Hey guys,
Just found this forum and I'm grateful! I have a '53 F-600 with a flatbed on the back. It once ran, but I'm now having problems with it. A lot from neglect and old age.

Here's a pic of the truck I took yesterday:


My batteries have power (2 x 6v batteries) but it still turns pretty slow.
Fuel pump is functional
Spark plugs produce spark
I just can't get it to burn fuel yet.

I replaced thus far:

• Starter
• Ignition Coil
• Generator

 

Sweet looking truck! Welcome aboard

Hows the timing?

 

Welcome and SWEET 53! What kind of motor do you have? Mechanical or electric fuel pump? What's your location? There may be a FTE member nearby that could help.

Not knowing your level of mechanical ability etc, I will break it down to easier terms. I apologize if you have already tried certain things. Every vehicle has to have 3 things to run - air, spark and fuel.


Fuel - Make sure the fuel is fresh. Gas can go bad within months. Make sure the gas has no water in it. Make sure the pump is working. These mechanical pumps require very little pressure unlike EFI so that is usually not the issue. Is pump filling with fuel? do you have a glass bowl on the pump? Glass bowl on the carb? Are they filling up with fuel? If not, check your lines for clogs. Rust often plugs your fuel lines. I always plumb in a new fuel filter. Check the fuel pump (mechanical) they have a fine mess screen inside of them that can clog. If that's a problem and you plan on replacing the metal lines you can always run a new, temp fuel line into a gas can. MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW ALL SAFETY ISSUES.

Air - Make sure your carb isn't plugged up. Seen mice, etc. build nests in air cleaners.

Spark/Ignition - If the starter is turning over make sure its engaging the flywheel. Should be no grinding. 6 volt systems are a pain if they haven't ran for awhile. A fresh, strong 6 volt is a must when trying to revive these trucks. They turn slow by nature that's why a lot of people convert to 12 volts. Do you have power to the coil? Check all wires to make sure your grounded and connected. Do you have spark at the plugs? Have you taken a plug out and made sure it has a strong spark? Unless you removed the distributor or somehow changed the timing that shouldn't be an issue. If you have check your TDC. If you have no spark check the usual rotor cap, rotor and coil. Even new parts can be defective.

Have you put a bit of gas down the carb and tried to start it? If it fires with a bit of gas you know the spark and air is fine. Work down through the process and you'll get it figured out. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the replies!

@Stephen67, Not sure on the timing, I haven't even taken the valve cover off just yet so I haven't dove into all that stuff yet.

@teardropty Thanks for all of this, it really makes things seem simple. I do have SOME mechanical experience, but I've never really torn apart an engine. Only once to my Toyota Land Cruiser to replace the head gasket, but that was with a lot help from a buddy. Finding people who know trucks from the 50s is hard to find. I'll try to explain things best I can:

This F600 has the straight 6 in it, I'm pretty sure its the 254 cubic inch engine.
The fuel pump is mechanical and has that glass bowl. I just took it out today and the diaphragm seems to function. However, I don't think its pumping the fuel all the way up to the carb. I manually sucked the fuel through the fuel lines up to the last hose (with my mouth ), connected it but still no pop in the engine. It seems like its just not getting enough pressure to go up. When I removed the fuel pump and checked the function, the exit of the pump had a lot of air behind it, I could hear the WOOSH of the pump working. The inlet didn't really PULL much air though. I'm thinking maybe something is defective that I didn't see and its not pulling the gas through the line. From what I could tell, it wasn't filling up the glass bowl on its own. Is this valid?

Regarding the spark, I just replaced the coil and I checked power going to it. With the IGN on, the coil got power. Then I checked the #1 plug wire with an ammeter. I put the Negative in the plug, and the positive to the spark plug. I got a reading, but it didn't seem like a big number. The visual spark was small, but there was definitely still a spark.

The carb definitely isn't blocked and looks pretty clean in there. The choke cable does need replacing though. PITA thing gets stuck.

If there any members in the area, I'd be pleased to meet with them. I'm in Orange County, New York. Near Newburgh. Any help is appreciated!

 

Couple of things to check. There should be a fine mesh screen (brass) inside of the fuel pump. Make sure its clean and unplugged. You should be able to disconnect the fuel line from the pump to the carb and stick it into a bottle. Turn the engine over and you should have a steady stream of gas flowing into the bottle. If not, the pump is funky or the line is clogged. Check that out and let us know.

 

Yep, did that. Nothing really came out. on that end. A few drops. That brass screen is not clogged to what I can tell. Maybe there's stuff behind the screen, but I couldn't tell.

 

Likely the pump is sucking air and needs to be replaced. They never worked that great in '53. The 254 is a good old motor....hope you get it going.
I have a '53 F-600 too, but it now has a 390 engine in it.

 

Welcome to FTE hay maker, you came to the right place. Those big 'ol trucks are lot of fun and I am sure you will get it running just fine. Since the bowl is not filling on the fuel pump, I would suggest first checking the line from the tank to make sure it is not clogged, also check the valve on the tank to make sure it open all the way (if it has one).

From your picture it also looks like your truck still has the widowmaker wheels on it. That is something you will want to address before heading down the road with the truck. If you are unaware of that situation there are a lot of post on FTE related to them as well as the options available. Knowing those options early on in your project gives you lots of time to keep an eye out for possible replacement wheels.

 

Thanks for the replies!
About those tires. We've had this truck for over a year now and I've driven like 100+ miles looking for wheels to fit that pattern and size with no avail. I have a bunch of tires but no wheels that AREN'T the snap locks. Any advice on where to get these? And NO ONE would touch them haha. I have driven down the road plenty of times, full load of hay even, but I'm guessing its only a matter of time..

Now, Ive blown air through the fuel line and hear bubbles in the fuel tank. I sucked the fuel through that line and got fuel, could it still be clogged? Maybe there's a line letting air through? What's the best place to get to the gas tank? It looks pretty locked up in there underneath the driver side of the cab.

 

Some more photos of its evolution:

When we first got it in the shop:


Flatbed nearly finished:


Proof it once ran! Full of hay:

 

Here's a few threads pertaining to the wheels and options.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...-f5-wheel.html
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...dowmakers.html
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...ow-makers.html
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...0-ford-f6.html

 

Sweet Truck Hay Maker, Welcome to FTE.
I have a 53 C600 and a 52 F6 among other's!

I was just having fuel troubles with the C600 as the 6" rubber connection from fuel pump to the hard line conection was so old that I think like Tinman mentions above was allowing air to enter the line causing my problem/ I replaced that and I think I'm good to go now..

good luck

Josh

 

Been there! Done that! Would love to have an old F4 or F5 with a flatbed to haul my hay. I've got a Massey Ferguson 124 old square baler and a Vermeer round baler. Kubota M6800 tractor. Getting ready to go through that headache again.

 

Welcome! Great looking truck. I too like the bigger trucks. Good luck on getting it going. You're off to a great start with your detective work on the engine and providing all of us with those much needed pics!