My 1984 F150 2wd Flareside Project "Blue Mule"

[Ray Cecil]

No problem.

[Rembrant]

1986F150Six wrote

Cory, how did the color of the NOS armrest pad compare?

David, the colors are quite different, but it's not the armrest that is the issue...it's the paint I used that is obviously too dark. I was going to send you some pictures. I might paint the armrest just to keep it all uniform, but I don't think there's much left in my paint cans besides fumes...

[1986F150Six]

I asked because there is the possibility that the NOS armrest pad "had not seen the light of day", so perhaps would be a standard for comparison?

Your project is always fun to follow!

[Rembrant]

Just wanted to update my project thread with a picture of my "OBD" on the highway today. This was in 5th, at about 65 MPH and 1900-2000 RPM cruising along on fairly level ground. Seems to cycle between 13.9-14.3, so that is not bad. It is working so well now I don't even want to touch the carb...lol. It's a little blurry, I know...but best I could do while driving. (It is reading 14.2 in the pic)



The old truck is running really nicely now, and smoother too...both in the engine and wheels. I had all four wheels Road-Force balanced and put the worst ones on the rear, and I think I actually have the engine dialed in pretty much where I want it now.

[grumpin]

That’s great!

Where did you get the gauge?

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, what AFR meter is that?  And is it a wide band?

I ask because I have an Edelbrock narrow band and learned that all it can really do is to tell you if you are lean or rich, but not truly how lean or rich.  From what I've read, a narrow band is right at 14.7 AFR, but not elsewhere.

In any event, it looks like you have your truck dialed in.  Wonderful!  Can't wait to see what kind of MPG you get.  

[Rembrant]

The gauge is the AEM 30-4110 kit.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/avm-30-4110

The first one failed right out of the box, but AEM was super cool about it and rushed a brand new kit to me within a couple days. The one I bought was one of a bad batch apparently.

I have it installed in the RH exhaust just past the starter, so it's a little bit close to the last cylinder (and it's at the wrong/not recommended angle) but it seems to work well, and my readings are consistent. I never really intended to leave the gauge installed...it was more for diagnostics to get everything dialed in. It sure is nice though, to see how well the truck is running.

Would you guys consider 13.9-14.2:1 a decent AFR for highway cruising? It seems like it is running a little richer now that it has warmed up a bit. Does that make any sense? When I was taking it out earlier in the year when it was still pretty cold, it seemed to be running leaner...more in the 14:7-14.9 range.

I might switch the jets back to stock (#66). When we were dyno tuning this engine, the technician ended up installing #68 jets. That was with long tube headers and a more open exhaust. It was my understanding that Holleys usually run rich, but I guess my little 302 was moving enough air to lean it out.

Oh...and I still want one of those Summit M2008 500CFM carbs, but that will probably have to wait until things are better economically. In any case, it's all just chatter in my mind at the moment....it's working the best it has ever worked since I've had it, and that alone makes me not want to touch it...lol.

[Gary Lewis]

Oh, I forgot you got the AEM.  Should be a good gauge.  

But, I think 13.9 - 14.2 is a bit rich.  I'd be shooting for 14.7 if you are running pure gas.  That's the stoichiometric ratio, meaning where supposedly all the fuel will be burned.  However, since you are seeing the average of the cylinders on that bank then some may be leaner and some richer than that.  So to me 14.7 is a good target, and it'll help your MPG.

As for it being higher in cold weather, certainly.  Colder air is more dense and has more oxygen molecules per unit of volume than warm air.  And since the carb doesn't know the difference, it doesn't give cold air any more fuel than the same volume of hot air.  So fuel/air ratios in cold air are leaner than in warm air - unless you have a fully functional factory air cleaner system that keeps the air at a constant temp.  And even then there is some variance.

[grumpin]

This is interesting! I’ve never adjusted per AFR.

That’s a handy gauge.

[Rembrant]

I didn't want to Highjack the other thread any further so I popped back here where I belong, and I guess I have some good news! So my truck has been hard to start this spring, and since I did a bunch of things over the winter, I wasn't quite sure what was causing it...other than possibly a lazy 36 year old starter. Anyway, I swapped my old original DSII ignition module back in the truck this morning, and now I have my crisp, clean, quick starts back! So I guess (possibly) my new Ford DSII module does not have the retard function during starting. Maybe I'll keep the new one behind the seat as a spare instead of my old original one with the wires that are stiff as steel.

