventually cause issues whether they be vacuum lines, PCV lines, or radiator hoses. Even if they appear to be serviceable, I'll replace them anyway and put them in my emergency repair kit as a backup.

Finally, a valve adjustment is always a good idea on one that's been sitting for a long time. If you don't know how to do this, search this forum or do some Googling...there's a ton of info available on how to properly adjust valves. Getting them properly set will do wonders for your engine.

 

Ok I changed the plugs, checked the firing order and changed the fuel filter. The plugs looked good, the firing order was correct,and the filter had about 1/16th of sludge in the bottom of the can. With that said. Still have to pull the choke all the way out and crank her for 5 seconds brfore she starts,but she seems to sound better although after pushing in the choke to a low idle she will idle until i put her into drive and then she dies under a load. Can not get past that yet, I did pull the vacume line off the dist and it barely changed the idle, but seemed to have suction on it. but no real change. So I feel like it is all leading to the carb at this point,but it is a hap hazard guess on my part as I really dont know what Iam doing, and know nothing of carbs. It is a 4 barrell and has an autolite metal tag on it. Thats where iam at for today. I am tempted to go buy a 2 barrell slap it on and try that? Thanks for listening and any ideas you all might have.

 

There are a lot of places that will rebuild a carb for a lot less than buying a new one! You might also consider replacing the vacuum advance pot on the distributor, they can rupture and cause a world of trouble. As for valve adjustment as mentioned above, there really is no adjustment on the FE's , shy of replacing lifters, rockers and push rods! If it just started after running out of gas, it is most likely just a fuel issue! There is also the antistall dashpot on the carb if it is an automatic, that could have failed too! Some carbs have an internal fuel filter in the inlet besides the one on the fuel pump.

 

Thank you I will try both ideas,I dont see another filter on the carb anywhere. I am feeling like iam on the right track and it seems like it should be real simple fix, but not yet. I am going to spray carb cleaner around the carb to check for any vaccum leaks next to see if there is any problems there.
Thanks again for all the helpful info guys.

 

Sounds a bit like a stuck float or needdle valve in the carb since you can get enough gas to idle but you can't get enough gas to do much else. Try removing the primary bowl and make sure the float is free and operating the needle valve properly, you can also try just pulling the gas line and pushing compressed air into the carb, that can sometimes shake things loose and push dirt out of the passages.

 

Is there an adjustment for the fast/slow idle speed on my manual choke?. And do you have to depress the throttle to activate or deactivate it.

 

The manual choke can be adjusted where the choke linkage meets the carburetor. It's not a fast/slow idle adjustment that you're doing there, but rather making sure that the choke lever is fully opening and closing the choke.

You shouldn't have to tap the throttle to activate or deactivate it....that's part of the beauty of an old-fashioned manual choke....you physically set it right where you want it with the choke cable.

 

Thank you Don, Maybe I misundertood. A Guy I was talking to said that when you use the manual choke that there is some sort of cold / warm or high/low setting and you depress the pedal before you pull the choke to re set it?. Does that make any sense

 

He is incorrect. If you have a heat stove choke, that many 60's Fords had, then you press the pedal to engage it. That is what is present on my '67 Park Lane, 68 Mustang and 68 Cougar. On our manual choke trucks it is just a matter of pulling out the **** a certain distance for a certain amount of choke, step on the pedal for a shot of gas and start. Flawless as there is very little in the way of adjustments when compared to the other version I mentioned.

 

i'd make everything simpler, and just spend the money on a new carb or have some one rebuild yours.. though you can rebuild them your selfs, and know many people who dont know squat about cars rebuild them.. its tedious work. at least for me. you can pick up a remanufactured holley or edelbrock carb for less then 300 bucks.. and brand new for around 300-350 bucks.. or a rebuild kit for around 20-25 bucks and do it your self.. or ask friends if they have an carb laying around.. thats how i got my new carb..

also, if you have a four barrel carb and intake already, i would leave it with the four barrel.. if you drive it right you tend to get better gas mileage.