2.0 carb to 2.3 efi

[Mark_88]

Ok, pulled the carb off and apart. Part of the problem was the gasket on the power valve, was leaking, fixed that. Reinstalled carb. Still pumps gas straight through the carb. I'm thinking that the float is set too high and the electric pump is pushing the gas through the jets before it has a chance to shut off the fuel flow??? Needle and seat looked ok, not dirty. What size jets should I have in the 350 to run it on my 2.3.

Pretty sure it is in the carb not the pressure on the fuel pump as I hooked up an old Motorcraft 2150 and the pump does not push gas straight thru the carb like the holley does.

Any help on my problem is appreciated.

Sounds like there is a carb problem, but not sure about the jet size on the Holley 350. If you just paid someone to rebuild it you might want to ask them what the problem is...sounds like the needle is blown out though...or like you said the float is set too high...the guy who rebuilt it should know how what to look for though...

 

[Kenneth S]

My holley 350 was giving me the fits, come to find out that the main body is warped, I was going to put a motorcraft 2 barrel off a early 2.8 V6, but couldn't find one, so I aquired all the parts needed off a junked 88 ranger to put the efi back in my 88 ranger (the efi was all hacked up and wasn't running when I got it, so I put a carb on it just to get it going) so that's my project this weekend. Holley's SUCK! Get a motorcraft carb (one that doesn't have all the electronic do-dad's on it) off a old ford pinto, mustang, or capri that has a 2.8 V6 in it, it should be calibrated pretty close for a 2.3.

 

[Mark_88]

Yours didn't seem to have too many electronic parts on it...I've seen them pretty clean...not even electronic choke...

I have the Motorcraft 5200 now and it was a pretty good carb...but half the parts are missing (it ran fine like that before) and it simply won't run properly...if I could find a simple carb with no electronics on it I'd go for it...maybe rebuild this one or find another one like it...

Oh, and I also found a better breather for this carb that I might get if I can get the carb working..the original is a PITA with the two wing nuts on top...

 

[Kenneth S]

The old holley/weber progressive two barrels (with the two wing nuts) suck also, I just got tired of messing with the 350 holley I had trying to get it to run right. but it's just worn out, the throttle shaft in the base plate leaks, it wouldn't return to the same idle rpm all the time (it was either too high, or two low). It took me 3 hours in the junk yard to get all the components I needed, and after 6 hours of work removing the carb setup and installing the efi I've got about 95% of the work done, the ranger had the iac mounted on the air box, and I'm using a mustang upper intake that has the iac mounted to it so I have the legnthen the iac wires about 4 feet, I'm hoping to have it running in a couple of more hours after my dinner break.

 

[Mark_88]

I've been contemplating FI for a long time...did you swap out the tank for one that has a pump or are you planning on mounting one outside the tank?

I think I read you need a low pressure/high volume in the tank and a high pressure/low volume for the FI to work. I was thinking of doing this with the low pressure pump mounted outside the tank...it would be much simpler to do it that way...

 

[Kenneth S]

I've been contemplating FI for a long time...did you swap out the tank for one that has a pump or are you planning on mounting one outside the tank?

I think I read you need a low pressure/high volume in the tank and a high pressure/low volume for the FI to work. I was thinking of doing this with the low pressure pump mounted outside the tank...it would be much simpler to do it that way...

Since my truck was originally efi eqipped it all ready had the in tank low pressure pump, when I got my ranger it had been sitting in a field for 6 years, and the old gas it had (about a half tank) had turned to jelly, and rusted the inside of the tank, the fuel level sender, and low pressure pump really bad.

I bought a new tank off of ebay for $80.00 (radiator shops wanted around $120.00 to boil and seal it), I also bought a new sender, pickup, and intank pump, the previous owner parked the truck because it quit running and he couldn't fix it, and since it had been sitting in that field someone took some of the efi stuff off the truck alopng with some of the wiring, relays, etc.

When I got it home I figured out what was wrong with it in 5 minutes (the inline high pressure pump was bad), but since I needed the little truck really bad for economical transportation since gas prices rose to around $2.50 (and higher) a gallon I just stuck a carb on it, but now since I the availability of one of dads trucks (a 97 F150 with a 4.2 V6, around 18 mpg, not too bad, but alot better than my 68 F100 with a 302 at around 10-12 mpg).

You can use a low pressure pump mounted right by the fuel tank (you may have to add a return line to your fuel tank for the return from the fuel rail), there could be a inline high pressure pump that may not need a low pressure pump to feed it (I'd look into that to see if such an animal exists), or just find you a tank with the low pressure pump allready in it, or adapt a later model tank that has just the high pressure pump allready in the tank.

