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Got stranded today... My own fault

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JMUBullnose

Got stranded today... My own fault

Finally got Old Red's fuel leak fixed - just had to snug the filter one little bit more to the carb and voila.

Found out a week ago that my solar battery tender stopped working so I had to put my plug in battery charger on it. Finally got a chance to drive it today!

Drove to get gas and some groceries... Came back out and dead again! Stupid me left the headlights on after getting gas. Couldn't get a good jump going either - went in and bought a new battery threw it in the truck to no avail. Now it just cranks non stop and will 'kinda' catch if I floor the accelerator while cranking. As soon as I let off gas it dies - and its almost like the engine is half idling - puffing white at the tail pipe.

So right now I've got the old battery on it's charger and am at a loss as to what's going on. Truck is still in the parking spot I chose.

Any ideas tips to get it rolling to at least back home? Can't believe the battery dying caused all this. Maybe the battery I got was too big?

1984 F-150, 302 CID (5.0 L) Windsor V8, 2 BBL carb, power windows added, remote entry added. AC. Automatic Transmission.

Gary Lewis

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

Administrator

Flooring the accelerator is the key I'll bet. That should open the choke. So, I'm guessing the choke is on fully and the engine is flooded.

Pull the air cleaner and check the choke. If it is closed either back the three screws out slightly on the black cover and turn it to open the choke, or somehow block it open - but not with anything that can fall down inside the carb. And then try to start it.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
Blue: 2015 F150 Platinum 4x4 SuperCrew wearing Blue Jeans & sporting a 3.5L EB & Max Tow
Big Blue: 1985 F250HD 4x4: 460/ZF5/3.55's, D60 w/Ox locker & 10.25 Sterling/Trutrac, Blue Top & Borgeson, & EEC-V MAF/SEFI

JMUBullnose

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

Thanks Gary- I was starting to feel like I had flooded it on accident while trying to jump it. So I tried the old trick of flooring it while starting to try and open up the choke plate. Probably just made it worse. I'll have to go back over when my wife gets home and just try it with the new battery (sucker had some power!).

1984 F-150, 302 CID (5.0 L) Windsor V8, 2 BBL carb, power windows added, remote entry added. AC. Automatic Transmission.

Gary Lewis

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

Administrator

Flooring it should do it. But, not all carb linkages are adjusted such that they fully open the choke. And when you floor it you inject some fuel via the accelerator pump, so that doesn't help.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

JMUBullnose

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

Great point, thanks Gary.

It'll have been sitting without me futzing with it for at least 3 hrs by the time I get back over there. Think I should try to normally start it (no pumping accelerator) and then go the route of keeping the choke plate fully open?

1984 F-150, 302 CID (5.0 L) Windsor V8, 2 BBL carb, power windows added, remote entry added. AC. Automatic Transmission.

Gary Lewis

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

Administrator

I'd try to start it normally, briefly. If it doesn't light off quickly then pull the air cleaner and check the choke. But it may well go easily by then.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

JMUBullnose

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

Will do Gary- thanks! Was so happy to have it up and running - that experience was frustrating to say the least!

Hopefully I'll be able to report back in an hour or so that I have it safely parked back at home. Now to figure out if I should keep the be battery or use the old one that is currently on a charger. (It's a Type/size 56) new one is a bigger one - 65. What came up in the book for the 87/99 5.0Ls (Costco interstate batteries)

1984 F-150, 302 CID (5.0 L) Windsor V8, 2 BBL carb, power windows added, remote entry added. AC. Automatic Transmission.

Gary Lewis

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

Administrator

I think I'd keep the bigger one, especially if it is new.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Nothing Special

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

In reply to this post by Gary Lewis

Gary Lewis wrote

Flooring it should do it. But, not all carb linkages are adjusted such that they fully open the choke. And when you floor it you inject some fuel via the accelerator pump, so that doesn't help.

And to be clear, "floor it" means pin the gas pedal to the floor and keep it there. Don't pump the pedal, don't move it at all. Just keep it flat on the floor.

I'm sure most people here know that, but I stopped to help someone in a parking lot with his hood up one winter day. He said it wouldn't start. I could smell gas so I told him to just floor it while he cranked it. He said that's what he had been doing and asked me to watch under the hood while he tried again. The throttle was moving rapidly back and forth between WOT and closed. I grabbed it and held it open and the engine started within about 5 seconds. I held it open a few more seconds while the guy seemed a little panicy that his car wouldn't go back to idle!

So I realized that some people's definition of "floor it" is a lot different from the rest of us!

By the way, this was a fuel injected car, so it didn't have a stuck choke. But it still works much the same. Pump it and the computer gives it more fuel and it'll flood. Hold it wide open and the computer usually shuts the fuel off while cranking, and the open throttle plate allows in more air and it'll clear a flood.

