Hey everybody! First post here, just looking for some help from the Ford guys.

Here is the problem we've been experiencing for a while now. After the truck warms up, when you drop it into Gear it dies. Normally it runs fine for the first half of the drive to or from work. Then after that its nearly impossible to get moving. Yesterday it actually died when rolling down the interstate @ about 55mph. We pulled over and it fired right back up, that's when it all started going down hill. It did this one more time from a yield sign, pulled out truck shifted to second and died while accelerating.

Basically the truck has been sitting in the driveway for a month as we have been scratching our heads. We found a bad vaccum cap this weekend which is why we drove it again, obviously that was not the problem.


Specs:
302 5.0
Edlebrock 1406 Carb
Weiand Stealth 8020 Manifold
Unknown Mild Cam
New Electronic Distributor
New Plug wires
New Poly Tank
New AutoZone Pump
New Pickup
Rebuilt Tranny about a year ago
Truck didn't do this after the tranny was rebuilt, we started having problems with the old distributor. The vacuum advance module what broke inside the distributor cap.

I know people like to blame the converter for these issue a lot of the times, but this doesn't explain the engine dying under acceleration or while cruising

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

When it quits does it bog down and sputter and die or just flat out quits like you shut it off?

 

Seemed like when we were rolling down the highway the first time, then pulling out from a yield the truck popped into neutral. Not a clunck, just kind of threw you forward. Make sense?

When we are at a red light, you can almost hear the truck start to run a little rough. But it happens all so quick there isn't really anything you can do. Then that's were it gets interesting. Trying to fire it back up and get it into gear.

Thanks,
Keith

 

Sounds like a fuel delivery or ignition problem. Do you have access to a fuel pressure gauge? I would hook up a gauge, tape it to your windshield, drive it, and see if it starts tapering off, indicating a failing fuel pump. Is the fuel filter clean?

I noticed in your specs paragraph you say you have an Autozone fuel pump - if I remember correctly it's an Airtex unit? They are junky pumps - my Escort consumed four of them in six months - and that's when I went to a Bosch unit that lasted another 100k miles until I junked the car.

 

Mine did the exact same thing, or at least the dieing when you first put it into gear, i had to advance the timing (Clockwise) quite a bit, then that fixed the problem, maybe try that? im sure it couldn't hurt

 

Sounds like fuel pressure too high. Those eddy's don't like more than 5.5 psi.
If it's hard to catch and fire back up it's flooding a bit due to the fuel pressure.

 

Not running a fuel filter at the moment. Yes looks like its an Airtex. Autozone Fuel Pump Where do you attach a fuel pressure gauge on these carb vehicles?





Also We already messed with the timing both ways. Right now its back within spec.

How would I go about regulating the fuel pressure if it is over 5.5?


Thanks everybody,
Keith

 

Search on ebay for holley fuel regulator. Lots on there. Don't buy the cheapest one you find. Quality costs a bit more. Some regulators have a pressure gauge on them or a fitting to install one.
To check yours now you need to tee a gauge into the fuel feed line to your carb.

 

I'll check Summitt

 

Newbie, The electronic didtributor you are using, what is the voltage it needs to operate? Some do not require a resistor, if this is the case you may have to bypass the the resistor wire that is in the circuit. Run the engine and check the voltage at the + side of the coil. Find out the voltage requirement of the distributor.
Kenny

 

"No filter?"

 

I'll do some more research on that distrubutor. It was a aftermarket, that my local hotrod barn carries.

Yes, no filter for now. Is that odd?

 

thought I'd post a picture of what were working on.

 

Yes, no filter is odd. Unless your entire fuel system is brand new, it has junk in it. No fuel filer is just flirting with disaster. The sending unit in the tank has a sock on it to keep the big pieces out, but you need a fuel filter in line before the carburetor. (some people have two. One before the fuel pump, and one before the carb.)

When you say, "electronic distributer", what did the truck have before? Points?
If you're running an electronic distributor on the factory wiring, you're trying to run it on 9 volts. That could very well be your problem. Is your distributer a D.U.I.? (GM HEI for Ford) In that case, all you need to do is hook up a switched 12V power supply to the distributer.

One more thing, .....it's important. .....what year is your truck?

 

I understand about the filter. The main reason for not having one was mainly for troubleshooting. Definitely going back with a filter after the carb is rebuilt and completely cleaned out.

As for the distributor, when my dad bought the truck it already had a mallory distributor on it. My uncle who is a mechanic of like 40 years found that the advance mechanism was broken. He was the one who replaced it with the knock off distributor. The guys at the hot rod barn told him, they hadn't had any complaints from that dizzy. We are working on it now, as he has tinkered on it more than plenty.

Its a 1973 F-100 Custom btw. Sorry for the slow updates.