Palomino 1985 F150 302 MFI

[tdm3]

The only thing better than having one project is having two, right? Maybe not.

Actually I bought this one to be a quick fix for a regular driver.  I spotted this one on the road to Nashville several months ago, sitting lonely and forlorn in a back yard.  From the road it looked to be all there, and it is.  Problem was that there was never another vehicle in the yard testifying to someone being home.  Finally on a Saturday, coming home from a funeral in Nashville, there was another car.  Knocked on the door, asked if she'd sell it. She said she would.  I looked it over, and was sold when I looked under the hood and saw a mostly unmolested 302.  I had hoped for a carb and duraspark but got fuel injection and EEC-IV.  So I am learning a lot.

I asked what she wanted for it, she offered I countered and the deal was struck.  It was her dad's truck.  Both he and her mom had passed away.  Her dad is the truck's second owner and owned it the majority of its life.  She had been driving the truck for 'around the property duties' until one day the passenger rear wheel was locked up.  It evidently sat a while between runs.

After we made the deal I told her I'd be back the next Thursday to try and get it ready to drive the 50 or so miles to its new home.  Remember I have no experience with EEC-IV and MFI.  First thing was to get the rear drum unlocked, took a bit but succeeded.  I had been looking on here and other Ford truck forums for hints on EEC-IV.  With the wheel loosened I turned to fuel and ignition.

A smart man would have towed it home, siphoned the gas out (didn't smell too bad), and started with fresh gasoline.  I never claimed superior intelligence. I did attempt to siphon the gas, but the vent tube prevented me from getting my siphon into the midship (and only) tank.  I have smelled rotten gas.  This wasn't it.  It didn't smell fresh, but it wasn't reeking either.  So I decided to add a couple of gallons of fresh to what was already in there.  Then I decided to check the fuel pumps and relays.  

The EEC-IV (ECA?) relay clicked, fuel pump relay didn't.  Looked at the FP relay and it was obvious someone had taken it out before, the clip was broken.  I went to town and purchased a relay, installed it.  The in tank pump now ran, the main pump uttered not a noise.  This was the end of my afternoon.  Friday I came back with my helper (wife Christi).  Things always go better when she's around.  I removed the main FP and made the trip to NAPA to get a new one.  I had already checked to make sure I was getting 12 volts to the pump.  I installed the pump, a new battery and hit the ignition and it...

started.  It took it several revolutions and a squirt or two of ether, but it actually ran and idled.  Score 1 for us.  Decided to drive it around the field.  The same rear wheel locked up.  In reverse it would roll but when going forward it would lock up.  So the reasonable thing seem to be to drive it around the field in reverse until the accumulated junk was rubbed off shoe and drum.  Well, it did work.

We went and said our good bys, hit the first gas station we came to and stopped to put in some more diluent and to try and remedy a sticky throttle.  I applied some spray silicone to the throttle pivots and the cable.  The stickiness got better and I am hoping it wasn't a TV cable problem, we shall see.

We made it home with no problems, with the exception of a loud noise and vibration about halfway there.  Pulled over, no fluids running under the truck.  Everything seemed in place.  Got back in started her up, didn't have another problem the rest of the way home.  Got home, parked it for a while, went back out turned the key she fired right up.  Got up the next morning turned the key and she wouldn't start.  External fuel pump wasn't running, however the relay still clicked.

More to come...

[tdm3]

[tdm3]

This week I have started working on her.  I knew I was going to have to drop the fuel tank.  My guess was the lift pump wasn't doing its job and had helped burn up the external pump.  I also opened the big frame mounted canister to change the fuel filter, not a big fan of that arrangement.  The filter had been changed at some point (filter said made in China) but it had obviously been a while. I also wanted to pull the computer and at least replace the capacitors.  The caps were bad but the board looked pretty good, no stains.  I ordered the capacitors and also decided to purchase a refurbished computer to have on hand.  New computer is here caps aren't yet.

Today we dropped the tank out after siphoning 15+ gallons of stale+fresh gas (hey, the gauge wasn't working correctly.  I didn't know how much was in there!).  I was going to replace the filler neck hose anyway so i cut it and forced the siphon into the tank, worked well.

I got the in tank pump out.  Can you see what may have caused the external pump to fail?



Here's the new one in place.



I do not know where the clamps and the hose connecting the pump to the line went on the old pump, but they weren't where the should have been.  It did not appear the tank had ever been opened.  Maybe Ford didn't install clamps.  But there was a hose at one point for sure.  I don't see how the thing ran at all.

[mat in tn]

now I'm curious. which road to nashville?

[tdm3]

We cleaned the tank out with water and dawn.  It actually looks really good on the inside, a little bit of crud and some bits of black grainy stuff that was probably the fuel pump hose.  Tomorrow I hope to get the tank back on after church.  I'm going to install the new computer.  Before I start it we're also going to clean all the grounds so the computer will be happy.  Here are a few more pictures.  

Any hints or comments are appreciated.

David

[tdm3]

The road was 70 between Sparta and Watertown.  The truck was in Watertown.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Congratulations!  We all need more to do, and it seems you have a fun little project.  

I'd suggest you pull the drums and look for a broken spring.
Hopefully the drum isn't gouged too bad.