Bob
Sorry, no '80 - '86 Ford trucks
"Oswald": 1997 F-250HD crew cab short box, 460, E4OD, 4.10 gears
"Pluto": 1971 Bronco, 302, NV3550 5 speed, Atlas 4.3:1 transfer case, 33" tires
"the motorhome": 2015 E-450-based 28' class C motorhome, 6.8L V-10
"the Dodge": 2007 Dodge 2500, 6.7L Cummins

JMUBullnose

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

Well y'all, finally got back to it and the truck fired right up. Gary nailed it, must've been wicked flooded.

Now to drive it back home! (And then do some research for a bigger battery hold down!)

1984 F-150, 302 CID (5.0 L) Windsor V8, 2 BBL carb, power windows added, remote entry added. AC. Automatic Transmission.

salans7

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

Glad you got her going so you can get her home, that definitely has to be frustrating.

JMUBullnose

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

Thanks Shaun- very much relieved. It's gonna be in the 60s tomorrow, so I'll probably work on her a bit tomorrow. Maybe figure out the fix for the lmc window regulators finally.

And a fix for the hood seal- the new seal must not be pressing against the back of the hood when shut.

1984 F-150, 302 CID (5.0 L) Windsor V8, 2 BBL carb, power windows added, remote entry added. AC. Automatic Transmission.

FuzzFace2

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

Good to hear you got it running and home.
I like Interstate Batteries but hard to find around here when you need one and the auto zone is only 2 miles down the road.

BTW if the light were left on for a short time killed the battery it was junk.
The one that came with my truck was maybe 5 years old. when building the truck I did not have the dash bezel in place so the head lights, not installed or running lights, just LED dash lights killed the battery.
I put the charger on it, type garages have, for a few hours and was able to start it.
A few days later I had the key on testing wires in the dash for the radio and the battery went dead again.
The testing was not long but the battery was junk.

On the hood seal are you using the garage door bottom seal or LMC etc. seal?
Cant beat the garage door seal for $$ and how it works.
Dave ----

Dave G.
81 F100 flare side 300 six / AA OD / NP435 / 2.75 gear
http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1980-Ford-F100?page=1
81 F100 style side 300 six/SROD parts truck -RIP
http://cars.grantskingdom1.com/index.php/1981-Ford-F100

JMUBullnose

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

Dave, thanks. I had a feeling, it'd been run down to flat at least twice over there last couple years. It just entered it's 5th year. So I'll keep the larger interstate in there.

Hood seal- I'm using the Garage Door seal that Gary has shared. I verified it's sealed well against the firewall already. So the only explanation for still getting water on the air cleaner has to be it coming around the back of the hood itself with the seal lip not contacting well. Maybe I installed it a bit too low the first time last year.

1984 F-150, 302 CID (5.0 L) Windsor V8, 2 BBL carb, power windows added, remote entry added. AC. Automatic Transmission.

FuzzFace2

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

To low is what I am thinking.
When I installed my garage seal when closing the hood I heard a noise?
After opening & closing to see what it was it turned out to be the rubber rubbing the hood to seal LOL
Dave ----

Gary Lewis

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

Administrator

Glad you got it going.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile

Nothing Special

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

In reply to this post by JMUBullnose

JMUBullnose wrote

Dave, thanks. I had a feeling, it'd been run down to flat at least twice over there last couple years. It just entered it's 5th year. So I'll keep the larger interstate in there....

With needing to deal with Minnesota winters I always replace a battery after a single dead incident, or after 4 years, whichever comes first.

JMUBullnose

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

In reply to this post by FuzzFace2

FuzzFace2 wrote

To low is what I am thinking.
When I installed my garage seal when closing the hood I heard a noise?
After opening & closing to see what it was it turned out to be the rubber rubbing the hood to seal LOL
Dave ----

Yeah I have a feeling it won't be fun to remove the garage seal and adhesive...LOL. Luckily I still have the spare seal from the kit, just have to get a new tube of adhesive.

1984 F-150, 302 CID (5.0 L) Windsor V8, 2 BBL carb, power windows added, remote entry added. AC. Automatic Transmission.

FuzzFace2

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

JMUBullnose wrote

FuzzFace2 wrote

To low is what I am thinking.
When I installed my garage seal when closing the hood I heard a noise?
After opening & closing to see what it was it turned out to be the rubber rubbing the hood to seal LOL
Dave ----

Yeah I have a feeling it won't be fun to remove the garage seal and adhesive...LOL. Luckily I still have the spare seal from the kit, just have to get a new tube of adhesive.

Why the glue?
The factory seal was never glued on, I did not use any glue and have not heard of others using glue.
Dave ----

Gary Lewis

Re: Got stranded today... My own fault

Administrator

I used "glue". Blackjack more specifically. That's to keep the water from going behind the seal, right down the firewall/cowl and onto the engine and/or the air cleaner.

Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile