Paul has provided tons of excellent info! When working on stuff like this I usually start simple. Which means vacuum leak. Like Paul said properly plug off/redo the vacuum connections at back of carb. Set base timing (with vacuum advance disconnected from carb and plugged). Re-connect vacuum advance and see if timing changes at idle. Set idle speed. Check idle mixture screw (under front of carb). Turn in and count turns. If around 1.5 turns that is about right. Put idle mix back to where it was.

Short story about the "simple stuff". Working on my 1996 Supercharged Cobra. Kept seeing the car get leaner at idle. Kept adjusting the tune (done via laptop) to be richer at idle. Kept doing that over the course of several months until one day I smelled raw fuel. Hmmmm... Turns out vacuum line from engine to carbon canister (emissions thing) was rotten out. Replaced line and BAM! Car now way to rich at idle. Reverted the tune back to pre messing around and all is well. Moral of the story? Start simple, it is usually that. In this case vacuum leak and idle speed. Along with choke, which you should have corrected by hooking up the heat tube.

 

Wow, guys, going to have to work faster!
I (think) that choke heat tube connection will be good. It has a double ferrel on the hard line and the threads all matched up.
Going to start it up and see if it has any power under load now. Also going to get on some vacuum leak detection also. Thanks cbrown.
Working on plumbing the PVC back to the air filter housing. There is a hose mismatch. That is a curious cannister on the housing. Looks like an oil filter on the outside! No telling what it came from or the year.
Getting rid of the red hose and will keep it simple to enhance my understanding. These shop manuals are also a wealth of information. This is actually more complex than the 52'.
Going to have to reread all the good points in the above posts and ensure that I haven't overlooked checking anything. Thanks loads for all the insights and suggestions.
yellerc@

 

I think you'll still find some that think of the PCV system as just some more of that "stupid smog crap" that everybody likes to remove from their engines. But the PCV (while it is essentially a smog system) is so beneficial to the long life of your engine that it's totally worth keeping in good shape.
It literally sucks out all the bad gasses (whether petroleum based, or water based) from your crankcase that cause acid and sludge buildup and other bad things. So it's literally a lifesaver for engines and unlike some of the old devices, is still in use on modern engines to this day.
Well worth understanding and keeping in top shape.

While you're messing about with things, you might as well look for a number on the existing valve to be sure it's the proper one for your year and model engine. While many different non-original ones will work, some that were not made for a specific engine can "breathe" too well and cause a lean mixture and loss of power. Not the power loss you're experiencing, but enough that it can bog down when first starting.

I actually keep a spare "wrong" valve in my Bronco's toolbox so that when I'm traveling at higher altitude I just swap valves when I stop for gas or whatever, and the engine runs better at altitude.
Kind of a controlled vacuum leak if you will, and what some used to do by outfitting their engine with a lever valve they could open and close as needed. It's not scientific, but it works!

Paul

 

The dash light is for 'ALT' . The voltage regulator looks maybe near original, non descript pic follows.
The ignition is electronic, so no points or condenser, correct? Is this the same as 'Transistorized Ignition??? Wondering what, if anything, needs to be checked or replaced with regard to that system? Thinking plug wires and plugs, any suggestion on the latter, have tended to favor Autolite or Ford in the past. Starts easily so thinking it is ok for now.
Having some little success after locating the mixture screw and giving it 1 1/2 turns out as suggested by cbrown. Actually moved it around without much loss of power, but there is still alot of hesitation and stuttering, etc. Will try to fine tune it a bit when warm. Timing must be the most likely adjustable variable if there are no points to check. Not quite got it sorted in my head yet. LOL

Can tell the brakes are going to need some work pretty quick, cause they are kinds scary right now!
voltage regulator and wiring

 

Boy howdy, does that look original or what! At least it's an old one for sure.
But that can still be a good thing. Sure, you may have inherited one that is getting on in life and about to fail, but the better news is that since it seems to be working (more on that in a moment) the old stuff is far superior to the new stuff in most cases, so may just work for decades to come.
But I would certainly try to clean up the rusty spots where they count. Meaning the contact points with the body (grounds) and such. The cover is just cosmetic, so needs nothing unless you want it to look cleaner.

Because you have an indicator lamp instead of an amp gauge (ammeter, or amp meter) your regulator wiring is the more common 4-wire design. Most trucks of the era seemed to get the ammeter and have the 3-wire connection at the regulator, but 90% of passenger cars and quite a few trucks came without ammeters and had just the lights. For whatever functional reason, Ford wired them differently, so that's just something to be aware of if you ever have to have work done on it. Most mechanics are more familiar with what you have however, than with what many of us have.

