86 F350 1 ton Dump Resurrection

Hey everyone,

I thought I'd start this here in case it will help others since I have a bunch to do from brakes to SMOG to get this thing back on the road.

So it's sat for about 4 years not since the last fail I've started it maybe twice in that time and it fired right up.

About a month ago I fired it up and it would idol but I could not rev it or drive it because it seems something in the carb is not right.

When I press on the gas it's not actuating the fuel. So it's just running at a steady idol.

My primary goal was to get it to pass SMOG but I can't even get it to rev so I'm stuck at this point.

It's not the cable it's something mechanical in the carb that is stuck frozen. I'm sure it's from sitting but not sure where to start.

I have hit just about every moving part with PB blaster and or brake cleaner with no luck.

I apologise for lack of specific terminology I know it doesn't help you if I'm talking apples about oranges so I will brush up on what I can.

Once I can tackle this issue hopefully I can solve the smog issue but I'm stuck literally right now.

Thank you.

It's a Holly 4180 stock carb

Good place to start.

But it sounds like your throttle linkage is disconnected from the carb's primary throttle shaft.  I can't imagine anything else that would let it run at a nice idle since if the throttle plates open any it'll not idle - it'll either rev up or die.

The throttle itself, meaning the pedal, moves an arm in the cab that pulls on the end of a cable.  The other end of the cable snaps over a ball on the throttle shaft on the carb.  So I think somewhere along that line something has come loose.

If the cable moves and the throttle arm on the carb is moving, then it has probably been torn loose from the carb's throttle shaft.  The arm should have a square opening in it and be slipped over the end of the throttle shaft and held on with either a screw or peening.

See that's the thing nothing is loose. I thought that as well but when I step on the pedal it's as if that shaft is frozen in place. When I manually try to push on the assembly where the cable connection is it does not budge.

Oh!  So the pedal doesn't move?  Not at all?  That would explain why the engine doesn't rev.

I've never seen a throttle shaft seize in the throttle plate, but I can see that it could happen.  But, let's step back a notch first.  Pull the throttle linkage off the ball on the carb's throttle and see if the pedal will move.  The arrow on your pic, below, points to where the blue plastic end of the throttle cable snaps over the ball.  You should be able to get it off with a screw driver.

Yes it's fine. I had already checked that thinking it was some kind of play I'm the cable but the shaft still is stuck.

I just removed it again though

Ok, so it is either the shaft or some part of the carb's own linkage that is blocking it.

You haven't had the carb apart since last you ran it.  Right?  So the linkage on the carb hasn't been changed?  Some carbs have lockouts that, if put together incorrectly might do that.

If not, then I'd try penetrating oil on the throttle shaft of the carb as it sounds like it is stuck.  And, if you know your way around the carb, I'd pull it and turn it upside down so you can get to the throttle plates.  Are they rusted?  And put penetrating oil on the inside of the throttle shaft where the throttle plates are so it can penetrate into the throttle plate's bushing.

Correct nothing has changed since I last ran it and all was moving properly.

It's got to be just corroded from the fuel or rust.

I feared removing it was the only other option here. I've hit it with everything I've got from penetrating oil to brake cleaner hoping to remove the gunk but it appears it's just got to come off.

I was hoping to not remove it because that introduces about 6000 other variables in the SMOG scenario but I guess now that if finally found a place for help I can minimize the carb re install/adjustments.

I'm gonna get back at it in the morning.

Is it safe to assume if I can get it unstuck I may not have to re adjust it again? Last time I had a heck of a time but finally got it.

Thanks for all your help today.

I really can't imagine a carb being that stuck.  And I would have thought California would be dry.  But is it damp where you are?

I really can't say that this will be the last time 'cause I don't know why it is doing it in the first place.  But if you've been soaking it and it hasn't freed up then it needs to come off.

And we'll be here to help you.

Rebuilding a 4180 isn't too difficult.
And purchasing a rebuilt one is expensive!
But you have to be sure you buy the right kit.

Take it off and look closely to see if you can find why it is stuck.

Thanks again guys.

I have a 19 year old Dog that has taking a turn for the worst this past week. I just had to put his "sister" down Monday of the same age. It's killing me so I'm kinda distracted with this little guy. Im not a big vet person they made it to 19 years so I'm fairly confident I've taken good care of them.

I finally broke down when she was acting very strange (not suffering before this at all) and the poor thing took her last breath in the parking lot while I waited my social distance.
It was her time though so I was headed there to put her to rest.

2 days later the little guy was acting very similarly odd. 1 hour and 600.00 later they told me he's got a back injury and he's constipated I already knew that. They offered the enemas and I thought ok I'll try it just to eliminate a variable. I thought how much can they be. It was 78.00 for two doggie enemas that retail for about 6.00. Needless to say I will not be back there again.

Anyway I'm going to hit it in a few. I only mention the dogs so you guys don't think I'm blowing off your help.

I learned long ago every thing else in this world can wait except family.

Our climate here is EXTREMELY dry I was initially thinking it was just because of the gas sitting but that makes no sense right that area is not subjected to standing fuel like the float would be right?

Sorry about your dogs.  That brings thoughts to my mind of our last dog, whom had her last ride in my '82 Explorer.  I can still see here laying there.

So take care of family - we'll be here.

But if your climate is that dry I'm at a real loss for what he problem could be.  Time to pull the carb.

You've got your priorities right, pizzadude.  

Take the time now to spend with your best friend.
I'm sorry for your loss, and sorry these events keep coming the way they do.

It's not as if we are going anywhere...

