Vacuum Line Spaghetti

[gregor7896]

Hey Everyone!
First time on a forum ever, so forgive me if the thread placement is wrong or an overasked question, but Im seeing very little for my 2.0 litre ranger. The owner before me went a little crazy ripping out emissions control (pre 87 no etest needed) and i know he ripped out my PCV valve. My question to those who know by pictures, is, What am i looking at? What else is missing that i NEED (i only want what i need to run the engine, emissions is not my concern) all i see is a mess of spaghetti vacuum hoses, capped ends leading nowhere, and 3 hoses that lead to 1 thing, I read somewhere something about a "distributor vacuum advance" does that mean there should be a vacuum hose going to it? help! thanks in advance guys.

 

[Mark_88]

Good morning, and welcome to TRS~!

I would have to say that I'm glad I saw this in the morning instead of before going to sleep because my old 2.0 made me loose enough sleep with a similar entanglement.

I really can't remember what lines on the carb you need, if any, but the one for the distributor does need to go to the vacuum tree somewhere. The only ones you really need are the vacuum for the stator (distributor) and the brake booster if you have power assist brakes. There is also one that runs from the breather to the carb that controls the pre-heat air intake for when the truck is warming up. That can be removed if you live in a warm climate...but I've never had one on my truck except when I first got it...it wasn't needed when I put in the block heater.

On that model carb there was, IIRC, three on the out side and one or two on the in side (closest to the valve cover). After going to Ford and asking several mechanics (Canada still required a e-test up to 88) I pretty much gave up...but I made the mistake of removing the air pump along with a ton of plastic hoses...and in Canada removing the air pump, working or not, is a violation worth several hundred dollars.

My suggestion, if you want to save yourself a huge headache and are not restricted by original equipment requirements (meaning the equipment must be on the vehicle), is to remove it all and replace the stock carb (aka Asian carb) with something more powerful. You have a stock 2 bbl carb on there that can be replaced by a few others, sometimes without changing the intake.

The intake is key to what you can use, but there are adapters available that allow you to install other carbs. The most popular ones can go by a few different names so it can be confusing at first...but the Weber carb (can't remember the numbers but I think it ws 24/26 or 34/36 jet size), Holley 350, Motorcraft 5200 (the one I have), and a few others. My recent intake before going to FI, was the E1ZE- style that can take a Holley 350 directly with the adapter that I have...I didn't realize this initially. I'm selling that one but not worth the shipping costs outside of Canada.

Search this forum for carburetors/carb/Weber/Holley any one will get you a few threads on carb upgrades or swaps...but keep in mind that upgrading a carb does not mean immediate gains in performance or other wild dreams...it just means less carp to deal with under the hood...

After fighting with mine (I finally got it working right) for 14 years or so I decided to go Fuel Injection for a number of reasons...but I was not happy...the beauty of the carb is simplicity...and it is immune to Electro-Magnetic Pulse (Nuclear weapons blasts) so you will be one of a few thousand with a working vehicle after the Russians or Chinese attack...not that it will do you much good with all the zombies and everything you have to drive over to survive...

 

[LIMA BEAN]

Nice to know I can fish for carp in Marks engine bay while shooting zombies with romantic ambient nuclear blast lights. Your vacuum advance diaphram may be rotted being open to weather like that same as the EGR if that engine had it . Like Mark said to save yourself endless misery you may just want to get a real carb and be done with it. With all the golf tee's and loose screws it looks like the Obama/Secret service auto team was messing with it. Also if you want to keep what you have just buy a manual that shows vacuum routing and trace it out.

 

[tomw]

Didn't the Secret Service fuel the Caddy limo with diesel one time????

I thought that there would be a vacuum routing diagram on the radiator support or on the underside of the hood. I have seen scans posted on some web sites also.
If you can find it, and they made it for your year, the EVTM - electric vacuum trouble shooting manual - is worth its weight ... pictures, diagrams, tests, test points, pinouts, all the things you need to trace & trouble shoot. If you can find one, buy it.
tom

p.s. Some libraries allow patrons to use the EBSCO reference library that may have your vintage wiring and repair information on line. Check with your local librarian.
tom

 

[Mark_88]

Nice to know I can fish for carp in Marks engine bay while shooting zombies with romantic ambient nuclear blast lights. Your vacuum advance diaphram may be rotted being open to weather like that same as the EGR if that engine had it . Like Mark said to save yourself endless misery you may just want to get a real carb and be done with it. With all the golf tee's and loose screws it looks like the Obama/Secret service auto team was messing with it. Also if you want to keep what you have just buy a manual that shows vacuum routing and trace it out.

Carp...all kinds of carp under that hood with those Asian carps, er, carbs...