Yes, electronic ignition (generic term) is often referred to as "transistorized" or "HEI" (GM name) or just lower-case "hei" (stands for "high energy ignition) or Ford's name starting in '74/'75-ish was Dura Spark. You have one of the forms of Dura Spark, but it could be an early version before they used that name.
However, because you have the large distributor cap you could easily call yours Dura Spark and every body will know what you're talking about. But the modules are very specific as mentioned, so you need to replace any failed ones with the same model, OR convert over to the most common "Blue Grommet" module (or modulator as Ford termed it originally) by swapping some wires and connectors around.
If you pull off the distributor cap sometime and take a peek inside, you can confirm. But it looks to be standard stuff and the distributor mechanisms themselves were all the same through the years.
If you ever have a suspected ignition issue you can test the distributor by measuring the resistance between the Orange and Purple wires coming out of the distributor. Should be somewhere in the middle of 400 to 700 ohms. Outside of that, or anywhere close to the limits and the guts should be replaced with readily available parts from the store and a little bit of your time.

Something you can do as a good practice with old cars and trucks is to clean contact points around the electrical system. Main ones being the glass fuses, and any easy to reach connectors. Just the simple act of removing a fuse and re-installing it will clean the contact points. If they're particularly rusty looking, you should clean them with a wire brush or some other implement of destruction. But if they're reasonable looking, just removing and re-installing the fuses cleans them up for better electrical transmission.
Same for any plugs/connectors like the one on the side of the regulator there. Pull it off and inspect the contacts, then clean if necessary and put it back on. Voila! Things just work better.

Speaking of working, next time the engine is running measure the voltage at the battery. You should see between 13.5 and 14.5 volts as a general rule. Anything less and your charging system is weak. Anything more than 15v or so means something is bad (such as the regulator) and will eventually damage the battery.

Lots of fun stuff to do!

Paul

 

Still poking and prodding around this old veteran. After my short drive, the by-pass hose let go, so will change all the old heater hose out.
Did some heavy thinking and decided to return the existing carb and replace with another of a different source.Suspecting that the accelerator pump is out or that there is some other internal malfunction. Seller had a cheap Chinese carb on for two days and said it ran very well before puking and putting the current one on. So I am thinking that it is a 'bad' rebuild, and I do not have the patience or experience to sniff it out; hopefully avoiding an indeterminate delay. We will see.
Going to check the front brakes in the meantime to see what may be amiss there while waiting on new wires and plugs. Will also be hitting some of the electrical connections and grounds to see what I can 'wake up'. Just a general get to know you kind of time here.
Suggestions and questions are much appreciated and I am giving the shop manuals a good going over to get up to speed on this year and model. Lots of good stuff to come!

 

Never know when I will get a chance to step out and look over the truck, so my postings tend to be somewhat erratic. Please excuse my 'irregularity"; (at least got some hair)
That back housing bolt is hiding...

Maybe that vacuum portion of the distributor can come off for access?

May not have had any vacuum advance with the lever off of the pin plate...

Here's some more original and 'old' findings. Looked like the leak was the thermostat housing, so getting in there to replace the gasket and the thermostat while at it. Guessing the 180 degree is what I want knowing how cold blooded these Fords are, right? There is an alternate, cooler one also. Actually got both just for posterity! But that inside bolt is very inaccessible with the A/C compressor and all. So that lead to try the alternator off side. No go. Looks like the distributor needs to come out to access the thermostat housing 'inside' bolt. Wondering if I could just remove the vacuum portion of the distributor and leave the distributor proper in place? Looks like a possibility.
But the big reveal is that the inside of the distributor cap has pretty scarred contacts, even though it starts well, perhaps part of the running problem; AND the vacuum advance lever inside the cap appears to be off of the pin that activates the plate. Is that what you guys see? Wondering also if some cleaning and/or lubrication inside there is in order? Not sure how free the plate moves. Probably has something to do with my stalling problem perhaps? Will replace the cap and rotor if I can find them.
Here's some pics of it.

 

What's a good source for the 'duraspark' type cap and rotor? Rock doesn't seem to stock....

Check that - Local Bumper to Bumper has it less $$ than the online sites.

