Greetings to all! This looks like a really great place to talk about Ford trucks! I currently own and drive a 1987 F150 4X4 Bigfoot Cruiser Special Edition. It has a 351 Windsor (last carbureted version built) and is original except for an Edelbrock Carburetor I installed a couple of months ago to get rid of the Holley Power Valve problems. The truck is pretty good mechanically and also appearance wise. I keep it up and keep everything functional. Feel free to mail and say hi (I will eventually answer). I am an airline pilot and travel most of the time. I live in Oklahoma near Tulsa and like to work with wood, shoot, play guitar, and fool around in my little shop. I just got a 1950 Ford Tudor Coupe to customize over this winter and I hope it will be a terrific project. Anyways, I said hello... you do so also!

Regards,
M..

 

Thanks for checking out the site. Have fun, there is lots of info here. There is supposedly a fix for that power valve problem. You have a good carb on it now tho.

 

Thanks, the Edelbrock has been a HUGE improvement. I found power I never knew I had.

 

Howdy back at ya and to all I am new to this site have been peeking for the year i've had my FORD 1936 351c/c4 also has holley what is up with them I thought they were good carbs, now everybody says they build better ones demon/edelbrock whats your opinion????
DD

 

Howdy and welcome aboard. Please post some pics of your "Bigfoot Cruiser". I never knew there was such a truck made by Ford. Since I'm a Bigfoot junkie from day one, I'd love to see some pics. Thanks!

 

Hi all. just thought I would say hi. I don't own a ford now. But I amm a Mech. I work on them all the time. I am a diesel not though. I just love those super duty's. I am planning on getting a F-350 crew shorty 4x4. Currently drive a 95 golf diesel. Looking forward to making posts. Later doods.
MICK.Hi

Hi guy wrong place. Have done it right now.

 

Check with the fuel systems forum for carb opinions!

 

Hey Fordlover,
As I said, my truck came factory with the Holley Carburetor (which is now a doorstop in my garage). At around 80K miles, the truck began to run very badly rich. At first, I thought little about it -- preferring to overlook the problem. Then I realized one day that my beloved truck was truly running like crapola. I took it to my mechanic and he told me that the power valve had gone out. The power valve on the Holley is a valve in the center of the carb that enriches the mixture under accelleration and, when it blows, it dribbles fuel constantly straight into the intake manifold. This is very apparent during idle. The engine loads up with fuel and will die from flooding if it is not cleared often by speeding it up. You find yourself in the habit of driving with both feet so you can keep the engine running. The gas mileage gets terrible and in extreme cases, the truck will smoke black from the pipe when going down the road. This is not only an annoyance, it is doing severe damage to your engine and accessories! I don't know if you're a mechanic, so please don't be offended if my reply is too simplified. When the engine is continually operated with a failed power valve, the extremely rich mixture causes the oil to be 'washed' away from the cylinder walls which relults in accelerated wear in your cylinders and rings and increased oil consumption. Additionally, the rich mixture is still burning when the exhaust valves open, greatly increasing the chance of burning your valves resulting in reduced compression. The burning gases also cause very high temperatures in your exhaust manifolds which can cause them to crack and leak. If the problem is not quickly fixed, you can also kiss your O2 sensor goodbye and soon thereafter your catalytic converter will be history. The clogged cat converter will result in greatly increased back pressure which will serve to force excess exhaust gases into the EGR system which will burn up your smog pump. Finally, the darned thing just stinks. Your lovely truck has become an eye-watering, smoking, oil-sucking, powerless embarrassment -- all because Ford chose to use the Holley design. If it sounds like I speak from experience -- I do. After I got my engine overhauled, I put a new Holley carburetor on the truck. Within two months, the thing was running rich again. Upon removing the carburetor and looking down the hole into the intake, I could see gas pooled inside the intake. Back to square 1 (sigh). I got on the net and went to Edelbrock's sight and found that they make a carb and kit that will work on the Ford 351W. I headed down to the parts store and bought the goodies and installed them. The installation wasn't entirely straight forward becaust the Edelbrock sits lower on the engine. The throttle adapter did not fit correctly and interfered with the valve cover so I made an extension out of all-thread and it worked great. After that, I hooked up the linkages including the cruise control and everything worked fine. The stock air cleaner would no longer fit because the carb sits so low. Rather than make an adapter, I took the easy way out and bought an aftermarket air cleaner which looks better and fits up correctly. Now to the good stuff. After I got the thing installed, I turned the key and, when the carb filled with gas, the engine kicked over and settled into a nice, smooth idle. I eased down into the driveway and into the street. After the engine was warm, curiosity demanded that I romp it! From a standstill, I slammed the pedal to the floor and WOW!!! Spinning tires and pushed back into the seat the old girl blasted off like a scalded ape! What a difference! Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about! The truck now has more power than it ever had with the Holley and I am convinced that Edelbrock is the best purchase I have ever made for a vehicle. The fuel mileage is nearly trippled over the old Holley and when you press the gas pedal, the truck gets up and goes. With the open air cleaner design, you also get that nice sound when the carb is opened up and you can also hear the air rushing into the engine at partial throttle -- NICE! In sort, the truck is fun to drive again. I have not made any changes to the settings on the carb yet. I am going to set the idle a bit leaner and I'm thinking about moving up one size on the jets. The idle seems a tiny bit rich while mid range and top end operation feels slightly lean. I think the above mentioned changes will really make the engine happy. Holley vs. Edelbrock -- BUY THE EDELBROCK!!! And, buy a new one! I got the chromed model and it really looks nice sitting there on the engine.

Here's what the Holley cost me:

3 carburetor overhauls
One engine overhaul
Catalytic convertor
02 sensor
EGR valve and hoses
Smog pump
Two sets of plugs
Left exhaust manifold
Hundreds of gallons of wasted gasoline
Hours of frustration
Ford's reputation with my wife and random people who watched the thing smoke down the road


I am a converted Ford fan -- In my younger days, I would not consider anything except Chevy but, after owning a Ford, I could not be happy with anything less. Also, after owning my first 4WD, I will never own another 2WD. I really love the aggressive stance and the beefier ride. I have had no problems whatsoever with the 4WD and on the few occasions when I really need it, it performs flawlessly. I hope I haven't bored you with this long reply, but it feels good to talk about my Little Bigfoot Cruiser. It's a little gaudy with the stripes and lights and all, but it rides and drives very nicely and I am proud of my third Ford truck. Good luck!!!

 

I will try to get out and take some pics for you today. I believe that 1987 was the first year for the Bigfoot Cruiser special edition. My truck is pretty clean and is still stock for the most part. The interior is stock and a slightly faded. It's a cute truck that really stands out. Pics to come.