Ok so heres whats going on...i've been tinkering with my grandfathers old 59 F100 with a 223 straight 6, which he left my mother when he passed away who in turn gave it to me when i decided to be a mechanic...but anyway i've done a complete tune up...spark plugs, spark plug wires, oil changed 3 times (ran 1 qrt of kerosene with the oil the 1st time to get rid of some of that nasty build up), replaced the points,rotor button, and distributor cap, made sure the points and timing wer set correctly, rebuilt the carb (afraid i'm going to have to switch from a single barrel to a 2barrel carb...front cover is warped and leaking), replaced the air filter and breather cap, replaced the battery and still have to replace the alternator but i just keep it on a charger in the shop at all times, and finally i had exhaust leaks everywhere so i decided to chop that off and throw a flowmaster on there. I also replaced the shocks and leaf springs but thats not important right now. It ran amazingly for the first couple of days i drove it around town and to my buddies house several times and i mean it didnt skip a beat. Now all of a sudden it refuses to stay cranked even with a full charge. I have to keep it in the throttle to keep her rollin which is a pain in traffic. It runs good and clean for a mile or so and then about the time i catch 3rd and get rollin good it just starts spittin and sputterin like its floodin the carb or something but we've checked that and its not. It seems like its not hittin on all cylinders but it's got to be something internal seeing as how i've replaced every aspect of the firing system for the most part. does anyone have any input for me on this? it would be greatly appreciated!!! i need this baby runnin so i can raise a little hell around here!!!

 

May have burned that new point set up...give them another/fresh look..are they wired thru a ballast resistor?? The difference (driveability) between a spark problem and a fuel/carb/supply problem can drive you crazy... LoL! Good Luck!

 

You might have gunk or water in the gas tank....especially if the truck has been sitting for a while. Driving around stirs it up, then it gets to the carb. It's one possibility. T/M

 

pull a plug wire when it is misfiring and hold the wire end so it will fire to a headbolt or other engine part NOT the spark plug. You should have a 1/2 inch blue spark with a good snap. If not you have eliminated your fuel system, if getting a good blue spark more likely a fuel issue.Coils often go bad after sitting for years and will work ok for a while then go bad when they get hot and be ok when cold.
Hope this helps some
Larry

 

Sounds like tinman52 may be on the right track. I would take a good look at the fuel system. Contamination may be plugging up orfices in your freshly rebuilt carburetor. That happened on my '58 and I broke down a couple of times before I traced it to the old braided hoses collapsing internally. It is also possible that your new points may have closed up if the rubbing block was not lubed sufficiently although the symptoms sound more like a fuel problem. I don't think a rebuild is going to help until you diagnose this problem. If you switch in another engine, and it's a fuel problem, it will still be there after you are done.

Lou Manglass

 

sounds like fuel issue, but check that coil. does it get real hot, real quick? ballast resistor could be bad causing too much juice to coil. did you change fuel filters? (you didn't mention this). may have crud blocking once pressure is up. try running this with seperate gas can.(and new filter)

 

I had a similar problem once with a 55 Fairlane, it was running fine but all of a sudden it fell on its face every time I tried to accelerate. My fuel filter was plugged solid with rust.

 

try this, fut a 5 gallon can of gas in the bed of yer truck, run the fuel line to it, change the fuel filter. Drive it a while. if the truck keeps on keepin on, then drain and flush fuel tank, thats probbaly where the problem is.

 

Your truck suffers from sititus. It sat too long now your trying to strain and burn all the crap that grew in the gas tank while it sat. Depending on how bad it can be cured from as little as a fuel filter change to as severe as a complete fuel system overhaul. Start with a fresh fuel filter and check fuel pressure and volume. BTW welcome to FTE.

 

Fuel filter. If it starts doing it again check fuel filter and if it's plugged up this time dump the crap out of the tank and flush fuel line. I had the same problem years ago when I was buying gas from the same station that I found out later that thier underground tanks were rotten and didn't want to fill because they were waiting for a contractor to come change thier tanks, so in the mean time they were pumping thier garbage into everyones tanks I know long story, but I'm not bitter.

 

And by the way, how come in your poll there is no room for a sbc

 

I got her fixed!!! Sorry i didnt put that info in but i changed the filter when i rebuilt the carb. Turns out when i was getting my timing and point gap specs i was accidentally reading the 4x4 v8 model! Real simple fix my gap was ENTIRELY too wide and the timing was about 3 degrees off. Thanks for all the input sorry for pretty much wasting your time haha! Sometimes its the simplest things when it comes down to it.

Nick

 

I would venture to agree that the fuel system is polluted. But, before you go out on the road next time, make sure the truck is completely warmed up first. If you have a coil that's going bad, it will usually get worse as it gets hot. So, if it's marginal, it will run good for a few minutes until it warms up then start to pop, eventually dying all together. Is your gas cap venting properly? Fuel pump diafragm may be starting to go after sitting so long. If that is the case it will take a minute to pump gas back up to the carb after the engine has been sitting awhile.

Question on your poll....what kind of transmission do you plan to end up with? 3spd, 3spd Overdrive, 4spd, Automatic C4/C6?

 

I'd include 351W, and Cummins 4BT as options. And, considering gas prices could head past $10 a gallon once the economy recovers, maybe a fuel-injected 4 or 6, or whatever magic engine Ford is putting in new trucks that gets great mileage and horsepower.

 

yeah i hear ya on the 351w but all my buddies run 351w's!!! One has a real badass 79 f250 custom. fire engine red completely redone with a 351w and 4 on the floor tranny and a 9 inch lift on her and 40" Super Swampers just to make sure we never get stuck. i mean just a beautiful truck. Two more of my buddies also run a 351w but they're trucks arent exactly anything to talk about haha.

Nick