 

[Mark_88]

Thing is, I had just had the tank replaced about 4 years ago and it's still like new. When I bought this truck with the 2.9 FI engine everything was already there...I tore it all out to use the carb setup and didn't think I'd look back...now, kicking myself in the a$$ several times, I'd consider it again only because the current carb seems to be pooched.

I'm sure putting an in-tank pump and return fuel line would be the least of my worries going with Fuel injection. I had the head rebuilt and did the P&P on it for the carb and was advised that this type of work on a head is counterproductive to FI engines (for reasons I forget exactly).

Still thinking about it though...and thanks again for your input...I'm almost certain that swapping the carb with a newer one will clear up the problems I've been having with it...just a matter of what is the best way to go...

So far I've seen two opinions...Holley 350 is best for higher performance (hence higher fuel consumption) and the Weber 32/36 carb (that is very similar to the Motorcraft 5200)is better on fuel...and there are several variations of in-betweenies that can be used.

Like I mentioned, I wouldn't mind sticking with this carb...except for a few minor annoyances (like dying in wet weather) it's been a good carb...

 

[Ranger8]

So Kenneth, I take it the boat intake didn't work out? It looks like I am stuck with the Holley that I have due to available cash flow at this time and the amount of money that I have already spent on it. I have taken this carb apart 6-8 times and there just doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it. Going to try adding an inline fuel pressure regulator later today. The only thing I can figure, is maybe the Holley just won't take 5-9 pounds of pressure or the pump is putting out a little more than that. The regulator will let me turn down the pressure to around 4 and see if the needle and seat will hold. Fuel injection is always a possibility, but being a carbed truck to start with, I just don't have the inclination to make the switch. Kenneth, when you were running the Holley, what size jets were you running?

 

[Kenneth S]

The boat intake manifold worked great, it gave the engine a whole lot better hp and torque from idle on up, the cold start up and driving improved dramatically due to the very short intake runners, and the practically all water heated manifold, it's just my carb is just flat worn out, it would leak fuel into the engine when it would sit for more than 8 hrs and flood it out, I had to wire up a toggle switch to cut the fuel pump off and run he carb out of gas if it were to sit for any long period of time, I tried different metering blocks, float bowls, floats, new power valve, and new carb gaskets, no matter what I did it would leak into the engine, and it would also leak outside the carb onto the intake manifold, I just got flat out got fed up with messing with that damn carb all the time, it did get a little better mileage with the boat intake even though the carb leaked all the time.
BTW on the 350 Holley I was running a power valve that opened at 5.5 inches of vacuum, and I had Holley 55 main jets in it, and would never accelerate hard enough to let the vacuum guage go below 8 inches of vacuum.

 

[Ranger8]

Well, installed the pressure regulator, it actually lets me adjust pressure between .5 and 5.0. Still no luck. With the regulator set on 3 psi, it blows gas through the carb into the barrels. It will run if I turn the regulator down all the way to .5 but still floods. I give up.... What are my other carb choices now that I have the esslinger adapter? A two barrel off of an early 2.8? I just don't understand why the holley is doing this to me.

 

[Mark_88]

This thread might help you a bit...Mutant Pony seems to know about alternative carbs...

http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21773

I think I have the opposite of what you've got...but if you've taken it apart and reassembled it not much I can add...other than replace the carb like I'm contemplating (considering I don't really want to try to rebuild mine)...

 

[Kenneth S]

Well, installed the pressure regulator, it actually lets me adjust pressure between .5 and 5.0. Still no luck. With the regulator set on 3 psi, it blows gas through the carb into the barrels. It will run if I turn the regulator down all the way to .5 but still floods. I give up.... What are my other carb choices now that I have the esslinger adapter? A two barrel off of an early 2.8? I just don't understand why the holley is doing this to me.

Take the needle and seat out and see if there is any trash in there holding it open, if the needle and seat has no trash in it, chances are the float has hole in it and it filled or partially filled with fuel thus keeping the needle and seat from closing, those are really the only 2 culprits for the flooding your seeing.

 

[little hoss 86]

ok guys i just got back on little hoss and right now i have... the 2.3 carb head on the 2.3 efi block swaped the top cam sprocket as it was different teeth than the one that came on the carb head. now the question i have is timming do i need to used my ole crank pulluy and timming cover to get this thing in time or can i use the pully off the efi motor. the older stuff had a pointer on the timming cover and marks on the pully, but the newer stuff just has a mark on the pully that points to the right sproket? am i making this harder than it is?? someone dumb this down for an old backwoods boy..