I recently saved a 1986 f250 with a 460 from rotting in a tree claim at a remote farm. However the truck was last running in 2000. Sad to say at the age of 28 I've never really done much engine work other then general maintance. So this is my first truck that is going to require alot of work, and learning on my part.

Its been two weeks now and ive had my share of problems already. I was fusing solenoids right away cause my starter to stick on. Was a bad ignition switch that finnally fixed that. Then there was a no spark issue that was a combo of bad coil and brain box.

I'm getting to know the guys at my auto parts store pretty well. So far ive replaced. Starter, starter solenoid, altenator, coil, distrib cap and rotor, "brain box", ignition switch,and had a friend rebuild the carb (gas was pouring out of the acel pump).

Now the questions. I have gas going into my carb when trying to start my truck but its just pooling on the intake. I've pulled a spark plug and stuck my finger in to feel for suction when the engine is turning, There is some suction but not much. So i started to look around for hose leaks and I found a hose broke nearly in half between the carb and the disrib cap. After tracing it out it goes to 2 diffrent black plastic boxes that I think are the smog pumps? Im curious if it would hurt To cap that hose off where it comes out of the intake eliminating the smog pumps. I read somewhere that there is a bunch of hoses that could be rotten and cracked. id like to get this truck running and make sure there are no tranny or other suprises before i spend the money and time fixing vac leaks. Thanks for your help and im sorry this got so long.

 

In my opinion, removing the smog components without having a good understanding of
what they all do and what the effects are isn't a good idea. For the short term - to get it
running - sure, do whatever is necessary. But don't expect it to run correctly with stuff
disabled in a half-assed fashion. There should be a vacuum hose routing diagram on the
radiator support under the hood, right near the hood latch.

Bad/broken/misadjusted smog stuff shouldn't keep the thing from initially starting, just from
running well. The engine needs three things to run:

1) Fuel
2) Spark
3) Compression

Have you gotten it to start/run at all?

 

You might want to do a compression test of the engine. That can show you a lot about the internals of the engine. Those two boxes sound like the charcoal canisters. I would start by replacing the broken vacuum hoses, not removing or plugging them. Some of the vacuum items on the truck are running off each other, so if you unplug one thing, it may cause another to not work. As said above, start with the vac diagram first.

 

No i havnt gotten it to run yet. The carb is working you can hear the gas spraying but it doesnt seem to be getting from the intake to the plugs. Everything im finding to research online about the smog system seems to be for newer trucks, with air pumps. I think this trucks smog system works completly off the engines vacuum am i wrong about this ?

 

Bgh What are some of the other components running off the vaccum sorry if its a stupid question but its the only way im going to learn anything. The only good googles ive found on anything ive been trying to fix has been in these forums. And i thank everyone who takes time to try to help others out.

 

it wasn't parked 9 years ago because the timing chain went out was it? if you are sure that the plugs are firing, and that it's getting fuel (hopefully new fuel), then i'd start to wonder about the timing chain. you can pull a valve cover off and see if the rocker arms are moving when you crank it.

 

Welcome to the FTE forums Ritory.
You should not be able to hear any gas spraying without the engine running. ???
Maybe what you hear is a vacuum leak?
How can you see the fuel sitting in the manifold? Is the choke not closing?

There are various "smog" systems: A.I.R. injection pumps, Vapor recovery charcoal cannisters, EGR, etc...though people most often think of the pumps and their plumbing when talking about smog.
On a truck of your vintage there should be two pumps on front of the engine, passenger side connected by belt to the alternator. Black plastic valves connected to these by what looks like heater hoses.

Do you see the two black pulleys in this photo?

 

When it was parked 9 years ago the only way they could keep it running was to dump gas down the carb so they thought the fuel pumps were out. They switched over to Diesel trucks on the ranch and the old 460 just wasnt worth sticking any money into for them.

With the engine off but the key on I have elec fuel pumps i can pull the throtle cable and you can hear the gas spray in.

but it seems to stay on the intake Because when i pull a spark plug out i have no gas on the plug.

ardwrkntrk Yes i do have those 2 pumps thank you for the picture really cleared stuff up one guy i talked to had me steered way wrong.

The hose im refering to runs up from one of the Black Charcoal boxes to connector with other connections off of it right between my carb and distrib cap. It looks to me that taking the smog off is a little more involved then just caping a couple lines. Im really just trying to figure out why im not getting gas to my plugs.

 

Make sure you have spark, then try the compression test. What I had said earlier about the stuff running off of each other, I meant that there are thermal switches on the front of the engine, along with a lot of Ts which the vacuum is bounced all through. It could turn into a bigger headache if you take it all off, or only part of it off.

 

The accelerator pump should squirt but only for a moment.

You can remove the charcoal cannisters, check valves, and other vacuum lines just make sure to cap any vacuum leaks that would result.

I can post more pic's of the various vacuum connections and emission components if you like.
Or you could look at either of these Flickr sets of photos I'm already sharing.

Vacuum lines

Re-Power

If there's something specific you want a view of let me know, and I'll get my camera out.

 

Pull the distributor cap and see if the rotor turns when you crank the engine over.
If so, do as muleguitar says and check that the valves are opening correctly.

For whatever reason you have little or no vacuum.