Hello fairly new to owning a older Ford had one for a dd few years ago 1978 f150 4x4 I6 4 speed. Anywho I recently picked a truck to plow my driveway with (i live lower peninsula of Northern MI) its a 1973 F250 4x4 dana 44 closed knuckle and came with a 360 4v with a c6 and divorced transfer case (old gentelman claimed it has been swapped to a 428 but i havnt measured stroke yet im willing to bet its still the 360 but doesnt matter he built with his son and sold becaue he has cancer and ive been after it for years lol...) and its been swapped to a 1979 f100 cab, bed and front clip. Got both titles so ran the numbers. I got it home and first off realized it had no spark replaced the coil with an Accell super stock and got great spark. Its still running points also it fired up but ran real poorly so rebuilt the carb as well...it has an Edelbrock 4 bbl on it with a 2 bbl 2100 motorcraft manual choke. Itll fire and if i can clear it out seems to hold high rpm alright (no popping) and have decent throttle responce. Almost runs like timings off but set tdc and pointed at 1 on the cap. Also it doesnt really help moving the distributor around while its running or the jets on the carb. I'm kinda outta ideas at the moment...maybe a new HEI distributor is next I dont much care for points and i dont want to dump money into distributor just because ebay has one wire Accell's plug wires and all for fe's for $130 shipped. I'd appreciate if someone could maybe just point me in a direction to look into next im used to wrenchin on Chebbies as im currently mostly a darkside man (pls dont hold against me lol) but have always loved the 73-79 dentsides some of the meanist trucks ever made imho. thanks in advance, Cody

 

Have you replaced the points and condenser? If not, probably good thing to do and set gap appropriately for motor.

Yeah, I like the idea of replacing the distributor and eliminating the points, especially for that price.

 

First off, I would follow Pinzer's advice and put/check new points and condenser in.....check dwell, point gap ---0.014" - 0.017", then timing.

I don't understand how moving the distributor does nothing for the timing...You should hear a change in RPMs by turning it even a little......Do you have a timing light?

Also, I don't understand how you'd change the carb jets whilst she' running??? What am I missing here?

 

Sorry shoulda said idle mixture screws for the 2bbl. I do belive the condensor was bad as well as some junk that was in the tank. Ive cleaned the tank out better now (took right out and cleaned). I pulled the trigger on the hei as im more familiar with and got a new set of wires and plugs too. Waitin on distributor now update after i get it stabbed in....i also am gonna change the canistor filter and carb filter again just to b sure because of the dirty tank. Thanks, Cody

 

Ford calls for 6* timing but they run better at 9*. So you have an Edelbrock 4 bbl intake with a Ford 2 bbl carb adapted to it? These adapters give problems from vacuum leaks.

 

Thanks your the 2nd person today i heard that from. I have a holley 750 he gave me with the truck is that too much carb local auto parts place has holley rebuilds for $40. Thanks cody

 

If it's a 750 vacuum secondary it'll work, it's a little big for a stock engine but the vac secondary's will only open as much as the engine needs. I've used these carbs on engines from 289's with mild cam's to stock 428cj's.
If it's a 750 double pumper it's too much for a 360 and fuel mileage wont be very good on a 390 or 428 without a lot of tuning (jet changes, pump cams, power valves), time and money.
To get an idea on what engine you have pull one of the spark plugs out that gives easy access. Crank the engine to TDC and stick a stiff piece of wire (coat hanger, uncoated welding rod) in the spark plug hole until it touches the piston, mark the wire at the edge of the plug hole then hand crank the engine one half so that piston is at BDC. Push the wire down until it touches the piston again then mark the wire at the edge of the plug hole again, pull the wire out a measure between the marks.
352-360 has a 3.5" stroke, 390-406-427 stroke is 3.78, 410-428 stroke is 3.98, each is over 1/4 difference so which ever your closest to will be the engines stroke. With nearly 1/2" difference between a 360 and 428 it's a no brainer if your close to one or the other.
It's unlikely it's a 352, I seriously doubt it being a 406 or 427 and 410 Mercury engines are hard to find so the simplest answer is most likely the correct one.

Not to get you hopes up but some years ago I traded for a 73 F-100 they said had a 360 with 4 bbl carb, after measuring and some research we found it had a 428cj engine.

 

The holley is vaccum secondary. I took #1 plug out today and measured stoke and low and behold it measure just under 4". Keep ya updated after my hei arrives, thx cody

 

Now your going to have every body wanting to buy the engine out of your truck, running original 428's are getting real hard to find, you'll love the torque

 

That did put alittle pep back into me i was getting alittle frustrated. Overall I cant complain i got the truck for a steal i only paid $1000 for truck and plow. After going over it alittle better today i really realize how solid it really is. Most of what needs attention is primarily from sitting the last few years. Cant wait to get it up and working im sure that make my wife happy too!!



Never mind the background rigs!!








Srry for the snow!!!! That was when i first looked at it ill get a better one when its up and goin with the hei and new wires. I have an air filter of my old 79 f350 w/400 2v too thatll throw the unknowing off!!

 

Body looks good for it's age, looks like a little wiring to straighten out but overall nice truck.
What did you say you'd take for it? just kidding I don't need any more projects but if you where closer I'd still offer you a little profit for it.


Get that 750 Holley rebuilt because if it is a 428 that 2 bbl carb isn't going to feed it (no 428's ever came with a 2 bbl carb). I've had problems with some aftermarket manifolds sealing up the carbs so I'd get a good 4 hole spacer 1/2" to 1" thick and mount the 750 on top of it to eliminate possible vacuum leaks. The Holley should have a large vacuum port to connect a pcv valve hose to that will help with tuning.
Look at the casting numbers on the heads between the middle spark plugs to see what heads it has.

 

Thanks!! I think i'll keep her awhile anyway its starting to grow on me. Found couple numbers on the heads come back as 390 truck heads if I read them right pass had has C6AE cant remember if there was anthing after gotta look tomorrow and drivers head has D2TEA. The trucks a frankentruck of sorts the previous owner put it all together to b a workhorse. He used it up till 3 or 4 years ago to plow the parking lot of his storage complex. I have alot of work ahead my main plan is to get it up and working this year and work the bugs out this summer when its more manageable to b outside dont have a garage yet!!

 

Look on the other side near the other middle plug to see if there's a letter by it's self or spaced out away from the C6AE, at the moment I'm going to say the pass head is a car head and the drivers head is for sure a truck head.
Oddly the 73 F-100 I had had a car on one side and truck head on the other, I didn't realize it until abut a year later when I was doing a cam and lifter swap because of a bad lobe on the cam in the engine. It ran fine except for the half miss on one cyl because of the bad lobe but I went ahead and put a set of matched heads on since I already had the intake off.

 

Went out and looked again today in better light and dont know how i missed it but after the C6AE is a U if that helps at all. Thanks for all the help much appreciated. Works been slow waiting on parts and couple months ago i was in a pretty serious wreck and almost lost my right arm as i was the passenger. I have a good friend helpin me while im mostly the gofer lol but soon as i get the rest of my parta and get it fired ill get a few more pics.

 

And noticed on the back of the intake says STREETMASTER 390...read its a pretty popular single plane intake on the fe's