I have a 223" straight 6 in my 54 ford. It's been converted to 12 volt electricity. It's getting replaced by a 302 soon but for now i need it to run right so i can get around with it. It's been running like crap lately so here's the symptoms: - it wants to stall when I first apply the gas -gurgles/pops sometimes -a few weeks ago it made a loud BANG sound and shutoff.IT wouldnt start again. Then it started right up the next day. -seems to run better with the choke slightly applied. -This might be unrelated but it seems like a lot of smoke comes out of the breather cap and draft tube. Here's what i've done: -adjusted the carb leaner, then richer, neither seemed to really help -changed my sparkplugs -changing my oil later this week (prbly wont help but it needs it) -checked the cap and rotor, both seemed fine. I'm starting to run out of ideas here but my next steps would prbly be to change the fuel filter and spark plug wires. Any ideas what this could be? Cylinder not firing? carb issues? demonic possesion? any help would be appreciated. thanks!
The fuel filter is definitely a possibility, another is a failing coil. Point condition and setting needs to be checked too. The smoke just shows that she's getting tired but you should be able to get her running decent.
mine would do that when the gastank would be down to about 1/4 tank , figured out that the fuel pump wasn`t strong enough to over come the vacuum in the tank , drilled a hole in the gas cap and the problem went away.
Could be a coil due to tha POP & DIE ...then start up the next morning. But some of the other symptoms sounds like a Junk Carbuetor. I have a 223 in my '55 F~350 and it was doing some similair things, switched out to a different carb and it was fine till it lost all power due to being worn out. It would have HEAVY blow by & piss out oil, ran fair but had NO power to pull the slightest hills, Switched in another 223 and away we went
Says>>>[quote=demonspeed;2112413 here's the symptoms: - it wants to stall when I first apply the gas >>> Fuel jet or delivery channels clogged. -gurgles/pops sometimes <<< Lean Condition = Low fuel and pops big gulps of little fuel at the idle circuit and little fuel quantity where faster engine speed is needed. -a few weeks ago it made a loud BANG sound and shutoff.IT wouldnt start again. Then it started right up the next day.>>> Vacuum in the main fuel delivery? Clogged gas cap begins the vacuum at the tank. Gas flow from tank to float needle entry? -seems to run better with the choke slightly applied. >>> Quantifies that choking off more air equals the extra fuel needed to increase crank speed rpm. -This might be unrelated but it seems like a lot of smoke comes out of the breather cap and draft tube. >>> In theory yes, meaning, it is unrelated to fuel and the drive-ability of the clogged carb (no fuel at the main jet to smaller idle jet closing off in the O/D by the old fuel turning to varnish caused by sitting with fuel in the carb body. The blow-by is a possible ring(s) locked in the piston grooves, where the compression fire of the power stroke, is pressure past the locked/worn ring and/or cylinder wall taper, where there is the spent exhaust is in a low compression fire, where smoke in the cylinder chamber is the whoosh down the rings, into the crankcase, and the extra pressure on top of the crankcase pressure, is the mix out of the crankcase breather. This is one of many variables that are on the troubleshooting tree of each part of the fuel (carb) problem(s) and the smoke out of the crankcase problems that happen with a worn out engine or a sitter (sitting for decades), out in the back 40. Here's what i've done: -adjusted the carb leaner, then richer, neither seemed to really help>>>What about the fuel channels (inside the carb body), out from the jets? What is the fuel level? What is the compression in each cylinder? -changed my sparkplugs>>>Which cylinder showed a better burn than the next cylinder? Which plug shows the no-compression/unspent/smoke/soot at the porcelain on the plug? Which "spark plug wire(?)" was grounding or misfiring a cylinder? -changing my oil later this week (prbly wont help but it needs it) -checked the cap and rotor, both seemed fine.>>>When you say it fires up fine, it's not compression so much as is the smoke in the c/case. Does the oil smell like a lot of gas is in it? is the oil above the level mark that might/might not show fuel as the adding above the level mark as raw and smoky fuel enter the c/case(?) More variables is all I am thinking and may not be correct. I'm starting to run out of ideas here but my next steps would prbly be to change the fuel filter and spark plug wires. >>> Not me. I wouldn't drop a dime in the engine until I read the compression banks. Might not be worth the rebuild, let alone a set of wires. But then again, it's a tear down for the look see for dependability; if this is a daily driver. Any ideas what this could be? Cylinder not firing? carb issues? demonic possesion? any help would be appreciated. thanks!>>> There you go. I thought I had a few leaves off the troubletree search, but should have guessed... It's (not you, speed, but the) Demons and their one hit wonder, (all over your engine)!
Stang, the engine starts too quick to have a leak. Even at that lean condition it sucking out fuel, is my guess the carb to manifold is cleared for the variable. Then again, there is your sealed off cold engine to carb to manifold is the wrinkle out of the buckle to the air gap when heat is applied is your lean condition thru the manifold gasket to carb clampdown. Because I fear a fire in the engine bay (using WD or brake cleaner for a rise in rpm... sans the fire in the engine bay), I would cover the intake of th carb with a cardboard wall. I would then cover the throttle shaft out of the carb so no liquid enters for the gasket warp test. I would now splash a cup of water in between the carb and manifold. Move the cardboard to all 4 corners of the carb body to spash the whole gasket area. If there is a leak, water will be sucked in; to displace the fuel and you will hear the engine drop in rpm if not stall out. I would rather replace the heat shield between the carb and mani, than load the threads to compensate an already compressed and heat cycled gasket. Could be you already tightened the carb down with a new gasket? If the stang says this is classic for this engine... Short of checking compression (very first thing) is to water test the carb to manifold.
Could be a number of things, I'm not even gonna guess on this one, but I had a 223 in my 63 and it liked the choke slightly pulled out as well, until you were just cruising down the highway, the bushings do wear easily in the carbs they came with though, causing a small vacuum leak. Good luck with her, got about 8 months outta mine til it bent pushrods, then the never ending project began!
The pickup tube in the fuel tanks on early fords does not have a filter. My '51 started doing some of the things that yours is and I finally found some rust flakes and chunks from inside of the tank had built up on the end of my pickup tube in the tank, limiting the amount of fuel flow. Take an air hose and blow back through the fuel line between the fuel pump inlet and the tank (do not back blow through the fuel pump). Make sure you do not have a full tank of gas and take the cap off. See how it runs after that. It usually takes a few miles for the chunks to collect again. The only good fix is to strip and seal the tank......or replace it.
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