runs rough at idle
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runs rough at idle
I have a '78 Ranger 4x4 w/ 400ci Auto Trans 2bl Electronic ign (std for '78). Removed the vacume to the brakes and plugged it. Took off the EGR plate and replaced it w/ bakelite plastic plate. Tried to connect rest of vacume lines from info at library. Engine runs rough at idle even w/ removing dist. vacume line. Put it into gear and it tries to die and launch at the same time. Engine doesn't want to stay running but has enough torque to wind up the drive shafts really hard. Carb seems to be good? I need a vacume line diagram no smog for Washington State emissions. Any help please?
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From: Louisville,Ky.
Either the carb is out of adjustment or you have a vacuum leak. I would spray carb cleaner around all of the fittings and gaskets to see if it changes the idle.
Jimmy
Oh, and Welcome to FTE
Jimmy
Oh, and Welcome to FTE
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Thanks guy. I tried pulling all the plugs, they all look good, 8mm wires w/ clean good ends. Dist cap very clean. Didn't check coil, timing chain, fuel pump.... I cannot hear any whistle type vacume leaks but I will try spray. Looking for vacume line diagrams.
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Yesterday I found a thread that had a link to a couple of pictures he had linked to. I went to the link and found exactly what I needed for a diagram. It had two pictures and I thought was all one. I saved the picture for printing later only to discover there were 2 pictures. I cannot for the life of me find that thread again? The name of the one picture I saved was:351m400x2.jpg. I woould really like to find this thread to get the other picture? As I searched a little more I found Mil1ion had a link to these pictures. Thanks a million!
Last edited by david troupe; Oct 23, 2003 at 10:56 AM.
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I went completely through this carburator (not much to these 2bl Motocrafts), and found some sediment in the bowl. Everything else looks great. Found allot of build up (EGR), and scrpaed it off. Base plate didn't show leakage. I did plug off EVERY hole and hose on this thing and run the engine w/ timing light. The mark on the pulley didn't move at all it was very steady so I assume timing chain and distributor are good? It still was kind of rough but did improve. Carburator shaft itself could be leaking? WD40 did change the pitch a little but not drastically? I could change plugs, wires, cap & rotor to be safe?
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From: Madison, WI
I went through all the same things that you have listed trying to get my F250 to run right at idle, and while in gear at a stop. Finally, I pulled the intake manifold, and found that the intake gaskets around the front two intake ports on the driver's side had been sucked down into the lifter valley creating an internal vacuum leak. After a new intake gasket set, it is smooth at idle. I have a different engine (460), but your problem does sound similiar, and I was VERY frustrated trying to solve this problem.
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The 460 has a different intake than the Cleveland / 400 type. But I will take this to heart since I am about out of guesses. If all else fails I'll replace the intake / exhaust gaskets? Right now I am sealing the carb gasket / EGR plate & gasket and see if that affects it at all? I have a good 4bl Holley but I have to use a 4x2 adapter. This I have done before but may be a good test for the carb?
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Follow up for all of you. Changing the base plate bach to EGR and putting new gaskets on and the sitting down with emission diagrams (8) and figuring out which one was my application, didn't do much for me at all. I got it to settle down a bit but not enough to be proud of. Wound up digging out a 2x4 adapter plate and went to the auto parts and got 2 metal x fiber type gaskets (for heat). Bolted that on and put a Holley 600 4bl single pump (small jet), and left off the EGR. I can get it to idle at 500RPM and smooth. It still rocks a little bit but I think a good set of copper 8mm and new plugs w/ fresh gas will probably do the trick? Again thanks for all the input it was very helpful.