Help Please

[popsthebuilder]

I'll get right to it.

My 2001 f150 v6 has been a good little work truck for the past three years, but is now on it's last leg and is ready to retire. It is my work truck and general transportation. Anyway, it has had it. So now to the actual issue; I need a work truck. I have a 72 250 cs with a 390 ci and three speed auto. It has too much rust, but the engine and tranny are in working order, but the truck is so rusted that I lost the hood on the interstate a while back. Beyond that it has a pin hole in the radiator and something keeps draining the battery. Also one tire is loosing air. I cannot find another hood anywhere. It was really stupid of me to not recover it when the hinges failed, but the bed was full and I had no tie downs at the time. So that brings everyone up to date in those trucks.

I have located a 78 f100 with what seems, to my ignorant eyes, to be a 460ci truck. Nominal rust. I went to go by the truck yesterday evening and use it for my next work truck. The old gentleman who purchased it says he doesn't have the patience for it. So I go to crank it yesterday and it starts right up... but begins spewing gas all over the top of the motor. Take apart sight glass filter and reassemble. Attempt to start truck back up. Nothing ....it fired multiple times though. I eventually determine that it is getting no spark whatsoever from the coil. Upon closer inspection I realize that the rest of wires to and from and surrounding the coil are slap dry rotted. So I want this truck and can get it for even less with the issues I'm having, but I can't play pretend mechanic in this gentleman's drive for ever while I try to get this thing back rolling.

I admit that I am rather new to older Ford's. Give that the wires look so toasty and that the truck needs to be moved next time I go look at it, what can I do to get it rolling easily/ temporarily.

I was considering putting an hei distributor in it for ease and to bypass electrical issues for now. I am not a mechanic but am mechanically inclined. I am not, however, any sort of electrician whatsoever, so I am looking for braindead easy temporary fix just to get truck to my house.

So should I try and take coil and stuff off of the 72, or get a Chevy style distributor for the quickest easiest fix?

Please help me,

Thank you.

peace

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[popsthebuilder]

Is this not a BB?

Am I mistaken? 7 bolts holding valve cover- 460 ci I thought I had read?

Took ignition and some wire ends from 72 this morning.

Gonna try to piece together in order to move.

What about this 4bbl? Is it okay?

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[popsthebuilder]

Got spark....ran for a couple of minutes until I took cables off....slowly starved for gas....which doesn't make sense because we put a total of about 4 gallons in it.

They changed the rear tank and fuel pump. I checked line after pump before filter and no gas what so ever.
They used existing gas line from tank to pump. Could it be totally clogged? It was running after they changed it. But then started starving out. Could it be a vacuum leak keeping gas from moving? Excuse my ignorance. Please help.

Thanks

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[SuperCab]

It looks like a 460 to me though I’m admittedly rusty on that age of trucks. That carburetor should be perfectly fine for your needs, they are about as simple as you can get. As far as spark goes, the stock Ford duraspark system on that 78 is a pretty good system. I would keep it rather than go HEI. If you can swap the coil to rule that out that would be good, the other thing to swap would be the duraspark box on the drivers side fender. They’re known to go bad and a replacement is $20-30 at any parts store. Again, been a while since I’ve actually had my hands on a demtside but I think if you remove the box from the fender and look at the back side, there will be a flat, colored grommet where the wires go in. Make sure your replacement is of the same color as this will ensure the orientation of the connectors is the same.

 

[SuperCab]

As for gas a truck I’ve used in your situation is to just strap a gas can under the hood and run a piece of fuel line into it from the fuel pump. Should be enough to get it to drive home. If it will run that way you know you have an obstruction of some kind from the tank to the pump

 

[popsthebuilder]

As for gas a truck I’ve used in your situation is to just strap a gas can under the hood and run a piece of fuel line into it from the fuel pump. Should be enough to get it to drive home. If it will run that way you know you have an obstruction of some kind from the tank to the pump

Thanks for all the sound advice.

It was just out of gas it seems.

Guy ended up selling it to someone else he had been in contact with, after I got it running. His father is who I was dealing with the day before who said $1000 would take it away for sure, but today I was dealing with his son who insisted on $1600 cash.

