Man, you guys are awesome! So I did what was recommended. Here's how it went. I drove around and got it nice and hot, then when I was going to plug in the vacuum gauge it just dawned on me that all of the old vacuum lines that are not attached to anything are still connected to the manifold. I have been experiencing some dieseling at shutdown, and figured I had a vacuum leak somewhere. I pulled all of the old lines and just capped them, leaving only the brake booster and the hose going over to the heater. Then, when I adjusted the idle speed it actually dropped quickly (usually didn't really change at all not matter how far I turned the screw). The engine smoothed way out, and then I went on with the mix adjustment. I was able to adjust it to just above 21 on the vacuum gauge and it held steady, then backed off about a 1/4 turn. I checked the timing and set it back to right around 10 degrees. It's so hard to tell exactly because of the angle of the markings and the timing mark is underneath it, but I think I'm close. I took it for a drive and at a light I had to roll the window down to see if it was actually running... I got so used to the high idle. I ordered an aftermarket tach for it so I can get the idle speed dialed in more than by ear. I'll go through this process again once I get it hooked up.

After that, I'll revisit the vacuum advance issue. Dave, I hope that the high idle was a factor and that it will work now!

Ok, now that that seems to be settling down and I have learned a TON about timing, distributors, idle mix, etc. (thanks BTW!), let me direct this back to the original purpose of the thread. While I wait for the tach to arrive I have all of these vacuum tubes that are not connected to anything. Can I just pull it all out? There was one vacuum line that went from the manifold and just poked out of the wheel well. I have capped it as well.


You can see the two lines that are still connected, the rest were capped and it smoothed out the idle.


There's also a MAP sensor on the side that is not connected to anything but an unplugged vacuum hose. Can I just take this off?

I assume this is a MAP sensor based on the vacuum diagram under the hood.


Take it all out? I know I'll have to fish out the wires that are actually being used from this mess, but does the rest just come out? Computer under the dash, take it out?

I don't know what the thing is on the left.

These may be stupid questions, but I'm hoping to clean it up under the hood and only keep what I need now that I have that old distributor out. There are so many disconnected wires, red, yellow, and black vacuum hoses coming from the harness on the valve cover. I just don't want to screw anything up.

Thanks again!

Kevin

 

Since you are not using any of that stuff pull it off and cap the vaccum sources.

We will have to sort out your evap also eventually.

 

Oh boy, I'm afraid to ask. What do I need to do to the evap?

 

It will be easy just running hoses, at most you will have to pick up a purge valve.

 

is that because the thing on the left is the evap canister and it is no longer connected to the computer? Will I be adding a different system to deal with the evap?

 

Yes the solenoids that controlled the Evap system are no longer controlled by ECU. So something needs to be put in their place. There are a couple of options you have avalible.


Ideally, you should post a pic of the underhood with the air cleaner removed and I can highlight everything you can pull out. Save the hoses though, until a decision is made is about the Evap

 

I can take a new one later if necessary, but here is one I posted earlier that shows everything that was on there. (I do have a PCV valve, it's just out in the pic)


On the manifold port, there is a "y" connection that has one end capped with a short hose and bolt and the other end has a hose that pokes out of the wheel well to daylight. I have removed this and capped it at the port. Next to that is a hose that runs to the disconnected MAP sensor, and the red vacuum tub from the solenoid T's into it. The other vacuum hoses at the manifold are the one to the brake booster and the one that goes to the vacuum tree on the firewall. As for the colored plastic tubing, the red is connected at the T with the MAP sensor, the white is disconnected and hanging there, and the others are just cut.


Here are the two hoses that I unplugged and capped the port.

The two hoses I removed are still under the hood, in case I need to put them back for some reason.

 

The only input I have here is to check those black caps you used on that vacuum tree in a few years, they don't last forever.

 

Its a start but need the WHOLE of the underhood from fender to fender to firewall to rad support.

The stuff you removed and hooked, Remove it from under hood the Map sensor leave in place, for now, remove the hose though.

