i took my truck out for its first legal drive today. It was running nicely until the engine picked up and it seemed like i was revving it even thou I wasnt. Stopped and there was slight smoke coming out of the oil fill. The distributor was loose. I tried adjusting it but the vacuum line kept tugging it counter clockwise and i had no tools. I disconnected the line and drove home. Got to a big hill and the truck crawled up it until it stalled.
I took the distributor out and put it back in with the metal tip on the rotor pointing towards the valve cover and the clips that hold the cap are parallel to the valve cover. When I turn it over it back fires through the carb and sumtimes fires up for half a second....

Which way should i turn the dist. to get the timing in the ballpark.

 

anyone? With the dist clips parallel to the valve cover it is backfiring very loudly wont even start at all

 

Umm .. are you sure the gear on the distributor isn't off by a tooth or two?

 

i have no clue how do I know if the gear is off or not? I heard that the rotor should point to the engine when installing...

 

1. Remove the key from the ignition.
2. Diconnect the battery.
3. The number one cylinder needs to be at top dead center.
4. Remove the number 1 spark plug.
5. Put you finger in cylinder number one spark plug hole.
6. Turn the motor over by turning the cooling fan by hand.
7. When you feel compression you are moving up on the compression stroke and start watching the timing mark stop when you reach zero on the harmonic balancer.
8. Then put the distributor back in with the rotor pointing at which ever wire is number one on the distibutor cap.
9. This will set your timing at 0° then as it is runnning and you can use a timing light you can advance or retard the timing to spec.

 

Right ... the bottom pulley on the front of the engine has timing marks on it. Turn the engine over until the marker is lined up with "T.D.C.," and then point the distributor rotor towards the Cylinder #1 wire.

 

so the number one cylinder not being at 0 degrees could cause my truck not to start? Thanks for the quick response fellas ... Im only 17 and only know the little ive learned on my chebby monte...

 

Che*yThunder:

I'm assuming you're timing on the straight six you've listed in your gallery...otherwise things may be different (though not greatly so) than listed here. I would however add these tidbits to what Chris said...

Remove the key from the ignition.
Diconnect the battery.
The number one cylinder needs to be at top dead center.
Remove the number 1 spark plug.
Put you finger in cylinder number one spark plug hole.
Turn the motor over by turning the cooling fan by hand. (You may be better off turning the harmonic ballancer(HB) -bottom pully- with a large socket on an extension so that the belt turns everything and keeps it all in time. Otherwise the belt may slip and create error)
When you feel compression you are moving up on the compression stroke (at this point use a long screwdriver, carefully inserted into the sparkplug hole, to feel the piston rise so you can get it on true TDC, as the HB may have some error itself.)
Then put the distributor back in with the rotor pointing at which ever wire is number one on the distibutor cap.
Don't forget to put the #1 Spark plug back in--otherwise it won't start no matter how good the timing is. (This may seem like a "duh" statement, but important nonetheless)
This will set your timing at 0° then as it is runnning and you can use a timing light you can advance or retard the timing to spec.
(An alternative -if you don't have a timing light- is to time the motor by ear until it is running smoothly then kill the motor. Then advance or retard the timing by start -this is easily done with two people, though no more difficult if you're by yourself- To time by start tap the starter (button or key turn). If there are two clicks *click--click* -known as kickback- turn the dist the other way until the motor starts with a simple tap of the starter. If it rolls over, but doesn't kickback or start turn the dist the other way. The second person comes in hand by tapping the starter for you, thus saving you footwork) This is how I time my truck whenever it needs done, and it runs beautifully, it's easier done than said...trust me. If you need additional help feel free to e-mail.

 

Yeah I learned at your age also I took a two year course at a college when I was 17. Never made a carreer of it, was not as much fun when it belonged to someone else. Made some of the same mistakes. As for removing the distributor yes it would cause the problems you are having. Look up the theory of operation for a 4 stroke motor.

1. Intake Stroke gas and air are pulled into the motor through the intake valve. from the motion of the piston moving down. Just like an air pump.
2. Compression Stroke the valves are closed the piston moves up and compresses the gas. This is when a cylinder shouls fire or get spark from the spark plug.
3. Power Stroke the explosion pushed the piston back down and turned the crankshaft.
4. Exhuast Stroke the piston moves back up and the exhuast valve opens pushing the used gas out the exhuast valve.
5. Intake stroke again.

Each cylinder is fired on the compression stroke. If you the rotor is pointed at cylinder 3 so it is the one getting spark or firing.Then say it is on its intake stroke so it is pulling gas and air in it would backfire through the intake valve and out the carb. Mean while cylinder number 1 went through its compression stroke and did not get spark because you just fired cylinder number 3.

 

ok i think i did it correctly I was unable to find any marks on the balancer because of paint and grime so I tuned the engine over until the number one piston was as high as it would go (about level to to the spark plug hole). As I turned the key it would just pop from the carb. I shone a light over the carb and pulled the throttle and I got drops of rusty colored gas. I had run it out of gas yesterday and poured 2 gallons in it and she fired up. I figured she had run out again and was sucking the rust at the bottom of the tank. In went 2 more gallons and now it would give me a broken stream everyonce in a while of murky gas. Is the only fuel filter on a 1960 f-100 the inline one near the carb?

 

Thunder-
Finding fuel filters on these trucks is pretty easy...follow the fuel line from the tank to the fuel pump...if you find anything resembling a cannister it's a filter. Then follow the line from the pump to the carb, if you find anything other than metal or rubber fuel line it's probably a filter. I don't know about your carb, but on mine there's a bolt on filter that connects to the fuel line and screws into the carb.
I can't say if there's another filter, but I can almost guarantee you that you need new fuel line's. I had to run completely new lines last year. The old lines had too much gunk in 'em...plain and simple. Lucky for you, replacing the lines is really simple, with a manual pipe bender, cutter, and flanger (all 3-10 dollar tools depending on what you want to spend) and of course, some fuel line you can run your own lines from the tank to the fuel pump and then to the carb, and generally make them look a whole lot better than they do now. Remember to allow for an inline filter. Once again, if you need any help, feel free to e-mail.

Good luck

 

sounds like a plan... i replaced the inline filter but the gas is barely coming out and is all brown. I decided to pull the tank and just emptied it out. Im am goin to take it to the local rad shop and have them boil and clean it Does anyone know the size of the tubing i need for my fuel line? and do I need a flarer tool to make flares like brake line? ....I am pretty sure I timed the truck correctly and it has spark so Im hoping that its not getting clean fresh fuel.

 

The size of the fuel line is more or less up to you although 5/16 is common...to my experience. The flaring tool...I'm not sure of, but you're local parts dealer/hardware store should have a "fuel line" flaring tool.