hello, im new here and i appreciate all the info on this site, but ive searched the forum for a few hours trying to find answers to my problems, i have found similar problems but i cant really get an answer that im looking for..

i have a 1980 ranger 150 with a 300 six, ive had this truck for over a year but have let my friend use it and he put a new holley carb, now its hard to start i think the choke warmer isnt connected right, it has a hard hose going to it from the exhaust but the other side is just capped off? would that cause a hard start problem?

i also think it needs new valve seals cuz exhaust is coming from the breather cap and so is alot of oil so maybe a new breather cap too

and the starter solenoid is also sparking and glowing red hot when trying to start it or crank it, now the + cable is super corroded, it has the 4 **** setup and wires(two black/yellow stripe, one solid yellow) are only connected to the + from the bat, + to the starter and the red/blue wire connected to the (s? i think) and nothing to the I


plz help me, if you need any info let me know its not at my house but im going back out there today to get more pics.. btw it does still run and strong just hard to start


sorry for the crappy pics

 

I think the first thing to sort is that starter solenoid, the 3 most obvious things I can think of that may cause that are 1) a poling starter (starter worn out), 2) a badly routed starter cable which is rubbed through & earthing somewhere or 3) your solenoid has some seriously bad contacts inside it.

My guess would be number 1 & if that's the cases I'd replace the solenoid as well.

Whatever's causing all that shorting is going to be a huge draw on your battery voltage at cranking which will in turn make it harder to start. So this maybe your only tune up problem, or it could be just exaggerating a further issue.

 

ok ill list off things that are new within the last year,

starter
solenoid
alternator
carb
waterpump
fuel pump
distributor and complete tune up
valve cover gasket
oil pan gasket


also this was an a/c truck but the pump and hoses are gone from before i got it..



i tried to get the wires off the solenoid and it shattered so i went to pull a part to see if i could find another one and see how its supposed to be hooked up, no trucks out there had them but one and it was a 3 **** setup, no wires were connected, bit it was the only solenoid on any truck or van so i just grabbed it, im gunna try and hook it up tomorrow if it works good im gunna buy a new one

 

i have a 1980 ranger 150 with a 300 six, ive had this truck for over a year but have let my friend use it and he put a new holley carb, now its hard to start i think the choke warmer isnt connected right, it has a hard hose going to it from the exhaust but the other side is just capped off? would that cause a hard start problem?

Hard to start the engine when it's cold or when it's warm?

i also think it needs new valve seals cuz exhaust is coming from the breather cap and so is alot of oil so maybe a new breather cap too

Valve seals will not cause pressure and smoke from the engine breather. A improperly routed or non functioning PCV valve will cause this, and also worn rings in the engine. The valve seals will only cause smoke out of the tailpipe.

and the starter solenoid is also sparking and glowing red hot when trying to start it or crank it, now the + cable is super corroded, it has the 4 **** setup and wires(two black/yellow stripe, one solid yellow) are only connected to the + from the bat, + to the starter and the red/blue wire connected to the (s? i think) and nothing to the I

Always fix the obvious stuff first. That would be the corroded cable.

 

Franklin is spot on about getting that cable corrected.
As for the wiring at the solenoid, the + from the bat, and all the little wires do go on that one side. The + to the starter on the other big terminal, and the red/blue for energizing the solenoid goes on the "S" terminal. The "I" terminal is normally not used for trucks with the DS2 (electronic) ignition.
Then look into replacing the PCV valve and making sure there is either a vented oil cap or one with a hose that runs to a filter of some sort. The PCV valve can't get rid of the fumes inside the engine it's plugged up.
I noticed the small chrome air cleaner, and can plainly see the carb vent is capped. That *should* be routed to the charcoal canister on the frame, near the battery.

 

[quote=
i tried to get the wires off the solenoid and it shattered so i went to pull a part to see if i could find another one and see how its supposed to be hooked up, no trucks out there had them but one and it was a 3 **** setup, no wires were connected, bit it was the only solenoid on any truck or van so i just grabbed it, im gunna try and hook it up tomorrow if it works good im gunna buy a new one[/quote]

the three **** solenoid vs the four **** shouldnt affect the performance of the part. I have run into this with an 81 F100 Custom and an 81 F150 Ranger XLT, both with 300's. It seems that the parts supplier (melling in mine) made the four **** part for newer trucks and it is back compadible to the old three setup.
I am thinking that since you said the solenoid is glowing when you try to start it, that there is an excessive heat buildup in it. I am unsure of what would cause it, but it could be as simple as you got a bad solenoid. Also check that all of your cables and connections are proberly connected, and that there are no breaks in the insulation.