 

Yes, that lever is supposed to be on the pin, as you suspected. I don't remember if it's just held in place by natural pressure, or if there is a clip of some sort. Been a long time since I had one apart (thankfully!).

The rusty surfaces of the stator and reluctor wheel do interfere with the magnetic personality, but I've seen rusty ones work for years that way too, so not sure how much it's affected.
I always try to polish them up when I see it like that, but not sure how much it helps. But it does at least give a visible indicator of how long they've been sitting around in moist conditions without being driven much.
Or if the truck was driven, then those are likely the original parts from an early truck and/or it spent it's life in very moist conditions. Cleaning and lubricating is not a bad idea. What does it feel like when you take that center post (where the rotor slips on) and with your fingers rotate it against the springs and weights?
If it still moves smoothly and returns fully back under light spring pressure, you're in good shape. If it's chunky or hard to turn, or does not return back to it's neutral position, you either need to pull it apart and recondition things, or just buy a new replacement distributor.
But if you buy new, make sure to keep those old workhorse inner components as spares! The original and still working magnetic trigger is likely more reliable still after all these years, than the imported replacement pieces.

Regarding bolt access, those thermostat housings are a pain even with nothing in the way! But yes, the vacuum canister should just come right off with the removal of one, or two screws. Again, haven't done it in awhile, but it's doable.

Great to see pics of what you're working with. Keep 'em coming!

Paul

 

Will do Paul ! Your insight is welcome, insightful and inspiring!
This truck is mid way between the 52' and the 88' (under restoration), and not really like either of them.
Shouldn't be long till it will get some drive time and further scrutiny afterward, sort of iron out the rough spots.
Getting the anti freeze and oil changed today along with a couple of new belts and hoses. Maybe check those front brakes and get some parts ordered for that.
Holding off the rear brakes as there is a limited slip differential destined for the backside and will try to slip it in when time allows. Way too easy to get stuck around my place. Other future plans are to put power 'pinchers' on the front when an appropriate donor appears, unless the drums really please me.
Also trying to get the PCV system cleaned up and tightened down before significant drive time. Probably check out the rest of that distributor too.
When the stalling out is remedied, will just start a new thread will all the other improvements and modifications.
Thank you for ALL the replies, everyone.

 

Removed the distributor when the second screw for the vacuum unit was broken off preventing removal of that portion only. The plate in the distributor is 'frozen' and does not move. The vacuum mechanism will move, but only with considerable pressure, certainly not by blowing or sucking on it. May be looking for a replacement refurbished unit or exploring the other present day options like the MSD unit. Confused about what has to match with the 'yellow grommet' box that is on my fender if I search for a reconditioned original unit, which is my preference.
Two pieces of information are from a tag on the vacuum screw and from the distributor shaft itself, they are as follows:
The tag reads:
89 D9AE
12127
AAA
18-29

The stem of the distributor reads:
C9ZF-12131-A
A(circled) 31
12127 Motorcraft

Following is picture of the unit on the fender, which Paul indicated was the yellow grommet, (I am not sure how that affects my choice of a refurbished unit, and whether both distributor and the 'box' will need to both be replaced)
Will add here, that the idea of wiring any different replacement is not attractive as my electrical abilities are severly limited; that is to say, I can match colors at best.......

On a happier note, did replace some heater hose and get the thermostat housing off.

Mayhaps I should bite the bullet and renew the entire ignition system including the coil??

Appreciate any suggestions or advice.

Guessing that this is the yellow grommet Paul mentioned earlier...

Today's destruction. Note the 'Ford Tool' leaning on the valve cover.

Frozen plate and sluggish vacuum canister. Considering just sending the unit out for reconditioning and dropping back in with other existing parts.

With the 'collar' or conversion/adapter unclipped and removed.

 

Well that decides that then! And now that you've found so many other things wrong with the existing distributor, yes it's time for a replacement.
Which opens up a whole nutha' can-o-worms due to the veritable plethora or choices.

The Ford Dura Spark type distributor is basically a stand-alone part of the system. All of the different modules, most of which do not interchange in one way or another, share one thing in common and that's the distributor connector.
The distributor uses the same body from way back when. Only the adapter thingy, cap and rotor are different, but the body and, more important for this discussion, the electronic trigger mechanism was the same for EVERY unit sold. So you're good to go with just a new distributor.

