Hey guys n gals i have a 83 f100 inline 6 4.9l single barrel
I had a mechanic that was recommended to me by my wifes parents n since i took it to him it hasnt been right
first question is how do i from start to finish tune my single barrel (he tunned it) it usta be one pump n turn key then kick down the idle speed it no longer does that its like it doesnt wanna start anymore
second he replaced the manifold gasket (uh huh) now i have a terrible leak at the manifold i need a step by step guide to getting the manifold off n back on

 

Don't touch a thing, take your truck back to the mechanic that did the work and have him repair the damage he did.

 

Im already into him for 1200 an he wants another 700 to fix the manifold saying the manifold needs to be completely replaced i need my truck back im losibg days of work cause of this i just need it back on the road

 

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Have a lawyer send him a letter. I'm sure he'll be singing a different tune once he realizes your threatening litigation. Between the big hit to his local reputation and the monetary loss he would see by going to court, I'd be very surprised if he doesn't offer to fix anything and everything he botched.

 

Might ask in the 6-banger forum:

Ford Inline Six, 200, 250, 4.9L / 300 - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

I also suggest writing better (not like you're texting your BFF) with punctuation and capitalization and spelling and whatnot.

 

What kind of leak? Air.. Coolant, etc.. Could the intake be cracked? If so then yes you will definitely have to replace it. If not, then I'd

Why did it go to the mechanic in the first place? I know you don't want to hear it, but there are way to many variables in play that could be happening and it's just too hard for anyone to even guess at what they can provide as far as advice.

If it was me, I'd go back to the guy and demand he fix what he messed up. That's why I do all my own work, especially engine work. I may not get it right the first, second, or tenth time, but by golly I'll finally get it working! Plus it's a learning experience you will never get by watching a video or reading a book.

Did he not even test it out? How did he perform a carb tune if it wouldn't even start? Could a vacuum hose had come off the intake manifold?

 

I agree, TAKE IT BACK. Once you try to start "fixing" it, he'll say it's something that you did.

 

You might also want to take it to another mechanic just to diagnose the leak. If he confirms it's leaking from the same area the guy worked on, stick to your guns. If the he didn't shave the heads and they needed to be it's his fault for not recommending it in the first place. Small claims court would be the place for this and having a second opinion will help in court.

 

I sent it to him cause the carb was leaking gas he told me it was full of dirt , He rebuilt it and tuned it saying it was running rich now its like it has no choke and Ive sent the truck back 4 times and the exhaust was a small back fire when cold after a load like heavy acceleration , its worse than before no backfire but really bad exhaust in the cab I had another shop diagnose it with a leak at the manifold thats when he said it would be another 700

 

Heres the thing, if he replaced the exhaust manifold gasket to fix an exhaust leak and you still have an exhaust leak he can not charge you again as he already charged you for fixing the exhaust leak by installing the gasket.


If the manifold is bad and he did not catch that then he has to make it right. At the very least he should eat the labor for R&R the manifold again.


Thing to remember is when a vehicle is brought in with a problem and the customer pays for repairs to fix those problems and the problems are still there, he can not charge you again to correct something that he didn't fix in the first place that you paid for.


The most you should have to pay how ever if the manifold is busted he could charge you for the cost of the manifold but because he had the manifold off to replace the gasket if he did not see the manifold was bad and just tried to bandaid it with a gasket and the leak was not fixed then he is obligated to eat the cost of the labor.

 

I'll echo what everyone else has said...your jerk of a mechanic should fix what he broke.

But...I can understand why you'd never want him to touch your truck again. So if you're going to do it yourself, you might get some benefit from reading a thread I started last year when I went through a similar project:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...bout-this.html

It's a tedious job, but not especially difficult - I'm pretty much a novice mechanically and I was able to do it with a little help from this forum. Roughly (and I am going from memory here), you're going to:

1. Remove air cleaner and carburetor from the top of the manifold

2. Remove the EGR assembly (assuming you have it) that was under the carburetor

3. Remove any accessory brackets blocking access to the bolts holding the manifold to the block. On mine that was the alternator/AC bracket, but maybe on yours it is the air pump.

4. Disconnect the exhaust pipe from the exhaust manifold.

5. Unbolt (I believe there are 13 bolts) the manifold assembly from the block. The intake and exhaust manifolds are joined together in the middle under the carburetor (not at the engine), so both manifolds will come off as a big heavy unit. Be careful - since yours was recently removed, it will come off easily and you don't want to drop it.

