back with questions 85 f 150

[Brownie Mobile]

I'm back and with a new truck. Attaching pictures as well. Anyways its an 85 f 150 with 8 or so in of lift. 39.5 in tires all around a bad ass truck but I'm having issues. It has the engine from a 95 boss 302 ( it'll spin those 40s on dry pavement like its nothing). But the engine has beem converted to points for some reason and the intake is a 2bbl edelbrock I've definitely got carb issues and maybe you can help me out at idle it runs okayish prettt inconsistent misfire but not bad at idle. Once you start reving it gets a very steady misfire (sounds like the same cylinder everytime) . Once the secondaries open up runs like a top so I find my self luggint the engine so I can put more gas into it and run smoothly.also when I shift down its reallu rough almost exactly like bump starting. Other possible relevant info my tach goes down to 0 as soon as I let off the gas. Lemme known whatvyou think thank s.

 

[tmcalavy]

Retime it and get a bigger intake, tune the carb to the intake using a vacuum gauge...get ready to spend, spend, spend on gas unless your uncle is a Sheik of Araby.

 

[Brownie Mobile]

Thanks and yes a 4 bbl and matching intake is on my list of things to do looks like on the cheap side I can do it for under 600 that's with edelbrock any reccomendations other than edelbrock a mechanic I talked to said hydrajet. Oh and the problem was not fuel after all my vacuum advance was ****ed up. Temp solution is plugging the vac avance line until I can diagnoee the problem further.

 

[tmcalavy]

Get a vacuum gauge and google "vacuum gauge" to learn how to use and read it...very simple. It'll never smooth out until you figure out the base problem and the gauge takes you there. As far as carbs, Edelbrocks are good...so are Holleys. You can size the carb your engine needs on the Holley website...bigger isn't always better. Sounds like it's out of time and the carb is not balanced...that's why it dogs until you get the revs and fuel flow up there in synch. Snoop around your area and see if you can find a mechanic older than dirt...he'll know how to balance a carb if you're lucky. Altitude also makes a difference...most come jetted for sea level...if you're higher than that you might need to rejet the carb.

 

[Brownie Mobile]

Of course I meant quadrajet haha I've been looking up what size carb I need but I can't figure out my volumetric efficiency. Its cammed and I know that increases ve like forced induction does. Anyways for the speca of my motor with 80 percent ve it comes up with 524 cfm so is a 650 a safe bet? Also any idea how to check my intake? Not sure if its stock or aftermarket. I want a high rise intake but I was thinking a carb spacer same general idea right? Thanks

 

[tmcalavy]

The idea of a spacer is to isolate the carb from a hot intake/engine, not necessarily induce/create more flow. If your intake is cast iron, it's probably stock and will have Ford casting numbers on it. If it's aftermarket, it's probably made of aluminum...Edelbrocks are plainly marked as such. Speaking of which, 650 CFM sounds big for a 302...I'd call Edelbrock or Holley and tell them how it's cammed and they can probably advise you on size...not like you're the first guy to do this...they have the experience you are looking for. Whatever you get is going to have to be balanced to the engine though.

 

[Brownie Mobile]

Well it has either a 500 or 650 on it already you think it being a 650 would cause these problems? I would think it wouldn't but I'm not knowledgable on this obviously. Also somebody told me about putting a stall in my tranny for the cam he said something about a torque converter I don't think he realized its got 4 on the floor. Thanks again

 

[black_demon69]

Of course I meant quadrajet haha I've been looking up what size carb I need but I can't figure out my volumetric efficiency. Its cammed and I know that increases ve like forced induction does. Anyways for the speca of my motor with 80 percent ve it comes up with 524 cfm so is a 650 a safe bet? Also any idea how to check my intake? Not sure if its stock or aftermarket. I want a high rise intake but I was thinking a carb spacer same general idea right? Thanks

IMO stay away from Quadrajunk and go with holley or edelbrok

 

[tmcalavy]

Before you drop $$$ on other mods, tranny, torque converter, bigger carb, intake, make sure it is timed correctly with an induction timing light...hence the vacuum gauge advice. What you're driving now is all mechanical, no sensors or computers to control engine performance. Use the stock Ford 302 specs to set it up right (timing), then balance the carb to the engine, then see how it runs...if you don't do that first, you're just throwing more saddles on the horse and eventually you'll run out of back.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have a Weiand Stealth with a 500CFM Edebrock 1403 4bbl it runs pretty good.

It is basically a stock HO, and I had to get the tuning kit to "jet it down" by changing the jets and rods so it didn't smoke black.

