Big mistake. So the carb was running rich. So the engine was developing a bit of a miss. So the plugs/wire/cap/rotor were 2 years old or more. It still started EVERY time. So I drop a professional tune-up on the thing and presto ... dead truck in the driveway. *sigh* Left the shop yesterday and it was idling nice and smooth ... picked up some low-end power ... lost some top-end though. Wasn't too worried since tomorrow it gets a new carb (Canadian Tire - 1bbl carb - rebuilt - $129.99 CDN and IN STOCK!) on top of the new exhaust and brake work. Then was going with the wife to Tim Horton's for coffee and the dang thing won't start. First time it's ever let me down!! 40 below and not plugged in this thing would start ... very slow turning over, but it would start. Last night and this morning ... crank 'er all you want, there's no fire. I would have tore the engine apart and fixed it myself, but I'd just put 400 bucks into it (tune-up and other work) and didn't want to axe the warranty the same day. Luckily I have a good mechanic (although by the sound of what happened you wouldn't think so, eh?) and he's going to come to my driveway after work and get it running for me.

We knew the carb was bad, and he told me yesterday it needs replacing to be tuned properly. I guess the reason it wasn't set right was because if it was, the truck wouldn't run! I suppose it just had a little "happy zone" where it would run along merrily and changing the setting made it mad or something. *shrug* But by tomorrow night it should be running like a top again ... gaining some power from platinum plugs and a new exhaust system complete with a catalytic converter that isn't clogged up and burnt out. Ever see one glow RED and get hot enough to make the rubber floor mats start to smoke? I did ... got caught in a blizzard, it took snow up the air intake, coughed, choked, sputtered, and did all sorts of other nasties until it got the water burned out ... but in that process, the cat turned red. It was kinda scary when smoke started billowing in the cab!!

Moral of the story (one of 'em anyway) is beat the living snot out of your Ford truck and it will be there for you every time. Treat it nice and it'll get mad at you and quit working. Or so it seems anyway!!

Chris in Canada
74 Gran Torino Brougham ... the toy that's not in the driveway as backup ... OOPS!
84 F150 2WD ... finishing off 1400 bucks in repairs tomorrow ... currently a dead stick in the driveway. *sigh*

 

I went through the same thing last spring. Took my truck in for an oil leak, long story short, ended up putting a whole new engine in. Went through months of problems to finally get it running right, when before it ran fine and started every time. Just burned and leaked a little oil, was a little slow, other minor things.

1986 F-150 4x4 300 I6 NP435

 

Ever feel so stupid that you just wanna beat your head with a brick? That was what I got tonight when my mechanic walked up to the truck, popped the hood and had it going in about 15 seconds. Seems the wiring harness that plugs into the lower end of the distributor has a broken clip and worked itself loose. When I first had the problem I looked at all that, wiggled it to make sure it was tight and still nothing. All it took was pulling it all the way out and pushing it all the way back in. Runs like a wobbly top now. I say wobbly cuz the carb still isn't set right since it's getting a new one in the morning!

Chris in Canada ... beating his head with a brick
74 Gran Torino Brougham ... the toy
84 F150 2WD ... the workhorse driver

 

well, now you're scareing me! I am getting ready to replace some of the original stuff that has 200K on it in my truck- cap & rotor, plug wires, and the clutch. Now maybe I'll just leave it alone, since its running fine now! The clutch is going to be replaced, though. the TOB is bad, the input shaft seal is leaking, and the clutch @ 185-195K miles made a tapping sound sitting still, like the rivets on the PP, but the noise went away... so I think I am going to replace it very soon! It also makes a noise when it is engaging... yeah, its time for a new one! I'm amazed with this vehicle, aside from oil changes, it has had NO preventative maintanence. Replaced the water pump twice when it started leaking, and the plugs when it started missing, and the air filter for good measure... thats it. But this engine keeps right on going! Ford should be ashamed they ever stopped making it!

Chris
1980 F-250 4x2 LB
NP-435 w/ 3.55 rear end
200K and going... and going.. and going...

 

Don't get too scared. It was just one of those things that was going wrong and just went wrong while making things right ... in my opinion, a good time for it to happen! Turns out the connector that goes into the bottom of the distributor has some bad connections and a busted clip ... so it's going to be replaced in the morning ... everything else is done and I can't wait to see how it runs with all the new gear on it!! Kind of excited to have a working E-brake again ... especially with a stick.

Chris in Canada
74 Gran Torino Brougham ... the toy.
84 F150 2WD 300 I6 ... with a bunch of new parts/NP435 4-spd/3.08 open rear ... the driver/workhorse.