You'll want to use a quality new gasket for the replacement process - I was very happy with this one:

Also, something to be aware of is that the manifolds on the 300 are subject to warping when they are removed...and your mechanic sounds like the kind of mouth-breather who would use a hammer and chisel to take a manifold off. You'll want to check the mating surfaces to be sure they're absolutely flat - I used a metal straightedge laid across the surfaces, and was fortunate that mine weren't warped or otherwise damaged.

Of course, reassembly is the reverse of disassembly - and the Fel-Pro gasket comes with a handy instruction sheet detailing the proper way to torque the manifold bolts. You'll want to follow those instructions precisely, as the cast iron manifolds are subject to cracking if improperly torqued.

Finally, I'll (again) echo what someone said earlier - go to the six cylinder forum and search for threads on manifolds. Everything I didn't learn here, I learned there. Good luck!

 

yep, if he wants to remain in business he will fix his mistakes, be sure it is his mistake; two or more mechanics diagnosis, then talk lawyer, add in paper etc.

Your opening post was so unclear to me that I thought you were talking intake manifold. If you want the experts here (and I'm not) to help; you must give them all the details in language that can be understood.

So, you had a gas leak at the carburetor; how did that lead to an exhaust gasket?

You mention backfire, which indicates the intake or carburetor, but then say it was in he exhaust.

My suggestion, sit down and think through the entire sequence of events and then post that so these folks can help.

Here's the deal, you paid him to fix it, he did not; now he is responsible. You start turning wrenches and he is off the hook. With proper in put from you these folks can guide you through the work, it's not hard. But you have then lost all the money you paid him. Lost!

 

How it got to the mechanic was i was coming off the highway n stopped at the next traffic light, the truck sputtered an died n wouldn't restart. The next morning i came back for it and saw that as i pumped the gas to get it to fire up it was leaking between the intake manifold and carb. Id hadn't had a vehicle before with a carb , so i had it towed to his shop, he called and said the carb need to be rebuilt after about a week i called an inquiried about what was going on, he said the carb needed to be tunned cause it was way rich. I at that time mentioned that under heavy acceleration i got a single back fire everytime i drove the truck he replied that "it sounded like a exhaust leak creating a form of combustion in the exhaust" .So i told him while he had it to find where it was leaking from , he called back the next day and said the gasket at the exhaust manifold was bad had a crack in the center, so i told him to fix it. He finally calls about three days later says its done, i go get it was running when i got there drove home , the next morning went to start it n didnt wanna start pumped the gas a couple more times fired over but ran rough till warm, went to go through state inspection n truck starts acting up well i failed lol. The truck broke down a mile n a half from the ins station, called him with the same issue it had in the first place , alse told him it was hard to start .He had the truck for about a day, went n picked it up once again running when i got. There for the last few months i delt with the hard start, a few weeks ago i felt like crap after driving to an from work n i noticed the truck was louder.I went had another shop look at the truck and was told the manifold was leaking from multiple places so i went back to the mechanic n said hard to start feels like it has no choke and exhaust is leaking at the manifold called the next day "oh looks like the electric choke got unplugged" n: its gonna be 685 to fix the leak 270 for the manifold "(pepboys is 113 with coupon) and rest was labor .i told the him just give me the truck back ,went picked up the truck shop was closed (i told him to leave keys under the seat i have a extra set)
Still doesnt want wanna start .... thats the last time the truck was delt with till now

Im just really frustrated with the fact that when i work on my truck i know what i did n what i changed and with him working on it i dont know what he did to **** it up

 

I wrote earlier about the manifold, but I forgot to talk about the carburetor.

I would suggest getting a rebuild kit for your carburetor and doing a rebuild. I used a GP Sorensen #96-395C kit (purchased at AutoZone, I think) for my 1980 and was quite happy with it. You'll want to get the tag number (if it's still there) off your carburetor and take it to the parts store with you, and they'll make sure you get the right kit.

Your "mechanic" should have already done a rebuild on the carb, but who knows? You're better safe than sorry by doing a rebuild yourself. This is a simple carb, and the instructions in the kit should see you through the job...and if not, there are plenty of posts and pictures here about how to do the work. As a matter of fact, here's mine from when I did my rebuild: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...etor-help.html The instructions include all the settings and clearance information you need, and if you're meticulous about making sure you do them correctly, your carburetor should be correctly tuned as soon as you bolt it back on.