ctubutis Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 So, I've been having some problems with the truck recently, it died on me on the highway on the way home from the dentist last Monday in addition to the blowenfusen & spitzensparken of the TS & brake light fuses (something else I need to fix sooner rather than later). I pretty much coasted off the highway (I was VERY close to home) but it totally died in a left-turn lane at a stoplight. Some dude in a modern F250 pulled up behind me and, long story short, towed me home. The problem seems to be a fuel delivery issue, it has problems at highway speeds (3K+ RPM). After methodical diagnosis (changing one thing at a time) with the primary symptom being occasional spitting (backfiring) through the carburetor (an Edelbrock from a Corvette a friend is letting me borrow) which no carburetor adjustments were fixing or even changing, I decided to inspect the ignition. Lo & behold, there is one cylinder that has been arcing for quite some time: ~~ So, the topic of this post... I walked to the local Ford dealer and went straight to their Parts department... told the guy I'm interested in a cap & rotor for a 1981 6.6L/400cid/whatever you want to call it. He checked his computer and, depressingly, they have no such parts in stock, not even one. The guy said he's been working there for 2 years, and the oldest car he's ever sold a part for was a 1990 sumthin-or-other. THAT is depressing to me. Not surprising, just depressing. Oreilly's seems to have one item in stock (or can get by 4PM) of virtually anything I want for these old things, but I hafta wonder what they would say if I walked in asking for points, plugs & condenser for a 1970 Mustang 351W, my first high school car. :) Rant over, just wanted to spew... I think I'll also post this on FTE, just to see what guys over there have to say... forums like this are great for problems like this.... P.S. blowenfusen spitzensparken.... Found in almost every computer room in the 80s & 90s: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 Not surprising at all that the Ford dealer had nothing. The M-block engines are forgotten. However, the cap for a 460 would work, although they wouldn’t know that. Points and a condenser, the kid won’t know what they are! So, you have both fuel and ignition problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpin Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 Not surprising at all that the Ford dealer had nothing. The M-block engines are forgotten. However, the cap for a 460 would work, although they wouldn’t know that. Points and a condenser, the kid won’t know what they are! So, you have both fuel and ignition problems? It is aggravating. I recently had to give the young lady at the parts counter at our local Ford dealership the part number for the ignition pickup on my truck. She kept muttering I should go get the guy who knows old stuff. I knew who she meant, and almost said, yeah, why don’t ya? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 Dealer parts counters are there pretty much to supply the service bays and take orders for brand specific parts. I'm not surprised the counter guy had never sold a rotor or distributor cap, ignition coil or whatever. Maybe you should have asked him if they had a carb for your truck??? If that terminal is arced out that bad I'd be looking to change plugs and wires as well. Something is causing a lot of resistance in that cylinder. Meanwhile.... do you really think it's fuel starvation? Will it just start to bog if you try to keep the revs up, or does it actually want to die? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rembrant Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 Great thread topic, even if it is a rant! These days, the only thing I go to the Ford dealer for are the FL1A oil filters...lol. I have purchased some Bullnose parts from one of the two local Ford dealers, and there ARE some old guys in there...but they are not much help. They tell me that they very rarely ever deal with anything older than 10 years old. The other Ford dealer...the one I rarely ever go to is zero help. Last time I went in there and said "1984", the parts guy let a big sigh out, like I was just about to waste 20 minutes of his precious time. Anyway, it is what it is. But there's more... I buy a lot of my Bullnose parts from a CarQuest that is close to my work...I believe they are owned by Advance Auto?...I'm not 100% sure. In the past year or so, they seemed to have dropped a lot of inventory. I used to be able to walk in and get just about anything I needed, but these days much of it is order-in only, or not available at all. Pretty soon, I'll have only two parts sources...Rock Auto, and LMC, and I'll be at the mercy of the shipping gods. Another issue, somewhat related...and probably only an issue up here in Canada, is the availability of single stage paints. Due to new national VOC rules in recent years, single stage paints have been outlawed, and most medium to large body shops won't (can't) even spray the stuff, even if the wanted to. It's base clear or nothing at all. Smaller shops and back yarders are still able to buy it, but those guys are also getting fewer and farther between. I've bought a lot of single stage paint lately to touch up my old 1980 F150, and the guy at the paint shop I use told me a few weeks ago that next year they are getting a new paint mixing system, and all of these old paint codes from the 80's and older will no longer be available. The only option will be to scan the old single stage, and try to find a close enough match in Base/Clear. Sign of the times... