its my friends truck, just got it a few months ago! its a 85 F-250 with a 351 windsor (spelling), auto, 2wd, extra cab truck. theres 2 problems, 1 is that u can crank the truck up, cold start, its fires off right away. let it warm up a bit, head to town, turn it off & the engine may not turn over, we have had his wife to come give us a boost, & it starts right up. other times, it might start but it takes for ever to crank. we have tried his battery, & my battery, my battery wasnt a week old & the truck done the same thing. we have replaced the starter, altenator, sanded on all the ground wires/spots. he doesnt know what else to try, any help on this would be much appreciated!

2nd up is the truck overheats a bit. so he changed the thermostat, well tried, stupid lip on it was too big, so he just left it out for now, changed radiator cap also. so no thermostat in the truck & its still overheating, what could it be?

 

any suggestions?

 

no thermostat will cause overheating issue.for the starting issue check your timing,if it to far advanced it is had to start.also check your carb settings,the choke can sometimes close or fuel could be leaking into the engine causing a flooding condition,try pressing the gas peddle to the floor when cranking if it's flooded.also could be vapour locked.check your vents going to fuel tank.

 

d e l e t e d p o s t

 

I am having a similar problem. i have a 1980 f-100 custom with inline 6 regular cab 2wd automatic dark blue. its been sitting for a couple of months now. and i want to get it running. but it wont start. i got a starter switch / solenoid for it. i think i have it wired right but i'm not sure could someone please tell me. when i try to crank it it turns over but will not ever start. after several times of trying to crank it i take my hand off the ignition and it's still trying to crank itself even when i take the key out. and this will eventually run the battery down which is from a 1996 ford taurus gl 3.0 v6. and the battery terminals will be smoking.

 

cheap relay is stuck.get a new one. make sure you have the the smaller wires that bolt to the big terminals are on the battery side of the relay.


you should start a new thread,some guys get a little upset when their threads are high jacked.

 

cool, thanks man, i will let my friend know! him & another friend did turn the timing up, so now he has to adjust it again, he has been saying hes going to, i just dont know when he will.

 

How would no thermostat cause a heating issue? I would think that the engine would run cold. From the initial post, there was a thermostat that was removed because the truck was overheating.

What is the condition of the radiator? A core that is clogged with mineral deposits and/or "Bars Leak" could also be your culprit.

 

[quote=4caster;7714380]How would no thermostat cause a heating issue? I would think that the engine would run cold. From the initial post, there was a thermostat that was removed because the truck was overheating.

the thermostat acts like a restrictor and slows the coolant down and makes the rad more efficient at pulling the heat out of the coolant..buy removing the tstat the coolant will not have enough time in the rad to dissipate the heat.removing the tstat because of an overheating problem should only be for an emerangency.i have replaced a few engines siezed and cracked blocks, and blown head gaskets,due to back yard hack mechanics.

 

Too add to 86Bigred's post, It also slows down the coolant in the block to better absorb the heat out of the motor.

A good working Quality thermostat is must for proper engine operation.

-Enjoy
fh : )_~

 

Thanks for the thermostat 101 lesson! I learned something tonight. I knew that the thermostat was there to make sure that the engine ran at the proper temperature, but my logic was flawed.

"I have replaced a few engines siezed and cracked blocks, and blown head gaskets,due to back yard hack mechanics." That is why I prefer to do my work in the front yard, much to the chagrin of my HOA.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4caster

That is why I prefer to do my work in the front yard, much to the chagrin of my HOA.

LOL!!!! Same here, but my rules state I'm not supposed to do "major" work in the
front but I guess "major work" is open to interpretation. The HOA just doesn't
want to see a car up on blocks with puddles of fluids oozing out of it, they feel
that's bad for land values and I'd have to agree.

 

pay a bit extra for a "Fail Safe" tstat, when / If they fail the stick in the OPEN position

 

ok, got the timing adjusted on sunday! changed the starter (it was dragging), solenoid (my buddy accidently broke it). took the truck for maybe a 10 minute drive. didnt overheat, but when we got back, we tried what he normally tries, tried to start the truck. sounds like a weak battery, it just drags, we knew the battery wasnt weak. so i tried turning the crank with a scocket, rachet, & a homemade breaker bar. it was very hard to turn, before the drive it was real easy. think my friend was right, once the engine gets warm it locks up, the reason for it not starting after its been running for a bit! so, now do we tear the engine down & rebuild or what?

 

There is a white wire off the duraspark that is ignition retard for starting . Check to see if you have 12volts in the crank position