Funky Problem
Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 32
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Nightstalker. If your problem isn't fixed you may want to check the Feedback Control Solenoid attached to the back of the carb. It may be leaking or not working correctly and leaning out the mixture so bad that the engine dies.
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Freshman User
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 48
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From: Lisbon Falls USA
I replaced the choke heater last fall. The unit in the vehicle is working fine and opens up over a period of time, probably 10 minutes I'm guessing on a cold day.
The relay that is in the vehicle had several small electronic components on a tiny board. I picked some others out of the junkyard for comparison. Some are actually the old relay with the coil. They seem to work as well. Must be getting a pulse signal from the computer which eventually warms up the coil in the choke heater.
The relay that is in the vehicle had several small electronic components on a tiny board. I picked some others out of the junkyard for comparison. Some are actually the old relay with the coil. They seem to work as well. Must be getting a pulse signal from the computer which eventually warms up the coil in the choke heater.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,915
Likes: 1
From: Yokosuka, Honshu, Japan
So how's she running? All better? The only thing else I can think of is something internal to the carb, i.e. the fuel pump / power "module" that operates things when you push the throttle, the float(s), or the idle mix / jets (not sure if they are adjustable or not?). I had some weird issues on my '86 Ranger 2.0L 4-banger and ended up rebuilding the carb and taking the cap of the idle mix adjustment, among other things, and actually tuning the carb. Didn't have many issues after that, at least not until I ended up doing a top end overhaul due to noisy valvetrain that was caused by seized lifters. Let us know if you got 'er fixed 
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Freshman User
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 48
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From: Lisbon Falls USA
Well I am still at it.
Problem is still with me.
Just so everyone will know, I have replaced the carb with a junkyard one and that didn't fix the problem. That was a while back. A new carb for this thing is around 400.00 so before buying the new one I want to be sure that is the problem. I figured even if the junkyard carb was no good a different type problem would show up. The junkyard carb ran the same as the one on the vehicle. I then went out and bought a kit and rebuilt the carb, everything internal looked fine on the rebuild. The idle jets had had the caps on them. I had removed them a few years earlier. I replaced the carb and tuned it for the vehicle. Problem still is there.
I bought a new fuel control solenoid last fall thinking maybe both might have been bad, no help there.
When the engine does this you can smell fuel big time. The mix is not getting leaned out it appears to not get enough air to make the correct ratio. Like I said if you shut the engine off and wait a couple minutes and fire it up the problem is gone.
I am going to keep looking, everyone I know that works on Fords are miffed in this one. I have been working on vehicles for 30 years and have never found a problem I couldn't find till this one.
Problem is still with me.
Just so everyone will know, I have replaced the carb with a junkyard one and that didn't fix the problem. That was a while back. A new carb for this thing is around 400.00 so before buying the new one I want to be sure that is the problem. I figured even if the junkyard carb was no good a different type problem would show up. The junkyard carb ran the same as the one on the vehicle. I then went out and bought a kit and rebuilt the carb, everything internal looked fine on the rebuild. The idle jets had had the caps on them. I had removed them a few years earlier. I replaced the carb and tuned it for the vehicle. Problem still is there.
I bought a new fuel control solenoid last fall thinking maybe both might have been bad, no help there.
When the engine does this you can smell fuel big time. The mix is not getting leaned out it appears to not get enough air to make the correct ratio. Like I said if you shut the engine off and wait a couple minutes and fire it up the problem is gone.