I dunno what has been done to your engine but out of the box mine was too much. And of course you can go the other way with the tuning kit too if needed...

I am curious how your 2bbl has secondaries too...

 

[Brownie Mobile]

I have a Weiand Stealth with a 500CFM Edebrock 1403 4bbl it runs pretty good.

It is basically a stock HO, and I had to get the tuning kit to "jet it down" by changing the jets and rods so it didn't smoke black.

I dunno what has been done to your engine but out of the box mine was too much. And of course you can go the other way with the tuning kit too if needed...

I am curious how your 2bbl has secondaries too...

Are you saying its a 4 bbl? On my old b2 the carb rebuild was basically the same thing but far more complicated than the edelbrock if I remember correctly. Maybe I'm wrong. Idk been tied up at work got off at 9 tonight was working on converting my points to electronic and bull shitting with the boss man. Oh after I did the conversion and retuned everything minus timing with a timing light it ran great for a while then I got to the gas station shut it off then whem I started it back up it was doing the same damn things as before. It was running ****ing awesome I felt like I couldve burned the tires in 2nd gear no prob. Then it went right back. Hopefully this provides some insight I really want to figure thos out. Thanks again guys

 

[tmcalavy]

You're chasing your tail until you figure out if the base timing is correct and that the carb, 2 or 4 brl, is balanced to the engine. Any adjustments you make before you determine that is just wildhair guesses.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I'm back and with a new truck. Attaching pictures as well. Anyways its an 85 f 150 with 8 or so in of lift. 39.5 in tires all around a bad ass truck but I'm having issues. It has the engine from a 95 boss 302 ( it'll spin those 40s on dry pavement like its nothing). But the engine has beem converted to points for some reason and the intake is a 2bbl edelbrock I've definitely got carb issues and maybe you can help me out at idle it runs okayish prettt inconsistent misfire but not bad at idle. Once you start reving it gets a very steady misfire (sounds like the same cylinder everytime) . Once the secondaries open up runs like a top so I find my self luggint the engine so I can put more gas into it and run smoothly.also when I shift down its reallu rough almost exactly like bump starting. Other possible relevant info my tach goes down to 0 as soon as I let off the gas. Lemme known whatvyou think thank s.

Are you saying its a 4 bbl? On my old b2 the carb rebuild was basically the same thing but far more complicated than the edelbrock if I remember correctly. Maybe I'm wrong. Idk been tied up at work got off at 9 tonight was working on converting my points to electronic and bull shitting with the boss man. Oh after I did the conversion and retuned everything minus timing with a timing light it ran great for a while then I got to the gas station shut it off then whem I started it back up it was doing the same damn things as before. It was running ****ing awesome I felt like I couldve burned the tires in 2nd gear no prob. Then it went right back. Hopefully this provides some insight I really want to figure thos out. Thanks again guys

Unless you have a 2bbl to 4bbl adaptor the red statements are in conflict with each other. Your engine sounds pretty stout so I doubt it is a 2bbl...

What did you convert to? Petronix, HEI, Duraspark? Petronix will throw the base timing off a tad so you will have to reset it.

Might check the plug wires too, maybe you jostled it playing with the dizzy and the connection got better on one cylinder until it shifted back. I would check that and the coil too (especially if you didn't change it) A coil can do weird things if they want to with runtime to build up heat.

 

[tmcalavy]

He must have wrapped it around a tree, or traded it for something else.

 

[Brownie Mobile]

Sorry you have no idea how swamped ive been at work for some reason guys have been deciding to blow out tires and sieze up vac pumps and air bags etc for some reason its all crashing down these last few days and nights. Anyways I put in an points to electronic conversion module just took the points off slapped the module where the points were plugged it in and fired right up well after some timing adjustment. Ok gotcha on the carb thing I thought that it was different than that but now that I think about it it didn't make any sense. And yes this thing WAS very stout but I lost sooo much power after a 3 day mini vacation where I didnt drive it. That was about 3 weeks ago if that gives you an idea how much time I don't have. I've been itchinf to borrow a timing light from oreilys but they xlose at 7 here so that won't happen for a while. The only time I find to work on this thing is lunch or after work but working at night in the dark really sucks. And yea I dis pull out a plug wire and the thing that holds onto the spark plug stayed on the spark plug but I got it back on and it was doing this before and after my tuneup so idt its anything so simple as that. Wow appparently I'm long winded sorry guys ill update after timing and vac gauging. Also gonna compression test just incase somebody ****ed up the rebuild. Thanks