 

thanks for the info, its a vented breather cap it has about 10 holes on the under side, i cut the + cable down and the wire was nice and copper looking so i crimped a new lead to the end, cool i never knew about the charcol canister i thought it was for the a/c lol but what about the choke warmer? i noticed the one at the junk yard has a hard line from the exhaust pipe to the carb, mine has a hard line from the manifold to the carb and no place for a line too the pipe, it also has a straight pipe so you think it might be a back pressure problem? should i get a cheap cherry bomb or get a real eom type muffler,

this is not my daily driver just a camping/dump hauler rig, i was actually thinkin of selling it but i have more money into it than ill get back lol




ok thanks for the solenoid info!!! all the wires look old and dirty but none were cracked, also the + was straight from the batt to the solenoid, should i get a fuseable link on that??? maybe thats why its glowing red hot?


oh btw its always hard to start it cold or hot, im not sure the choke is working right, my friends uncle is ase certified and he adjusted everything and he knows way more than me about anything so im sure its hooked up correct the only thing im worried about was the warmer return line.. and now the line to the canister









i painted the engine over 1 year ago but i did it the bad way(didnt clean the oil all off just degreased and pressure washed it) so i mihgt pull the motor out and rebuild it and paint it nice and clean too


om sorry for all the edits, the canister is the thing on the passenger fender just in front of the a/c box?? and i connect the line in front next to the fuel line to it?

 

I believe there was another line that went from the carb (small capped fitting right below the base of the air cleaner in that pic) down to the manifold, along with the one that goes to the choke housing.
I doubt back pressure (or lack thereof) really has anything to do with any of the issues you described. The open pipe can lead to headaches, from both sound and fumes, if it's too short.
Adding a muffler really won't make much change it how it runs, unless it's a really restrictive type. It might make the cops and your neighbors a bit happier though. Even a cheap glasspack will tone down the sound quite a bit. I stuck a flowmaster 40 series muffler on mine, since I had a barely used one given to me. Free is a 4 letter word I like hearing......

 

ok i know what vac line your talkin about thanks, also there is one vac line on the tree under the carb, theres three on the bottom two are capped and one(in the middle) is cut and plugged with a screw.. i cant really describe it and i have no pics, its at my parents house since i have no parking here.. also just want to thank everyone for helpin me! and so quick!

 

Due to the edits, I missed a couple of your questions.
The charcoal canister should be on the frame rail, near the radiator, on the passenger side. Rectangle shaped box.

 

oh, i just realized, is my firing order right? i know when i put the new dizzy on i just did one at a time as i put the new ones on to keep trac, but my friend said his uncle changed it cuz it wasnt right, and i think thats when the hard start stuff happened, he also tried adjusting the timing and i never had a problem with the timing before he got it.. i seen a pic of another one where the #1 was 2 connections clockwise further than mine is, i know its the right order but my cap doesnt say where the #1 starts, i think its 152634? also found a website that says all ford inline 6 have the same order, the first 3 were the same the second were different so i tried it with no success..


also the thanks for the canister location, the line comes from the small fitting on the bottom? cuz i thought the big one on the top is to recirculate the heat for the choke?? not sure if i was right or not in thinkin that, or is there even a return for the choke at all?? also is the big one in the front of the carb fuel return and should i hook that up somewhere or leave it capped? i know the old small return line(i think looks like vac line connected to a hard line on the pass side frame and goes to the back) is cut off and sitting open with nothing blocking it off now





off topic, is there a way to lower these besides getting new ibeams? someone said i couls cut 2 1/2 coils out of the spring and thats the only way to do it.. and to flip the axle under the leaf springs.. doesnt sound too safe to me though..

 

Firing order is 153624. Getting that right, as well as the timing is critical in eliminating the hard start condition.
Big port by the fuel line goes to the canister.
Small nipple at the top was the one that the choke tube started from.
Drop I-beams or spindles are the only way to lower the front, cutting the coils will leave the tires leaning, and no travel for bumps.
The small hard line isn't a fuel return, it's the tank vent. It also connects to the canister. There is no fuel return line on this application.

 

mr.dr.professor, Welcome to the forum!

Addressing the choke heating line routing: the port highest on the carburetor and nearest the choke mechanism [presently capped] should have a rubber line which attaches to the heat tube end which you said is currently capped.

The choke mechanism housing [where the other end of the hard choke heating tube is currently attached] has a tiny internal port to the carburetor allowing vacuum to that area. This negative pressure sucks heated air [heated by contact with exhaust manifold] through the hard line to the choke mechanism which is controlled by a bi-metalic spring. The spring coils and uncoils based on changes in the temperature, thereby changing the position of the choke plate in the carburetor. In order for this to work properly, a source of replacement air must be present in the tube [hard line] or no air movement is possible. The replacement air must be clean [filtered] to prevent contamination. This source of filtered air is the port at the top of the carburetor throat. The air which is supplied has been filtered since it comes after passing through the air filter. There should be an insulative sleeve on the part of the tube from the exhaust manifold to the choke housing, but none is necessary from the carburetor to the other end of the tube.

 

wrong.the "I" terminal was use on the 460's with the hot fuel option with the dsII.the "I" terminal ran the intank fuel pumps while the engine cranks.

 

I said "normally". That's not exactly a normal application, more like a specific application.