That thing runs pretty good! Nice work!
'51 F4 project
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,599
Likes: 34
From: Rockingham, VA
Well, it's my first old vehicle in a long time. My first car was a '57 Ford Custom. And I once owned a '40 Pontiac 4DR Touring Sedan with suicide rear doors. But I never "rebuilt" either of them. 
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,599
Likes: 34
From: Rockingham, VA
Rebuilt the carb... idles fine now
I took a bite out of the elephant today. Yes, I'm off work this week, so I hope to get some things done on the truck.
The flatty 6 hasn't idled since I got it. Started every time, but wouldn't idle. I was hoping the carb rebuild would fix that, since the idle mixture screw made no change at all. And it was quite dirty, so I wanted to clean it inside and out. I got a gallon can of Berryman Chem-Dip from AutoZone, printed out the Holley Service Manual, and got to work. The last time I rebuilt a carb, several decades ago, it didn't work, so I was a little leery.
But this time it worked like a champ, and after I adjusted it, the truck runs real nice. I've been grinning all afternoon...
Here's a before shot
And here's an after shot
And here's a link to a video of it running, which probably nobody but me will ever watch, but I'm glad I took it.
The flatty 6 hasn't idled since I got it. Started every time, but wouldn't idle. I was hoping the carb rebuild would fix that, since the idle mixture screw made no change at all. And it was quite dirty, so I wanted to clean it inside and out. I got a gallon can of Berryman Chem-Dip from AutoZone, printed out the Holley Service Manual, and got to work. The last time I rebuilt a carb, several decades ago, it didn't work, so I was a little leery.
But this time it worked like a champ, and after I adjusted it, the truck runs real nice. I've been grinning all afternoon...
Here's a before shot
And here's an after shot
And here's a link to a video of it running, which probably nobody but me will ever watch, but I'm glad I took it.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,599
Likes: 34
From: Rockingham, VA
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 16,183
Likes: 4,791
From: Burbank, WA
Nice work, Joe! 
Speaking of air cleaners, here's a little project I did a few months ago that may interest you, in case you missed it. You may have joined after I posted it.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...r-cleaner.html
Speaking of air cleaners, here's a little project I did a few months ago that may interest you, in case you missed it. You may have joined after I posted it.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...r-cleaner.html
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Thread Starter
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,599
Likes: 34
From: Rockingham, VA
Nice work, Joe!
Speaking of air cleaners, here's a little project I did a few months ago that may interest you, in case you missed it. You may have joined after I posted it.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...r-cleaner.html
Speaking of air cleaners, here's a little project I did a few months ago that may interest you, in case you missed it. You may have joined after I posted it.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...r-cleaner.html
Thanks for sharing.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 16,183
Likes: 4,791
From: Burbank, WA
Thread Starter
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,599
Likes: 34
From: Rockingham, VA
The carb was missing the throttle stop screw spring. This was bugging me, and I couldn't find one on the Internet. So I made one out of an old ballpoint pen spring. I had to cut it in half and increase the diameter by stretching it in steps over a series of Phillips screwdrivers, but it works.
I also used the instructions from 52Merc to easily convert my oil bath air cleaner to use a Fram CA568. Thanks again for that tip!
Oh, and I rethreaded the post so the air cleaner lid could be tightened down and the incessant rattling is gone.
And I got lucky and adjusted (tuned) the right horn so it works now. It wasn't working before now, and I thought it was bad until I saw the adjustment in the Shop Manual and decided to try it.
I also used the instructions from 52Merc to easily convert my oil bath air cleaner to use a Fram CA568. Thanks again for that tip!
Oh, and I rethreaded the post so the air cleaner lid could be tightened down and the incessant rattling is gone.
And I got lucky and adjusted (tuned) the right horn so it works now. It wasn't working before now, and I thought it was bad until I saw the adjustment in the Shop Manual and decided to try it.
Thread Starter
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,599
Likes: 34
From: Rockingham, VA
And now the glove box...
The original glove box was ruined by water leaking in through the cracked windshield rubber. So I removed it and ordered a new one.
When the new one arrived, I tried to install it. But the dimensions seemed really far off.
So I measured it...
I was thinking about returning it when I decided to try to stretch and squash it to make the entrance fit the opening, or vice versa. And what do you know, it fits! Now, hopefully, I have the leaks plugged so this one won't be ruined.
Guess I need to get an Owners Manual to stick in there.
When the new one arrived, I tried to install it. But the dimensions seemed really far off.
So I measured it...
I was thinking about returning it when I decided to try to stretch and squash it to make the entrance fit the opening, or vice versa. And what do you know, it fits! Now, hopefully, I have the leaks plugged so this one won't be ruined.
Guess I need to get an Owners Manual to stick in there.
