All Trucks, Campers, Trailers, RV's and Motor Homes - 76 Ford Camper Van lacks power

I have a 76 Ford E-150 Camper Van with problems lately. When stopping and trying to accelerate it constantly stalls. Also noticed today that it had great difficulty climbing small hill. It stammered and i could hear a clicking sound coming from the passenger side of the underneath of the chasis. It finally stalled. Take note that the plugs are more than a year old, and may need changing.

Also can anyone adivse me the best way to clean plugs in the meantime until I get to an automotive shop for new plugs.

After vehicle has warmed up somewhat the stalling stops occurring.

Details: 76 Ford with c-4 transmission and Windsor 351 motor. 50,000 km on it.

Regards

If my memory serves me well, you have a carburetor that sounds like it's acting up. Possibly a few adjustments (choke & mixture) & cleaning by a mechanic who still remembers carburetors, may help. Sounds like accelerator pump (plunger) in carburetor is probably worn out & won't shoot enough (if any) raw fuel into the carburetor to supply the necessary fuel needed to accelerate & climb hills etc. (under load conditions) . If you have a mechanic who's been around for a while in your area, it may be your best bet. I'm not saying the younger ones won't know, as some are pretty sharp, but you'll probably have a better chance with an older mechanic in his 50's.
The other thing that comes to mind is that 1976 was around the time they started coming out with catylitic converters on exhaust systems, ( I think) so keep the possibility of a plugged converter in mind if you have one & haven't had to change it in the past.

And here i thought it might be the plugs, well i bought em anyways and it won't hurt to change them, but i always thought it might have something to do with the accelarator pump.

Thanks for your imput.

The clicking sound you hear may very well be spark knock or pinging. That would point to timing (improper setting or a sticking advance) or fuel quality (too low an octane). Either would definitely affect power.

Also the Autolite carburetors had power valves in them to supplement the main jets. The accelerator pump would impact your immediate acceleration, then the power valve (vacuum-or lack of- actuated), then the main jets. As you would go into a loading condition, the power valves would come back into play.

You may try Sea Foam to clean your fuel system. Definitely use clean and new fuel with correct octane. Watch for spark knock - it can tear up your valves.

Hope this helps,

Bob

Well, I changed the plugs on this old antique, and what i found was no joke, every plug had oil on it but it may have been from oil spillage,. However as a point of interest could some define for me "spark knock".

It typically refers to colliding flame fronts during combustion.

A number of things can cause it, but the common thread among these is premature combustion.

Timing which is too far advanced relative to the fuel or engine design creates excessive pressure in the combustion chamber, causing another ignition point in addition to the spark from the plug. The flame fronts come across the chamber and collide = knock.

Low grade fuel (low octane) will ignite too quickly after the spark. The rapid expansion of the fuel/air triggers another ignition point which replicates the problem in the timing issue.

The components of spark knock or pinging are engine design (configuration to include compression ratio), timing of the ignition spark, octane of the fuel (to include moisture content of the air involved), loading of the engine, and combustion chamber temperature (to include any substance such as hot carbon) which can trigger a combustion.

Hope this helps,

Bob

When was the last time you changed air and fuel filters, and had a good tune up done, I think your way overdue. Jerry