Since this in-tank lift pump is now working I'm not going to suggest the later FDM's, like Gary has done, eliminating the seemingly problematic reservoir/filter/high pressure rail mounted pump.

It's funny how we always seem to get the same or similar troubles in bursts.
"New to me" 5.0 fuel delivery problems in this case, but ductwork doors, hydraulic clutches, distributors. They all come in batches.....  

[tdm3]

My next task is to inspect, adjust and change fluid and filter in the trans hoping I haven't done permanent damage.  I've never tackled rebuilding an auto transmission but i think with Bad Shoe Productions help I can do it, if necessary. I have the cds.  

After that or during, brakes are the next job.

Jim, what is FDM?

David

[tdm3]

Do our AODs have the little bushing that deteriorates in the TV cable?

[mat in tn]

I know 70 very well.
I did not see where you said that you had an aod problem. possibly a different thread. but you drove it home. which bushing are you referring to in the tv cable? the efi end has the tear drop slip on which should have a slight detent feel as it snaps onto the throttle stud. and the trans lever end has the 90 degree ball detent. were either of these disconnected when you drove it?

[Gary Lewis]

No, we don't ALL need more to do.  I certainly don't.  Was offered a good deal on a 53 Ford wagon but turned it down.  I'm knee deep in projects and woefully short on time - every way you measure it.  

Anyway, this is an interesting project and I'm happy to tag along.  But I don't have any tips - except that there is no such thing as too many grounds.  (I know that's not 100% true when you get into electronics with microamp circuits, but we aren't dealing with that here.)  So clean all of the grounds and add some if something is questionable.

Many battery cables have a pigtail on the negative lead and it was to go to the fender on later trucks, so it would be a good idea to do that if your cable has that lead.  And sometimes the ground from the engine to the firewall, usually near the wiper motor, is left off and that can cause lots of problems.

[tdm3]

Mat I was concerned about the stickiness of the throttle hoping that wasn't the TV cable that was sticking or hanging.  It is and was hooked up.  Halfway home the truck made a loud engine speed related noise and vibrated seemingly in the drive line until I got pulled over.  It didn't repeat that after we were back underway, but I am gun shy about the AOD because of all the horror stories I've read about mis-adjusted TV cables.

David

[mat in tn]

ok. I did read that but did not immediately think transmission. the shaking that you described seemed more like rear brakes dragging and starting to chatter, hammer, or any other way of describing it. I have only had drums do that once but it sure can make you think the worst when it happens.
be careful making adjustments to an aod (tv cable). if it shifts cleanly without feeling like its slipping into the next gear then probably fine right where it is. fluid/filter change is just great thing to do and best to drain the converter also "if" you find dark or foul fluid. or have it flushed. I only mention flush as it does not drain and therefore never loses prime or have major air pockets.
 if you do adjust the cable keep in mind that its better too tight than too loose but make a note of how you started.

[mat in tn]

as to the sticky throttle. start by cleaning the throttle body where the throttle plates meet the housing. once they are clean and you are certain that no crud or carbon is sticking the throttle check the base idle screw. you know, the one they say not to touch. if it is turned down far enough. the plates start to drag in their bores and can cut a bit of a ridge and wedge in under spring pressure by simply letting off the throttle. a slight turn in may solve the issue. but too much can trigger the tps and iac. so, by slight I do mean slight. if you see any light between the lever and the screw then it's likely that it has been turned

[Bronco638]

Sounds like you have plenty to check/fix. Based on the picture of the engine compartment, it looks like the rear master cylinder seal may be leaking. The brake booster's paint is peeling and the lower portion of it is rusty (which means brake fluid has been slowly stripping the paint for some time). Since you have other brake issues, perhaps an overhaul of the entire braking system might be in order?

[tdm3]

I said that under the hood the truck was mostly unmolested.  A pretty good feat for a 40 year old truck.  That's probably another benefit of it being FI.  A carburetor truck probably would have had much more tinkering done.

Anyway under the hood there are two wiring anomalies I would like your opinion on as to why they are.

The first three pictures show a wire that is spliced in on the driver's side near the coolant/windshield reservoir, runs over to the heater hose, uses it for a 'conduit' goes to another spliced connector near the starter solenoid and then enters the firewall.







The second is this disconnected diode hanging around at the a/c compressor.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Well, the first one is a good lug, obviously.
I've got no idea why anyone would go that far for ground, but it says a lot about their state of mind

On the second, I'll have to get my glasses, or look at a bigger screen

[mat in tn]

you have "dealer installed" air conditioning! that is not a bullnose ac compressor, and one splice is a ground and the other is spliced at the blower motor assembly to prevent the compressor from being run without the blower motor being on. im only surprised that saddle splices were used instead of proper connections.

[tdm3]

Interesting.  That diode doesn't hook to anything.  Did at one time, but they cut the one end and left it hanging.

[Gary Lewis]

The diode was probably a back-EMF suppressor for the A/C compressor's clutch.  As the clutch is de-energized it throws an electromagnetic force burst of energy back into the electrical system that can cause problems.  So they put that diode in with it's cathode to ground and its anode to the + side of the clutch coil.