One other thing that changed was the advance curve. There were different combinations of springs, weights, and slot lengths (limiting the mechanical advance) for different vehicles. It's a good bet though that most rebuilders, and even the manufacturers of brand new units, don't differentiate and you get what you get. So whether your particular engine came with one version or not, you get what you get. But since your whole ignition is swapped in from some unknown source anyway, it's pretty much a moot point.

So the options are, buy a standard new or rebuilt unit from the parts source of your choosing, or go with an aftermarket unit that does not use the Ford Dura Spark module on the fender anymore. This would simplify wiring overall, but does nothing for your simplicity at this point because if you keep the current setup you don't have to change any wiring. However, there is still a dilemma.
That is, is the module good? Is it about to fail and you won't be able to find a replacement Yellow Grommet module? Possibly. And if it does fail, most would just replace it with the most common Blue Grommet version, which might require some re-routing of the wires. I'll look closer at your existing one to see if it's the same or not, but don't know off the top of my head and don't have the Dura Spark User Guide handy anymore. I hope it's just lost in a pile somewhere, rather than the alternative that I gave it to someone "temporarily" while they needed it.

The aftermarket stuff is usually a stand-alone distributor without the need for the Dura Spark module at all. Or it might require a module like an MSD 6 series controller for multiple sparks and all that hot-shot stuff. And then there's the popular (because they're cheap and easy to wire, but do work very well too) GM HEI conversion distributors. Funny to see an obviously GM thing under the hood, but you can't argue with success. Much...

The "C9" designation means it was designed for use in '69 and later Fords, until it's superceded. The same method for the "D9AE" part. Where the "D9" part means it was designed for use on '79 model vehicles, or later until superceded. The "A" part means it's from the general automotive lineup (vs specific to trucks for example) and I forget just what the "E" is for but someone will know. The letters after the longer string of numbers such as the 12131 "A" is the part number family and the revision letter. With "A" being the first revision I believe.
Other than that I don't know the specifics of the numbers. NumberDummy will know, as would Rich (7879...) and others. And speaking of which, anyone seen NumberDummy in the last couple of weeks?

As it stands it 's now up to you. Obviously the distributor is the heart of the system and you do need to replace it. Should be fodder for a great discussion here!

Yes. The "grommet" as they became known early on, is/are really the wire-strain relief(s) to keep the wires in good shape as they exit the module and spread out around the engine area. They also just happened to cleverly use different colors to show that one module was different from another in one function or another.
Some of them will connect right up to the wiring harness without trouble, while some won't even connect as the plugs are different keyed and shaped. But they will ALL function the same towards giving your ignition the commands to send a spark from the coil. Assuming wired correctly...

Yes, I know that "special tool" very well! Often used for removing recalcitrant distributors. In the old days I'd never heard of a stuck distributor. Since having Fords though, I've fun afoul of quite a few that were stuck in the block. To the point that some of them (especially in the 335-series engines) had to be busted up and pulled out piece by piece.

Looks like you're on a roll. Let's keep the momentum up!

Paul

 

And I hate to get you into a different area to work on since you have so much more important stuff to do first, but at some point you will likely want to replace that heater elbow there on top of the intake next to where you're working.
See how rusty it is on the outside? The inside is probably almost gone. Almost as if they intended it as a sacrificial-anode of sorts. My '71's elbow was toast in six years from new!

What's inside the water passage is an extension tube that runs down to near the bottom and I assume acts as a siphon tube? I don't know, but that's the part that deteriorates.
If it's not leaking, you might want to leave it alone. But if the heater does not work efficiently when all is said and done, you might get a new one of those and see if it helps the flow.

Put it on the list then, but farther down than the really important stuff.

Paul

 

Cognitating on all the distributor information presently, unsure of which direction to take.

Interesting about the water elbow. When inspecting the bypass hose area, was unsure exactly what was leaking and came to conclusion that must have been the gasket on the housing; but you know, it is possible that the leak originated from that elbow as I never actually saw it leaking, though I did see a drip from above where the hose connected to the intake portion of the housing. It could have run down from the elbow.....

Edit: Took the elbow out and it is cruddy. Do you have a source for them and a part number?

Agree, there is to be some sort of new distributor.

 

Going to drop a Cardone rebuilt 2 vacuum distributor in and then a Pertronix 3 ignitor with a .6 ohm coil, and hope I can figure the wiring out without frying everything.

Can always fall back on the points. OUCH !

Still looking for that part number for the intake water outlet. Wouldn't brass be the bomb for that particular part?
MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!