I have an 85 F250 with the 460 that I am trying to get rid of. It's been sitting for a good while, maybe as long as 2 years. I went to start it today to check things out before a potential buyer looks at it tomorrow and found that when I pressed the gas pedal to give some gas to start, the pedal stayed depressed and did not return. The throttle cable is attached, but has a lot of slack and it not returning the pedal. I tried to find the other end of the cable in the engine bay, expecting it to have become disconnected for something, but I was unable to tell what was what around the carb.

Can anyone tell me what might be causing the issue and where exactly to look? This will be my first time wrenching on this truck so I am not at all familiar with it. Thanks!

 

The throttle is hooked on the driver's side of the carb. You will have to take the aircleaner off to see it. Knock $300 off it and let him worry about it.

 

Will it be fairly obvious with the air cleaner off? This is the first I've messed with anything carbed

 

here's a picture of my 460 in it's original state, although they're all pretty much the same...look right in the middle of the pic on the side of carb. You will see the linkage on the side of the carb, the return spring and then the cable (black) going back to the firewall. This was an original throttle cable so yours should look similar.

disconnect the cable fromt he carb and see if it frees up. If it does...then it's your carb sticking. If it is still stuck, then it's the cable / spring.

 

Once you see the throttle cable, you can disconnect it from the carb by prying on it. There is a little metal ball made onto the carb, and there is a socket on the throttle piece. It just snaps on. Then you can figure out if it's the cable, or the carb itself. If you get it freed up, a little wd40 would probably do wonders for it.

 

Thank you guys. I'll have to wait until tomorrow because it's dark out now. Is there anything specific I need to know about getting the air cleaner off? I need to try and sort it out on my lunch break tomorrow so I won't have a lot of "figure it out as I go" time, lol

 

E1TZ-9A758-E .. Accelerator Cable-19 3/4" long / Obsolete

Applications: 1981/85 F100/350 & Bronco 255/302/351W2V/460 // 1982/83 F100 3.8L V6.

NOS PARTS SOURCE in Olathe KS has ONE = 913-220-5746.

No Ford Dealer, no other obsolete parts vendor has any.

 

I have a good used one from my 86 if you need it. Here's a view of the 86 setup.

 

Turns out it was just gummed up. A little PB blaster and working it open and closed for a bit and it works fine.

...But now the truck won't start. Brand new battery. Pretty sure starter is turning the engine, tried both tanks. Acted like it wanted to start with starting fluid but didn't quite make it. I'm thinking it's not getting fuel or the fuel is no good. Any suggestions?

BTW, this has been a very helpful forum so far!

 

(with the motor OFF) remove the air cleaner, use a flash iight and look down into the carb and throttle it a couple times. If your getting fuel, you will see it being shot down into the carb. If not, check the filter.

 

If it's been sitting for a couple years like you say...good chance the fuel is not real good.

if you've cranked it for a while, that should have been plenty of time for the pump to get fuel up to the carb. look down the troat of the carb and stroke the linkage on the carb....you should see 2 good solid stream of fuel being pumped down the throats of the primaries (2 most forward barrels). That will tell you if you're getting fuel.

 

I tried this and it's definitely not getting fuel. I'm going to try a fuel filter and new gas.

Is the information I found online correct that the fuel filter is on the frame rail under the cab on the driver's side? I also saw one place that said I need fuel line quick disconnect fittings to change it? I've only ever change a fuel filter once before (73 coupe deville) but it didn't require any special tool o fittings.

 

The fuel filter on a carbureted 460 is at the carburetor inlet. There are two different fuel supply systems on these trucks with or without the hot fuel handling package. The easiest way to tell is to look at the driver's side of the timing cover. If you have the hot fuel handling package all that will be there are two steel tubes, a 5/16" and a 1/4". If you do not, then there will be a mechanical fuel pump there.

If you have the hot fuel handling package, there are two low pressure in-tank electric pumps. There will be a small blue fusible link at the starter relay, if you jump that to 12 volts the selected tank pump should run and deliver fuel to the carb, be warned, Holley carbs do not like sitting and drying out, if you get gas to it, it will most likely leak like a sieve.

 

Any pictures? I'm not sure if I am following you or not. I definitely do not see a blue relay on the starter solenoid though.

 

It's not a blue relay, it's a blue fusible link that slips over a small terminal on the starter relay.