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctubutis Posted June 25, 2021 Author Share Posted June 25, 2021 Great thread topic, even if it is a rant! These days, the only thing I go to the Ford dealer for are the FL1A oil filters...lol. I have purchased some Bullnose parts from one of the two local Ford dealers, and there ARE some old guys in there...but they are not much help. They tell me that they very rarely ever deal with anything older than 10 years old. The other Ford dealer...the one I rarely ever go to is zero help. Last time I went in there and said "1984", the parts guy let a big sigh out, like I was just about to waste 20 minutes of his precious time. Anyway, it is what it is. But there's more... I buy a lot of my Bullnose parts from a CarQuest that is close to my work...I believe they are owned by Advance Auto?...I'm not 100% sure. In the past year or so, they seemed to have dropped a lot of inventory. I used to be able to walk in and get just about anything I needed, but these days much of it is order-in only, or not available at all. Pretty soon, I'll have only two parts sources...Rock Auto, and LMC, and I'll be at the mercy of the shipping gods. Another issue, somewhat related...and probably only an issue up here in Canada, is the availability of single stage paints. Due to new national VOC rules in recent years, single stage paints have been outlawed, and most medium to large body shops won't (can't) even spray the stuff, even if the wanted to. It's base clear or nothing at all. Smaller shops and back yarders are still able to buy it, but those guys are also getting fewer and farther between. I've bought a lot of single stage paint lately to touch up my old 1980 F150, and the guy at the paint shop I use told me a few weeks ago that next year they are getting a new paint mixing system, and all of these old paint codes from the 80's and older will no longer be available. The only option will be to scan the old single stage, and try to find a close enough match in Base/Clear. Sign of the times... I wish there was a Like button out here sometimes. ~~ Concerning the dealer parts availability, I totally forgot about this yesterday while there, so I looked online today... turn signal switch, NLA. *sigh* The "old guy" I used to go to for SHO parts who knew his chit and performed his magic (forget his name) retired a few years ago, I'm not sure how many people of such vintage exist over there anymore, it's not like I go there on a daily basis or anything. He had a cohort, but his name escapes me waaaaay more than the first guy's does. ~~ The fuel supply and what I think about it... this involves the tank switching valve, but the output pressure & volume are within spec, so my feelings are to leave it alone for the time being, one thing at a time. Clean & re-assemble that stuff, begin with the obvious problem of that #5 cylinder, something is going on there (thank you, Jim!) it's right next to the power steering pump that had been leaking & making a mess for ~1 year, so there's that.... The SHO engines have similar problems in that the spark plugs are recessed in little tubes waaaaaay down there. The more I look at this engine, the more I realize (remember?) this is a Yamaha-built design, i.e. a large motorcycle engine... I used to go to CarQuest, they had USA-made parts! Front hub bearing for a 1984 Tempo transaxle, that I was eventually T-boned by a pickup truck in. But that was a long time ago and, yeah, they're now owned by Advance, who built a brand-new store half a mile up the street. I've got a negative opinion of them recently mostly, because their website is slow/inoperative and won't show me what kind of fuel filters I can get there, so.... Besides, Checker Auto/OReilly's has been good to me over the years. So has NAPA, but they're too far away for this stuff IMO. I've been using Rock Auto for a LONG time and don't think I've ever had a single problem, so I try and stay with them for planned projects, e.g. control arms & tie rod ends & that kind of stuff. ~~ I know nothing about paint other than what I've already heard about the VOC stuff. All the parts for a new body on my truck are in my & my brother's garage + his back yard, but that's a project for later, I guess. I'll just have to use whatever I can get when that time comes. So, anyway, today's efforts will be with that #5 cylinder, what's going on there... As an aside, my mom's Altima that was stolen last December isn't going to be finished at the body shop until Monday, they tied to order Drip Rail clips independently (computer showed they're available) but the manufacturer is saying they now come only with the drip rail assembly, IOW they're being aged out. This is a MY2006 which is 15 years old now, so, I guess it's not unexpected.... It's only supposed to heat up to the mid-70s with clouds & rain every afternoon through the weekend and it's 72°F & sunny right now, so I guess I can begin my day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpin Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 I wish there was a Like button out here sometimes. ~~ Concerning the dealer parts availability, I totally forgot about this yesterday while there, so I looked online today... turn signal switch, NLA. *sigh* The "old guy" I used to go to for SHO parts who knew his chit and performed his magic (forget his name) retired a few years ago, I'm not sure how many people of such vintage exist over there anymore, it's not like I go there on a daily basis or anything. He had a cohort, but his name escapes me waaaaay more than the first guy's does. ~~ The fuel supply and what I think about it... this involves the tank switching valve, but the output pressure & volume are within spec, so my feelings are to leave it alone for the time being, one thing at a time. Clean & re-assemble that stuff, begin with the obvious problem of that #5 cylinder, something is going on there (thank you, Jim!) it's right next to the power steering pump that had been leaking & making a mess for ~1 year, so there's that.... The SHO engines have similar problems in that the spark plugs are recessed in little tubes waaaaaay down there. The more I look at this engine, the more I realize (remember?) this is a Yamaha-built design, i.e. a large motorcycle engine... I used to go to CarQuest, they had USA-made parts! Front hub bearing for a 1984 Tempo transaxle, that I was eventually T-boned by a