I have a 1967 F100 4x4 with a FE 360 (not original motor, purchased it last week used). The motor has a new distributor, spark plugs, plug wires, fuel filter, tubing, correct firing order, good gas flow, all fluids redone, etc, etc. Truck fires up and stays alive as long as you keep pumping the gas and keeping it over 3,000 RPMs. If it falls below 3k it dies. My first thought was that it was a carb issue so I borrowed a buddy of mines carb, (same exact motor and carb which runs perfectly fine on his 360) and it did the same thing. Points are set exactly where they should be. It is not a gas flow issue. As far as I am concerned it is not a spark issue. Has a brand new vacuum advance. Has a brand new coil. Truck does have a little bit easier time idling when the choke is pulled completely out.

I have tried everything to my knowledge to figure this out and am at a loss of words.

Only other thing that comes to mind is maybe a vacuum leak?

Any information you can provide is MUCH appreciated.

Thanks a ton in advance,

Ryan

 

Check timing? Who installed new distributor, not too tough to get it and/or wires wrong.

 

Wires are in the correct firing order. Timing is correct. Distributor is installed correctly.

I have another intake manifold here that I know is good for a FE. Came off a 352. I got some intake gaskets and I am pulling the current intake manifold rite now. Going to put this one on and see what happens. Will update again later tonight or tomorrow.

 

Spray some ether/starting fluid around the carburetor base and intake manifold. It'll slow down if there's a leak. Don't backfire it, the ether is very flammable.

 

Got a brake power booster? Check the line off the back of the manifold for breaks/cracks. Sounds like a vacuum leak. Does this 'new' motor have all the EGR stuff behind the carb?
Post a pic.

 

Vacuum leak. It's easy to get a bad leak mixing and matching intakes and spacers. Some of the later spacers had a gap in the back that was used for emissions, but would be open straight from atmosphere to the intake on an earlier intake. I had one that I welded up to put on my Courier 2.3 instead of the Craptachi that fell apart.

 

Just got a new intake manifold and new gasket set and put it all together myself so I knew everything was correct and I am still having an issue. Now the truck has a hard time starting and if it does start it only stays alive at high RPMs. When I start the truck in the morning (or for the first time of the day) I get a ton of smoke coming out of the tail pipe and the motor itself. Once it runs a while it stops but it seems as though the longer the motor sits the more it will smoke when started. This morning it was so bad I am surprised someone didn't call the fire department. Couldn't even see my neighbors house on the other side of the fence. I purchased this motor and was told "We know the previous owner of this motor and can assure you this is a great motor. Everything is already set and it is ready to go." I have a 90 day warranty so I will be getting my money back. Would like to be compensated for all the time and money I put into this motor to make it runs although I was told it was ready to go, but I know that is probably not going to happen. I am gonna tell them I want my money back and if they want there motor they can come pull it themselves. I am having a certified mechanic come out tomorrow to look at the motor and give me a peace of paper with his signature saying everything that is wrong with this "perfectly fine ready-to-go motor". I have a problem now with the carb not filling with gas. Do not think it is a carb issue but I think it is more of a problem of a problem with the truck not sending gas to the fuel pump if that makes any sense.

Either way I will update this after everything is taken care of.

Thanks for all of the suggestions so far,

Ryan

 

A couple of ideas, if the fuel pump is like an sbf the diaphram may be torn/have a hole in it, someone more familiar with FE's can confirm or reject whether they do. Or the valve guide shrouds can be cracked and make a lot of smoke as the oil runs down the valves while sitting.

 

If the smoke is white then it's coolant. Do a compression check. That will tell you if you have a head gasket leak or if you have a valve seating problem.
New gaskets on the carb and carb spacer?

 

Yes. Carb spacer and carb gaskets are fine. I even put on a different intake manifold that worked perfectly fine on my old 352 and I am having the exact same problem.

At a loss of words.
I smell a crate motor coming.