Horse trailer in the hills

[RLDSL]

I read about pulse method timing in the tech threads, but have no idea where to find a shop in Omaha that does it. Will I have to go to Ford garage for this procedure? Out of curiosity, and I won't go crazy trying to time by ear because I can't afford a catastrophe, do you rotate the pump clockwise or counter-clockwise for advance/retard. Do I want to get baseline pyro measurements prior to any adjustment?

Now I don't want to pretend that I know anything, and don't jump on me for admitting this, but I have never owned an induction timing light, and I have timed all of my distributor gas motors by ear. Can you apply similar techniques here, or is that asking for serious trouble. I'm no idiot, but like many, trial and error is hard to resist and, sometimes, a hard way to learn.

What this site has to offer is a life saver!

Chances are if you go to a ford garage, they will charge you $150, and then THEY will time it by ear, because they sold their IDI timing equipment out of their tool crib a few years ago. The dealerships are not required to support any vehicles past 10 years and after that they sell off the special tools that go with them, if they didn't they wouldn't be able to get into the tool crib.
Any shop you call that tells you over the phone that they have equipment to time a diesel is going to assume you mean PSD and when you get there and they can't find a computer port, will time it by ear and charge you $150. After either of these events and you wonder a few months later why you keep eating glow plugs, you would have been better off in th efirst place to do it yourself.
With a regular inductive automotive advance type timing light and a Ferret You can easily time the thing yourself, and then you have the tool for the next time you need to disturb the pump for any reason It pays for itself very quickly. Even if a shop had the right equipment, they could officially *time the thing* by hooking it up and if they checked it and it was at 6.5 deg btdc, they could call it good. The factory spec was 8.5 deg +or- 2 deg meaning if it checks anywhere between 6.5 and 10.5 they can check it and call it good, but if you ever tried to pull a load over a hill at 6.5, especially with the new ULSD fuel, you would know that is completely unacceptable, but noone working on a flatrate is going to spend the time to get it exact like it needs to be especially since the timing has a nasty habit of shifting a hair when you tighten the pump all the way down. As in most things, you are best off doing it yourself., or if you just happen to be coming down through central Arkansas any time soon, you're welcome to drop by and we can time it up here, but that's a little bit out of the way I imagine.

 

[79GLIDE]

I can handle that. Thanks for the great advice. This is why IDI owners depend on this site. Thank You all.

Short of going to the bone yard, anyone have ideas on how to address the faulty tilt wheel design Ford produced from at least 1980 forward to who knows when. I've already replaced the steering column in the '87 with a salvage piece. Who knows how long it will last.

 

[RLDSL]

I just had to go to the boneyard for a replacement steering column for my truck as well and it's a 92 with the later style design. You can get replacement parts from LMC

 

[dyoung14]

I have hauled a 1992 model chevy 1500 extendedcab truck, on my 2-3000 pound trailer, and i had no problem running 65 on flat ground with my 6.9 and 4speed, a hill would slow me to about 55, and the 7% grade mountain would take me down to about 30-35 mph at the top in second gear turning 3300 rpm, that was with a non turbo 6.9 idi

 

[79GLIDE]

RLDSL, thanks for the info. The closest I'll get to central Arkansas is south central MO. You, or any others, have experience with LMC? Had one of their Bronco parts magazines 20 years ago, but never ordered from them.

David, was this prior to installing the upgraded injectors? Do you know what your IP is set at? What's the overall limit on Rev's? Your 3" exhaust from manifold collectors or Y? What gear ratio?

I'm sure it's somewhere here, but on the N/A application should the pyro gauge bung be just beyond the Y?

I'm getting pumped to start massaging this thing to see what it will do N/A. Got about 45 days to tinker and collect data before putting it to the test.

Thanks All

 

[dyoung14]

RLDSL, thanks for the info. The closest I'll get to central Arkansas is south central MO. You, or any others, have experience with LMC? Had one of their Bronco parts magazines 20 years ago, but never ordered from them.

David, was this prior to installing the upgraded injectors? Do you know what your IP is set at? What's the overall limit on Rev's? Your 3" exhaust from manifold collectors or Y? What gear ratio?

I'm sure it's somewhere here, but on the N/A application should the pyro gauge bung be just beyond the Y?

I'm getting pumped to start massaging this thing to see what it will do N/A. Got about 45 days to tinker and collect data before putting it to the test.