pickup truck in. But that was a long time ago and, yeah, they're now owned by Advance, who built a brand-new store half a mile up the street. I've got a negative opinion of them recently mostly, because their website is slow/inoperative and won't show me what kind of fuel filters I can get there, so.... Besides, Checker Auto/OReilly's has been good to me over the years. So has NAPA, but they're too far away for this stuff IMO. I've been using Rock Auto for a LONG time and don't think I've ever had a single problem, so I try and stay with them for planned projects, e.g. control arms & tie rod ends & that kind of stuff. ~~ I know nothing about paint other than what I've already heard about the VOC stuff. All the parts for a new body on my truck are in my & my brother's garage + his back yard, but that's a project for later, I guess. I'll just have to use whatever I can get when that time comes. So, anyway, today's efforts will be with that #5 cylinder, what's going on there... As an aside, my mom's Altima that was stolen last December isn't going to be finished at the body shop until Monday, they tied to order Drip Rail clips independently (computer showed they're available) but the manufacturer is saying they now come only with the drip rail assembly, IOW they're being aged out. This is a MY2006 which is 15 years old now, so, I guess it's not unexpected.... It's only supposed to heat up to the mid-70s with clouds & rain every afternoon through the weekend and it's 72°F & sunny right now, so I guess I can begin my day. “ The fuel supply and what I think about it... this involves the tank switching valve, but the output pressure & volume are within spec, so my feelings are to leave it alone for the time being, one thing at a time.” I think that’s a good idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctubutis Posted June 25, 2021 Author Share Posted June 25, 2021 “ The fuel supply and what I think about it... this involves the tank switching valve, but the output pressure & volume are within spec, so my feelings are to leave it alone for the time being, one thing at a time.” I think that’s a good idea! I have a really strong desire to change only one thing at a time and see what the results are and doing that is taking a lot of time, but I'm treating it as a relaxing, stress-free project as well as I can. Fuel delivery is back to how it was EXCEPT FOR the inline filter being removed, I go back & forth on that one. Cap & rotor have been cleaned up as much as I'm willing to clean them, *all* this stuff was installed in 2005 or 06 but the truck has It starts & runs & is BETTER, but there's still something wrong someplace, it kinda sounds like either 1) an exhaust leak, or 2) spitting up through the carb, it's hard to tell for sure. I *have* been wrapping the thing out on the highway a fair amount the past 6 or so months, I wonder if a valve is sticking or bent or sumthin'. I'm hopefully gonna get a good friend to come take a look at it with me this weekend, it's his carburetor after all. Anyhow, the before pictures of the cap: After cleaning: I still want a turn signal switch, too, and all this stuff added up is getting kind of costly, so I'm really hoping to identify & correct this chit without spending $100+ but I guess it's lots cheaper than taking it in for professional service someplace. It's only 55°F and raining buckets so I'm done in the garage for the day, maybe I'll work on the Taurus tomorrow for a break from this thing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 I have a really strong desire to change only one thing at a time and see what the results are and doing that is taking a lot of time, but I'm treating it as a relaxing, stress-free project as well as I can. Fuel delivery is back to how it was EXCEPT FOR the inline filter being removed, I go back & forth on that one. Cap & rotor have been cleaned up as much as I'm willing to clean them, *all* this stuff was installed in 2005 or 06 but the truck has <5K miles on it since then, so... Numbers 5 & 6 plugs look identical and were both exactly at 0.44 gap, so those went back unchanged: It starts & runs & is BETTER, but there's still something wrong someplace, it kinda sounds like either 1) an exhaust leak, or 2) spitting up through the carb, it's hard to tell for sure. I *have* been wrapping the thing out on the highway a fair amount the past 6 or so months, I wonder if a valve is sticking or bent or sumthin'. I'm hopefully gonna get a good friend to come take a look at it with me this weekend, it's his carburetor after all. Anyhow, the before pictures of the cap: After cleaning: I still want a turn signal switch, too, and all this stuff added up is getting kind of costly, so I'm really hoping to identify & correct this chit without spending $100+ but I guess it's lots cheaper than taking it in for professional service someplace. It's only 55°F and raining buckets so I'm done in the garage for the day, maybe I'll work on the Taurus tomorrow for a break from this thing... It's hard to imagine the terminal in your cap built up that much in 5,000 miles. I would probably at least swap wires around, to see if the fouling went to another terminal. Sadly, new doesn't always mean good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctubutis Posted June 26, 2021 Author Share Posted June 26, 2021 It's hard to imagine the terminal in your cap built up that much in 5,000 miles. I would probably at least swap wires around, to see if the fouling went to another terminal. Sadly, new doesn't always mean good. Yeah, the reason why I don'tknow the true mileage is because I changed out the speedometer sometime after the engine build when I did the paint-your-gauges stuff, and the odometer got messed up when my father performed whatever magic he did to try and roll the thing back... it's kinda messed up (numbers misaligned) at this point and I don't pay attention to it anymore. So, I'm thinking I'll work on the Taurus tomorrow, weather permitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts