Misc. Questions on new 1963 Pick up. Engine/Trans.

[1Loud63PU]

By the way, is the float suppose to be installed like this?
And the needle valve just hangs on it?
I didn’t notice how it came out.

[ls60apache]

hello your float is upside down needle is correct probably can you tube the adjustment of that float also.

[1Loud63PU]

Originally Posted by ls60apache

hello your float is upside down needle is correct probably can you tube the adjustment of that float also.

So float is upside down?

The needle just hangs on the float like that though?

Looks like gotta take the carb apart.

I didn’t understand your last sentence.
Thanks.

[Captainfab]

On a HEI distributor there are 2 connections aside from the small harness on the distributor. There is one terminal marked BAT and the other TACH. The BAT terminal should be connected to a switched 12V source inside the cab. It must have a full 12 volts. The TACH of course should be wired to your tach, assuming you have one. I do not know if your distributor is getting a full switched 12 volts from the terminal on the starter. If you clean the timing tab off, you should be able to see the numbers corresponding to the marks....2,4,6 etc. Did you try advancing the timing more that where you started with it? Did you try pouring a little gas down the carb?

[AcampoDave]

The napkin trick is a new one to me. I usually have my wife bump the starter while I put my finger over the spark plug hole. When I have to do it solo i do it like this video https://youtu.be/O4WRL513Gx4 it also shows how to mesh the distributor with the oil pump drive rod which can be a bit tricky.

[ls60apache]

Originally Posted by 1Loud63PU

So float is upside down?

The needle just hangs on the float like that though?

Looks like gotta take the carb apart.

I didn’t understand your last sentence.
Thanks.

yes my sentence was jumbled together lol.....yes the float needs to be flipped over..and yes the needle hangs on just as its pictured...and I meant you could google a you tube video on the float level adjustment. the carb number on the side will help with the float level spec for that particular carb...your carb looks like a late 70s early 80s qjet..

[1Loud63PU]

Ok all, I’m back and despite the trunk sitting since the fire and the paint being horrible now, it’s time to get it back and running! Interior still looks good.
After the fire, I couldn’t get the carb all together properly so I had someone come out and “rebuild/clean” it and adjust my timing.
All new plugs, new wires, and brand new distributor assembly.
After all that new stuff, I started it up a few times but put 0 miles on it.
Now 2 years later, it is hesitant to start.
I know my vacuum line for the transmission has to be hooked on, but would that cause it to take a while to start?
Is 2 years long enough for a clean carburetor to clog up with 0 miles?

Thanks.

[Blue666(2)]

If you stored the truck outside for two years, you may have some condensation build up under your distributor cap and possibly some corrosion on the inside of your cap and the rotor face.

Take the cap loose without disturbing the spark plug wires & check. Use an electronics spray cleaner & some 200 grit sand paper to lightly clean the electrical contacts on the cap & rotor.

If you stored the engine with ethanol fuel, that could also be a problem.

I would check for condensation first & give a try.

[1Loud63PU]

Awesome, thanks for the reply.
Yes the truck sat outside.
I will take the cap off and clean the contacts on the cap and rotor.
All it had was regular fuel.
Posted via Mobile Device

[1Loud63PU]

Ok I took the cap off, and everything looks well inside.
The cap only goes on one right? It can’t spin over the distributor?

The cap had some spark markings on the contacts, but near the edge of each contact. Is that normal? You can almost see it in the photos, sorry I tried to get the best picture possible.

I had 2 vacuum hoses that were deteriorated so I replaced those, and it seemed to start a little bit faster, but not as fast as it should.

I also found a picture I took last year and reminded me of some springs that I didn’t install on the throttle cable.
1 photo is of both of the springs, 1 spring is cut in half for some reason.
The complete spring, I was able to see from the old photo where it was on the carburetor but the picture didn’t show where it was clipped into on the backside. I just clipped it into a bracket that seemed like it was suppose to hold the spring.
Here’s a split photo of where the spring is hooked on the carb, and onto a bracket on the manifold.
Do I have it in the correct spot?

Any idea where the second spring may have gone?

Thanks I’m advance.

[Hollow65]

Really dig that color

[nail pounder]

Your distributor looks good. Those are just throttle return springs, so basically hook them anywhere so that when you let off the go pedal the springs pull it closed. Usually there are two, just in case one breaks. ALL gas in CA has 10% ethanol unless you got it a marina or something. I can't even let my lawn mower sit over the winter without it gumming up the carb. Ethanol attracts moisture, my bet is your gas is bad. Do a Google search on ethanol in fuel and you'll learn a ton. It also boils at a lower temp, I've had to put a carb spacer on both of mine to keep from boiling gas on 100° days.

[Steeveedee]

Inside the cap looks fine. There doesn't appear to be any carbon tracking anywhere. Look at the bottom of the rotor to see if there is any discoloration, like burning. That is a common problem with the HEI and a lot of miles- the spark will strike the rotor and burn through to ground on the distributor shaft.

Both springs attach in the same place. One is a smaller diameter and is inside the larger diameter spring. I'd recommend replacing those springs. They look pretty stretched beyond their elastic limit and should be a smaller diameter wire with a lot more loops. Having too high a spring tension can cause the throttle plate to wear excessively. To minimize that wear, the springs should attach to the linkage instead of the throttle lever whenever possible.

[1Loud63PU]

Originally Posted by Hollow65

Really dig that color

Thanks, it’s a nice orange. I will wash it up once I can drive it and post some photos of it’s current state. Which isn’t all that great now that the clear started to flake off.

