Running Rough dont konw what else to do!! (Video)

hutchstang

Well-known member
Alright so my 1966 200ci is running real rough... dont know why

things I have done(in no specific order)

1.Petronix ignitor II
2. Petronix Flamethrower Coil
3.Classic Auto Air A/c

4. New Spark Plugs
5. Rebuilt carb (Holley 1940)
6. new PCV vavle...

then tuned with vacuum gauge
thinking about getting a new vacuum advance

Here is the video link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0zLjUf_ ... e=youtu.be


Any Advice


Thanks in advance :thanks:
Ryan
 
Basics covered?
Recheck timing order
Cap, rotor, and cables good?
Spray around carb base and vacuum fittings to check for leaks with carb cleaner.
Hate to say it, but how's the compression?
You can find figure out if it is a single cylinder by either disconnecting spark plugs individually or piercing the spark plug boot at the distributor cap with a test light that has the other end grounded.

Good luck
-ron
 
CoupeBoy":1eu5s09i said:
Basics covered?
Recheck timing order
Cap, rotor, and cables good?
Spray around carbon base and vacuum fittings to check for leaks with carbon cleaner.
Hate to say it, but how's the compression?
You can find figure out if it is a single cylinder by either disconnecting spark plugs individually or piercing the spark plug boot at the distributor cap with a test light that has the other end grounded.

Good luck
-ron

Hey ron thanks

timing order?
all cables are good probably replacing plug wires soon
carbon base?? I think the vacuum fittings are a good thing to check
compression... haven't even thought of checking this... its a big deal to check isn't it?
So it sounds like you think its one cylinder that's missing?

thanks
ryan
 
Lovely spell check....
Spray around carburetor base with carburetor cleaner.

Compression is easy to test if you have a compression tester and a remote starter or a helper
 
CoupeBoy":8dtx8yp8 said:
Lovely spell check....
Spray around carburetor base with carbon cleaner.

Impression is easy to test if you have a compression tester and a remote starter or a helper

Alright Ill check my compression this weekend
but do you think it is just one cylinder not firing every now and then or what?
could it be a lifter?
:bang: :bang: :bang: :bang:

thanks
ron
 
Shoot, what do I know, just a random guy on the Internet. It could be a bad distributor bushing combined with a loose ground strap inside the distributor... You know, something jiggling.
 
CoupeBoy":xk9evrr6 said:
Shoot, what do I know, just a random guy on the Internet. It could be a bad distributor bushing combined with a loose ground strap inside the distributor... You know, something jiggling.


I hate jiggling... anyone else?

Thanks ron
 
Great, did I just lose my Internet cred? I hate intermittent problems, they are the worse. Could be a hairline crack in the cap, or a wire that occasionally shorts through the casing/insulation.

If you suspect the cap replace it.
If you suspect the wires, at night spray them with some water and soap mixture while it is running.
 
now is it doing that just at idle?? mine sound about like that at idle its a bit rough and seems like it misses but a bit of gas and it smooths out. the ford 6 has been known to idle rough, some do, some dont.
 
CoupeBoy":oavuepv1 said:
Great, did I just lose my Internet cred? I hate intermittent problems, they are the worse. Could be a hairline crack in the cap, or a wire that occasionally shorts through the casing/insulation.

If you suspect the cap replace it.
If you suspect the wires, at night spray them with some water and soap mixture while it is running.

Is the soap and water to check for shorts?
 
Xargon321":2e2ozas0 said:
now is it doing that just at idle?? mine sound about like that at idle its a bit rough and seems like it misses but a bit of gas and it smooths out. the ford 6 has been known to idle rough, some do, some dont.


Yeah that's at idle
You really think its normal? It does smooth out with a little gas
 
News Flash , If your Six idles rough it has a problem , Sorry but those that say some Idle Rough are WRONG , I have a big Cam in my 250 and its almost smooth , when a Falcon six is RIGHT its Glass Smooth , so Tune it !!
 
FalconSedanDelivery":2n6piezp said:
News Flash , If your Six idles rough it has a problem , Sorry but those that say some Idle Rough are WRONG , I have a big Cam in my 250 and its almost smooth , when a Falcon six is RIGHT its Glass Smooth , so Tune it !!

THEN WHAT DO I DO!!!!
 
like they said may be:
plugs cap wires rotor condenser - need checking/replace.
Ck: timing & slipped balancer (which would throw off timing marks)
& coil output?
Fuel filter(s) - checking/replace,
etc - the small stuff 1st.
(sorry, on dial-up so can't use ur vid).
I agree w/FSD U can have a smooth I6.
 
I assume you made all those changes to your car at once? If so, you just learned why you should only do one thing at a time and verify everything is in working order before you proceed to the next upgrade. It lends to targeted troubleshooting when things like this happen.