Or start hunting for an 80's NOS DSII module on Ebay.

[grumpin]

That’s great!

[1986F150Six]

Rembrant wrote

Or start hunting for an 80's NOS DSII module on Ebay.

The 80's I saw had yellow relief tabs.

Here is one from the 70's and priced lower:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-genuine-Ford-1974-up-all-models-Duraspark-ignition-module-D4AZ-12A199-C/193259177543?epid=1823585157&hash=item2cff250647:g:sXYAAOSwlyVd9z~p

[FuzzFace2]

See that is why "if it aint broke don't fix it" works so well

So much so the box on mine has been leaking a sticky goo as I was building it but it keeps working so it stays.
I should take the spare box off the other fender and throw it behind the seat just in case I guess

The only problem I have is if it sits for a few days, 2 or more, and it is a little warm as it is in my house garage I have to crank it a little more than I like.
I am also still learning what it likes to start at different temps like in the garage.
That is all part of the joy of old car & truck motors that run carbs.
Dave ----

[ArdWrknTrk]

If you must have concours originality.

Gary can attest the NAPA Echlin TP-40 does have spark retard.
It's what I run, and about $40 last I checked.

[Rembrant]

FuzzFace2 wrote

See that is why "if it aint broke don't fix it" works so well

Well, I'm not one to leave things alone really...lol, but that said, it was one of those things that I wanted to replace and then keep the old one as a spare. My original one was not leaking, but it is really corroded on the underside, and the epoxy is separating from the sides. I didn't want to end up 120 miles from home (or further) and not have one with me to swap in.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

If you must have concours originality.

Gary can attest the NAPA Echlin TP-40 does have spark retard.
It's what I run, and about $40 last I checked.

Well that is good to know. The replacement I bought is a Ford box, but I guess not 100% the same. I don't needs concours originality, but I've seen nice NOS 80's blue grommet DSII boxes on Ebay for pretty cheap, so that seemed like the easiest way for me to get one that I know will work properly...and they have the cool original Duraspark sticker one them;).

I'll check on the Napa version. If it's $40 bucks for you, then that means it's probably $100 for me...lol.

I was doing some reading, and it looks like the original blue grommet DSII ignition modules retarded 4 degrees during start. Does that sound right to you guys?

[ArdWrknTrk]

Gary and I discussed this recently.

The delay is 1 millisecond, which works out to about 4* at 650 or so rpm.

[Ray Cecil]

Should have put a chebbie HEI in it....lol

[Rembrant]

Ray Cecil wrote

Should have put a chebbie HEI in it....lol

Haha...Ray, I actually don't mind the look of the HEI distributor on the side of the 300/6, but they look really out of place to me on a 302 or 351...lol. On the back of a small block Chevy, by all means!

[Rembrant]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Gary and I discussed this recently.

The delay is 1 millisecond, which works out to about 4* at 650 or so rpm.

Very interesting. The delay would only be when the starter is engaged though, ya? That is when the delay circuit would be energized?

So, this DSII ignition module I bought...it came in a Ford Motorcraft box, and inside was in a Ford Motorcraft bag, but there are no Ford markings of any kind on the module itself. Clearly it is one that Ford buys and resells...and other non-Ford applications used the same modules, so I guess they did away with the start retard feature on this one.

I actually bought this module because of it's good reviews, but I guess most of the people buying these are probably running stock or mostly stock applications, probably with the stock initial timing of 8*btdc, in which case one might not even notice that the module was not retarding during start-up...

And I'm running 16-17 degrees btdc initial...so I'm very much advanced.

I see there is a DSII module from the early 80's with the white grommet with even extra retard on start...it has 14*btdc which is 10* more than the DSII box with the blue grommet. From the little reading I did, it was used on 2.3t engines in the early Mustangs and Cougars, etc...

I'll price the Napa one you mentioned today as well.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Yes.
You have white and a red wire in the power plug of the module.
When the white wire is energized it adds the delay.

Did you buy your module through a Ford dealer?
If it doesn't *at the least* have the Motorcraft number on it it's probably counterfeit.


There were a very few AMC vehicles that used DuraSpark modules under license, but their production numbers were pathetically low compared to Ford, and they soon vanished as an entity.

If your old box pulls in enough retard then I don't see a reason to go to some oddball (and probably expensive) white grommet box.