Community Forums

bobnalong99 · 04-18-2019, 03:03 PM

I am a new member, well actually It is not for me I am trying to help my friend out. With his motor home issue.
I am not sure where to post questions RE; 1987 Ford Fleetwood Jamboree Trouble shooting. Will start run for 10-20 secs, then stalls.
Will give a lot more details about problem. When I post in proper place to post . TY

450Donn · 04-18-2019, 03:16 PM

Post here is fine. If its wrong a mod will move ot for you.
Gas motors take three things to run, air, fuel, and spark. So you need to start eliminating them one at a time. Clean air filter? Correct running fuel pressure? Spark?

bobnalong99 · 04-18-2019, 03:37 PM

Like I said it is my friends. So here is what I know two weeks ago ran fine, No real concerns or issues.
Last week to it to get smog test > it failed.

So he took it to a friend of a friend thing.
LOL first mistake I think anyhoot. So this person supposibly worked or did something to the Carburetor. { I think to make it not run so rich } My friend drove off with No apparent issues. Drove for about 20 mins. or so then It just stalled. My friend is a computer Tech. Not mechanically inclined at all. So had it towed to my storage yard. Tried to get a hold of the friend of a friend deal with no luck, naturally.
So I can tell you that fuel pump works beacuse it is definatly pumping fuel. My dad and I checked.

It will start run for about 10 seconds, then stalls, then it is a bitch to get started again.

But when you do it does the same thing start then stall.
Any help would be great my friend is a real nice good hearted person, so I want to help if I can

TY Malissa

bobnalong99 · 04-18-2019, 03:44 PM

also how many PSi's should the fuel pump be pumping out?

MSHappyCampers · 04-18-2019, 05:20 PM

Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

THenne1713 · 04-18-2019, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobnalong99

Like I said it is my friends. So here is what I know two weeks ago ran fine, No real concerns or issues.
Last week to it to get smog test > it failed.

So he took it to a friend of a friend thing.
LOL first mistake I think anyhoot. So this person supposibly worked or did something to the Carburetor. { I think to make it not run so rich } My friend drove off with No apparent issues. Drove for about 20 mins. or so then It just stalled. My friend is a computer Tech. Not mechanically inclined at all. So had it towed to my storage yard. Tried to get a hold of the friend of a friend deal with no luck, naturally.
So I can tell you that fuel pump works beacuse it is definatly pumping fuel. My dad and I checked.

It will start run for about 10 seconds, then stalls, then it is a bitch to get started again.

But when you do it does the same thing start then stall.
Any help would be great my friend is a real nice good hearted person, so I want to help if I can

TY Malissa

1) So carbureted engines that die in 10-secs usually a FUEL LEAN issue; first check that CHOKE is closing properly w/ engine OFF, AND kicking open PART way once engine starts; 2) Before starting and after it dies, check ACCELERATOR PUMP action, should spray a stream of gas every time acc pushed... if Not, FUEL PUMP maybe not delivering gas to carb? re: FLOAT NEEDLE stuck shut, low float level, or bad ACCEL Pump diaphram (p.s. where is the "carb guy" that worked on it before? HE COULD HAVE REPLACED/ or cleaned/ RESET FLOAT LEVEL AND SET TOO LOW?). 3) If mechanical fuel pump, check oil dipstick for smell of gasoline =(blown/ leaky FUEL PUMP diaphram); 4) ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP AND/OR FUEL FILTER may have failed? (So guessing this previous guy either adjusted choke, or float/ needle/seat, re: rich issues)

THenne1713 · 04-18-2019, 11:14 PM

Carb fuel pumps are LOW PRESSURE, LOW VOLUME, ABOUT 2-5-PSI

LVJ58 · 04-19-2019, 05:38 PM

The early model Ford motor homes were plagued with faulty in-tank fuel pumps. I would start there.

Rick Morgan · 04-19-2019, 05:50 PM

Do you see any excess gas around the carb when it quits? Black smoke from tailpipes? Sounds to me like it may be flooding due to trash in the float valve or a sticking float.

Bahamaniac · 04-19-2019, 10:07 PM

Sounds like he did something to lean the fuel mixture. You have to find out what he did to do it.

TeJay · 04-20-2019, 08:57 AM

bobnalong99,

Since we really don't know the age, mileage or service and repair history it's way to difficult to narrow down anything. We don't know what has been tired or if anything has been changed already like a new fuel pump.

