What Have YOU Done To Your Truck Today?
#9316
03-05-2018, 10:31 PM
#9320
03-07-2018, 05:41 PM
79 Ford F-350 4x2 460 C6
High idle speed - possible vacuum leak
Thanks to your replies and suggestions, I went out this morning to look for a vacuum leak. I checked all the bolts on the intake manifold, and some of them needed a little snuggin'. I went all the way around, twice, making sure all the bolts were all nice and snug. While I was at it, I checked the four corners of the carb. They were practically loose! Probably the expansion and contraction on the new gasket I put in a while back. I guess we should always remember to go back and re-torque any time we use new gaskets on anything...
Anyway, I fired it up and noticed an immediate improvement in idle speed and smoothness of idle. Went and found my trusty can of ether starting fluid, and checked all the hoses, intake gasket, carb base gasket, throttle plate shaft, and vacuum tee. Everything looked and sounded good!
in the past, with all three trucks, I could never get them to read over 17" vacuum. I spent hours with the tach, timing light, mixture adjustments and timing, but could never get more than 17" out of them. This seemed low for 200' elevation, but I learned to live with it. A while back, I was going through the toolbox, and came across the vacuum gauge. Something just didn't look right, so took a long look at it. That's when I noticed it was reading 5 psi when not even hooked up! Of course the cheap gauge had no provision for calibration.
So I bought a new gauge, and when I was done with the tightening of nuts and bolts, I threw the gauge on. Immediately, the gauge shot up to over 21"! The gauge does flutter a wee bit, within about 1", so I'm not sure what that means. Here's a video...
Vacuum video
The vacuum gauge charts don't really have a reading for 21ish, with slight wavering within an inch, so I figured I'd come to the experts. As always, I appreciate your insight, comments and suggestions!
High idle speed - possible vacuum leak
Thanks to your replies and suggestions, I went out this morning to look for a vacuum leak. I checked all the bolts on the intake manifold, and some of them needed a little snuggin'. I went all the way around, twice, making sure all the bolts were all nice and snug. While I was at it, I checked the four corners of the carb. They were practically loose! Probably the expansion and contraction on the new gasket I put in a while back. I guess we should always remember to go back and re-torque any time we use new gaskets on anything...
Anyway, I fired it up and noticed an immediate improvement in idle speed and smoothness of idle. Went and found my trusty can of ether starting fluid, and checked all the hoses, intake gasket, carb base gasket, throttle plate shaft, and vacuum tee. Everything looked and sounded good!
in the past, with all three trucks, I could never get them to read over 17" vacuum. I spent hours with the tach, timing light, mixture adjustments and timing, but could never get more than 17" out of them. This seemed low for 200' elevation, but I learned to live with it. A while back, I was going through the toolbox, and came across the vacuum gauge. Something just didn't look right, so took a long look at it. That's when I noticed it was reading 5 psi when not even hooked up! Of course the cheap gauge had no provision for calibration.
So I bought a new gauge, and when I was done with the tightening of nuts and bolts, I threw the gauge on. Immediately, the gauge shot up to over 21"! The gauge does flutter a wee bit, within about 1", so I'm not sure what that means. Here's a video...
Vacuum video
The vacuum gauge charts don't really have a reading for 21ish, with slight wavering within an inch, so I figured I'd come to the experts. As always, I appreciate your insight, comments and suggestions!
#9321
03-07-2018, 06:46 PM
Cross-Country
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Caldwell, NJ
Posts: 52
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#9322
03-08-2018, 07:41 AM
i know on the youtubes they say when you get a vacuum leak your idle will speed up but im pretty sure that only holds true for fuel injected engines, because the computer will up the fuel to try and compensate. A carb engine cant do that so instead a vacuum leak with a carb causes lean running and it will lope and sound bad.
#9323
03-08-2018, 09:31 AM
Slowly solving my goals of running a serpentine system on a Ford 400.
One step closer last night. Looks like this may actually work.
Front.
Passenger side.
Driver side.
Power steering system is out of alignment, but it'll be straight when I'm done. It will have to wait for another night though - taking the night off of truck work.
One step closer last night. Looks like this may actually work.
Front.
Passenger side.
Driver side.
Power steering system is out of alignment, but it'll be straight when I'm done. It will have to wait for another night though - taking the night off of truck work.
#9324
03-08-2018, 09:55 AM
Slowly solving my goals of running a serpentine system on a Ford 400.
One step closer last night. Looks like this may actually work.
Front.
Passenger side.
Driver side.
Power steering system is out of alignment, but it'll be straight when I'm done. It will have to wait for another night though - taking the night off of truck work.
One step closer last night. Looks like this may actually work.
Front.
Passenger side.
Driver side.
Power steering system is out of alignment, but it'll be straight when I'm done. It will have to wait for another night though - taking the night off of truck work.
howd we you get a water pump that turned the right direction?
#9325
03-08-2018, 10:23 AM
The water pump is a stock unit. It's the pulley off of a specific vehicle that's the key - most modern vehicles run a reverse rotation water pump, but I'm sticking with stock rotation because there's no such thing as a reverse rotation water pump for a Ford 400/351M/351C.
There are quite a few early ninety's and mid-to-late eighty's vehicles that came with a standard rotation water pump, but a serpentine set-up (grooved pulley instead of a smooth pulley).
I'll be doing a really detailed write-up in the future. Still working out the kinks of what all goes where, how big my shims are, and which belt set-up I want to run.
I have enough spare pulleys from the junk yard that I could run the alternator directly off of the crank, and then the water pump and power steering together (this is the stock set-up). Or alternatively, I can run it as shown in the photos above where the water pump and alternator are paired, and the power steering pump is on its own.
There are quite a few early ninety's and mid-to-late eighty's vehicles that came with a standard rotation water pump, but a serpentine set-up (grooved pulley instead of a smooth pulley).
I'll be doing a really detailed write-up in the future. Still working out the kinks of what all goes where, how big my shims are, and which belt set-up I want to run.
I have enough spare pulleys from the junk yard that I could run the alternator directly off of the crank, and then the water pump and power steering together (this is the stock set-up). Or alternatively, I can run it as shown in the photos above where the water pump and alternator are paired, and the power steering pump is on its own.
#9328
03-09-2018, 08:50 PM
Cross-Country
I worked my 79F250 hard today on a dive job, totally loaded down with rip rap and all the crap I need to do a shallow water dive shorin up a waterline., under water. Even had to use 4high!, then after finishing the job I unhooked my dog from the bed and we went to this little soul food shop down the street ate collards and fried chicken and biscuits. However not for the first time when I went to shut her off she started dieseling much to my embarrassment. I noticed it did this a week ago as well, When I popped the hood to check for vac leaks I noticed the spudge in my Ignition controller box had spudged out. I stopped by O'riellys and grabbed one. She dieseled when I got home but not at the shop. Its swapped out now and my dive gears dryin on the bed. I love this old dented up truck. She just rolled into 91000 miles!
#9330
03-09-2018, 10:02 PM