IMO, the inline six can be a little more difficult to tune, with our long log intake that contributes to mixture variances between the center cylinders and the outer cylinders (well, all of them really). So while Xargon is correct by observation, FSD is right in an absolute sense - there is no reason your car can't be made to idle smoothly. You'll just have to put some work into it and we'll try to help.

from my side of the cracker barrel, I'd try unhooking your AC, I don't think that's it, but it simplifies testing and it's October (though I don't know where you're at).

you undoubtedly have a timing light, does your timing vary at idle? If it doesn't (and it shouldn't), and you have good power while driving, it shouldn't be your vacuum canister. The can on my load-o-matic is shot, symptoms are fluttering timing and zero timing change through the rpm range. All that means no power and virtually no drivability.

I also have a miss, if I detach the wires from the plugs, 1-5 bogs the engine, 6 has no change. #2 shocked the heck out of me, so wear heavy gloves or something. A miss can be a bad cap, a bad plug wire, a bad plug gap, incorrect plug wire mapping, or a lean charge from your carb (I think, I only play a mechanic when no one is watching). For the rest of the forum, that tapping, isn't that a late fire popping out the exhaust valve, or an unburned charge lighting off the hit exhaust of another cylinder? It's a little hard to tell. Might need to back off the timing a little. You also might want to get an O2 sensor to see what's coming out of your pipes.

I doubt it's your pertronix install, though if your plug wires are old, messing with them during the upgrade might have damaged one or more.
 
One question before you do anything else, and I can't believe I missed this..

1966 Mustang 200, should have had an Autolite 1100 with Spark Control Valve and a Load-O-Matic distributor. Your first post says it is a Holley 1940 (not stock) What do you have on it now? Pictures if possible of both the carb and the distributor.

There is a current issue of Mustang Monthly on the shelves right now (Nov 2012 issue) and it covers troubleshooting and tune up related issues. The number one thing they say to check on a Ford six of this vintage is that your carb matches your distributor and vise versa. I bought it yesterday, there's a lot of good info in there about both distributors and carbs.

And I was serious about covering the basics before anything else. If you already have a test light, compression tester, and some carburator cleaner my first post will rule out anything obvious. If you don't a test light is around $7 (harbor freight) a compression tester can usually be bought for under $25 (or loaned from a parts store) and carb cleaner is $5. I bought my remote starter button/switch for $12 a long time ago after my 'cheap' one burned out.

And as Invectivus pointed out, grabbing plug wires can be an electrifying experience. They make special plastic jawed pliers specifically for this purpose. Just google "spark plug pliers"

-ron
 
hutchstang":34gkgevz said:
THEN WHAT DO I DO!!!!

the first thing to do is be patient, this should be less about your car working right, and more about learning how to make your car work right. Cars like ours require a certain amount of tinkering, so you need to learn how to tinker. With a situation like yours, no one can say exactly what's wrong over the internet, partly because you touched so much that can cause your symptoms (and I'm not even sure exactly what your symptom is, no fire or missfire), and partly because a video is no replacement for being there to feel and smell as well as hear.

I commend you on your carb rebuild, I've been leery to make that leap so far, though you could have created a problem with your some circuit. Someone more experienced will need to chime in on that, though an exhaust sensor should be able to help.
 
Alright Guys thanks so much for all the input

On the Carb
It is a Holley 1940, I thought it was stock? its the way I bought the car, but I have a lead on an Autolite I think but all my cash flow is going into the body right now so that might be an after Christmas experience.

I am pretty positive that the distributor is stock though will post pictures tomorrow

I have been using the Vacuum Gauge to time the engine... I know most of you swear against it but its what I had so I used it.

The A/C has an electronic clutch that engages when I turn it on so that inst the problem.

I will check the plug gap, and replace fuel filter, cap, and rotor.

Also on a side note, the bottom pulley on the I6 is wobbly at idle but when rpm increases it smooths out.. will post video tomorow with everything in it

Thanks again for dealing with all this Juggling high school and restoring a car is a real hassle

Ryan
 
Ryan,
Thanks for takin us along on yer adventure. That's what I see it as. I'm not a mechanic and need my rig to B there for me when time for work, church, garbage & groceries.. Short on cash makes that hard w/an old timer like mine. After near 30 yrs. ownership I still don't know much bout it's mechanicals, still lots to learn.
:idea:
"...Juggling high school and restoring a car is a real hassle..."
Don't know if U can do this but "seeing it as an adventure" has made it easier on me ("gee, how does this actually work?", "where is THIS supposed to go?". I feel like I am part of the machine, it's an extension of me).
 
If you are happy with the carburator performance (off idle) I think you might be better off replacing the Load-O-Matic distributor with a newer ('68+) dual advance points style if your Petronix will work in it. Otherwise your next best bet is the Duraspark II.

Fixing the SCV/LOM situation is ok if you want to stay with stock performance and have a concourse restoration. But if you are thinking about long term performance improvements you will eventually want a larger CFM carburator than any of the Autolite 1100's (with SCV) can provide.

-ron
 
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