I made arrangements to produce said cash and the other gentleman he was in contact with offered him $2500. I just don't have the resources to compete with that even though I am in need of a working truck.

The guy paid me for my time and apologized; I guess you can't expect more.

So I guess I need to focus on my 72 250.....that I cut the coil and some wires off of earlier to make the other truck run.....got a pin hole in the top of the radiator, no hood (can't find one anywhere that I know of), something killing the battery(maybe the hood light (probably)), heater core replacement.....and lots of metal patchwork (including floor pans, hood hinge point support, and what I think are the cab supports.

I think I can get the hood support from LMC, but I'm really stuck on the hood. Around here trucks that old aren't in the yards; they were smashed a long time ago.

How safe is it to drive the truck with compromised cab supports? Can't I get ahold of a welding machine and some iron and patch whatever is solid?

Thanks again for the advise.....that was a sweet truck, but I like my 72 too.
Any more advise would be great; I'm pretty good at wingin it, but that is no substitute for actual knowledge.

peace

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[smokey]

Sucks they sold it after you got it running.

 

[DNFXDLI]

Can you take a pic and post the cab supports?

 

[Jasperrc]

LMC truck has all of the cab supports is you decide you want to replace them with stock parts.

 

[BKW]

I have located a 78 F100 with what seems, to my ignorant eyes, to be a 460.

Either the 460 was swapped in or it's an F150. Only 1973/76 F100's were available w/a 460.

 

[popsthebuilder]

Holy cow!

Last night on my way do drop my helper off, the guy I am currently working for whom I have known for about a decade who was the first to tell me about the truck for sale called me.

He went back to the older gentleman's house for a service call to find the truck still sitting in the drive where I left it. After speaking to the gentleman, my boss and he concluded that I should have gotten the truck. So the older gentleman singed it over to my boss right then and there.

It was record cold last night and the old girl wasn't having it. Charged battery and got it to fire up eventually only to notice a fuel leak at the sight glass.....yet again. Tried to tighten it and snapped it like a twig getting a good petroleum based eyewash out of the deal. Go get another filter, put it on and she won't take a charge good enough to spin consistently. Play with it for an hour and give up.

Brought battery to parts store. They said it was bad. Got a new high cold crank output battery and a can of starter fluid. Hopefully the ole girl is a morning person. Yes I'm still talking about the truck.

I will try and post pics of my hood/ hinge and cab supports on my 72 250 cs later if I get home before dark, and pics of the new girl.

And I was mistaken; the for sale sign said f100, but it is in actuality an 78 f150 ranger XLT.

Thanks for the help and support.

It is good to be welcomed somewhere.

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[popsthebuilder]

Got truck finally.

Original gas line to from aux tank was still being used and it was inaccessable behind the main tank. I realized this on the side of the road. So I got some fuel line and ran it along the frame to the new aux tank.

Ignition seems to be arching too....not to comfortable. Anyway; what is this part? Thanks. Gotta get to work and pay off some of this debt.

She isn't leaking a single fluid that I can tell....you know; minus the gas, but that has been temporarily taken care of.

Water pump belt is loose too.

Is a serpentine system easily attainable from a later model? Would that increase power to wheels which is impressive all ready?

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[popsthebuilder]

Hey would a replacement vin from State police still be the original numbers or different?



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[popsthebuilder]

So I found the short I think, or a big one anyway.

Whatever that little box is with the starter wire coming from it is broke; the stud protruding from the side leading to the starter is loose. This caused the starter to stay actively spinning after the ignition was off.

When I got it home I adjusted the power steering pump because it was loose and squeaking. Not thinking about that little box being jacked up; I turned it over and started it . It was making a good bit of rattling noise but I was sorta thinking it was the power steering pump.....not even thinking about the starter.
Then the engine just stopped.

Me being pretty ignorant and not too bright at times; I fired it back up....I died abruptly again. Upon the third start up attempt I heard the familiar sound of teeth not meshing correctly.

I got under it and it's all still sealed up so I couldn't see the flywheel or starter gear.