Thanks All

ok the truck i pulled that with is not the truck i have now, thats truck was as follows:
1986 f250 4x4 4 speed 3.55 gears, ram-air intake, pump set to what the pump shop had it at which was 3300 rpm and turned up just enough to were it smoked decent under hard accelaration, it had dual 2.5 inch pip from the manifolds back to the axle were they went into a single 3 inch pipe and exited behind the rear tire, sold to my buddy

Truck i have now is much faster than the other one, and its mods are as follows:
1986 ford f250 4x4 4 speed 3.55 gears, ram-air intake, rebuilt IP now with a governor spring that will turn past 4000 rpm, longest i ever held it to was around 4500 rpm, the IP is almost maxxed and the injectors are supose to be some bored out E code injectors, exhuast is a 3 inch from the y-pipe back, it doesnt smoke as much as you would think a N/A would with an almost maxxed pump, but if i unhooke my ram-air the smoke is a hole lot blacker and thicker and it reduces power big time

pyrometer should be put in the exhuast manifold

 

[RLDSL]

RLDSL, thanks for the info. The closest I'll get to central Arkansas is south central MO. You, or any others, have experience with LMC? Had one of their Bronco parts magazines 20 years ago, but never ordered from them.

I've ordered quite a few things from LMC, I've had great service from them including one time they made a boo boo and sent out a wrong part, they made it right immidiately.

 

[Rot Box]

All good advise so far I will add that after you do a few modifications you should preform a few close to home test runs before you plan a long trip towing. I thought I had my old 86 running top notch, but once I pulled my first grade (6% with a Toyota truck on a car hauler) and I gained altitude sh*t hit the fan in a bad way! I could easily bury my pyrometer, and by the time I crested the summit I was doing 25mph at 1400* I had WAY too much fuel dumping in--that said be very careful when turning up the injector pump. I don't mind going slow, but dang! risking melting the engine down in the meantime is no good at all!

Tuned right you should have a very reliable puller that you will enjoy owning for a very long time. Not tuned right you will hate the truck and want to sell it asap

On trucks i've owned with auto transmissions I usually install a big aftermarket trans cooler (whether the truck comes with one or not) and a trans temp gauge. Also try to keep that torque converter locked up whether it means speeding up a bit or slowing down/dropping it into third.

 

[79GLIDE]

Where is the most common placement for the pyro thermocoupler? Back side of which manifold, etc?

After an oil change and transmission service/cooler upgrade, the pyrometer and timing tools will be my first investments.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

do you rotate the pump clockwise or counter-clockwise for advance/retard.

A better, less confusing, question is "to advance timing, should the timing mark on the pump be turned toward the left fender or the right ??"


I used to know, but my IDI knowledge has faded over the last few years.

 

[dyoung14]

A better, less confusing, question is "to advance timing, should the timing mark on the pump be turned toward the left fender or the right ??"


I used to know, but my IDI knowledge has faded over the last few years.

Turn toward the passenger side if you are in front facing the truck

 

[RLDSL]

Pump turned Toward driver = retarded, Toward passenger= advanced

 

[79GLIDE]

What increments are standard for adjusting, ie, 1/4, 1/2 turn etc.

Wife's Windstar transmission took a dump today. Routine stop at light, then nothing with release of brake. It didn't even try. That'll slow me down concerning wrenching time and $$$$$. After the Winter we've had, I just don't need one more thing. I've driven Ford's since I learned to drive our '55 F100(292ci/3speed) in 1980. Wife says she's done with Ford passenger cars, being this is our second time replacing the tranny in the Windstar. Never had one problem with the rear drive Aerostar, not in 200k miles. Apparently the planetarys are the weak link. No matter, my trucks will always be FORDS.

 

[dyoung14]

What increments are standard for adjusting, ie, 1/4, 1/2 turn etc.

Wife's Windstar transmission took a dump today. Routine stop at light, then nothing with release of brake. It didn't even try. That'll slow me down concerning wrenching time and $$$$$. After the Winter we've had, I just don't need one more thing. I've driven Ford's since I learned to drive our '55 F100(292ci/3speed) in 1980. Wife says she's done with Ford passenger cars, being this is our second time replacing the tranny in the Windstar. Never had one problem with the rear drive Aerostar, not in 200k miles. Apparently the planetarys are the weak link. No matter, my trucks will always be FORDS.

Go small incraments, about a dimes width each time, also mark the starting point before you take off adjusting that way if you dont like how it runs you can always set it back to were it was before you started