I am going to keep looking, everyone I know that works on Fords are miffed in this one. I have been working on vehicles for 30 years and have never found a problem I couldn't find till this one.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,915
Likes: 1
From: Yokosuka, Honshu, Japan
It sounds as if the choke plates are sticking closed. You may have to tweak the choke a little and/or tinker with the linkage for the plates. This almost reminds me of a notorious problem with the Motorcraft / Holley 5100 series 2-bbl carbs that were on the 2.3L Pintos, Bobcats, etc., which was the main reason why I we always had a spare pen, pencil, or screwdriver in the car (it was a '77 Pinto) at all times -- the choke would stick closed and end up flooding the engine, so we'd have to pop off the breather top and put something in to hold the plates open and then hold the accelerator pedal to the floor while cranking until it fired up. Eventually, the problem got fixed when our mechanic at the time did some work on it.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 234
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From: Vancouver, Canada
I have an 84 bII and this problem just started happening to me! I'm lost! almost everything is new on my engine! I just moved to Canada where it gets chilly and it started happening a few days ago. Funny thing is this never happened before up here. I will start her just fine but i drive for a 5 min and the truck just starts to run like crap, Idle goes really low and then it wants to die. I wait a min and it fires right up. I'm thinking it may be the MAP sensor, that until it gets itself set right its the cause of the problem.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,915
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From: Yokosuka, Honshu, Japan
One problem, Canadian.... unless you swapped in a 2.9, you don't have a MAP sensor.... I think you could probably get away with letting it warm up at idle, not driving for 5-10 minutes and then try driving. May just be a typical tempermental cold-natured Ford thing 
Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 32
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The 2.8 does have a MAP sensor. When it goes bad it usually does weird things to the timing. The problem you have is apparently common to the 84-85 2.8 but I have yet to see anyone who has found the source of the problem. I replaced the MAP sensor on mine with a NOS motorcraft one and it didn't help the cold engine dying problem but it did clear my codes and stop the pinging.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,915
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From: Yokosuka, Honshu, Japan
MK,
I guess I was wrong! It's rare, but I admit it when I'm wrong. Okay, now, considering the 2.8s have an ECM, all the same sensors or close to, why didn't Ford just put TBI on them? Anyhow... could be the MAP sensor or any one of the sensors involved, however, I'm still curious if the EGR issue was resolved. I have a feeling that you need to rebuild the carb or buy a rebuit / new one. You can try my old trick and put a pen in the carb to hold the choke plates open and start it up and warm it up then pull the pen out and put the top back on the breather -- you may also want to see if the power valve or fuel pump on the carb itself are leaking. Something just isn't right with the carb is what it seems like to me. I'd probably opt for DuraSparking it and ripping out all the computer junk and putting a regular 2 or 4 bbl carb on the damn thing and call it a day.
I guess I was wrong! It's rare, but I admit it when I'm wrong. Okay, now, considering the 2.8s have an ECM, all the same sensors or close to, why didn't Ford just put TBI on them? Anyhow... could be the MAP sensor or any one of the sensors involved, however, I'm still curious if the EGR issue was resolved. I have a feeling that you need to rebuild the carb or buy a rebuit / new one. You can try my old trick and put a pen in the carb to hold the choke plates open and start it up and warm it up then pull the pen out and put the top back on the breather -- you may also want to see if the power valve or fuel pump on the carb itself are leaking. Something just isn't right with the carb is what it seems like to me. I'd probably opt for DuraSparking it and ripping out all the computer junk and putting a regular 2 or 4 bbl carb on the damn thing and call it a day.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 234
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From: Vancouver, Canada
Yeah I dint think I had a MAP sensor till I was looking over my vacuum Diagram and noticed it. It works like a vacuum advance, since my timing goes erratic when i have the problem I'm thinking its the source of my woes. But we will see tomorrow weather or not it is.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,915
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From: Yokosuka, Honshu, Japan
I guess that would make sense, Canadian -- although, the SPOUT connector also is in that function somewhere as well. I know when you remove -that-, your timing stays at base timing and advances mechanically, at least on mine it does, or maybe mechanically and via vacuum a la MAP sensor. Seems like that's part of your problem, from what MK said. Like I said before, though, I'd be half-tempted to remove all of the "junk" and go with a regular carb and duraspark distributor, etc. to hopefully get rid of all of the problems!
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,915
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From: Yokosuka, Honshu, Japan
Do they actually open your hood and check anything there? I've never had my hood opened for and emissions test. Besides, if you do the "customization" right, the exhaust emissions won't be much different than stock, IMO. I could be wrong...
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 234
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver, Canada
In California they open the hood, make sure the EGR is there, make sure the timing is correct, inspect your exhaust, check your gas cap, make sure the smog pumps works. They check everything. then they test for all the gases.