andyh13
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2018
- Messages
- 15
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 3
- Location
- Warren, MI
- Vehicle Year
- 1985
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Type
- 2.8 V6
- Transmission
- Manual
- 2WD / 4WD
- 4WD
My '85 ranger was converted to duraspark/HEI by the previous owner, who also swapped out the feedback carb for a 2150.
I have been having a lot of trouble getting the truck to idle "nicely". It seems way too loud and fast, but screwing out the curb idle screw doesn't seem to be lowering the rpm. I don't have a tachometer to conclusively verify this, but there's no difference in the sound of the engine. I also hear a hissing noise from the engine bay. The mixture screws also don't seem to be having much effect either. I hooked up a cheap vacuum gauge, and the vacuum was very low. The pointer on the gauge was at an area labeled "valve timing/intake manifold leak".
I believe there's a vacuum leak, but I am not having any luck tracking it down with carb cleaner. As a control, I sprayed some carb cleaner straight down the carb intake. Only once I had sprayed a fair bit in there did it have any effect, and it slowed the engine down. Does this mean the air fuel mixture is already too rich?
I also tested the timing, and it was off. I turned the distributor to align a white mark on the belt (assuming this was set correctly) with the pointer at the bottom of the engine block, and the vacuum rose considerably. However, it is still quite a bit below the gauge's green area, and not even to the section of the gauge labeled "overly advanced timing" (not that I trust this gauge much).
I would like to test the intake manifold for leaks, but given the way the engine doesn't seem to respond much even when carb cleaner is sprayed straight into the intake, I am not confident this method will show me if there is a leak.
When I get home today, I plan on trying to turn the mix screws in as far as I can get them without losing vacuum, then spraying the carb cleaner again and seeing what happens.
If that doesn't work, I will probably try to rebuild the carburetor, but that's a significant undertaking for someone with my (very low) level of skill.
Does anyone here have other ideas about what might be going on? Does this sound like a reasonable approach to troubleshooting? Appreciate any input!
I have been having a lot of trouble getting the truck to idle "nicely". It seems way too loud and fast, but screwing out the curb idle screw doesn't seem to be lowering the rpm. I don't have a tachometer to conclusively verify this, but there's no difference in the sound of the engine. I also hear a hissing noise from the engine bay. The mixture screws also don't seem to be having much effect either. I hooked up a cheap vacuum gauge, and the vacuum was very low. The pointer on the gauge was at an area labeled "valve timing/intake manifold leak".
I believe there's a vacuum leak, but I am not having any luck tracking it down with carb cleaner. As a control, I sprayed some carb cleaner straight down the carb intake. Only once I had sprayed a fair bit in there did it have any effect, and it slowed the engine down. Does this mean the air fuel mixture is already too rich?
I also tested the timing, and it was off. I turned the distributor to align a white mark on the belt (assuming this was set correctly) with the pointer at the bottom of the engine block, and the vacuum rose considerably. However, it is still quite a bit below the gauge's green area, and not even to the section of the gauge labeled "overly advanced timing" (not that I trust this gauge much).
I would like to test the intake manifold for leaks, but given the way the engine doesn't seem to respond much even when carb cleaner is sprayed straight into the intake, I am not confident this method will show me if there is a leak.
When I get home today, I plan on trying to turn the mix screws in as far as I can get them without losing vacuum, then spraying the carb cleaner again and seeing what happens.
If that doesn't work, I will probably try to rebuild the carburetor, but that's a significant undertaking for someone with my (very low) level of skill.
Does anyone here have other ideas about what might be going on? Does this sound like a reasonable approach to troubleshooting? Appreciate any input!