Hey guys thanks for the comments a appreciate it.

So I'm going to take the carb off today and then update but before I do I was wondering if I should plan on rebuilding it now or just get it moving and put it back on.

Not to because of being lazy but just to facilitate the Smog resolution more quickly.

Prior to the fail I did nothing to the carb and im assuming it was ok at the last pass.

In-between the pass and the fail stats I posted it failed but I didn't get the get the documents.

As a result of the fail prior to the one shown I completely went through the entire smog system and also replaced the intake manifold gasket.

I replaced:
every single hose and connector one at a time to ensure its proper placement
Plugs/ wires/ cap/ rotor/ distributor
Belts
I'm not positive I did this between the two but I will check my pics because I documented most all of it.

I even did a compression test that I have the results from somewhere. Basically they were all in the 100's except one that was lower but I can't remember how much I will find it as well.

The thing that finally passed me was the replacement of the EGR valve supposedly.

I say supposedly because between the pass and the next test I put maybe 25 miles on the truck and did nothing to any component.

I realize this throws a bunch of variables in the mix but I just wanted to give some history. I will check right now as to the repair dates.

If I remember correctly everything went well but I just don't know enough about if those repairs to rule out any of it making such a drastic change like last fail shows.

I mean I realize all those items can contribute obviously but just don't know if they would be enough to produce those readings.

So the question for the day is take off the carb and then put it back or order a rebuild kit?

Also I'm not getting email alerts but all my info on here is correct.

Thanks again for your time.

I think you need to find out what the problem is before deciding what to do. I keep thinking a linkage is on incorrectly or in a bind, meaning that it is an external thing. If so, fix that w/o tearing into the innards.

I agree with Gary.
Get it freed up and then pursue the fail.

If you only fired it up to drive to the test station (25mi in a year?) I imagine a lot of that hydrocarbon can be attributed to stuck rings or rusty bores.

Shotgunning parts at it like that might -in the end- get it to pass, but it doesn't tell you what was wrong.
Fresh gas in the tank, or even a few gallons of straight solvent 😉, might clean it up.

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I haven't tore into it yet I'm going to take a few pics and post them.

I hear you about the parts. There was definitely a leak in the intake so that had to be addressed sooner or later. All the other stuff I did, it was about time for those items anyway so I figured might as well. I was trying to remember about the distributor I believe it was vacuum related and was determined it needed to be replaced after I pulled or tried to pull a vacuum on it.

All the hoses etc were part of elimination so I just replaced them as I went.

I really had not done much to it since I purchased it ant it was time so you know.

I found the documents and everything I did was prior to the 2015 pass so nothing changed between then and the fail.

As to the driving before the last test those were so pretty good runs 1 out to the dump and a couple down the freeway at pretty open up speeds.

Sorry for the memory it's kinda coming back to me as I go. It was probably more like under 80-100 miles and not too long before I took it.

On a good note I just found out from the Smog guy there is a program here in our county that will pay up to 850.00 to fix it and pass smog.

I don't really trust the last guy I took it to because here is why.

In 2014 it failed so I applied for the state 500.00 repair program and the replacement of the EGR valve was the ONLY repair done by this same dude aside from I believe adjusting the timing.

In 2015 I brought it in and it failed at the same shop. So since they had done the "work" just a few months earlier I figured it was the EGR valve.
However after reminding them they did the work and it was their part I said why not just replace it being it was still under warranty.
This was met with resistance finally I told them fine I will do it and take my business elsewhere.

I replaced it and took it to another shop and it failed again. This got me thinking if it was supposedly just that which was wrong before I had not driven the truck all that much, enough in my mind to cause something else to go wrong, why would it fail with basically the same readings as when the EGR valve was the issue.

This is what prompted me to really tear into the truck. It had that intake leak anyway and the rest was tune up stuff and items that were just due anyway. I figured I'd might as well just go through it and get that stuff done.

So I did all those things I listed brought it back to the orig guy that did the "repairs"  

When I brought it back it failed. But not for emissions for visual. The harmonic balancer had slipped (which I guess is a common occurrence on these trucks) I replaced that and it passed.

The 2015 stats were after doing all that work, so it's safe to assume everything I did certianly did not make anything worse.

Fast forward to 2016 I brought it back again to the original place and the image I posted were the results.

Could the EGR valve failed yet again? It seems unlikely but then again I'm not that familiar with this this trucks hereditary related issues like the harmonic balancer one. Maybe this engine just naturally chews through them?

Anyway that's the history. After re reading this I'm beginning to see a pattern here. Every time I've brought it to these guys it has failed. The also to repair so maybe that's their game fail then do the repairs.

Not really.

35 year old bonded rubber that is subject to being imbalanced, in order to balance the engine, and acceleration/deceleration  is going to some loose sooner or later.

It's off..

Still stuck I have the one end soaking in a pool of PB blaster at the moment. It appears that just one side is frozen. Opposite the linkage connection.

I'm thinking the gasket is compromised? Why else would there be rust in there?

Anyway looking forward to your thoughts on the pictures.

Thank you again.

I think your hood seal is probably shot.

Well, being Cali, your going to have to fix it or swap it for another rebuilt 4180 carb.

Thank you

That is why I'm here, to get help fixing this.

I am not sure I understand how the seal at the carb to manifold works.

Is it or should it be air tight where the spacer plate meets the intake manifold?

I'm assuming that carb gasket is shot?

Wouldn't the gasket leaking air be enough to cause those high readings just on its on?

I'm ready to fix it just tell me what I need to do. Rebuild kit?

Thank you.