Didn't the Secret Service fuel the Caddy limo with diesel one time????

I thought that there would be a vacuum routing diagram on the radiator support or on the underside of the hood. I have seen scans posted on some web sites also.
If you can find it, and they made it for your year, the EVTM - electric vacuum trouble shooting manual - is worth its weight ... pictures, diagrams, tests, test points, pinouts, all the things you need to trace & trouble shoot. If you can find one, buy it.
tom

p.s. Some libraries allow patrons to use the EBSCO reference library that may have your vintage wiring and repair information on line. Check with your local librarian.
tom

I checked that a few years ago...well, maybe 8 years ago...nothing...the diagram under the hood is pretty much useless on that vehicle also...I would like to say that I came as close as anybody can in North America to figure it out...but even my best attempt was bass-akwards...more fish!

It's not really that complicated...some things turn on when others turn off and sometimes two things are going at the same time and sometimes none of them are going at all....

The air pump controls were the most important for emission control, and that was a simple on/off switch even with all that vac hose runnig to and fro...mostly fro...

Anyway...I'm not trying to discourage anyone from trying...but if emissions are not an issue...there really is no point other than nostalgia or bragging rights...

And I would be the last person to deny anyone a shot at that!

 

[Old-Black-88]

Man, I had a really good answer for this guy, but you guys seem to have it covered. That and I gotta take a carp pretty bad. See ya later.

 

[Mark_88]

Man, I had a really good answer for this guy, but you guys seem to have it covered. That and I gotta take a carp pretty bad. See ya later.

I've had a few pretty bad carps over the years...they just nibble away at your innards until they finally break free and do the damage they are capable of doing...fortunately, I have almost always been near or at an outhouse that was not really out but that pretty bad carp got everybody out of the house quick enough...so we renamed it..."The Out House"...

Ooops...didn't mean to force the captain to fly this thread to another country so I better stop now or soon...

 

[gregor7896]

Thanks guys! Some helpul, and creative answers lol. Messing around with new carbs is nothing im interested in at the moment, i just want to get what i have in decent working order, but thanks for the advice and pointers, now i bought a pcv valve and have it mostly hooked up, another question: are all vacuum lines the same? can any line that has vacuum pressure be used on my pcv valve or vacuum advance? so Vacuum advance and PCV are the only things i really need vacuum lines to? i dont have power brakes. also what is the best brand of oil for effective detergents to clean out an engine? god knows how long the previous owner ran the engine with bad spark plugs and no pcv valve, i just want my engine running clean. thanks guys

 

[gregor7896]

Oh alos my heat doesn't work, it blows, but only cold air, I don't even know where to start

 

[Mark_88]

Ah, good...you don't scare easy and have a sense of humour...bonus~!

Not all vacuum is the same, but pretty much very similar. The vacuum that is best for the distributor advance can be had from two suggested points...depending on your results. I was advised to run it from the top portion of the vacuum tree near the back of the intake manifold initially, but later learned that it was best from the middle line on the carb. It ran pretty good from the top of the manifold for a long time and I was happy with that performance wise, but tried the line on the carb.

There may have been other factors affecting my setup because the line from the carb just didn't work as well as the tree on the back of the intake. There should be two on your intake...one at the front and one at the back in relation to where the carb sits. I always used the back one because the hose points in that direction coming off the distributor and I don't like running things against the natural flow of parts...if that makes sense.

Aside from that logic, the hose to the back works best when you are economizing on hose purchases and you don't want to keep having to buy another inch or two longer...when you rotate the distributor slightly in either direction to tune the engine (you will discover this eventually if you haven't already) that inch or two can make a difference between having the hose pulled off the vac...so give it a bit of slack in the line and go topside...if you want to discover the carb line uses you can play with that all you like...I got a bit tired of tweaking the power band with anything but cam replacement and head shaving...the truck head, not mine.

Again I would strongly advise checking local laws on removing anything before doing so...the transport/environment police can be very mean if you don't have what should be on the truck...and they've seen and heard every excuse or explanation possible over the years...fooling them takes a very good imagination and I just wasn't on my game the one day they decided to stop me...even the OPP in Ontario (Provincial Police) seemed to know what was right and wrong with my setup...but the trail of oily smoke behind me was a good indication that something wasn't working properly...

OIL...if you haven't read anything by Bob is the oil Guy (his website is amazing) then you might want to go read up on his angle. I mentioned his website being amazing because he destroys many myths about what oil is, does, and can do for your engine and the environment...so I will refrain from being wrong on anything here other than to say "you will understand this better yourself once armed with the right information"...

