Sometimes things go well - happy to share (:

People usually come to forums looking for help with their questions.  This one is a great place to find helpful answers.  Today I simply want to share some good news about my Bull that makes me smile.

I last drove it in early October.  Like every fall with my cars for winter prep I simply try and run out the last of the season's gas, fill up with fresh non-oxy and pour in a can of Seafoam.  I overinflate the tires by about 5 psi, hook up a battery tender, and then I simply park the clean vehicle in the garage.  I've done this and nothing more for decades and I've been lucky with the result.  This year, I also pulled the radiator after parking it, and sent it to the shop to get redone as it had a small leak last season.  I had it recored, and ordered new lower rubbers for it since I saw they were available from Dennis Carpenter.  The radiator shop did a nice job, and put a larger than stock core in my original radiator.  It would have been cheaper to get a fancy new 3 core aluminum radiator, but I figured - if this one came out easily, it will go back in easily (:

Well, it installed easily and I filled it with coolant.  Removed the battery tender, popped the key into the ignition.  Put the accelerator to the floor 1x to set the choke, turned the key for only 3-5 seconds and she fired right up with perfect idle.  Stepped down the idle a few moments later with the throttle and she idled down smoothly without a hitch.  I topped off the coolant while it was warming up, then put on the radiator cap and went for a ride after adding a little air in the tires.  Everything worked perfectly, and when I got back I checked for leaks and there were none.  After it cooled down, I removed the cap and topped off the radiator, closed it up and called it a good day.  

I like it when things go well.  I think the next thing to do with this truck is to upgrade the factory original steering with a redhead or equivalent steering box and replacement lower steering shaft to tighten up the slop.  

Excellent!  Thanks for sharing such a fun experience.  

On the steering box, from my understanding there are only two companies that not only rebuild the box but upgrade it at the same time - Red Head and Blue-Top.  Rumor has it that Red Head's quality control and customer service has slipped.  But John/Machspeed recently posted about his experience with Blue-Top in his thread on Blue Top Steering Gears.  I don't think he has installed it yet, so don't believe there's a post on how he likes the box itself, but he sure liked the service.

As for the steering shaft, I think John is also doing some work on one of those.  Perhaps we can get an update on that?

Good to hear after the winter nap it woke up ready to play again.

It's been 7 years since I had to put my play toys to nap for the winter.
We get maybe 3 months that it's cold but vary little snow or ice and if we do its here for maybe 24 to 48 hours and gone.
I also use my truck for the weekly trash runs if no ice / snow so I dont need to nap it.
To rub it in more  we have cars & coffee shows all year long here. Thing is when its cold out (winter) my work hours get crazy and its hard to get to any C&C and shows
Dave ----

66gtk wrote

People usually come to forums looking for help with their questions.  This one is a great place to find helpful answers.  Today I simply want to share some good news about my Bull that makes me smile.

What, and no pics!!...lol. What gives??? lol.

I enjoy the good news stories. Thanks for sharing.

Wow!  I am jalous!
I look forward for spring time, for a good ride with BigBro.
But here, it's still winter.  Maybe because the restoration is now ended, I don't know, but this year I find the winter VERY long!

pic request?  Here you go..LOL

AFAIK nobody makes 1980-1984 radiators any more... at all (at least for the 300, the V8 ones have the inlet/outlet swapped). When I rebuilt my 84 after nailing a deer, I ended up having to get a 1985-1996 radiator and modify the replacement core support (a very special 1980 one) using parts off an equally special 1985 core support to accept such.

Recoring is the way to go if you want to stay 100% stock... thankfully you had the option!

66gtk wrote

Well, it installed easily and I filled it with coolant.  Removed the battery tender, popped the key into the ignition.  Put the accelerator to the floor 1x to set the choke, turned the key for only 3-5 seconds and she fired right up with perfect idle.  Stepped down the idle a few moments later with the throttle and she idled down smoothly without a hitch.  

So your truck hasn't been started since October and it fired up with only one single pump of the accelerator 3 - 5 seconds later?  That is incredible.  

Lucille will fire up with one pump and within a second or two or two if driven every day or every other day.  But if she sits for a couple of weeks, my starting procedure is quite different than 66gtk's.

Why is that?

Is that because of the EEC-III computer controls on his truck?  

LARIAT 85 wrote

66gtk wrote

Well, it installed easily and I filled it with coolant.  Removed the battery tender, popped the key into the ignition.  Put the accelerator to the floor 1x to set the choke, turned the key for only 3-5 seconds and she fired right up with perfect idle.  Stepped down the idle a few moments later with the throttle and she idled down smoothly without a hitch.  

So your truck hasn't been started since October and it fired up with only one single pump of the accelerator 3 - 5 seconds later?  That is incredible.  

Lucille will fire up with one pump and within a second or two or two if driven every day or every other day.  But if she sits for a couple of weeks, my starting procedure is quite different than 66gtk's.

