We just bought a used 1987 F-150. The guy said that the carb needed worked on, and other than that, it was a great truck. The bottom had just been gone through in 2002, and they changed the timing chain at the same time. Well, we barely got the truck home last night because it was running so rough, went to the parts store today and bought a brand new Edlebrock carb and put it on. We tried to start the truck and it wants to backfire out of the carb. After a while, the engine got to where it simply would not turn over? The battery seems to be charged, even put on a jump charger. If we turn the engine by hand a little, then try to start it, it turns over just the amount we hand turned it? What in the world happened over night? Anyone with ideas? When we test drove this truck, it drove fine, nothing suspicious. It just sat in the drive over night, and now, it won't even turn over? HELP! We are sick over the money we spent and afraid to put more into it at a garage if this is not fixable for a fairly reasonable amount? ideas ideas ideas....please.

 

First, make sure the battery is charged. Put it on a charger overnight. Then back the timing down some. If that does not work, start checking the basics...
Mkae sure you are getting fuel to the carb and from there into the intake. Make sure you are getting spark. If you are getting both spark and fuel, make sure that the distributor is installed correctly and not a tooth off.

It sounds like your distributor may be going out. I had an 85 Mustang GT and it started back firing thru the carb...ended up being the distributor.

What engine is it? If it is a 302 it should be fuel injected.

 

Backfiring is probly from your timing being off. That being said....you mentioned the timing chain being replaced. It almost sounds like it wasnt put back on straight up. I dont think there is a way to check that except to take the timing cover off.

Also, i agree with buckeye. Wasnt 1986 the first FI for ford trucks?

May want to get the cleared up first...if you are supposed to have an 87 FI and you just bought a carb....something is fishy.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. This has a 351 Windsor in it. Has the old fashioned carb, and we put the new one on hoping to solve the problem.......nope. Put on a new distributor cap last night, still not it, did not think about the distributor itself, heading out to check that idea out. Had someone suggest it could be an open stuck valve? Does that sound possible? Trucks, gotta love em, to much money invested to leave em......ahh, who am I kidding, you can not get by without a truck!! Just frustrated.

 

It is possible that it could be something as simple as the distributor being a "tooth off'. You could bring the #1 piston up to Top Dead Center(TDC), take the cap off and make sure the rotor is lined up with the #1 spot on the cap.