Heat: Now this is an area that I've been wrong about also...but I can say that no heat is usually the result of low coolant levels or someone has deliberately bypassed the heater core in your truck because it was leaking. Check the coolant level when the truck is cool...before you start it and warm up the engine...if I'm sounding like you don't know anything at all, it's not meant as an insult...it means I have no idea what you know so I take the easy way out and assume you are very innocent (ignorant is a better word but some people take that as an insult...but ignorant simply means you don't know...not that you're dumb or anything...)...

If the coolant is low, that could be an indication of cooling system problems...if the coolant is not there at all...you may already be in deep doodoo...these engines are VERY sensitive and their heads get cracked and bent out of shape (like some humans) if they overheat...not something you want to start experiencing this early (or ever) so keep an eye on that.

If the coolant is not low then you may have an air lock in the system...meaning you need to burp the air out like a baby...throw the truck over your shoulder and pat it on the back until it spits up all over you and belches...no, wait...that's not right...

We need more input at this point...check that there are two hoses going to the firewall on the passenger side...these are the coolant lines from the front of the engine that carry coolant to the heater core...there should also be one that splits from that and goes behind the engine to the other side and connects to the intake manifold...that all needs to be there for the heater to work...if not...your heater core is leaking and has been bypassed...if present...let us know...if fluid is low...try topping it up and check it after it cools down later...if the level keeps dropping and you have to top it up...you have a leak in the system that needs immediate attention...heads will crack...believe me...I've replaced three for this very reason...

 

[tomw]

You might also check for presence of a thermostat in the housing directly above the coolant pump. If there isn't one there, or it is not working, the engine will take a loooong time to get warm. Both hoses from the engine to the heater core should get hot enough that you cannot leave your hands in contact. If not, your core might be plugged, and need to be replaced. If you have an older model, the heater core can be accessed for replacment by removing the glove box door, glove box, and the cover over the heater core directly above the glove box. Of course, the two hoses must be removed on the firewall side.
tom

 

[gregor7896]

Thanks a ton Boys! I actually laughed out loud when I read that Mark.....I have another mystery, the truck turned over and ran when I got it, then I changed the spark plugs, I swapped the distributor, then I let it sit for 2 weeks, I went to start it up yesterday and deduced that the ignition coil won't spark, until I stop turning it over, one little spark right at the end, the truck won't start, help me! the ignition coil also gets way too hot to touch in acc......also I swapped out the ignition coil, and the cable from the coil to the distributor. Thanks in advance

 

[Mark_88]

If you have a volt meter you can test the coil with it. Just be careful as the output voltage on the coil can be upwards of something like 50,000 volts...so don't set your VM too low or you will cook it...

You can also check the resistance of the wires to make sure they are in spec...I posted a Youtube video of someone showing the proper method of testing the wires a long time ago, so probably still available. You will need to test the wire for reistance, and you can also test the output of the coil to the distributor cap if in doubt...and the voltage to the cap will be close to what the coil puts out so, again, top up that test equipment to prevent a meltdown.

I've replaced coils ($15 or so at parts stores) thinking they were bad, only to find the problem was somewhere else...like the wires to the distributor were frail and broken inside the cap...having to replace the distributor was necessary for a few reason...one being that the pin inside sheared stopping the dizzy from spinning...causing a buildup of gas in the exhaust system and....

KAPOW...

I've blown off three mufflers over the years...be very careful about cranking the engine when no spark is present...the fuel still flows and is spit out as raw gas...

I am making that big bold type for your benefit...be glad your truck didn't spark after cranking for so long...

So...testing needed...find a cheap voltmeter or borrow one...watch the youtube if not sure...there are many out there...

 

[tomw]

The E-coil and TFI will cause a spark whenever the key is turned to the OFF position. The coil is energized, and will build a field, which collapses and SPARK.
There is a resistor mounted externally on the bundle of wires from the inner fender to the engine on the drivers side. It is a rectangular block with a wire at each end. When the TFI does its thing, and the engine is running, the resistor is expected to diminish the amps fed to the coil from those supplied when cranking.
If you did an R&R of the distributor, and it won't start, I'd be checking where the rotor points when #1 is at TDC. Use the timing marks on the belt cover & damper pulley, or set the crank key at 12:00. Check that the rotor points to the #1 plug wire {or 180 out if you are not sure it you are at compression for #1 or #4}. If it points elsewhere, your timing is likely off.
tom

 

[Mark_88]

No TFI on this one Tom...it's the 2.0 with carb so it uses a different ignition system than the FI...but the distributor being installed off timing can be part of the problem...so the timing should be double checked...

I just hope he doesn't blow up his muffler...or something else...the carbs don't shut off fuel supply like FI systems...