Ok, at least I have been doing the choke right all this time.

 

Sir , You need to get a DWELL meter and check the point's dwell setting,the FORD truck manual calls for 28 to 29 degrees , setting points with a feeler gauge is not as accurate .The way that I like is to remove the spark plugs , ground the coil wire and with distributor cap removed jump the solenoid and adjust the points while the engine is spinning over. Then set the timing to 10 degrees at 500 rpm with the vacuum advance disconnected. A new point set and condenser may also help, or convert it over to a Petronix system for the best results. Kenny Nunez

 

You can test your fuel pump for general operation with two simple tests...pressure and volume.

First...if you can get it running and warmed up, shut it down, disconnect the fuel line from the carb and attach the fuel pressure gauge that you buy today to the end of the fuel line...secure it. Start the engine and quickly get out and check the pressure gauge while the engine runs on the fuel that is in the float bowl. It should be around 3 to 5 psi (check the manual for the specs).

Second...if you pass the pressure test, reconnect the fuel line and start the truck again to re-fill the float bowl. Disconnect it again and put the end into a suitable container (a clean can). Have an assistant start the truck...by the way....take every precaution so you don't start a fire, so if it seems safer...get a piece of fuel line and route it out of the engine area...maybe on the ground and put the can there. While your assistant starts the truck (in neutral), watch the fuel flow into the can. The manual will also have a measurement for this test, but it'll probably pump 8 ounces or so before the carb float bowl runs out of fuel. If it only dribbles into the can...you should check the filter and the pump itself.

If your truck passes both tests...start looking at the ballast resistor bypass wire.

I just noticed that you said you were at the fire house...if you're a firefighter....it would look really bad if you caught your truck on fire...make sure you don't do that!!!

Dan

 

I'm still leaning towards fuel system. I thought if you had dwell problems (big enough to cause symptoms) it would misfire and run terribly... OP states "once it was warmed up it ran like a dream".

My original aged worn out pump must be in killer shape then cause it will fill a lot more than 8 oz before the bowl runs dry... Course it's over spec on pressure too - puts out 6psi (on my 226 spec is 4.5psi).

I'm going to reinforce dan's "safety mom" comment - lets face it, these old girls are just too nice and too precious to us to loose to something dumb like a shop fire be very safe for us 'k

 

Ok, I think I have it all nailed down. I checked the fuel and all of that checked out so went on to check electric and that was fine as well so I was pulling my hair out. So I retarded the timing a little just to make the starting better for the time being and while i was in there I double checked that after sitting for a number of hrs it was still squirting gas. I took off the air cleaner and looked down in there and gave it a few manual pumps and i got nice streams. I put it back together and get in the car and it starts right up no problem at all. I think that the problem might have been a impatient operator. When I gave it some time after giving it some gas it starts right up, just goes to show that it can be the easiest things some time. Now I want to get that timing a little more advanced because I loved the way it drove when it was all the way advanced. Is there a way to get it to drive like that but not be that advanced upon initial starting?
Thanks again guys, you all are the best.
Cbass

 

If your Y-block still uses the Load-A-Matic type distributor, it may not be giving as much advance as it should. Adding initial (static) advance could make up for that to some extent. As usual, a replacement distributor with centrifugal and vacuum advance would make a difference.

 

No, I have a Mallory with vacuum advance on it. Is there a way to get more advance but only after the initial start?

 

Ok, worked on it a bit more and got the hard start completely gone going back to the 10 degree initial timing but now I am back to having a hesitation when I first step on the gas, no matter what gear or even in neutral. The carb has been recently rebuilt and I checked and the accelurator pump shoots out a nice stream when the gas is hit. Any ideas? I now this is a different topic and maybe I should start a new thread?
Thanks All
Cbass

 

Depending on what carburetor you have, you should check the accellerator pump linkage. Some of the Ford carbs have multiple positions on the pump linkage....maybe you can get a little better shot of gas by moving it in a notch.

 

Ok, will take a look. thanks Dan