Just trying to figure out my next ordeal with this truck. 1987 with a 300 I6. About 140 psi compression.

What is everyone's idle RPMS?

My truck can't run for crap at about 600RPMS. Very rough. It's comfortable at 1K. It's got about 200K on the motor.

Here's a few notes.

-180 degree thermostat. I'm thinking of switching it back.
-New ECT sensor.
-New idle air control valve.
-New fuel pressure regulator and high pressure pump.

Anyone who's been following me trying to get this truck to run period knows what else is new.

I let the motor reach it's highest temp it would today, which of course when it did she wanted to die cause of the low RPMS, then I had to advance my timing to smooth it out. When it was smooth out it was idling at 1000 on the nose according to the timing light.

Rotor rotates clockwise, so turning the dizzy counter is advancing it if I'm correct.

 

Where your current timing is at. The base timing for an EEC-IV system is usually 10*BTDC, then the ECM will pull it to over 20*BTDC when idling, however if your SPOUT connector got loose in its connector or even fell off (seen it happen) the ECM will not be able to control timing and engine won't run right.

Another note, since you replaced the IAC valve, are you sure you didn't disturb any vacuum lines enough for them to leak on you? Take vacuum readings at a manifold port, and tells us what the gauge says...

 

SPOUT was plugged in running badly. I took it out, let it run badly without SPOUT in, and retimed it so that it'd run smooth. Shut truck off, plugged SPOUT back in. I have no idea how this will effect the truck when it's cool. We'll find out tomorrow morning. EDIT BELOW

My harmonic balancer is 180 out so I use a mark that I made myself to time. Before I made this adjustment, I was 10.??*BTDC (. I'll have to recheck it soon.

I only had to move the dizzy slightly, but still had to move it and advanced it instead of retarding it.

I had the vacuum gauge connected the entire time I was doing this. It shows about 20 in. Hg and holds steady.

EDIT-Well now I've got slight exhaust backfire. I've got the truck too far advanced to fast idle without a pop hear and now. Before it was choking to death trying to slow idle, and now she's doin this. I'll get up in the morning and let it run and run and retime it again. I'm shooting for 10*BTDC at 800rpm.

 

20" vacuum don't sound bad at all. The 10.xx*BTDC that you first found when you pulled the SPOUT is correct for the EFI setup. So if I understand you correct now the truck all of sudden runs bad without you changing anything since last time you advanced it? At this point I'd be suspecting the pickup in the dizzy, especially if it starts to randomly act up at higher rpms too...

Also, how and why is your balancer 180* off, did it spin or something?

 

I just put this dizzy on from a junkyard Econoline that was running in May. Installed it two days ago.

The truck isn't running badly now, just starting to backfire slightly from the exhaust cause it's too far advanced. I've gotta go out here, let it warm up, and retard it.

No idea how the balancer is that far out. But yea it's way off the timing marks, musta been like then I bought the truck in October.

 

Come clean DD! You don't have a clue what your timing is set at. If I you can hit 10 BTDC by ear,......... I'll eat some non-combustive component of your engine (that's not too hard on my teeth)! Isn't the balancer keyed for one way application? I think, as others have mentioned, dealing w/ why your marks are almost 180 out is still something that needs to be dealt w/! You sure your timing off the #1 plug/wire?

 

I used my digital timing light ymeski. Marked TDC underneath the truck, and yea, I'm pretty much dead on now haha.

Uh. I have another situation though. Truck stalled just now. Temp went up while idling, and the truck stalled. Sounds like running lean. New fuel pump and new pressure regulator. I think the junkyard injectors I have in it are actually no good, I think they are failing hot.

I installed them in March, but I know the truck I got them out of wasn't a new addition to the lot.

We saw signs of dry firing on #5 and #6 so I replaced all 6. When the truck stalled she wouldn't crank back up. I used the timing light to check for spark, I got spark. I have a ton of fuel at the rail. And the injector cooling fan came on. I betcha right now she'd fire up. The injectors in the truck do not match the injectors I pulled out, but they were still from a 300.

 

Backfire & running hot sounds retarded. Wait a minute, Injectors were different? Color or configuration or both? Never a dull moment w/ you!

 

Backfire is gone. Truck didn't overheat, temp just went hotter than normal cause of the fact that I was idling and not in the wind.

Yes the injectors are different. Stock number was E67E-B1B, let me go see if I can get the number off the current ones....can't read the part number. Color is same but the nozzle configuration is different.

Old Nozzle

New Nozzle

I'd throw my old ones back in, but I'm sure one or more are clogged. Bought the truck with much rust in the gas tanks, especially the rear tank. Napa can get me 6 brand new tomorrow for around 40 a pop.

 

I didn't say overheat either, but it will run hotter. Check out this link. Ford Fuel Injection Fuel Injector Cleaning & http://www.fordfuelinjection.com/?p=89 Did you get the injectors out of an econoline?

 

No sir, they were from an F150 with a 300 in it.

But there's a good chance that truck had been off the road since 2007. I really think they are getting so hot their resistance increases to the point where the computer can't fire them correctly, or at all.

I no longer visit the yard I got these from, Pick N Pull charges 7 bucks a pop for injectors. I can try and get 6 from something that was on the road recently, or I can just buy new.

 

The 4-hole nozzle was a result of Ford's attempt at better fuel atomization, these injectors will work just fine on your engine as long as flowrate is the same as the original ones - flow-rates are color-coded, for instance 14lbs are gray while 19lbs are orange IIRC, so just as long as the color of the injectors you have now matches the color of the factory injectors everything should be good.

On the balancer - its hub is keyed, yes, so it does indeed go on the crank in only one position. What happen tho is with age the rubber that's between the hub and the outer ring and is bonded to both will dry up, thus allowing the outer ring to slip and rotate with respect to the hub. Since timing marks are on the outer ring, when you shine the light they will be off even tho the engine is still timed properly. The scary part tho ain't that - scary part is that spun balancers no longer operate properly, and are known for flying apart, which in turn can take out even the crank itself (it breaks due to the now-undampened vibrations). Never seen a balancer that's 180* off tho, that's way too much distance for the outer ring to spin - if your timing marks pointer ain't in the proper location to match the balancer currently in use, that will do it - did you at some point swap your factory balancer out for the one off the E-series?

When your truck stalled, you say she wouldn't crank back up - do you mean she turns over but refuses to start, or don't even wanna turn over at all? And what's that injector cooling fan that you mention that came on?

 

I bought this truck like that, the balancer had to have been spun before I bought it. When the truck stalled it'd turn over but wouldn't start. It'd try to start (as in the starter would disengage from the flywheel) but the truck wouldn't get past that. Timing light showed spark, and the fuel rail was pressurized. New pump and regulator and everything dealing with spark is new. What's the recommended puller to remove a balancer?



That's the fan. It blows air right overtop of each injector. Usually when the truck dies that will come on or already be on, that's why I"m thinking the injectors are overheating and failing.

 

Oh, okay, so that's what that thing was - I've seen it in junkyard trucks, just never knew what its purpose was...

The balancer - you can rent a balancer puller/installer from AutoZone or another parts store, that's what I did when working on my 350 engine a few years back, worked good. The pullers are kinda universal, they have slots in them so they accommodate for different balancer pulley bolt patterns

 

I'll go to the parts store tomorrow before heading to the junkyard to see if I can rent one. So I'm grabbing six injectors and a harmonic balancer most likely. Shouldn't cost me 60 bucks haha.