Another round of projects.

I have some 1/4 6012 laying around in the cabinet I keep the welding rod in.  Next time I fire it up after I get the leads put together I will attempt a video and try to get it embedded.

In other topics...

The welding truck when I first got it started ran terribly rough.  Easy...  I could hear a vacuum leak.  I plugged the leak and it ran nice and smooth. Now the vacuum lines throughout the engine compartment basically break every time you touch them.   I am really in no mood to repair and replace them if I do not need them.  It looks like a lot more stuff on the motor then what it really needs.  

I have no experience with this style carb.  Is it a terrible idea to delete all the vacuum related switches, actuators on carb, egr stuff, and just keep the distributor advance and brake booster lines?  I figure I will need to adjust the carb some maybe the distributor timing, but haven't dove into any information on the carb to figure that out yet.  Initially, I thought of making the truck strictly an "on the property" vehicle and considered a h.e.i. style distributor and a carb swap.  I always liked the old Ford 2 barrel carbs.  I need to do some research before I give up on any of the parts though.  It ran and idled nice for a few starts before the lines started breaking all over.

Just weighing my options.

You can make an '81 run nicely w/o all the emissions stuff, but it takes a bit of work.  Most of what you have should be EGR, and that's controlled by a bunch of those vacuum doohickeys.  So to keep it you'll need to at least replace the vacuum lines if they are broken or breaking.

If you want to delete the EGR you should consider having the distributor recurved as it has a curve in it expecting there to be exhaust gas in the mix at part throttle.

I think I will stick with the duraspark.  The more I think about it the more I like the idea of cleaning out everything under the hood not needed and just running factory stuff if I can.  

Are there some 300 I6 tuning experts that can give me a good idea where to start on recurve springs and carb tuning.  I know there is a matching engine in the 1981 parts van out back I can rob parts from.  Seems to me there where 2 different springs in the duraspark, but I haven't been inside a 300 distributor yet.  Would swapping the lighter spring in from the parts van be enough to help or is it worth it to just order an advance curve spring kit?

I have no real idea where to start with the carb.  I have lightly read over the recommendations in the documentation, but that will take a reread while looking at the carb to make sure the information sinks in...

The welding truck has the cable operated heater.  The only vacuum requirements are the vacuum brakes and the timing advance.  The more I am under the hood of the truck the more it looks like I should keep it.  I love my IDI's, but I can pretty much sit under the hood and change spark plugs.  There should be no vacuum garbage left, so it will be a very simple and easy to maintain truck.  And if I get it to run nice and clean everything up under the hood it "should" sell better (should the decision be made).

I don't qualify as an expert, but David/1986F150six posted this recently: http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/Air-Fuel-Ratio-gauge-and-now-have-question-tp91060p92971.html.

Remember, there are also two slots in the mechanical advance plate (depending on which side is up)

I suggest to everyone that they review Scott's DSII Recurve instructions.

http://www.reincarnation-automotive.com/Duraspark_distributor_recurve_instructions_index.html

http://www.reincarnation-automotive.com/Duraspark_distributor_recurve_instructions_page-2.html


And the Crane Cams adjustable vacuum advance directions (pdf available on Jeg's website)

https://www.jegs.com/i/Crane-Cams/271/99607-1/10002/-1

Thank you for the info.  Searching the internet is nice and all, but you get a small amount of useful and a pile of crap...  

Next question



Does the duraspark box have oil that can leak out?  Upon attempted restarting the motor, the motor started more and more difficult.  Occasional backfire.  I read the situation as a spark problem, but haven't got into testing much yet.  I figured I would ask a possible dumb question to rule that out.  

I suspect I will take the duraspark from the van out and connect it to the truck to test.

I am off to run past my father's now, he has a stash of parts and I suspect there is a 300 industrial motor available without egr crap to get a carb spacer from.  

Looks like the potting on that ds2 box is toast. I dont know that the potting melting out guarantees failure, but it sure seems likely and its easy to check if you have other boxes lying around.

Good luck desmogging! Im curious to see what shakes out with your dizzy recurve. I may should consider doing the same.

Also, I think I remember something about a jeep carb spacer for a I bbl you could use. Sorry, I dont know part numbers.

The melted epoxy is a symptom, not a cause.
The transistor in there is toast.
That could be caused by a bad coil, or it could simply be old age.

Gary and I are using the NAPA Echlin TP-40 module.
It has functional spark retard and seems to be holding up for me.

It appears I can remove the egr without using a spacer.  I will have to find a different air filter or make a spacer between the carb and air filter.  I will have to shorten the height of the throttle bracket about the height of the egr since the throttle is in a bind now.  I plugged the exhaust manifold port with a simple flat Allen style pipe plug.  Looks like a very easy project minus tuning to get the smog and egr stuff gone.   The truck looks even better under the hood with just the minimum required.  

Now the issue I thought I was having getting to start is a new problem.   I kept thinking it was cranking and about to start, and the starter would spin free because it fired.  Upon more investigation, I turned the key off and jumped the solenoid under the hood and it acts nearly the same.  The truck must have teeth off the flywheel ring gear or some kind of starter Bendix issue.  It makes a partial revolution than kicks the starter drive to spin free.  I suspect I need slide under and pull the starter out to investigate.  Being that rain appears more imminent all the time I resolved to pick up tools and close everything up until the weather clears.  It isn't a mission critical project worth fighting the weather.