Since i"m doing this remotely I will highlight some stuff that can come out, once you pull it and remove it from under hood and take another pic with it removed so I can go onto the next things.

If you are patient and want to do this correctly and I can keep the peanut galley from running this off in the weeds when it is done it will look a factory installation.

Once you have pulled this stuff below that is highlighted in red and it's associated wiring Take another pic of underhood from fender to fender to firewall to rad support.

If you have questions feel free to take a pic and ask. I have no issues working with you through this for as long it takes for you to have a clean factory-looking install.

Remove one wire at a time. Cut it off from the connector at the solenoid then unthread out of the wiring harness back to it's source, if it splices into another wire cut off the other wire it at the splice. DO NOT cut the wire it is spliced into.
Some of these will be ground wires that will ground other items. If the wire is part of the EECIII control system it will be pulled out later on.

 

Perfect, I'm actually looking forward to this. I'll get all of that stuff pulled out and post some updated pictures.

 

alright, before I get too far. I have everything unplugged from the solenoid and the solenoid removed. Do I cut into the big wiring harness at the firewall and take all of the wires back to the source inside the truck?



Solenoid removed

Crack into this and remove the wires?

Connections to solenoid


Also, I have separated all of the wires that are actually plugged into something from the ones leading to unplugged connectors. Can I just cut these connectors off and fish out these wires as well? It’s a rats nest and I can’t untangle them without cutting them. There’s a lot of them.



All of these go into the wiring harness and are unplugged.


there’s also several other loose connectors floating around that come in from other spots but I’m not worried about them.

 

Yes and yes, you will find most of this stuff (wires) goes to the ECU/ECU connector inside the truck. Fish back to the ECU Connector and cut off from the conmector. DO NOT just cut the EEC ECU connector off as there will be some wires you may want to utilize later on for power assesories and if they are still on the connector they will be much easier to identify them. Also, some stuff will go inside the truck and it will make it much easier to identify later in the process if it is left on the connector.


Any dead connectors that were from EEC III components can be cut off and the wires fished out also. If you are not sure what it was from, leave it, take a pic of the connector and the wires feeding it and I will be able to tell you if it can go also

 

So, I have everything unwrapped and ready to cut. I'm trying to understand what you mean by "DO NOT just cut the EEC ECU connector off as there will be some wires you may want to utilize later on for power assesories and if they are still on the connector they will be much easier to identify them. Also, some stuff will go inside the truck and it will make it much easier to identify later in the process if it is left on the connector." Do I cut the connectors that are in the engine bay, and then pull them into the truck and cut them off at the ECU, or do I leave the connectors on the ends of the wires and cut them off at the ECU? What am I not supposed to cut off for possible future use? Or do I cut them a little long at the ECU so that I can identify the wire by the color?


Do I cut them off here and pull through the firewall?

 

The ECU connector inside the truck for the computer, pull wire back to that and cut them off but do not just cut the ECU (computor) connector off inside the truck.
You can cut the wire off the connectors where ever you like. I tend to cut them about 2"-3" back from the connector so I can reuse the pins or the pig tail if I need too and still have good lengths of wire on hand for whatever. But you can cut them off where ever.

 

I would not cut the ECU connector off, and I would not cut the wires either except the few that you have to. I would unplug the ECU connector, and fish it through the firewall whole. It fit through on my Bronco, they had a large rubber piece that went around the wiring and sealed it. Just push that rubber piece through and the ECU plug will fit through the large hole in the firewall if you kink the wires around on the connector.

On mine I remember the main power relay was under the dash near the computer that powered the ECU system. I think I remember there may have been a wire or two that I had to cut and tape up, but the majority when through with the connector.

Then once you are on the firewall side, it's pretty self-explanatory. You will find most wires go to connectors that you have already unplugged. There may be a few wires that are tied into the harness. Make note of these and cut them off the ECU wiring. You can use masking tape to mark them to help you remember what went were in case you make a mistake.