Why is that?

Is that because of the EEC-III computer controls on his truck?

My 81 F100 with a 300 is the same, run everyday or other day and half a pump to set choke and tap the key and it is running but let it sit a week or 2 like today for the trash run and you have to pump the pedal like a crazy man while cranking the motor for it to start.
The gas in the carb evaporates and why all the pumping till gas fills the bowl.
Dave ----

LARIAT 85 wrote

Is that because of the EEC-III computer controls on his truck?

 It may be that fuel pump primes the carb right away?
I never worked on a 1983 5.0 in a pickup but all the '83 5.0 T-birds I ever got into had electric pumps.

BTW, congratulations on such a great running truck!
All the good work you've put into it is paying dividends today.  🙂

Stock, no carbed F series/bronco 300 or 302 had an electric pump. EEC or otherwise. The only stock bullnose electric pumps I know of (gas at least) are 460's and EFI 502's.

Mine if it sits for over a week or two it may take some cranking to start. Just from fuel evaporating out of the carb bowl (can't prime if there's no fuel for the accelerator pump to pull). But I never have to mash the pedal... just one tap.

Pumping the pedal with an empty float bowl isn't going to accomplish anything anyhow.

I LOVE when I see someone trying that with a modern fuel injected car.  

ratdude747 wrote

Stock, no carbed F series/bronco 300 or 302 had an electric pump. EEC or otherwise. The only stock bullnose electric pumps I know of (gas at least) are 460's and EFI 502's.

Mine if it sits for over a week or two it may take some cranking to start. Just from fuel evaporating out of the carb bowl (can't prime if there's no fuel for the accelerator pump to pull). But I never have to mash the pedal... just one tap.

According to your signature, you have a 1984 model with EEC-IV and stock feedback carburetor.  Carburetor technology never got better than that.  

So how is it that 66gtk's truck (1983 model with EEC-III) can fire up within 5 seconds after it has been sitting for 4 months?

5 seconds is what I'd call "some cranking". So his experience and mine are on par. Just enough time to get fuel from the pump to the bowl... depending on how far the pump is from the carb that may not be that long at all (one pump per camshaft rotation). Usually (normal cases) it takes on the first or second attempt after a couple seconds or less.

The only times I've had "a lot" of cranking is when starting after running out of gas (needing to get fuel to the mechanical pump, which takes a bit since the pump isn't primed and is sucking a lot of air initially on top of it being a long run from the tank to the pump). But as long as the pump stays primed (liquid fuel in the line between the tank and pump) there isn't much of an issue.

If your truck sits for 2 weeks without being driven, what is your starting procedure?  I would like to know what yours is exactly, and what your results are.

2 weeks? Assuming it was parked with a non-empty tank, I treat it just like any cold start. One tap of the gas, then crank for 5-7 seconds. If nothing, another gas tap (if I feel like it) and crank attempt. Rinse and repeat until it starts or I suspect something's up (forgot to plug in distributor, etc.). Yeah, you probably won't get anything out of the accelerator pump, but that will at least set the choke and start pulling fuel once some gets in the bowl. Usually it goes on the first attempt.

If it's sat more than a month or two (long enough there may not be a usable film of oil still on the bearings), I'd probably unplug the distributor, floor the gas (clear flood mode), and crank it for a bit  (maybe 2-3 5-7 second bursts) to pre-oil. Or use a remote starter trigger with the ignition off.

That's amazing! This here is my dream - still chasing gremlins on the starting part! Congrats on a great winters nap!

That is a great feeling!

I will chime in with my starting procedures if that's ok :) full details of each vehicle are in my signature.

F150 EFI - first time, every time. Regardless of temp or dormancy.. It is practically a modern vehicle!
Bronco - If used daily-ish.. Stab the pedal once, turn key, starts in 3-5 seconds. If left for a couple fo weeks it may take 2 half pumps on the pedal to start first time. If you forget to do that it will start second time.

F350 - oddly this fires right up everytime. regardless of the time it has been dormant. Well, right now the battery is dead so aside from that.... I give the pedal a quick press then turn the key, starts in 2-3 seconds 90% of the time.

Gsmblue wrote

F350 - oddly this fires right up everytime. regardless of the time it has been dormant. Well, right now the battery is dead so aside from that.... I give the pedal a quick press then turn the key, starts in 2-3 seconds 90% of the time.

See, this is what I mean.  What makes this truck and the 66gtk's truck different?

Lucille will start up better than my fuel injected vehicles if driven every day or every other day.  If she sits a week, typically 3 pumps and 5 seconds later the engine fires right up.  If she sits a month (very rare), then I have to crank the engine for a bit, stop, depress the gas a few times, and try again.  But she always starts and runs great, so I am not really complaining.

I am just curious about the carbureted trucks that can sit for months and still start right up with a single pump.