1964 Ford P350 3.6l/223

LinwoodP350

New member
Hello to you all new member here. I have the odd ball Ford Truck It was an Arnold bread truck in its day ...Then converted to an RV and used on the beaches of Cape Cod. My mission is to get her back in shape and drive on that beach sand at least one more time...I see about of posts pertaining to 223's that is great ..currently trying to tune the carburetor and timing ..Any hints or tips would be great
 
Hi, you can find a lot of advice on this forum. Are you fixing hard starting, poor idle, lack of power, or something else? If you give more info on what is going on the advice will be more focused. I assume most guys here have mechanical talent and have enough hand tools to tackle most jobs. Good luck
 
B RON CO,

Thanks that's great advice ..

I rebuilt the single barrel carburetor and have been trying to get the idle down lower than 1000 -1500 rpm's ...it's supposed to be 500-550 .. now I haven't messed with the timing yet because she sounds smooth. I checked for vacuum leaks and tightened every hose clamp etc. The monster air cleaner is just in the way but its all I have unless they make a small one for my carb(suggestions always welcome)

So she will start when choked and after a few minutes I start letting off the choke and by the time I have the choke completely off she craps out within a few seconds
 
:unsure: sounds like you still may have some carb problems to deal with. I have had these engines idling smoothly as low as 450 to 475 RPM and some much lower (to 375 RPM) when everthing is in good condistion and tuned correctly. Things to check are the carb's float level setting also these old brass floats can crack and take on fuel becoming heavy and then causing flooding, the throdle shaft for being excessively loose, carb base gasket and the intake gasket all of these last three can cause vacuum leaks. A full tune up will require (see the below order for best results) setting the points, plug gap, and timing correctly plus setting the valve rocker arms to spec. Torquing the intake / exhaust manafolds to spec (23 to 28 Ft. Lb's). Lastly the carb is tuned to the lean best idle. Good luck :nod Edited

Adistionaly a Compression test (150 psi is minimum) will tell you a lot about the condistion of your motor and you should also set the valve rockers to spec before starting the tune up to .019 cold. It's not a bad idea to retorque the head bolts (105 to 115 Ft. Lb.s) with the engine warmed up good and then recheck that the rockers are still at .019 Hot (for the standard adjustable rockers). 45 to 50 psi is the normal oil presure.

Basic tune up specs to get your 223 running good follow this order for the quickest way to get tuned up once you have your carb fixed!

1. Set your Spark Plug Gap to .034 and install them.

2. Now set the Point gap to .025 or better yet to a Dwell of 39 degrees.

3. Next set your Base Timing to 4 degrees BTDC for a manual trans with Vacuum line to the Distributor disconnected and plugged. Reconnect the vacuum line to the distributor. This is the stock timing setting and works very well, later though you can try advancing it some more to (8 to 10 degrees usally works good) and see if your engine runs any better.

4. You should verify first that the float level setting (the wet fuel level) is correct on your carb. Still a Holley 1904?

5. Next set your carb mixture setting to the lean best idle, the basic setting after a carb rebuild is 1 1/2 turns out. Then with a tach hooked up and the engine is first warmed up to normal operating temp. Turn the mixture screw in until idle speed drops slightly then turn the screw out until you reach its highest idle RPM then turn screw in 1/4 turn (to Lean it) this is your lean best idle setting.

6. Last set the Curb Idle RPM stock is 475 to 500 RPM (in neutral).

7. The choke parts Need to be checked that they are working correctly and be adjusted properly. Be sure the choke blade is fully open with the dash cable pushed in with a clearance of about 1/8 to 3/16 inch out from dash. Adjust idle speed screw if it has one to 1200 to 1500 RPM when the choke is pulled out.

For the best results I usually repeat steps 5 & 6 just to verify that the carb RPM settings are right on. Good luck :nod:
 
Hi, if it really only runs on choke you may have a weak or bad fuel pump, or a cracked, pinched, or loose fuel line allowing air to get sucked in, or clogged line, filter or "sock" in the tank. You can remove the fuel line at the carb, remove the coil wire to prevent spark and crank the key with a coffee can under the fuel line. You want to see a strong stream of fuel go into the can. I wouldn't rule out a vacuum leak, spray carb cleaner over the carb base and vacuum ports, just don't over tighten everything. I would put the air cleaner aside until it is running better. Good luck
 
OK so I had time to check the plugs and the gap and found that the number 1 plug wasn't tight at all. So corrected all fixed a vacuum line and took her out for a wurl ..The idle dropped to about 900 rpms after ...still need to check the points and checking timing but I think I'm on the right track..
 
Still @ it? Takin a break?

I didn't steer you wrong (over here frm FTE site) did I?
U make their GTG at mid-state last month?
What bout Big Ken & Don - some krazie guys, no?

Glad U found the site.
Post Us some pic!!!
 
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