Well, I guess I will have to change out the heads on my 351W. I have been having a problem with my 64 F-100 stalling out on me at the worst possible time. Turns outr after rebuilding my carb and blowing out the fuel lines that my intake is so hot that the fuel is boiling out of the carb. Talk about a bummer. So do you think it is the timing or an intake valve gone bad? Later today I am going to check the timing and do a compression test. I do think it is a valve though. Not to big of a problem though. I just happen to have a spare set of heads sitting in my workshop. :-) Thank god for friends who give away parts.
Speaking of which. I found a guy who has a bunch of trucks ranging from 69-84 F-100's and F-250's. He is willing to part them out. I popped the hood on one them and low and behold a 351C stood there. I felt like a kid in a candy store. Now comes the hard part. Do I swap out the Windsor for the Cleveland? Or should I put the 406 in? Yes he has a 406. So what do you think? I need input. Life is so cruel at times isn't it. Well I am off. Thanks guys.

 

Why don't you try a 1" non metal spacer under your carb. I bought one from Summit Racing for my 4 barrel. It sure cranks better now.
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In the cool still quiet of night, you can hear chevies rusting away.

 

I did think about that. But why would it run fine for a few months and then start to act up? I've played with the timing while the engine was warmed up but it never burned me before. Not to mention that she is back firing and running rough. So that would lead me to beleive that one of the intake valves is not seating or is half melted. That's why no phenolic spacer. :P

 

Before you pull the heads do some test work. Do a compresoin check and leak down test. Check the EGR valve Make sure its closeing all the way if its not it will supper heat the carb also if the motor sat for a while it might have had carbon build up in the heat riser pasage and now that you've been on the gas you might have burned it up alowing exhaust to flow like it should. The old owner mite have also installed the cross over blocking plates that come with manifoild gaskets sometimes and they rot out and you have your problem. No since in doing work if you don't need to.

44Dwarf

 

The intake is supposed to get hot in the middle, that's why it usually burns the paint off there. If you think it's causing you problems, the only thing that can make it get hotter than it should is the heat riser valve sticking in the exhaust manifold near the downfall pipe. Do you have the valve in the exhaust pipe and is it working? Or is it stuck shut.

 

Well guys I did do a compression test today. My baby (Jennifer) came out and cranked the engine for me. :-) But back to the engine testing. The cylinders are as follows (done three times in a row, wide open throttle, and all spark plugs removed;

#1: 85,135,145 #2: 110,125,140 #3: 50,110,130 #4: 75,95,95
#5: 60,80,90 #6: 70,85,115 #7: 100,130,140 #8: 100,120,120

I can't remember if you are to add up and average the readings or just look to see if the psi is within 75% between highest and lowest. I did pull the intake and found that the passage was clear going under the carb opening. Oh yeah, I have an Edelbrock "Streetmaster 351W" intake on the engine. I did find all but 2 bolts loose. Good news was that the gasket had been on there so long it still held its seal. Well once I had the intake off I looked down the intake ports. Talk about built up wet carbon on the back side of the valves. I thought I was going to be sick. Well needless to say I do still have the extra set of heads I can use. As for the EGR valve, I don't have one. Also there is no heat riser valve. I am going to change the heads and put the Streetmaster intake back on. I really do think that had once been chocking the passage under the intake and was blown out.
Well back to the other engines i found. I was taking a really good look at an engine that has factory FORD valve covers made by Holley. I am really curious to know if anyone has an idea what kind of engines Ford put together using the Holley valve covers. I beleive the engien to be a 390 or larger. Any ideas. Tomarrow I am going to be going back to scrub the crap off the engine block. Also I am going to try to take the intake off to see what is stamped in the valley. Please god be a 427 CJ. Wishful thinking I know.

 

It sure sounds like a timing problem to me. Did you say it runs good some times, and other times it runs bad? If so, did you check the timing then?

As far as a new motor, my personal opinion on the Windsor vs Cleveland is go with the Cleveland.

Let us know what you find out about your problems.

Karlos

Klehnhardt@infoave.net

 

It runs fine when you start it. After it warms up fuel starts to bubble into the bores of the carb and starves the engine of air. I did find out after I took my manifold the bolt were loose on it. So much for trusting things staying torqued. But I ended up having to snap a bolt to get it off. Corroded in the hole. But I think I will have it up and running by next week end.

 

Just a thought, Have you checked your fuel pressure? It could be too high. It should be no more that 6 1/2 lbs. As for the build up on the valves, It could also be oil, my engine did that because the intake gasket wasn't sealed at the bottom causing it to suck oil up into the ports. Good luck, Jimmy

 

Ok in my quest to figure out my engine problems I now have a bare block sitting in my truck. I found out that my block is .060 over and the rods and mains are stock. I also found that my timing chain was well streched. Meaning I had about 3/4" of play in it. So I am buying a new timing set. The oil pump had .012 between the rotors. That will explain the low oil press once the engine warmed up. Hence new oil pump too. I am waiting on the head gaskets now. So we will see it I end up buying a carb spacer for it after I get it all back together. Also I solved my problem of the engine sitting too high in the engine bay. I am going to flip the angle iron braket to lower the eninge 6 inches. And yes I am taking the XSMN spacer blocks out to correct the drive angle. I guess the guys before me didn't think about that too much when he slapped this thing together.

 

Great news. My truck is back up and running laps around the neighborhood. The timing chain and new heads made a world of differance. Thanks for all of the ideas.

 

Glad to hear it. Best of luck to ya.