Honestly I am just enjoying playing with the 300 motor.  I haven't had any experience with one before this truck.  There is a 300 in the parts van, but it is strictly for the manual shift parts that the van was aquired.  So far I really haven't spent any money to work on the truck and if it requires major funding or effort I will simply make the decision to use the truck to better the dump truck and bronco instead of repair.  

Cory has pictures and a part number for the non-egr carburetor adapter.
'73 and earlier US trucks had them, and he says that EGR was never used in Canada, where he is.

I think I am the one who found a YF base insulator with a single vacuum tap.
I'd have to look.

I think I figured it out... The issue is that I do all this posting on my phone. To get the embed code you need to set the phone to view desktop site and use a browser to open youtube instead of the app

And as discussed, the welder burning a bit of 6012 1/4 inch rod turned all the way up.

Before I gave up earlier on the truck I did pull the carb off and hooked it back up to the temp fuel can and tried to open and close the main throttle butterfly and no fuel would squirt out.  This tells me the accelerator pump isn't functioning.  So a rebuild is at a minimum and a replacement of the carb if there is an issue.

I may pull the carb on the van and see what it's condition is, but I have little hope of it doing me any good.

That's awesome!
I love to hear that welder chugging along with a real load on it.  👍

There has been a lot of discussion about YF clones.
For $60 de!ivered it's hard to consider your time after the cost of a rebuild kit.

I'd like to hear some more long term reports from Cory and Jonathan about their Amazon carbs.

It is very hard to justify a trip to the parts store, the price of a kit, and the time to rebuild it for $60 dollars.  I suspect I would buy the aftermarket for this truck and save the original to rebuild or have for parts...  Plus I am not sure I am keeping the truck yet.

It just boils down to me hoping to recoup enough funds to basically keep the welder, air compressor, and maybe one of the trailers hopefully for my labor.  
 
Probably clean the first trailer and sell it and see how close I get.

Having the truck running well is good, either way.
And a shiny new carburetor would be a plus to any buyer.

As long as the trailers don't need tires or axles you can spiff them up and sell them for good $$$.

Lights and paint from Tractor Supply (or wherever) =$100
Two days to power wash, paint and re-wire in my mind.

I know you have other priorities, but you also have a nice welder and compressor.  😉
Congratulations!

I always set out on projects like this to keep from using any money from our budget.  So projects always have to fund themselves by resale, or additional work I do.  This project I am invested 1600-1700 right now.  I am confident I can keep the welder and compressor for the labor I used in my free time.  I am probably going to be able to keep either one trailer or the truck and still break even.  Just depends on how much I end up spending on the truck and trailers.  I do not need 2 trailers or another truck.  Realistically, I was shopping around for a portable welder I can use to do some of the side repair work I already do and had planned to spend this much on a welder anyway.  If I end up not selling any of it I am as well off or better than if I just bought a welder that ran.  This welder I know runs, welds, and now has had a good amount of maintenance parts replaced already.  It was a gamble at the start, but I thought it was a solid bet because I figured I could sell a trailer and scrap the truck and be close to have broke even.   Now I may make a little extra and get to hold onto some good stuff.  Well, off to get belts for the compressor, hopefully find a replacement glass fuel bowl, some bolts, and material to make a fuel tank strap so I can bolt all the welder sheet metal back on again.  I will be updating as progress occurs, mainly a waiting game for some ordered parts to arrive.

On the EGR you do not need to remove it and come up with a spacer or make adjustments to the throttle cable bracket.
You can just use a tin can and make a blank off plate to fit between the valve and the adaptor / spacer and this will make it so it cant work.
Also if you pull the carb & EGR spacer there will be a hole in the intake manifold just drive in a small freeze plug and this will also block it off so it cant work.
With the spacer in place I did not need to mass with the throttle cable bracket and run the factory air filter assy.

As for the tube you can leave it in place or remove it and use pipe plugs to block off the holes or cut the tube but leave some at each end so you can bend the tube over to seal it.


I did buy one of them knock off Ebay carbs as I was having issues with mine and that was after it ran good after I rebuilt it than crapped out after I was trying to lean the carb out.
Thing was I fond rust in the bowl when I was leaning it out and did not want to install the Ebay carb till I could find what tank had the rust.
So I have not installed it yet and it sits in the box on the shelf.

I have since fixed my carb, dont know what I did as the accel pump stopped working and would run way lean at WOT.
I used my Motor manule for pros and adjusted it as it had listed and all good now.
May get brave again and try to lean it out a little.

Now with it running lean and think more so with out the EGR I had a lot of pinging with any throttle.
Vacuum was pulling in a lot of advance but what is nice the 300 six motors have adjustable vacuum advance cans. So I was able to dial out a lot of the vacuum advance and not more pinging.

I should also point out I am running EFI exh manifold that they say flow a little better than the log exh manifold if that makes any difference.
Dave ----