Secondly one doesn't start a troubleshooting process by bouncing all around the place. This is a common sense process which is greatly hampered unless you verify certain things before jumping to the next and that wastes a lot of time and money.

You have an intermittent no start/run situation. There are three things needed to star/runt and since it has started we know it did have them. The three things are compression, fuel and spark.

We know it has compression since it did run and something major would have to happen if compression were to suddenly fail. We also know if compression did fail it wouldn't suddenly repair itself. We can leave out compression as an issue.

FUEL: It will get fuel but we don't know if it's is intermittent. If it starts then quits the easiest way to know if the fuel pump has intermittently failed is to spray starter fluid or dump a small amount of fuel into the carburetor intake.

It matters not why the pump may be intermittent at this point you just need to know which of the two remaining items is intermittent.

For now we really don't need to know if the amount of fuel is to much (Rich) or to little lean either. If the mixture is to rich black sooty smoke will come out of the tail pipe and also leave a black sooty deposit at the tailpipe. If it's lean there will be a white deposit at the TP.

Either fuel condition can make running difficult but in most cases it will still run but not well.

The third item you need is spark. That's also fairly easy to check. I'm assuming you have spark plug wires. Remove a wire and using a new spark plug while it won't start crank the engine and see if there is spark across the gap. It must be grounded while doing this and you won't get shocked. Even if you do it won't hurt you. I realize you are only checking one plug but even if you are having spark issues with 1, 2 or even 3 plugs the vehicle will still run on 5 or 6 or 7 cylinders.

If you have no spark check another wire and so on. Try to verify that more than one plug is not firing. If that's the case your intermittent issue is with the coil of ECM ect. You'll need to get it somewhere so it can be diagnosed.

At least checking these three items will take you or a technician down the correct path to diagnosis.

I know carburetors as well as anybody and yes you can check the choke, or accelerator pump discharge etc etc but those items can be checked once you know the problem is with the fuel and not the spark.

In my way of thinking it's kind of like the doctor wants to do a heart cath before the nurse has had a chance to do your vital signs. Yes it's good to know you have a blocked artery but there are other tests than can be run like an EGK to try and spot heart issues before running a wire and dye up your arteries.

bobnalong99 · 04-21-2019, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THenne1713

1) So carbureted engines that die in 10-secs usually a FUEL LEAN issue; first check that CHOKE is closing properly w/ engine OFF, AND kicking open PART way once engine starts; 2) Before starting and after it dies, check ACCELERATOR PUMP action, should spray a stream of gas every time acc pushed... if Not, FUEL PUMP maybe not delivering gas to carb? re: FLOAT NEEDLE stuck shut, low float level, or bad ACCEL Pump diaphram (p.s. where is the "carb guy" that worked on it before? HE COULD HAVE REPLACED/ or cleaned/ RESET FLOAT LEVEL AND SET TOO LOW?). 3) If mechanical fuel pump, check oil dipstick for smell of gasoline =(blown/ leaky FUEL PUMP diaphram); 4) ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP AND/OR FUEL FILTER may have failed? (So guessing this previous guy either adjusted choke, or float/ needle/seat, re: rich issues)

Thank you for your input very helpful .
In regards to the FLOATS how do you RESET them to LOW ? After I loosen the Nut (to get to the screw) on the Carburetor. Do I turn the screw INWARDS or OUTWARDS?

thedjjack · 04-21-2019, 02:07 AM

1987 ford should have motormaster ignition box usually silver two plugs the notoriously go bad.... can be a heat up shut down issue my old capri i had two on firewall... cheap like $50.00 or less new

next figure out how mechanic leaned the carb out

TeJay · 04-21-2019, 05:16 AM

I'm sure glad you've decided that the carb all of a sudden went bad. Could be but what were the symptoms that pointed you in that directions or it is just a guess.

Other than re-setting the float level which I'm not sure how it was changed unless the friend of a friend took it apart I'm not sure how one would easily LEAN out a carb. Again what were the symptoms that pointed you in that direction????

As sated earlier why do what you are doing unless you know for certain what is causing the intermittent start/run situation??

As far as the ignition module failing try this. Use a hair dryer or heat gun to simulate the module getting hot and quitting.

I'm sure glad my doctor does checks and tests before he jumps in and does a heart transplant. They usually follow the symptoms instead of just guessing!!!! To each his own.

Good luck with the troubleshooting.