Thinking back, it could have been the starter gear not falling back yet stopping to spin at some point that stripped the teeth.

What are the chances of the flywheel still being in working shape?

Are the starter and that little box leading to the battery from the starter the same on a 72 and 78?

They seem to be. May attempt to swap them out.

Any info would be helpful.

Thanks



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[SuperCab]

The part in your picture is the starter solenoid. Not expensive typically but if you want to use the one from your ‘72 I don’t believe there is a difference. Pretty basic part.

As for the flywheel, just pull the cover off and look at the teeth. It’s anybodys guess what happened.

 

[popsthebuilder]

The part in your picture is the starter solenoid. Not expensive typically but if you want to use the one from your ‘72 I don’t believe there is a difference. Pretty basic part.

As for the flywheel, just pull the cover off and look at the teeth. It’s anybodys guess what happened.

Thank you again sir.

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[popsthebuilder]

Replaced starter.....which was different from the one on my 390. Replaced damaged silinoid.

The wiring on this thing has seen better days for sure.

I can jump it off and it fired right up. I can take the cables off and she continues to run. Then anywhere between five and ten minutes of run time she shuts down without enough power to turn over again.

The alternator isn't charging the battery.

It there anyway I can wire the alternator up bypassing all the jacked up wiring?

Would it be better to get a wiring kit and redo the whole thing. I think it would be but time and money are the issue.

I just need the dang alternator to charge the battery.

If anyone knows some trick or simple rig to her me by for a few days then please tell me.

I'm almost to the point where I am going to be in a bind for real financially if I can't get one of these things rolling really soon.

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[Jasperrc]

I wouldn't try rigging anything

On these trucks the voltage regulator is not part of the alternator so I would try replacing that before doing anything else.

https://images.oreillyauto.com/parts/img/large/mpi/2-vr2-1.jpg

You can pick one up at a parts place for less than $20. On my truck it's located in the engine compartment, on the back side of the radiator support by the horn on the right side of the truck.

You don't want to direct wire the alternator to the battery. Without proper voltage regulation in place, it will over-charge the battery and could cause other problems as well.

A friend of mine many years ago had the voltage regulator go out on a vehicle and it not only ruined the battery, it blew out every light bulb on the vehicle that came on after the regulator died, and I mean every bulb!

 

[popsthebuilder]

I wouldn't try rigging anything

On these trucks the voltage regulator is not part of the alternator so I would try replacing that before doing anything else.

https://images.oreillyauto.com/parts/img/large/mpi/2-vr2-1.jpg

You can pick one up at a parts place for less than $20. On my truck it's located in the engine compartment, on the back side of the radiator support by the horn on the right side of the truck.

You don't want to direct wire the alternator to the battery. Without proper voltage regulation in place, it will over-charge the battery and could cause other problems as well.

A friend of mine many years ago had the voltage regulator go out on a vehicle and it not only ruined the battery, it blew out every light bulb on the vehicle that came on after the regulator died, and I mean every bulb!

There are wires just jumping into other wires. I'm lost and nearly overwhelmed trying to make sense of it. I looked at some diagrams but that didn't really help because I can't really read them.

Can I run a hot from battery to regulator to alternator without all the other stuff?

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[popsthebuilder]

Hope everyone is well.

I finally got the main issue with the power bleed/ non functioning alternator worked out...I say me; it wasn't me. It was just hooked up backwards. As far as the three wires going to one.....well....it isn't causing any adverse issues as of yet that I can tell.

Now my next issue along with getting a wheel straightened out, is detonation. The carb isn't hooked up correctly. The egr is running to the side of the carb. It's all aftermarket and jacked up. It looks like someone tried to adjust the timing because the distributor is butted up against some piping.....turned as far as it will go.

Should I check timing first.....the guy that got the alternator squared away sys to look for an egr plate, and or reroute hose from the to side of carb, to the front of carb where there is now just a cap?

Any help would be great.

It's a Carter pro 4 bbl. On top of a 460.

Should I consider an intake swap to help with ping/ detonation?

Thanks again

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