DIzzy Problems
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Freshman User
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 35
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DIzzy Problems
Hello, I bought a 300 6 Ford 4x4 (1984, 93,000 miles) with the infamous computer controlled carb. I discovered something, the hard way, yesterday that might help a lot of people fighting to adjust this thing.
I have been fighting for 3 months the issue of "running rich." The thing ran great but consumed gas like there was no tomorrow. I put in a new O2 sensor, adjusted the fuel/air mixture constantly. It would usually pour great clouds of black smoke out of the tailpipe if you let it idle for more than 5 minutes. I replaced the EGR valve, the PCV valve, the water temp sensor, plugs, wires, Dizzy cap and rotor. Still ran pig rich and got 6 miles to the gallon.
Yesterday I drove it for a few blocks, stopped and turned it off. It would not start again, just pouring black smoke out of the tailpipe and backfiring. I looked under the hood and discovered the new Dizzy cap with a large crack in it, the rotor in about 20 pieces. Obviously the real issue all along had been poor spark/ignition, because the Dizzy shaft had about 1 inch of play in it. There is no way on earth that it would have been able to stay in time with that much play
80 percent of carb issues are ignition related and 10 percent of them are dumb mechanics.
I have been fighting for 3 months the issue of "running rich." The thing ran great but consumed gas like there was no tomorrow. I put in a new O2 sensor, adjusted the fuel/air mixture constantly. It would usually pour great clouds of black smoke out of the tailpipe if you let it idle for more than 5 minutes. I replaced the EGR valve, the PCV valve, the water temp sensor, plugs, wires, Dizzy cap and rotor. Still ran pig rich and got 6 miles to the gallon.
Yesterday I drove it for a few blocks, stopped and turned it off. It would not start again, just pouring black smoke out of the tailpipe and backfiring. I looked under the hood and discovered the new Dizzy cap with a large crack in it, the rotor in about 20 pieces. Obviously the real issue all along had been poor spark/ignition, because the Dizzy shaft had about 1 inch of play in it. There is no way on earth that it would have been able to stay in time with that much play
80 percent of carb issues are ignition related and 10 percent of them are dumb mechanics.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 446
Likes: 1
From: South Bend, IN
Amen. My dad was a Navy-trained gas and diesel engine mechanic and the first thing they pounded into them in gas engine school was that 90% of all engine performance problems are ignition-related. And he in turn pounded it into me. That number is probably smaller today with electronic ignition but the concept is still relevant. Ignition problems are typically easier to discover and eliminate first anyway.
