This question is not particular to this year Ford but since it occured in my 1964 I thought to ask you guys. Today I drove the F-500 with a FT engine of inderminate desplacement and a Holley 2B some 50 miles into town on a 85 degree day at 7,800 feet. The speed was kept at about 50 MPH. I do not have the formula handy, the one that would calculate likely RPM. Let just say the engine was hot when I got through traffic to the building supply to pick up my trusses. After letting the truck sit for about six minutes I restarted it with some difficulty. I must have over pumped the carb because after a couple of back-fires, the engine caught and a smoke started to eminate from under the hood. I got the hood up in time to see the 14 inch Edlebrock air cleaner completely ablaze. Fortunately, an alert gate tender appeared with fire extinguiiser and after about five seconds of application the flames were doused. I waited for cool down and removed the aircleaner. The carb was a little dark but nothing appeared to have melted or burned. I restarted the engine. It caught and backfired again send a good size flame through the carb. Nowm the fire surely heated everything up enough that erratic combustion would be likely.

Now, this truck has had a history of hard starting when hot that includes lots
of back fire through the carb although this is the first serious outcome. Generally, I let the engine cool down before restarting. Today, this was not an option. So. my question is why the difficult ignition when hot? The timing is was set with a light. Is this some kind of vapor lock? What can I do to remedy thsi problem?

This OEM engine was the 223 I6. Someone added an FT V-8, often thought to be a 352 Mercury (the valve covers have "Mercury" stamped on them). The radiator is original and probably undersized. Since it is copper, I have been reluctant to replace it with a larger plastic tank radiator. After today, I am thinking of adding an external electric fan to boost cooling in traffic. But, the question remains why does heat build up complicate starting? Should I just replace the radtiator with a thicker core radiator? We do not have radiator shops anywhere with 150 miles. So, radiators are generally replaced rather than rebuilt here.

This may be elementary to many of you. If so I applogize for asking basic questions. I still need the answer. So, if you are inclined to particiapte in my remedial education, your efforts are appreciated.

 

I forgot to add that I returned two hours later and restarted the engine. It ran just fine and without noticable leaks from the Holley 2B. I will need another air cleaner though.

 

If the engine is backing firing out the card the engine is out of time, either with the distributor setting, or the timing chain could be really stretched and valves are open when they shouldn't be sending spark back into the manifold. It is just a thought but you need to get the timing set correctly before I would move on to much further.

Jeff

 

Agree with Jeff, start with timing, also get a 1" phenolic spacer under the carb. That will correct the hot restart issue.


Curious, how did you determine that you have a FT engine with merc covers??



John

 

Quote:

1 inch phenolic spacer

I imagine this is some kind of plate. The "phenolic" part is new to me. In any event I will locate a spacer and add it .

Well, everyone tells me it is an FT engine. The valve covers read "Mercury" as in stamped metal. If it helps I will post a photo. Believe me, nothing would make me happier than solving the riddle of the phantom engine by positively identifying it.

I will ask a professional to time it. I believe it was static timed last tune up as no one had a light. I always though a timing light was more precise and now I will find that out for certain.

The other problem may have been the 14 inch round aircleaner trapping heat from the manifolds and raising the temp of the carb. Since that air cleaner melted I will replace it with an eight inch diameter air cleaner. This may not help but it might eliminate one variable- trapped heat.

Thanks for the suggestions and I will try to post a photo of this engine.

 

look for some kind of metal tag that may be attached to it...on FE engines, its attached at the dipstick tube bolt on the LF of the engine...


- cs65

 

Quote= I imagine this is some kind of plate. The "phenolic" part is new to me.

It is a plastic type material, I didn't come up with the name.



Quote= Thanks for the suggestions and I will try to post a photo of this engine.

Please don't, they all look alike, there is one in my back yard that I can go look at should I forget.


John

 

I can nearly assure you that is the problem. Not even sure how you "static" time an engine. Too much or too little timing will cause the backfiring you are experiencing. If it is too retarded, you can also damage the valves.

 

You can check the timing chain for wear without disassembling the front of the engine. Pull the distributor cap and rotate the engine in the normal direction. Stop and note the location of the rotor and the timing pointer. Then rotate the engine in the opposite direction and record how many degrees the engine rotates before the rotor starts moving again.

edit: oh, and I would recommend staying with a larger air cleaner. It's better to have a larger filter element for less restriction. And your radiator is fine as long as it isn't boiling over. It's normal and good for the engine to get hot. Don't worry about that part of it. It's most likely that you just need a new timing chain.

 

Quote:

Not even sure how you "static" time an engine

-Prostock

Maybe I am calling this by the wrong term. Static timing is done without a light and by ear at say 1,600 RPM for a V-8.

OK, OK! I will go on-line and BUY a timing strobe!

I did switch to an 8 inch air cleaner (8 X 3). Actually, I sort of made my own. Their are two elements, a paper elment from Autozone that came with the round chrome cleaner and inside is a slightly smaller diameter K&N Element that was supposed to go into a Toyota Land Cruisier. Outside of the first is a K&N Prefilter. The engine seems to breath fine with this set up. I am not sure if it helps by trapping less heat. It does reduce the space the mice nest under. They love to nest on manifolds under air cleaners.

I will retime it with a strobe and give it Hak's Timing chain test. THanks also for the advice about the radiator's cooling capacity.

Camperspecial, I wil check for a tag but I do not recall seeing anything during any of my under engine inspections (this is where I prefer to spend hot afternoons!).

Finally, I must have confused FT with FE.