Originally Posted by nail pounder

Your distributor looks good. Those are just throttle return springs, so basically hook them anywhere so that when you let off the go pedal the springs pull it closed. Usually there are two, just in case one breaks. ALL gas in CA has 10% ethanol unless you got it a marina or something. I can't even let my lawn mower sit over the winter without it gumming up the carb. Ethanol attracts moisture, my bet is your gas is bad. Do a Google search on ethanol in fuel and you'll learn a ton. It also boils at a lower temp, I've had to put a carb spacer on both of mine to keep from boiling gas on 100° days.

Is it normal that the spark is hitting the edge of the contact points and it the center? Could I run some additive through the fuel tank to clean it out or do I have to clean the carb again?

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

Inside the cap looks fine. There doesn't appear to be any carbon tracking anywhere. Look at the bottom of the rotor to see if there is any discoloration, like burning. That is a common problem with the HEI and a lot of miles- the spark will strike the rotor and burn through to ground on the distributor shaft.

Both springs attach in the same place. One is a smaller diameter and is inside the larger diameter spring. I'd recommend replacing those springs. They look pretty stretched beyond their elastic limit and should be a smaller diameter wire with a lot more loops. Having too high a spring tension can cause the throttle plate to wear excessively. To minimize that wear, the springs should attach to the linkage instead of the throttle lever whenever possible.

I will pop the cap off and check out the rotor. Last I had it off, it looked similar to the cap. Didn’t really notice any burn marks but I also didn’t really look for any.
All carb work and distributor assembly is new, has about 15 minutes of idle time on it. Just say for about a year and a half.

I will find some new springs and install them if these look wore out.
The one spring that was still complete, does have a lot of tension on it.

Thanks all.

Edit: I think this may be related with a wiring issue as well.
Until today, the truck has started okay. About 5 pumps of gas and it fired up. But if I would step on the gas all the way, it would bog down and sometimes pick up the revs and other times die.

Today, messing with the wiring, I knocked something loose, not sure what it was, or if it’s even wiring related! But the truck would start for half a second and shut off. I slammed the hood shut thinking something came loose and hoping the hood slamming would knock whatever it was back into place. Well it did and the truck fired right up and I gave it 2 quick revs and the revs were so crisp and spot on. After that I shut it off and slammed the hood again and it went back to it’s starting for half a second and shutting off issue.


Has anyone ever heard of something similar to this?
Thanks again and happy New Year.

[Steeveedee]

Make sure that the coil power wire is in good shape. Or, it could just be loose after you pulled the cap off and reinstalled it.

[1Loud63PU]

Thanks for the reply.

I checked the power wire to the distributor on the side marked “batt” and it was good.
But where it goes down to the starter, the stud on the starter is very loose in the starter.
I’m guessing it still makes good connection though because with the coil power wire disconnected, it will just crank, with it connected, it will start for a brief second then cut out.

Did some more moving of wires around and it started right up and idled for about a minute then started to sputter and die, after that it did the same starting for a second then dying.
I might be low on fuel so I’ll add fuel tomorrow but, it still wouldn’t start with starting fluid. I’ll go through all the wiring again and repair some ground wires and add new battery terminal connector.

Should I replace the starter since the stud where the coil power wire goes? Or can I tighten the stud by screwing it into the starter motor some more?

[Steeveedee]

OK, it looks like your coil power is not wired properly. Their should be no power wire to the coil coming from the starter for an HEI. I don't know how the wiring is currently, but if your truck has the resistance wire still feeding the coil, that is a problem. An HEI needs full battery voltage to run right. Can you provide a picture of how the wiring looks? On my truck, I found a connection to "Unfused Ignition" that I ran power to the distributor from. It is hot in both the "start" and "run" positions of the ignition switch. Your truck will run with the resistance wire in the circuit, but not that well, and that very well could be the problem.

[1Loud63PU]

Ok here’s what I have.
I have the 6 pin engine harness connector.
1 wire from that harness goes to the starter, terminal S.
Another wire from the connector goes to the starter terminal R.
Terminal R also has the distributor BAT wire connected to it.
Rest of the wires on the connector are for other oil/temp sensors.

That should be the correct wiring.

The distributor has a tach connector too, but I’m not using that right now, so I’ll leave it out of the mix.
The only plug on the distributor is the BAT wire that goes to the starter terminal R.
It also has mother connector that is connected within the distributor itself.

Here’s the connector I’m talking about on the distributor and the wire harness diagram. The diagram is for a V6 but everything else is the same.
Another member, Ray has also been helping with the wiring.

[1Loud63PU]

Ok I see I don’t need that resistance wire anymore that the original coil had!
I ran the pink wire straight from the firewall to the BATT plug on the distributor and we are firing up tight away now! Whooo thanks.

I put some new gas in it too, at times(80%) idle seems smooth and stepping on the gas quick is spot on!
The other 20% of the time, sounds like it’s misfiring and if I quickly step on the gas, it will bog down.

Only had it on for a few minutes before I stopped working on it.
I will see tomorrow if the new gas stops it from bogging. I’m going to be adding a “carb cleaner” fluid to the gas as well to help clear it up.

[Steeveedee]

Cool! Always nice when a problem gets fixed. Electrical is the worst, too.

[1Loud63PU]

Yea, pretty sweet now it starts without hesitation. Didn’t need to pump the pedal or nothing.

I’m thinking I had some old gas in the carb. I started it up again and idle seemed fine for a few minutes.
I gave it 2 quick pumps of gas and it started to misfire badly.
I shut it off and turned it back on and all was fine after that. Really hope it’s just bad gas washing out.